Patents by Inventor William E. McKinzie
William E. McKinzie 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).
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Patent number: 10177731Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2017Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
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Patent number: 10163574Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first solid electrode, a second electrode separated into subsections, and a dielectric medium separating the subsections from the first solid electrode, where the subsections of the second electrode include a first group of subsections and a second group of subsections, where the first group of subsections are connectable with a first terminal for receiving an input signal, and where the second group of subsections is connectable with a second terminal for providing an output signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2016Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: James Oakes, James Martin, Edward Horne, William E. McKinzie
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Patent number: 10050598Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2017Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventor: William E. McKinzie, III
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Patent number: 10020828Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising' an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and 5 including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a 10 multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elemenType: GrantFiled: July 8, 2016Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventor: William E. McKinzie
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Publication number: 20180109235Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2017Publication date: April 19, 2018Applicant: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
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Patent number: 9948270Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a circuit including an antenna having a tunable component. The tunable component can be operable to receive a variable signal to cause the tunable component to change a reactance of the antenna. The tunable component can include a first conductor coupled to the antenna, a second conductor, and a tunable material positioned between the first conductor and the second conductor, where at least one of the first conductor or the second conductor, or both are adapted to receive the variable signal to cause the change in the reactance of the antenna. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2016Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Cornelis Frederik Du Toit, Deirdre A. Ryan, Gregory Mendolia, James Martin, Izz Khayo, Heinz Bachmann, William E. McKinzie
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Patent number: 9853622Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure can include, for example, an apparatus having a matching network adapted to reduce a magnitude of a signal reflection at a port of the matching network. The matching network can have one or more controllable variable reactive elements. A controller can be adapted to determine reflection coefficient information from incident and reflected waves sampled at the port of the matching network, and follow at least one cycle of a coarse tune process for generating one or more control signals to tune one or more reactances of the one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2014Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: William E. McKinzie, III, Heinz Bachmann, Greg Mendolia
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Publication number: 20170294891Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2017Publication date: October 12, 2017Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
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Patent number: 9768752Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an impedance matching circuit including a matching network. The matching network includes a first port and a second port, and one or more variable reactance components. The one or more variable reactance components are operable to receive one or more variable voltage signals to cause the one or more variable reactance components to change an impedance of the matching network. At least one of the one or more variable reactance components includes a first conductor coupled to one of the first port or the second port of the matching network, a second conductor, and a tunable material positioned between the first conductor and the second conductor. Additionally, at least one of the first conductor and the second conductor are adapted to receive the one or more variable voltage signals to cause the change in the impedance of the matching network. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2014Date of Patent: September 19, 2017Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Cornelis Frederik du Toit, Deirdre A. Ryan, Gregory Mendolia, James Martin, Izz Khayo, Heinz Bachmann, William E. McKinzie
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Patent number: 9722577Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an adaptive impedance matching network having an RF matching network coupled to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and comprising one or more controllable variable reactive elements. The RF matching network can be adapted to reduce a level of reflected power transferred from said at least one input port by varying signals applied to said controllable variable reactive elements. The one or more controllable variable reactive elements can be coupled to a circuit adapted to map one or more control signals that are output from a controller to a signal range that is compatible with said one or more controllable variable reactive elements. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2015Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventor: William E. McKinzie, III
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Patent number: 9579748Abstract: Substrates and methods to fabricate and use millimeter wave Sievenpiper EBG structures such that the conductive portions are internal to an LTCC package.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignees: E I DU PONT NEMOURS AND COMPANY, WEMTEC Inc.Inventors: Deepukumar M Nair, Michael Arnett Smith, James M Parisi, Elizabeth D Hughes, William E. Mckinzie, III
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Publication number: 20170011858Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first solid electrode, a second electrode separated into subsections, and a dielectric medium separating the subsections from the first solid electrode, where the subsections of the second electrode include a first group of subsections and a second group of subsections, where the first group of subsections are connectable with a first terminal for receiving an input signal, and where the second group of subsections is connectable with a second terminal for providing an output signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2016Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventors: James Oakes, JAMES MARTIN, EDWARD HORNE, WILLIAM E. MCKINZIE
