Scattering Type Parameters (e.g., Complex Reflection Coefficient) Patents (Class 324/638)
  • Patent number: 11774475
    Abstract: A reflectometer may include two directional couplers in a parallel configuration, sharing the same section of a signal line or through-line. For example, two directional couplers may be disposed across from each other on opposite sides of the shared through-line. One of the directional couplers may couple, to a first port of the reflectometer, a portion of the signal power of a first signal flowing from the first end of the shared through-line to the second end of the shared through-line, and the other directional coupler may couple, to a second port of the reflectometer, a portion of the signal power of a second signal flowing from the second end of the shared through-line to the first end of the shared through-line. The reflectometer benefits from reduced size and signal loss with respect to reflectometers having a serial configuration. When used in vector network analyzer (VNA) systems, this results in higher output power and higher dynamic range of the VNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Justin Regis Magers, Michael Joseph Seibel, Marcus Kieling daSilva
  • Patent number: 11668737
    Abstract: A self-calibrating transmission line resonator oscillating driver apparatus, including: a first output driver module configured to transmit a first forward signal along a transmission line; a second output driver module configured to transmit a second forward signal along the transmission line; a first reflection detection module configured to detect a first return signal of the first forward signal reflected along the transmission line; and a second reflection detection module configured to detect a second return signal of the second forward signal reflected along the transmission line; wherein, when the first reflection detection module detects the first return signal of the first forward signal reflected along the second direction of the transmission line, providing a signal to i) change a power state of the first output driver module to an off-power state and to ii) change a power state of the second output driver module to an on-power state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Steven Jay Lash
  • Patent number: 11671185
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a main measurement device for simultaneously measuring signals with at least one secondary measurement device, the main measurement device comprising a reference signal output port configured to couple to the at least one secondary measurement device, a reference signal generator coupled to the reference signal output port and configured to generate a reference signal, a measurement port configured to receive a signal to be measured, a trigger output port configured to couple to a trigger input port of the at least one secondary measurement device and to output a trigger signal, and a controllably switchable internal signal path configured to selectively couple the reference signal generator with the measurement port. Further, the present invention discloses a respective secondary measurement device, a respective measurement system, and a respective method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Andreas Ziegler, Detlef Schlager, Jens Naumann, Sebastian Petzsch, Thomas Kuhwald, Andrew Schaefer, Michael Grimm
  • Patent number: 11460496
    Abstract: A measuring carrier for position-resolved meteorological determination of a measurement variable dependent on the dielectric permittivity of a device under test. The measuring carrier has a supporting means comprising a measuring surface, to which the device under test can be applied, and a measuring transmission line which entirely or partially forms the measuring surface and comprises a multiplicity of transmission line cells for the purpose of transmitting a radio-frequency measurement signal which can be injected at the input port. The measuring surface is structured in a cellular manner, wherein each of the transmission line cells has a cell-individual propagation constant with respect to the radio-frequency measurement signal in a state free of a device under test. This constant differs from the respective cell-individual constants of the other transmission line cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: IHP GMBH—INNOVATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROELECTRONICS/LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR INNOVATIVE MIKROELEKTRONIK
    Inventors: Chafik Meliani, Subhajit Guha, Farabi Ibne Jamal
  • Patent number: 11404248
    Abstract: Embodiments include a modular microwave source. In an embodiment, the modular microwave source comprises a voltage control circuit, a voltage controlled oscillator, where an output voltage from the voltage control circuit drives oscillation in the voltage controlled oscillator. The modular microwave source may also include a solid state microwave amplification module coupled to the voltage controlled oscillator. In an embodiment, the solid state microwave amplification module amplifies an output from the voltage controlled oscillator. The modular microwave source may also include an applicator coupled to the solid state microwave amplification module, where the applicator is a dielectric resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Allan Kraus, Thai Cheng Chua
  • Patent number: 11372009
