Patents by Inventor Richard S. Torkington

Richard S. Torkington 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: 8035203
    Abstract: An over-molded leadframe (e.g., a Quad Flat No-lead (QFN)) package capable of operating at frequencies in the range of about five gigahertz (GHz) to about 300 GHz and a method of making the over-molded leadframe package are disclosed. The over-molded leadframe package includes a capacitance lead configured to substantially reduce and/or offset the inductance created by one or more wirebonds used to connect an integrated circuit (IC) chip on the package to an input/output (I/O) lead. The IC chip is connected to the capacitance lead via one or more wirebonds, and the capacitance lead is then connected to the I/O lead via at least a second wirebond. Thus, inductance created by the one or more wirebonds on the package is substantially reduced and/or offset by the capacitance lead prior to a signal being output by the package and/or received by the IC chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: ViaSat, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S. Torkington, Michael R. Lyons, Kenneth V. Buer
  • Publication number: 20090174042
    Abstract: An over-molded leadframe (e.g., a Quad Flat No-lead (QFN)) package capable of operating at frequencies in the range of about five gigahertz (GHz) to about 300 GHz and a method of making the over-molded leadframe package are disclosed. The over-molded leadframe package includes a capacitance lead configured to substantially reduce and/or offset the inductance created by one or more wirebonds used to connect an integrated circuit (IC) chip on the package to an input/output (I/O) lead. The IC chip is connected to the capacitance lead via one or more wirebonds, and the capacitance lead is then connected to the I/O lead via at least a second wirebond. Thus, inductance created by the one or more wirebonds on the package is substantially reduced and/or offset by the capacitance lead prior to a signal being output by the package and/or received by the IC chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: VIASAT, INC.
    Inventors: Richard S. Torkington, Michael R. Lyons, Kenneth V. Buer
  • Patent number: 7489022
    Abstract: An over-molded leadframe (e.g., a Quad Flat No-lead (QFN)) package capable of operating at frequencies in the range of about five gigahertz (GHz) to about 300 GHz and a method of making the QFN package are disclosed. The QFN package includes a capacitance lead configured to substantially reduce and/or offset the inductance created by one or more wirebonds used to connect an integrated circuit (IC) chip on the package to an input/output (I/O) lead. The IC chip is connected to the capacitance lead via one or more wirebonds, and the capacitance lead is then connected to the I/O lead via at least a second wirebond. Thus, inductance created by the one or more wirebonds on the package is substantially reduced and/or offset by the capacitance lead prior to a signal being output by the package and/or received by the IC chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Viasat, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S Torkington, Michael R Lyons, Kenneth V Buer
  • Patent number: 7157793
    Abstract: Thermal spreading resistance, associated with small geometry electronic features that generate heat on a semiconductor, may be reduced through the addition of a thermally conductive fluid. For example, a dielectric fluid may be used within a volume between a semiconductor package and the semiconductor substrate. Therefore, direct thermal cooling may be employed to reduce the thermal spreading resistance often encountered in MMIC power amplifier devices. Furthermore, exemplary methods to achieve this sealing are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: U.S. Monolithics, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Richard S. Torkington, Jon Filreis, Kenneth V. Buer
  • Patent number: 7035617
    Abstract: A system and method for high power block upconversion having a stand-alone and surface-mountable component is provided. The HP-BUC system of the invention provides a “drop-in” component capable of mixing a local oscillator signal with an IF signal to produce an RF signal in the millimeter-wave and higher bands. In addition, the HP-BUC provides filtering of unwanted spurious signals and requires no further signal amplification prior to transmission, for example in a satellite communications system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: U.S. Monolithics, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Richard S. Torkington, Edwin Jack Stanfield
  • Publication number: 20020102959
    Abstract: A system and method for high power block upconversion having a stand-alone and surface-mountable component is provided. The HP-BUC system of the invention provides a “drop-in” component capable of mixing a local oscillator signal with an IF signal to produce an RF signal in the millimeter-wave and higher bands. In addition, the HP-BUC provides filtering of unwanted spurious signals and requires no further signal amplification prior to transmission, for example in a satellite communications system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Kenneth V. Buer, Richard S. Torkington, Edwin Jack Stanfield
  • Patent number: 6198907
    Abstract: A zero-drift constellation (200 FIG. 2) is used to simplify the tracking and hand-off requirements of terrestrial-based user terminals (110 FIG. 1). Each satellite (120 FIG. 1) traces out a common ground track which has a number of southbound segments and an equal number of adjacent northbound segments. This allows user terminals (110) to employ antennas with only one degree of freedom to track satellites (120) in zero-drift constellation (200). User terminals (110) perform hand-offs with satellites (120) that are within a limited field of view with respect to user terminal (110). User terminal (110) tracks a first satellite until a crossover point is reached and then performs a hand-off to a second satellite traveling in the opposite direction along an adjacent segment. User terminal (110) tracks the second satellite until another crossover point is reached and then performs a hand-off to a third satellite traveling in the same direction as the first satellite along an adjacent segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S. Torkington, Thomas P. Emmons, Jr., Keith Warble
  • Patent number: 5222294
    Abstract: A microwave circuit high isolation packaging technology involving the fabrication of a single-piece baseplate containing microwave circuits, the fabrication of a single-piece framework, and the assembly of the baseplate structure to the framework structure eliminating any gaps. The baseplate contains the desired microwave circuitry without isolation channels or other impediments to mounting circuit components or making circuit interconnections. The framework comprises all isolation walls, transoms, or other structures capable of isolating individual portions of the microwave circuit when assembled to the baseplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S. Torkington, David G. Lamoreaux
  • Patent number: 5160903
    Abstract: A microwave circuit high isolation packaging technology involving the fabrication of a single-piece baseplate containing microwave circuits, the fabrication of a single-piece framework, and the assembly of the baseplate structure to the framework structure eliminating any gaps. The baseplate contains the desired microwave circuitry without isolation channels or other impediments to mounting circuit components or making circuit interconnections. The framework comprises all isolation walls, transoms, or other structures capable of isolating individual portions of the microwave circuit when assembled to the baseplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1992
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard S. Torkington, David G. Lamoreaux