Patents by Inventor Mark J. Fordham

Mark J. Fordham has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10965009
    Abstract: The methods, systems, and devices of the present disclosure are directed to a capacitively coupled label antenna as a component in an antenna system comprising the label antenna, a feed block, an antenna coupler, and a gap between the antenna coupler and the feed block. The label antenna is electrically connected to the antenna coupler, and the antenna coupler is capacitively coupled to the feed block through the gap. By the addition of the gap between the feed block and antenna coupler, the label antenna may be placed on the surface of a container without requiring a wired connection to pass through the container. The feed block may be a small electronic component on a circuit board while the label antenna may be significantly larger thereby providing increased frequency bandwidth and an improved antenna radiation pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Flex Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert R. B. Hammond, Yitzchak Shpitzer, Mark J. Fordham, Frank William Dopplinger
  • Publication number: 20200119431
    Abstract: The methods, systems, and devices of the present disclosure are directed to a capacitively coupled label antenna as a component in an antenna system comprising the label antenna, a feed block, an antenna coupler, and a gap between the antenna coupler and the feed block. The label antenna is electrically connected to the antenna coupler, and the antenna coupler is capacitively coupled to the feed block through the gap. By the addition of the gap between the feed block and antenna coupler, the label antenna may be placed on the surface of a container without requiring a wired connection to pass through the container. The feed block may be a small electronic component on a circuit board while the label antenna may be significantly larger thereby providing increased frequency bandwidth and an improved antenna radiation pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Robert R.B. Hammond, Yitzchak Shpitzer, Mark J. Fordham, Frank William Dopplinger
  • Patent number: 6147879
    Abstract: A flexible container and method for its manufacture, the container provided for housing an electronic device. e.g. a printed circuit board. The container has a laminate wall with a dielectric layer facing into a chamber defined by the container, and an EMI protection layer surrounding the dielectric layer. An opening is provided to the chamber to accept the electronic device and a wall region of the container holds electrically conductive elements which are isolated from each other and from the EMI protection layer. The conductive elements connect conductors on the inside of the chamber to conductors outside the container. The wall region is conveniently provided by a preformed panel which bridges a container aperture. An assembly of electronic device and container is also provided. A common opening may be provided for device acceptance and for location of the preformed panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: L. Eugene Batten, Jr., Dennis A. McCulloch, Mark J. Fordham
  • Patent number: 5253324
    Abstract: A conical rapid thermal processing system includes a conical thermal radiation reflector and a plurality of elongated radiant heating sources within the conical thermal radiation reflector. The elongated radiant heating sources pass through an imaginary conical surface within the conical thermal radiation reflector. A wafer holder within the imaginary conical surface holds the wafer face transverse to the common axis of the conical reflector and the conically arranged radiant heating lamps. The conical thermal radiation reflector and conically arranged lamps provide uniform radiant heating across the face of a wafer without significantly degrading coupling efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1993
    Assignee: North Carolina State University
    Inventors: Jimmie J. Wortman, Furman Y. Sorrell, John R. Hauser, Mark J. Fordham