    Abstract: A diagnostic and treatment assembly, configured to diagnose and treat cellular disease. The diagnostic and treatment assembly has a radio wave generator communicatively coupled to a carrier modulator and a radio wave amplifier. An impedance matching system is electrically coupled to the radio wave amplifier. A reflected wave sensor is electrically coupled to the impedance matching system. A radiator applicator is electrically coupled to the reflected wave sensor. A vector impedance analyzer is electrically coupled to the radio wave amplifier. An information collector data network is electrically coupled to the vector impedance analyzer. A data logger is communicatively coupled to the carrier modulator, the vector impedance analyzer, and the reflected wave sensor. The diagnostic and treatment assembly operates in a low-power mode to diagnose a cellular disease and in a high-power mode to treat the cellular disease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Inventors: Sergio Schirmer Almenara Ribeiro, Willians de Souza Dias
  • Patent number: 11373936
    Abstract: A flat no-leads package, the flat no-leads package includes a leadframe for electrically connecting an integrated circuit (IC) chip which in a mounted configuration is arranged in a center portion of the flat no-leads package. The leadframe has at least one RF lead pin; and an isolating encapsulation which is at least partially encapsulating the leadframe such that contact surfaces of the leadframe are electrically contactable at least from a bottom side of the flat no-leads package; wherein at least one of the RF lead pin has a first and second contact surfaces. A cross-section of the RF lead pin increases from the first contact surface to the second contact surface both in a horizontal direction and in a direction vertical thereto. Further, a printed circuit board having a flat no-leads package and a measurement device having a flat no-leads package are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Simon Reiss, Chris Haehnlein, Robert Ziegler
  • Patent number: 11063676
    Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a testing device for enabling testing of a communication node. The testing device measures a test parameter associated with RF characteristics of the communication node when it is located at a test location during a first condition. The communication node is configured with a node setting during the measurement in the first condition. The testing device measures the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node when it is located at the test location during a second condition. The communication node is configured with the same node setting in the second condition as in the first condition. The testing device checks whether a result parameter associated with the test parameter measured during the first and second condition fulfills a requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Torbjörn Elfström, Ove Nilsson, Lars Persson, Moritz Saarman
  • Patent number: 10761160
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a field distribution of an antenna arrangement of a magnetic resonance system is provided. The symmetry of the field distribution may be impaired by positional inaccuracy of the antenna arrangement in the magnetic resonance system. The antenna arrangement comprises oscillating circuit antenna elements and switching elements. Each of the oscillating circuit antenna elements is assigned a respective switching element of the switching elements. A respective switching element is configured to couple the assigned oscillating circuit antenna element operatively to the antenna arrangement in dependence on a status of the respective switching element. During the method, symmetry information on the field distribution in the antenna arrangement is measured, and the switching elements are automatically adjusted using the measured symmetry information, such that the symmetry of the field distribution in the interior of the antenna arrangement is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Nistler, Razvan Lazar
  • Patent number: 10690760
    Abstract: A system for generating a three dimension (3D) imaging of an object, the system comprising: an electromagnetic transducer array such as an RF (radio-frequency) antenna array surrounding the object said array comprising: a plurality of electromagnetic transducers; a transmitter unit for applying RF signals to said electromagnetic transducer array; and a receiver unit for receiving a plurality of RF signals affected by said object from said electromagnetic transducers array; a Radio Frequency Signals Measurement Unit (RFSMU) configured to receive and measure said plurality of plurality of affected RF signals and provide RF data of the object; and at least one processing unit, configured to process said RF data to identify the dielectric properties of said object and construct a 3D image of said object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: VAYYAR IMAGING LTD
    Inventors: Raviv Melamed, Damian Hoffman, Jonathan Rosenfeld, Ronen Tur
  • Patent number: 10659174
    Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a testing device for enabling testing of a communication node. The testing device measures a test parameter associated with RF characteristics of the communication node when it is located at a test location during a first condition. The communication node is configured with a node setting during the measurement in the first condition. The testing device measures the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node when it is located at the test location during a second condition. The communication node is configured with the same node setting in the second condition as in the first condition. The testing device checks whether a result parameter associated with the test parameter measured during the first and second condition fulfills a requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Torbjörn Elfström, Ove Nilsson, Lars Persson, Moritz Saarman
  • Patent number: 10345370
    Abstract: A hybrid harmonic tuner uses a reverse injection technique, a modified adjustable Gamma Boosting Unit (GBU) cascaded with a passive multi-carriage harmonic impedance tuner in the same slabline and housing. The GBU samples a portion of the forward travelling signal at the fundamental frequency, adjusts its phase and amplitude, amplifies it and injects it back, in reverse direction into the main signal path. In the hybrid tuner technique, as is herein implemented, the forward coupler (wave-probe) is mounted on the vertical axis of a slide screw tuner-type carriage and, being horizontally and vertically controlled, it eliminates the need of a separated phase shifter and attenuator, which makes the solution better, simpler and more effective; harmonic tuning is performed using only the multi-carriage passive tuner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 10274536
    Abstract: A device comprising a device under test and a time to current converter configured to be coupled to the device under test. The device under test comprises: (i) at least one delay element for creating a delay; (ii) at least one capacitor for providing capacitance loading to the at least one delay element; and (iii) at least one switch to control the capacitance loading provided by the at least one capacitor. The time to current converter comprises (i) a first input for receiving a first clock signal; (ii) a second input for receiving an inverted and delayed version of the first clock signal from the device under test; and (iii) an impedance module for measuring an output current. During a testing mode, the at least one switch is in a closed position so the at least one capacitor can provide a capacitance loading to the at least one delay element to amplify the delay associated with the device under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Yung-Chow Peng, Po-Zeng Kang, Wen-Shen Chou, Yu-Tao Yang
  • Patent number: 10203361
    Abstract: An impedance measurement method is provided having a certain level of measurement sensitivity across all ranges of impedance and capable of covering a wide measurement range. In the method, a device under test (DUT) is connected in series or in parallel to a signal line, a measurement signal is transmitted from a signal source, an input signal a1 into the DUT, a reflected signal reflected from the DUT, and a passed signal that passed through the DUT are measured, S-parameters S11 and S21 are calculated based on respective measured values of the input signal, the reflected signal, and the passed signal, and an impedance Zx of the DUT is calculated based on a formula: Zx=2Z0S11/S21, where Z0 is a characteristic impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ugawa
  • Patent number: 10146140
    Abstract: A structure of interest is irradiated with radiation for example in the x-ray or EUV waveband, and scattered radiation is detected by a detector (306). A processor (308) calculates a property such as linewidth (CD) by simulating interaction of radiation with a structure and comparing the simulated interaction with the detected radiation. A layered structure model (600, 610) is used to represent the structure in a numerical method. The structure model defines for each layer of the structure a homogeneous background permittivity and for at least one layer a non-homogeneous contrast permittivity. The method uses Maxwell's equation in Born approximation, whereby a product of the contrast permittivity and the total field is approximated by a product of the contrast permittivity and the background field. A computation complexity is reduced by several orders of magnitude compared with known methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Maxim Pisarenco, Richard Quintanilha, Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij
  • Patent number: 10048218
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for non-invasive data acquisition from a human or animal body 7, comprising an antenna for irradiating a portion of the body, said antenna being connected to a source and a processor for collecting the data pursuant to the irradiation, wherein the antenna is a leaky wave antenna 1, 2, 3, 4 operable using a dielectric layer, the system being configurable so that the portion of the body 7 is at least partially used for the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
    Inventors: Frans Antonius Nennie, Andrea Neto, Stefania Monni
  • Patent number: 9921253
