Robert G Riddle

US Patent:

6639938, Oct 28, 2003

Filed:

Sep 23, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/401896

Inventors:

William R. Goyette - San Marcos CA
Robert G. Riddle - San Diego CA

Assignee:

Northrop Grumman Corporation - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

H04B 1713

US Classification:

375132

Abstract:

A method of routing a frequency hopping signal to one of two transmitting antennas in a multiple carrier communication system is disclosed. The method comprises storing known a-priori information regarding frequency hopping signal assignments, scanning a transmitter frequency and antenna path assignment table to determine the closest existing transmitting frequency and its antenna to the frequency hopping signal to be assigned, assigning the frequency hopping signal to an available path on the other antenna, and updating the transmitter frequency and antenna path assignment table. In addition the method includes determining whether the assigned path on the other antenna conflicts with existing frequency assignments, and preempting the antenna assignment when a conflict exists.

US Patent:

56182058, Apr 8, 1997

Filed:

Oct 17, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/324043

Inventors:

Robert G. Riddle - Escondido CA
Jeffrey A. Douglass - Poway CA
John D. Voss - Cumming GA
Stephen C. Ellis - Murrieta CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

H01R 907

US Classification:

439581

Abstract:

A solderless right-angle interconnect is provided for achieving flexible, low-profile and enhanced performance high frequency signal interconnections. The interconnect includes a compressible conductive pin assembly which has a first end electrically coupled to a first transmission path and a second end electrically coupled to a stripline circuit trace which provides a second transmission path. According to one embodiment, a springy compressible conductive button is located in a recessed chamber at the second end of the conductive pin and partially extends from the end thereof. According to another embodiment, a springy conductive bellows is formed intermediate the first and second ends of the pin assembly. The second end of the conductive pin further includes at least one tapered edge. A conductive ground layer is further provided for substantially enclosing the interconnect and providing a ground reference thereabout.

US Patent:

53732995, Dec 13, 1994

Filed:

May 21, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/065850

Inventors:

Ernie T. Ozaki - Poway CA
Robert G. Riddle - Escondido CA
John D. Voss - San Diego CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

H01Q 326

US Classification:

342373

Abstract:

A low-profile multioctave frequency band microwave mode forming network is provided which includes a plurality of circuit layers having circuitry for receiving M feed signals which may provide M beams or modes of operation. Each circuit layer has a dielectric board with circuitry formed on top and bottom surfaces thereof and is sandwiched between top and bottom dielectric layers to form a tri-plate stripline circuitry. The circuit layers are dielectrically isolated from one another and further separated by conductive ground planes. The circuitry includes a plurality of couplers, phase shifters and transmissions lines which do not require transmission line cross-overs on any given surface. A plurality of right-angle RF interconnects are included for providing electrical connection to the circuitry. Output ports are provided for coupling said feed network to N elements of an antenna system.

US Patent:

61306525, Oct 10, 2000

Filed:

Jun 15, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/333760

Inventors:

Allan C. Goetz - La Jolla CA
Robert G. Riddle - San Diego CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

H01Q 136

US Classification:

343895

Abstract:

A wide band, single aperture antenna system (70) that provides simultaneous detection of both RHCP and LHCP signals. The antenna system (70) includes a multiple arm spiral antenna (10) that has spiral arm elements (12, 14, 16, 18) with no sharp transitions. To simultaneously both RHCP and LHCP sensitivity, an antenna feed is connected to both the center end and the outer end of each of the antenna arm elements (12, 14, 16, 18). A separate N-port transformer (74, 78) is connected to both the end feed and the center feed for all of the arms (12, 14, 16, 18) to provide impedance matching and cross-polarization compensation. An NXN port modeformer (76, 80) is connected to the N-port transformers (74, 78) to separate the various modes. The modeformers (76,80) separate the LHCP and RHCP modes to provide an accurate AoA estimation.

US Patent:

56917287, Nov 25, 1997

Filed:

Mar 25, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/621853

Inventors:

Allan Charles Goetz - La Jolla CA
Robert Gene Riddle - San Diego CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

H01Q 322
H01Q 324
H01Q 326

US Classification:

342373

Abstract:

A technique for compensating for bias errors that are inevitably introduced in an N-port analog modeformer (14) of the Butler matrix type, used to transform antenna arm signals obtained from a cylindrically symmetrical or spiral antenna (10), to an equal number of more useful mode signals. Corrupted mode signals from the analog modeformer (14) are downshifted in frequency in a coherent receiver processor (18), converted to digital corrupted mode signals in an analog-to-digital converter (22), and then further processed in a bias error reduction processor (26) to produce output signals that are a close approximation of true, uncorrupted mode signals. The bias error reduction processor 26 uses a memory (28) to store matrix quantities obtained from measurements previously made of the analog modeformer (14), and performs an error reduction function by simple matrix manipulations of the digital corrupted mode signals and the matrix quantities stored in the memory (28). The processor (26) may perform the matrix manipulations by calculation or may make use of a look-up table for faster processing.

US Patent:

57775796, Jul 7, 1998

Filed:

Feb 13, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/799750

Inventors:

Allan C. Goetz - La Jolla CA
Robert G. Riddle - San Diego CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

H01Q 322
H01Q 324
H01Q 326

US Classification:

342373

Abstract:

An implementation of a Butler matrix transformation used to process antenna signals and, in particular, to transform signals obtained from an N-port antenna into mode signals used for direction finding and other purposes. A reverse transformation is used when the antenna is operating in a transmit mode. Instead of using a single Nth order transformation matrix, the circuit of the invention employs a decomposed form of the transformation matrix, thereby reducing the complexity of the transformation by using lower-order matrices. In an example of the invention for an 8. times. 8 transformation, the circuit complexity is further reduced by using an additional level of decomposition, in which phase shifting is effected by a circuit implementation of a single 8. times. 8 diagonal phase shift matrix requiring only three phase shift circuits. Reduction in circuit complexity, particularly in the number of phase shift circuits, reduces bias errors in the overall transformation and reduces fabrication cost.

US Patent:

59529679, Sep 14, 1999

Filed:

Oct 28, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/181370

Inventors:

Allan C. Goetz - La Jolla CA
Robert G. Riddle - San Diego CA

Assignee:

TRW Inc. - Redondo Beach CA

International Classification:

H01Q 322
H01Q 324
H01Q 326

US Classification:

342373

Abstract:

The present invention provides a modeforming circuit (100). The modeforming circuit (100) includes a first matrix circuit (102) comprising an interconnected network of transmission lines (208-212) and phase shifters (216-218) that implement at least one N/2. times. N/2 identity matrix and at least one N/2. times. N/2 phase shift matrix. The first matrix circuit (102) is connected in series to a second matrix circuit (104). The second matrix circuit (104) includes an interconnected network of phase shifters that implements at least one N/2. times. N/2 phase shift matrix. The modeforming circuit (100) may further include a third matrix circuit (106) connected in series with the second matrix circuit (104). The third matrix circuit (106) includes a network of transmission lines (220-230) that reorder N inputs to N mode outputs. The first matrix circuit (102) may be implemented as a first matrix sub-circuit (108) connected in series with a second matrix sub-circuit (110) to provide even further reduced complexity.