Patents by Inventor Rainee N. Simons

Rainee N. Simons 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: 10509054
    Abstract: A contactless radio frequency (RF) probe. The RF probe includes a dielectric substrate, at least one waveguide comprising an electric field configured to increase the coupling between the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide, and an air gap separating the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide to prevent thermal loading, thermal expansion, and material deformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Jennifer L. Jordan, Rainee N. Simons
  • Patent number: 10249929
    Abstract: A multimode directional coupler is provided. In some embodiments, the multimode directional coupler is configured to receive a primary signal and a secondary signal at a first port of a primary waveguide. The primary signal is configured to propagate through the primary waveguide and be outputted at a second port of the primary waveguide. The multimode directional coupler also includes a secondary waveguide configured to couple the secondary signal from the primary waveguide with no coupling of the primary signal into the secondary waveguide. The secondary signal is configured to propagate through the secondary waveguide and be outputted from a port of the secondary waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Rainee N Simons, Edwin G Wintucky
  • Patent number: 10230216
    Abstract: A tunable QCL source that utilizes a full bandwidth of a broadband THz QCL, and produces a significantly large number of frequency channels, is provided. The tunable QCL source includes a grating router configured to receive a terahertz frequency from a tunable quantum cascade laser and generate a plurality of terahertz frequencies. The tunable QCL source also includes a waveguide controller configured to receive the plurality of terahertz frequencies from the grating router, and select a desired terahertz frequency from the plurality of terahertz frequencies to be outputted by a waveguide multiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Admin of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Hung D. Nguyen, Rainee N. Simons, Edwin G. Wintucky
  • Patent number: 10114040
    Abstract: A contactless radio frequency (RF) probe with inverted microstrip lines. The RF probe includes a microstrip associated with a device under test, and a broadside coupled inverted microstrip line configured to exchange RF signals to a network analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Jennifer L. Jordan, Rainee N. Simons
  • Publication number: 20180299488
    Abstract: A contactless radio frequency (RF) probe. The RF probe includes a dielectric substrate, at least one waveguide comprising an electric field configured to increase the coupling between the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide, and an air gap separating the dielectric substrate and the at least one waveguide to prevent thermal loading, thermal expansion, and material deformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Jennifer L. Jordan, Rainee N. Simons
  • Patent number: 10033083
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention describe an apparatus and method to combine unequal powers. The apparatus includes a first input port, a second input port, and a combiner. The first input port is operably connected to a first power amplifier and is configured to receive a first power from the first power amplifier. The second input port is operably connected to a second power amplifier and is configured to receive a second power from the second power amplifier. The combiner is configured to simultaneously receive the first power from the first input port and the second power from the second input port. The combiner is also configured to combine the first power and second power to produce a maximized power. The first power and second power are unequal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Rainee N. Simons, Christine T. Chevalier, Edwin G. Wintucky, Jon C. Freeman
  • Patent number: 9490899
    Abstract: An optical tunable transmitter is used to transmit multiple radio frequency bands on a single beam. More specifically, a tunable laser is configured to generate a plurality of optical wavelengths, and an optical tunable transmitter is configured to modulate each of the plurality of optical wavelengths with a corresponding radio frequency band. The optical tunable transmitter is also configured to encode each of the plurality of modulated optical wavelengths onto a single laser beam for transmission of a plurality of radio frequency bands using the single laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Hung Nguyen, Rainee N. Simons, Edwin G. Wintucky, Jon C. Freeman
  • Patent number: 9484613
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention describe an apparatus and method to combine unequal powers. The apparatus includes a first input port, a second input port, and a combiner. The first input port is operably connected to a first power amplifier and is configured to receive a first power from the first power amplifier. The second input port is operably connected to a second power amplifier and is configured to receive a second power from the second power amplifier. The combiner is configured to simultaneously receive the first power from the first input port and the second power from the second input port. The combiner is also configured to combine the first power and second power to produce a maximized power. The first power and second power are unequal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Rainee N Simons, Christine T Chevalier, Edwin G Wintucky, Jon C Freeman
  • Patent number: 9252477
    Abstract: A multimode directional coupler is provided. In some embodiments, the multimode directional coupler is configured to receive a primary signal and a secondary signal at a first port of a primary waveguide. The primary signal is configured to propagate through the primary waveguide and be outputted at a second port of the primary waveguide. The multimode directional coupler also includes a secondary waveguide configured to couple the secondary signal from the primary waveguide with no coupling of the primary signal into the secondary waveguide. The secondary signal is configured to propagate through the secondary waveguide and be outputted from a port of the secondary waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Rainee N Simons, Edwin G Wintucky
  • Patent number: 9041469
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention pertain to an all solid-state microwave power module. The module includes a plurality of solid-state amplifiers configured to amplify a signal using a low power stage, a medium power stage, and a high power stage. The module also includes a power conditioner configured to activate a voltage sequencer (e.g., bias controller) when power is received from a power source. The voltage sequencer is configured to sequentially apply voltage to a gate of each amplifier and sequentially apply voltage to a drain of each amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Rainee N. Simons, Edwin G. Wintucky
  • Patent number: 8476979
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of the present invention pertain to an all solid-state microwave power module. The module includes a plurality of solid-state amplifiers configured to amplify a signal using a low power stage, a medium power stage, and a high power stage. The module also includes a power conditioner configured to activate a voltage sequencer (e.g., bias controller) when power is received from a power source. The voltage sequencer is configured to sequentially apply voltage to a gate of each amplifier and sequentially apply voltage to a drain of each amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Rainee N Simons, Edwin G Wintucky
  • Patent number: 7191013
    Abstract: A compact, hand-held device for wireless powering, interrogation and data retrieval from at least one implanted sensor. The hand-held device includes an antenna for powering an implanted sensor and for receiving data from the implanted sensor to the hand-held device for at least one of storage, display or analysis. The hand-held device establishes electromagnetic coupling with a low radiating radio frequency power inductor in the implanted sensor at a predefined separation and the antenna geometry allows for the antenna to power, interrogate and retrieve data from the implanted sensor without strapping the hand-held device to a human body housing the implanted sensor The hand-held device optionally allows for activation of the implanted sensor only during interrogation and data retrieval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Felix Antonio Miranda, Rainee N Simons
  • Patent number: 6844852
    Abstract: A polarization reconfigurable patch antenna is disclosed. The antenna includes a feed element, a patch antenna element electrically connected to the feed element, and at least one microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuator, with a partial connection to the patch antenna element along an edge of the patch antenna element. The polarization of the antenna can be switched between circular polarization and linear polarization through action of the at least one MEMS actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventor: Rainee N. Simons
  • Patent number: 6667725
    Abstract: The present invention discloses and teaches apparatus for combining Radio Frequency (RF) technology with novel micro-inductor antennas and signal processing circuits for RF telemetry of real time, measured data, from microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors, through electromagnetic coupling with a remote powering/receiving device. Such technology has many applications, but is especially useful in the biomedical area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Rainee N. Simons, Felix A. Miranda