    Abstract: A method and test setup for reducing the RF power requirement m active load pull uses impedance tuners between the output of the test transistor and the active RF power injection network. The active network uses either a closed loop (active load) configuration or an open loop network employing split or synchronized signal sources. The impedance tuners are wideband (fundamental) tuners, harmonic rejection tuners or multi-harmonic tuners. A 7:1 transforming ratio of the tuners represents the best compromise between power matching and tuner loss, yielding a reduction of 11 dB in power requirements from the active load or the synchronized source(s); if only the fundamental signal is injected at the output of the DUT, a multi-harmonic tuner or a harmonic rejection tuner is used for independent harmonic tuning; if multiple harmonic signals are injected, a multi-harmonic tuner is used and creates passive harmonic loads while reducing at the same time the power requirements from the harmonic injection sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 9846189
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed for characterizing a transmission line. Sets of scatter parameters (s-parameters) associated with measured or modeled insertion loss (IL) or return loss (RL) values over a range of frequencies may be acquired for a transmission line. One or more parameter values for use in IL or RL fit functions may be adjusted to reach a threshold for a coefficient of determination (R2) value of a curve generated using the IL or RL fit functions to approximate the set of s-parameters over the range of frequencies. The IL or RL fit functions may then be used to generate other sets of s-parameters associated with IL or RL values for a recreated model of the transmission line. The other sets of s-parameters may be scaled to characterize transmission lines of various lengths. Other examples are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Richard I. Mellitz
  • Patent number: 9838986
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a high frequency signal measurement system is described. The measurement system is in the form of a network analyzer (6) and has first and second phase-locked signal sources (SS1 & SS2) and at least two measurement receivers (18a, 18b). A phase meter (26) is provided. A reference signal (F0) is outputted at a first frequency from the first signal source (SS1). The second signal source (SS2) steps through a multiplicity of different test frequencies (nF0), being phase-locked with the reference signal (F0), which are applied in turn to a part of the measurement system. Measurements are taken, via the two measurement receivers (18a, 18b), of characteristics of the resulting signal at a measurement plane. The absolute phase of the signal at the measurement plane is also measured with the phase meter (26). Calibration data is generated which relates the characteristics of the signals as measured by the measurement system (6) and the absolute phase as measured with the phase meter (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Inventors: Tudor Vyvyan Williams, Paul Juan Tasker
  • Patent number: 9769586
    Abstract: In general, techniques are described for performing order reduction with respect to a plurality of spherical harmonic coefficients. In accordance with the techniques, a device comprising one or more processors may be configured to perform, based on a target bitrate, order reduction with respect to a plurality of spherical harmonic coefficients or decompositions thereof to generate reduced spherical harmonic coefficients or the reduced decompositions thereof, wherein the plurality of spherical harmonic coefficients represent a sound field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Dipanjan Sen, Nils Günther Peters
  • Patent number: 9759798
    Abstract: A calibration method for enhancing a measurement accuracy of one or more voltage sensing devices in presence of a plurality of conductors is provided. The method includes operatively coupling at least one voltage sensing device of the one or more voltage sensing devices to a respective conductor of the plurality of conductors and determining a sensed voltage value of the respective conductor using the at least one voltage sensing device The method further includes determining a calibration matrix having cross-coupling factors representative of cross-coupling between an antenna of the at least one voltage sensing device and other conductors of the plurality of conductors and determining a corrected voltage value of the respective conductor by deducting at least in part contributions of the cross-coupling from the sensed voltage value of the respective conductor using the calibration matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Amol Rajaram Kolwalkar, Sameer Dinkar Vartak, Arun Kumar Raghunathan, Abhijeet Arvind Kulkarni, Charles Brendan O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9664715
    Abstract: Described is an electrical measuring system with a six-gate circuit and a delay line. An electrical signal is fed from a resonator, at least one of directly and or via the delay line, to the six-gate circuit. The frequency of the signal is computed by the six-gate circuit in dependence on the length of the delay line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignees: HORST SIEOLE GMBH & CO KG, FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUREMBERG
    Inventors: Ernst Halder, Peter Dingler, Francesco Barbon, Alexander Kölpin, Stefan Lindner, Sarah Linz, Sebastian Mann
  • Patent number: 9509052