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Publication number: 20160336916Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a circuit including an antenna having a tunable component. The tunable component can be operable to receive a variable signal to cause the tunable component to change a reactance of the antenna. The tunable component can include a first conductor coupled to the antenna, a second conductor, and a tunable material positioned between the first conductor and the second conductor, where at least one of the first conductor or the second conductor, or both are adapted to receive the variable signal to cause the change in the reactance of the antenna. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventors: CORNELIS FREDERIK DU TOIT, DEIRDRE A. RYAN, GREGORY MENDOLIA, JAMES MARTIN, IZZ KHAYO, HEINZ BACHMANN, WILLIAM E. MCKINZIE
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Publication number: 20160322991Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising' an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and 5 including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a 10 multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elemenType: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2016Publication date: November 3, 2016Inventor: William E. McKinzie
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Patent number: 9472838Abstract: Electromagnetic slow wave structures (SWS) comprised of arrays of conductive obstacles are formed inside conductive parallel-plate waveguides These SWS may be formed using, for example, MEMS manufacturing processes at the wafer level on substrates including ceramic and silicon. An effective relative permittivity in the range of 15 to 40 may be obtained at millimeterwave frequencies. The SWS can be made absorptive by incorporating resistive losses in a plate of the PPW. Applications of these slow wave structures include delay lines and bootlace lens beamformers for microwave and millimeterwave antenna systems.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2015Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: WEMTEC, INC.Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
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Patent number: 9431709Abstract: An antenna system is described which is comprised of an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC), an antenna element, and a feed network comprised of shielded feedlines whose outer conductor, or shield, is routed through the substrate of the AMC. The feedline outer conductor is connected to both the substantially continuous conductive surface and the array of capacitive patches forming the AMC. The shielded feedline suppresses the excitation of undesired TM modes within the AMC substrate, results in a stable return loss over a frequency range associated with the AMC's high surface impedance and surface wave bandgap.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2013Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: WEMTEC, INC.Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III
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Patent number: 9431990Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a circuit including an antenna having a tunable component. The tunable component can be operable to receive a variable signal to cause the tunable component to change a reactance of the antenna. The tunable component can include a first conductor coupled to the antenna, a second conductor, and a tunable material positioned between the first conductor and the second conductor, where at least one of the first conductor or the second conductor, or both are adapted to receive the variable signal to cause the change in the reactance of the antenna. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2014Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventors: Cornelis Frederik du Toit, Deirdre A Ryan, Gregory Mendolia, James Martin, Izz Khayo, Heinz Bachmann, William E. McKinzie
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Patent number: 9419581Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising' an RF matching network connected to at least one RF input port and at least one RF output port and 5 including one or more voltage or current controlled variable reactive elements; a voltage detector connected to the at least one RF output port via a variable voltage divider to determine the voltage at the at least one RF output port and provide voltage information to a controller that controls a bias driving circuit which provides voltage or current bias to the RF matching network; a variable voltage divider connected to the voltage detector and implemented using a 10 multi-pole RF switch to select one of a plurality of different resistance ratios to improve the dynamic range of the apparatus; and wherein the RF matching network is adapted to maximize RF power transferred from the at least one RF input port to the at least one RF output port by varying the voltage or current to the voltage or current controlled variable reactive elemenType: GrantFiled: January 31, 2014Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: BlackBerry LimitedInventor: William E. McKinzie
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Patent number: 9406444Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a first solid electrode, a second electrode separated into subsections, and a dielectric medium separating the subsections from the first solid electrode, where the subsections of the second electrode include a first group of subsections and a second group of subsections, where the first group of subsections are connectable with a first terminal for receiving an input signal, and where the second group of subsections is connectable with a second terminal for providing an output signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2011Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: BLACKBERRY LIMITEDInventors: James Oakes, James Martin, Edward Provo Wallis Horne, William E. McKinzie
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Patent number: 9362601Abstract: A parallel plate waveguide structure may be configured to suppress spurious propagating modes by including a lossy frequency selective surface (FSS) formed from a resistive film. The electromagnetic material properties of individual layers disposed between the conductive plates of the waveguide may be engineered to extend the suppression band of the fundamental TE mode up to the cutoff frequency of the second TE mode, and to simultaneously create a multi-octave TM mode suppression band. Applications include, for example, cavity mode suppression in microwave and millimeterwave assemblies at the board, package, and chip level.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2015Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: WEMTEC, INC.Inventor: William E. McKinzie, III