JAMES DANIEL LILLY
Pilots at Peach Orch Rd, Silver Spring, MD

6590531, Jul 8, 2003

May 23, 2001

09/863975

James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD

E Tenna Corporation - Laurel MD

H01Q 322

342375

An antenna beamformer is disclosed that uses controllable time delay elements distributed in a planar fractal feed network between the input port and multiple output ports. The use of time delay elements, rather than phase shifting elements, allows the beamformer to maintain a constant steering angle independent of frequencies over a broad range of frequencies. In addition, fewer control signals are used to control all of the time delay elements due to distributing the time delay elements throughout the fractal feed network, rather than grouping the delay elements near the output ports.

6501427, Dec 31, 2002

Jul 31, 2001

09/919776

James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD
Greg Mendolia - Ellicott City MD
Andrew Humen, Jr. - Croston MD

e-Tenna Corporation - Del Mar CA

H01Q 138

343700MS, 333 33

A patch antenna is composed of a segmented patch and MEMS switches which are built on a substrate. The patch segments of the segmented patch can be electrically connected to each other by the MEMS switches to form a contiguous patch and optional tuning strips and to connect or block RF between the contiguous patch and the optional tuning strips. When RF is connected between the tuning strips and the contiguous patch, the tuning strips increase the effective length of the contiguous patch and lower the antennas resonant frequency, thereby allowing the antenna to be frequency tuned electrically over a relatively broadband of frequencies. When the tuning strips are connected to the patch in other than a symmetrical pattern, the antenna pattern of the antenna can be changed. In another aspect of the invention, the optional tuning strips are continuous structures that are formed by connecting patch segments using switches. A planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) is also provided with one or more tuning strips spaced from the lid of the PIFA and with switches to connect or block RF between the lid of the PIFA and the tuning strips.

6646605, Nov 11, 2003

Oct 12, 2001

09/976441

Steven L. Garrett - Mineral Wells TX
James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD

e-Tenna Corporation - Del Mar CA

H01Q 136

343700MS, 333238

A tunable artificial dielectric material achieves the weight reductions made possible in U. S. Pat. No. 6,075,485 and further achieves even higher resonant frequency tuning ratios. In one embodiment of the invention, the artificial dielectric substrate for a patch antenna comprises alternating low and high permittivity layers, with the high permittivity layers each comprised of printed capacitive Frequency Selective Surface (FSS). An example FSS of the invention has a voltage tunable effective sheet capacitance by virtue of varactor diodes integrated into each unit cell. By appropriate adjustment of the bias voltage across the varactor diodes, the amount of the electric field stored in the substrate can be varied, which further varies the resonant frequency of the patch antenna.

6411261, Jun 25, 2002

Apr 27, 2001

09/845011

James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD

E-Tenna Corporation - Laurel MD

H01Q 1500

343756, 342 5, 343770

The invention provides an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) system and method for manufacturing. The AMC has a post plane with posts and slots. The posts are operatively disposed adjacent to conductive shapes on one or more frequency selective surfaces. The posts formably extend from the post plane.

6768476, Jul 27, 2004

Dec 5, 2002

10/310714

James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD
David T. Auckland - Silver Spring MD
Andrew Humen, Jr. - Crofton MD

Etenna Corporation - Laurel MD

H01Q 1502

343909, 343700 MS, 343752

An antenna consisting of a thin strip bent-wire monopole disposed on an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) is loaded at the end opposite to the feed point with a distributed or lumped capacitance to achieve an electrically small antenna for use in handheld wireless devices. The capacitive load reduces the length of the antenna to smaller than one-quarter of a wavelength at a given frequency of operation without suffering a substantial loss of efficiency. This results in an easier integration into portable devices, greater radiation efficiency than other loaded antenna approaches and longer battery life in portable devices, and lower cost than use of a chip inductor.

5943016, Aug 24, 1999

Apr 22, 1997

8/844929

Robert F. Snyder - New Freedom PA
James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD
Andrew Humen - Crofton MD

Atlantic Aerospace Electronics, Corp. - Greenbelt MD

H01Q 126

343700MS

A patch antenna is provided with one or more tuning strips spaced therefrom and RF switches to connect or block RF currents therebetween. When a conducting path for RF current is connected between the tuning strips and the patch, the tuning strips increase the effective length of the patch and lower the antenna's resonant frequency, thereby allowing the antenna to be frequency tuned electrically over a relatively broadband of frequencies. If the tuning strips are connected to the patch in other than a symmetrical pattern, the antenna pattern of the antenna can be changed. A feed network couples RF to the antenna and includes two hybrid couplers, one for providing the correct amplitude and phase of excitation at the feed probes, and the second for effectively dissipating reflected power due to antenna impedance mismatch.

6075485, Jun 13, 2000

Nov 3, 1998

9/185205

James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD
David T. Auckland - Silver Spring MD
William E. McKinzie - Fulton MD

Atlantic Aerospace Electronics Corp. - Greenbelt MD

H01Q 136

343700MS

An artificial anisotropic dielectric material is used as a microstrip patch antenna substrate and can achieve dramatic antenna weight reduction. The artificial dielectric is comprised of a periodic structure of low and high permittivity layers. The net effective dielectric constant in the plane parallel to the layers is engineered to be any desired value between the permittivities of the constituent layers. These layers are oriented vertically below the patch to support electric fields consistent with desired resonant modes. Substrates may be engineered for both linearly and circularly polarized patch antennas. Substrate weights can be reduced by factors of from 6 to 30 times using different types of high permittivity layers. This concept has numerous applications in electrically small and lightweight antenna elements, as well as in resonators, microwave lenses, and other electromagnetic devices.

6061025, May 9, 2000

Nov 12, 1997

8/968216

Trent M. Jackson - Greenbelt MD
William E. McKinzie - Fulton MD
James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD
Andrew Humen - Crofton MD

Atlantic Aerospace Electronics Corporation - Greenbelt MD

H01Q 138

343700MS

A patch antenna is provided with one or more tuning strips spaced therefrom and RF switches to connect or block RF currents therebetween. When a control system for the antenna selectively connects and isolates RF currents between certain of the tuning strips and the patch, the tuning strips change the effective length of the patch and thus the antenna's resonant frequency, thereby frequency tuning the antenna electrically over a relatively broad band of frequencies. The control system includes circuitry for rapidly switching the antenna to a desired frequency with minimal delay and with superior isolation from the antenna, making it suitable for use in DAMA, TDMA, and other frequency hopping applications.

5777581, Jul 7, 1998

Dec 7, 1995

8/568940

James D. Lilly - Silver Spring MD
Andrew Humen - Crofton MD

Atlantic Aerospace Electronics Corporation - Greenbelt MD

H01Q 138

343700MS

A patch antenna is provided with one or more tuning strips spaced therefrom and RF switches to connect or block RF therebetween. When RF is connected between the tuning strips and the patch, the tuning strips increase the effective length of the patch and lower the antenna's resonant frequency, thereby allowing the antenna to be frequency tuned electrically over a relatively broadband of frequencies. If the tuning strips are connected to the patch in other than a symmetrical pattern, the antenna pattern of the antenna can be changed.