    Abstract: An antenna comprising: a transceiver; a current probe operatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the current probe comprises an outer conductive non-magnetic housing, a toroidal magnetic core having a central aperture, wherein the core is insulated from the housing, and a primary winding wound about the core; and an animal body, a portion of which is positioned within the aperture such that incoming and outgoing electromagnetic signals are transferred between the portion of the animal body and the current probe by magnetic induction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Daniel W. Tam
  • Patent number: 9366743
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring s-parameters using as few as one pulser and two samplers is described. The apparatus calibrates itself automatically using the internal calibration standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J Pupalaikis, Kaviyesh Doshi, Roger Delbue, Anirudh Sureka
  • Patent number: 9194930
    Abstract: A method is provided for de-embedding fixtures and/or probes from measurements of devices where probes and fixtures are connected between the ports of a network analysis instrument and a device-under-test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Pupalaikis
  • Patent number: 9000776
    Abstract: A method for estimating the characteristic impedance of a structure comprising the following steps: providing a current probe comprising a magnetic core having an aperture therein and a primary winding wrapped around the core; measuring, with a calibrated vector network analyzer (VNA), the impedance (Zop) of the current probe while in an open configuration wherein nothing but air occupies the aperture and the current probe is isolated from a ground; measuring, with the VNA, the impedance (Zsh) of the current probe while in a short configuration, wherein the current probe is electrically shorted; measuring, with the VNA, the impedance (Zin) of the current probe while the current probe is mounted to the structure such that the structure extends through the aperture; and calculating an estimated characteristic impedance (Z?mast) of the structure according to the following equation: Z?mast=(Zin?Zsh)(Zop?Zsh)/(Zop?Zin).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Daniel W. Tam, Randall A. Reeves, John H. Meloling
  • Publication number: 20150035546
    Abstract: Disclosed are highly sensitive and tunable RF sensors that provide detection and analysis of single cells and particles. The tunable RF sensors are configured as tunable interferometers, wherein cells or particles to be analyzed are passed through a channel, such as a microfluidic channel, across waveguides corresponding to reference and test branches of the interferometers. A network analyzer coupled to the interferometers can be configured to measure a plurality of scattering parameters, such as transmission scattering coefficients (S21) of the reference and test branches, to evaluate characteristics of cells passing through the channel. A plurality of tunable interferometers may be employed, each interferometer operating in different frequency bands such that information obtain from the plurality of interferometers may be combined to provide further information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Pingshan Wang, Yan Cui, Yuxi He, David Moline, Jiwei Sun
  • Patent number: 8934849
    Abstract: A system and method for confirming radio frequency (RF) signal connectivity integrity with a device under test (DUT). An output RF signal is provided to a RF signal port and looped back for analysis along with an input RF signal, which includes a reflected signal component related to the output RF signal, from the RF signal port. By measuring magnitudes of combinations of the input and loopback RF signals, e.g., at multiple signal frequencies, it can be determined whether the RF signal port is properly terminated by the DUT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Litepoint Corporation
    Inventor: Theodoros Kamakaris
  • Patent number: 8928333
    Abstract: A method for measuring s-parameters of an N-port device under test (DUT), using an N-port test fixture and a network analyzer. The method includes: measuring calibration errors of the N-port test fixture using a reduced set of N/2 calibration standards; measuring calibration errors due to the network analyzer by calibrating only the network analyzer using analyzer-only calibration standards; isolating test fixture s-parameters errors using results of the analyzer-only calibration standards measurement and the N-port test fixture calibration standard measurement; measuring the s-parameters errors of the DUT; and correcting the s-parameters errors of the DUT corresponding to the isolated test fixture s-parameters errors and the calibration errors of the network analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Darren E. Atkinson, Scott A. Avent
  • Patent number: 8860434
    Abstract: A method of measuring scattering parameters (S-parameters) of a device under test (DUT) is provided in the present disclosure. The S-parameters of the DUT with two connectors of different standards may be obtained without performing a full two-port calibration using an adapter kit. Two one-port calibrations are performed in the present disclosure to build two error models, the first one of which includes the characteristics of one-port of a network analyzer and a cable, the second one of which further includes the characteristics of the DUT. Therefore, the characteristics of the DUT may be obtained by removing the characteristics of the first error model from the second error model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Wistron Corp.
