The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 15, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1997
Charles John Meyer, Wayne, NJ (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting a damaged, disconnected or disabled RF load in an RF communications system wherein an RF source sends forward RF signals to the RF load. In general, the apparatus consists of an alarm circuit, and a device which passes RF signals reflected from the RF load to the alarm circuit. In one illustrative embodiment, the device is a circulator electrically connected to the RF source, the RF load and the alarm circuit such that, when there is an impedance mismatch between the RF source and the RF load, a portion of the forward RF signal reflects back through the circulator to the alarm circuit. The alarm circuit then checks whether the reflected portion of the forward RF signal (i.e. the reflected signal) meets a particular criterion indicating that a substantial impedance mismatch exists between the RF load and the RF source, thus indicating that the RF load is damaged disconnected or disabled. If the alarm circuit determines that the particular criterion indicating the RF load is damaged, disabled or disconnected, the alarm circuit triggers an alarm.