    Inventor: Sheng-Yu Wen
  • Patent number: 8823392
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an impedance tuner system. In one embodiment, a web-enabled electronic controller controls an impedance tuner system including a signal transmission line and an electronically-controllable impedance-varying system coupled to the signal transmission line for affecting the impedance presented by the signal transmission line. The controller has a communication port, and an electronic processor configured to process external command signals and generate electronic control signals to configure the impedance-varying system in response to the command signals. An electronic memory stores sets of data and one or more web pages. The controller has a communication server and is configured to receive or send signals through a communication channel from or to a client computer system. The communication server is configured to be responsive to a request message from a client computer system to send a response comprising a web page to the client computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Maury Microwave, Inc.
    Inventor: Roman Meierer
  • Patent number: 8805480
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for classifying and/or ablating tissue. By directing microwave radiation through a probe (5) into tissue (6) and detecting the amplitude and phase of radiation reflected back through the probe and a reference signal, the tissue type can be classified. An impedance tuner which is actuated by magnetostrictive material (800) is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Medical Device Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Hancock, John Bishop
  • Patent number: 8798953
    Abstract: A calibration method for radio frequency scattering parameter measurement applying three calibrators and measurement structure thereof, comprising a transmission line segment calibrator, an offset series device calibrator, an offset shunt device calibrator and a tested object measuring instrument, wherein the length of the transmission lines for the offset series device calibrator and the offset shunt device calibrator is equal to the one of the transmission line for the tested object measuring instrument such that the offset series device calibrator, the offset shunt device calibrator and the tested object measuring instrument have the identical error boxes, and after having acquired the scattering parameter matrix of the error box by means of the calibration method, it is possible to connect the tested electronic device onto the tested object measuring instrument and perform operations on uncorrected measurement data thereof thereby obtaining the radio frequency scattering parameter of the tested object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Yuan Ze University
    Inventor: Chien-Chang Huang
  • Patent number: 8717045
    Abstract: A microorganism number-measuring apparatus includes: measurement container including measurement liquid; rotary driver; bacteria-collection signal generator; measurement signal generator; output amplifier for amplifying outputs of signal generators and; I/V amplifier; impedance measuring unit for measuring impedance of liquid; microorganism number-computing unit for computing the number of microorganisms present in liquid; solution conductivity-computing unit for computing conductivity of liquid; and warm-up section for warming up at least one of I/V amplifier and output amplifier. Warm-up section computes a warm-up signal based on the conductivity computed by conductivity-computing unit. Warm-up section computes the warm-up signal having a current the same in magnitude as that flowing through measurement electrode by using the measured solution conductivity, and applies the signal to at least one of I/V amplifier and output amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidenori Morita
  • Patent number: 8706438
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring s-parameters using as few as one pulser and two samplers is described. The apparatus calibrates itself automatically using the internal calibration standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J Pupalaikis, Kaviyesh Doshi, Roger Delbue, Anirudh Sureka
  • Patent number: 8653828
    Abstract: A calibration method and apparatus for surgical antennas which are arranged to deliver microwave radiation (e.g. having a treatment frequency of 500 MHz to 100 GHz) into biological tissue is disclosed. An emitting region of the antenna is exposed to a plurality of calibration standards each having a different complex impedance at the treatment frequency. In one embodiment the calibration standards are created in a short-circuit-terminated waveguide cavity of variable length. In another embodiment, each calibration standard is a different mixture of two or more liquids. Measurement of the magnitude and phase of signals reflected from the emitting region when exposed to the calibration standard can permit calibration of the antenna, e.g. by generating a mapping function based on the measured values and known or reference values for the calibration standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Medical Device Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Hancock, Malcolm White, John Bishop, Martin Wynford Booton
  • Patent number: 8635039
    Abstract: A graphical technique and three phase unwrapping techniques for retrieving bulk permittivity and permeability tensors of materials, and more specifically, the new technique provides for retrieving isotropic and anisotropic material parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Simin Feng
  • Patent number: 8612177
    Abstract: A method for determining measurement uncertainty of measured values of a network analyzer. For every measured value of a respectively-selected measurement type, the measurement uncertainty is calculated in an internal computer of the network analyzer according to modulus and/or phase and displayed together with the respective measured value. Data required for this computation, which result directly from properties and an operating mode of the network analyzer, are stored in databanks allocated to the internal computer and are therefore directly accessible to the internal computer, and only data from additionally-used measurement resources, which differ from the data already stored in the databanks, are entered externally into the databanks, where they are set off against the originally-stored data and included as new data in the calculation of the measurement uncertainty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Rohde and Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Michael Hiebel, Ute Phillip
  • Publication number: 20130307563
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining the speed of a rolling stock, for example the belt speed of a rolling belt, wherein electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range is transmitted to the rolling stock by at least one transmitting and receiving device and the belt speed is determined on the basis of the reflected and received reflection signal in an evaluation device. A device for carrying out such method is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Georg Keintzel, Günther Winter
  • Patent number: 8577632
    Abstract: A system and method for identification of complex permittivity associated with a transmission line dielectric is proposed. A network analyzer measures scattering parameters over a specified frequency band for at least two line segments of different length and substantially identical cross-section filled with a dielectric. A first engine determines non-reflective (generalized) modal scattering parameters of the difference segment based on the measured scattering parameters of two line segments. A second engine computes generalized modal scattering parameters of the line difference segment by solving Maxwell's equations for geometry of the line cross-section with a given frequency-dependent complex permittivity dielectric model. A third engine performs optimization by changing dielectric model parameters and model type until the computed and measured generalized modal scattering parameters match. The model that produces generalized modal S-parameters closest to the measured is the final dielectric model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Inventor: Yuriy Shlepnev
  • Patent number: 8566058
    Abstract: A method is provided for de-embedding measurements from a given network containing mixtures of devices with known and unknown S-parameters given a description of the network and the known S-parameters of the overall system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Teledyne LeCroy, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter J. Pupalaikis, Kaviyesh Doshi
  • Patent number: 8552742
    Abstract: A calibration method for radio frequency scattering parameter measurements enabling self-calibration, which calibration method using a transmission line segment calibrator, a series device calibrator, a shunt device calibrator and a tested object measuring instrument, in which the lengths of the transmission lines in the series device calibrator and the shunt device calibrator are equal to the length of the transmission lines in the tested object measuring instrument such that the series device calibrator and the shunt device calibrator have the same error box as the tested object measuring instrument; and after acquiring the scattering parameter matrix of the error box through the calibration method, it is possible to connect a tested electronic device onto the tested object measuring instrument and perform operations on uncorrected measurement data thereof thereby obtaining the radio frequency scattering parameter of the tested object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Yuan Ze University
    Inventor: Chien-Chang Huang
  • Patent number: 8552739
    Abstract: In an electronic device and a method of correcting time-domain reflectometers, two channels of a time-domain reflectometer are connected to a corrector using cables, and the two channels are enabled to transmit pulses. Parameters Step Deskew and Channel Deskew of the two channels are zeroed. Resistance values of the two channels are measured simultaneously, and the value of the parameter Step Deskew of one of the two channels is adjusted according to the Resistance values of the two channels. Times of achieving the same resistance value of the two channels are measured after the cables and the connector have been disconnected, and the value of the parameter Channel Deskew of one of the two channels is adjusted according to the times of achieving the same resistance value. The adjusted values of the parameters Step Deskew and Channel Deskew are displayed through a display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsien-Chuan Liang, Shen-Chun Li, Shou-Kuo Hsu
  • Patent number: 8436626
    Abstract: An embodiment is a method for de-embedding. The method comprises forming a primary structure in a semiconductor chip and forming an auxiliary structure in the semiconductor chip. The auxiliary structure replicates a first portion of the primary structure. The method further comprises determining a transmission matrix for each of the primary structure and the auxiliary structure based on measurements and extracting a transmission matrix of a first component of the primary structure by determining a product of the transmission matrix of the primary structure and an inverse of the transmission matrix of the auxiliary structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manfacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsiu-Ying Cho
  • Patent number: 8405405
    Abstract: Low loss current and voltage probes are integrated in parallel plate airlines (slablines) to be used either as separate modules inserted between tuner and DUT in load pull test setups, or integrated in the impedance tuners themselves. The probes are inserted orthogonally at exactly the same reference plane relative to the DUT, maximizing bandwidth and the minimizing deformation of the detected electric and magnetic fields. The probes are used to detect the actual voltage and current waveforms and feed into an amplitude-and-phase calibrated high speed oscilloscope, including several harmonic frequencies. The actual real time voltage and current time domain waves are transformed into the frequency domain using fast Fourier transformation (FFT), de-embedded to the DUT reference plane and inverse transformed into the time domain using inverse Fourier transformation (FFT?1). The result of this real-time operation is the actual dynamic load line of the DUT at its terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Inventors: Christos Tsironis, Zacharia Ouardirhi
  • Patent number: 8395392
    Abstract: A set of parameters of an evaluation structure are extracted by applying a radio frequency (RF) signal through a first capacitive contact and a second capacitive contact to the evaluation structure. Measurement data corresponding to an impedance of the evaluation structure is acquired while the RF signal is applied, and the set of parameters are extracted from the measurement data. In an embodiment, multiple pairs of capacitive contacts can be utilized to acquire measurement data. Each pair of capacitive contacts can be separated by a channel having a unique spacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Grigory Simin, Michael Shur, Remigijus Gaska
  • Patent number: 8378693
    Abstract: A front end of a vector network analyzer (VNA) on an integrated circuit includes a clock generator and two ports. The VNA couples to a device under test (DUT) using the two ports. Each port may include a plurality of receivers and a VSWR bridge, and can be configured as either an input or an output. The clock generator can generate a stimulus signal, an in-phase I clock signal, and a quadrature-phase Q clock signal. The output port provides the stimulus signal to the DUT and measures both reference and reflected power from the DUT, such as by utilizing two receivers by using direct conversion and the I and Q clock signals. The input port measures transmitted power through the DUT using a second VSWR bridge and one of its receivers by using direct conversion along with the I and Q clock signals. The VNA IC can provide S-parameter measurements to a processing unit for further processing and/or analysis to compute the DUT S-parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventor: Michel M. Azarian
  • Patent number: 8362787
    Abstract: A harmonic rejection tuner, used for reflecting RF power at the harmonic frequencies in a load pull measurement setup, uses adjustable capacitive grounding of half wavelength long resonator stubs in order to vary the electrical length and thus the resonant frequency of the resonators. Since the resonators themselves are by nature narrowband, this frequency adjustability allows for a higher frequency bandwidth and better coverage of operational frequency range of the test setup. Since load pull measurements are carried out mostly at fixed frequencies, adjustment of the capacitive shorts can be either manual or by remote control. Capacitive shorting the resonator stubs allows DC bias to be applicable to the device under test through the tuner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Inventor: Christos Tsironis
  • Patent number: 8319504
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods and apparatus for characterizing a tuner. For a given tuner, a processing system is adapted to measure scattering parameters for a plurality of characterization points that are non-uniformly distributed across a Smith chart, and to store the scattering parameters in a tuner characterization file. Interpolation and extrapolation processes are performed to determine additional scattering parameters for a plurality of additional characterization points, which are also stored in the tuner characterization file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Roff, Basim H. Noori
  • Patent number: 8264239
    Abstract: A cylindrical waveguide (1) used for analyzing a flowing stream of corn masa (18) using a guided microwave spectroscopy (GMS) process. The waveguide (1) includes opposed spaced apart plates (2, 5) that each define a plane within the waveguide housing (3) that is parallel to the direction (47) of corn masa flow through the waveguide. The housing (1) includes two opposed frames (7, 19) that each surround an aperture (6) that permits access to the region between the waveguide plates (2, 5). A microwave probe assembly (81) is mounted at each frame (7, 19) to permit the radiation and reception of electromagnetic waves within the housing (1) as required to perform the GMS process. A temperature probe (51) is inserted into the interior of the housing (1) at a fitting (13). In an actual installation a y-shaped assembly (89) can be used to divide the corn masa flow into two separate paths with one path containing the waveguide (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Thermo Fisher Scientific
    Inventors: Darrel Thomas Butler, Tom Lee Erb