Life After the Patent

One hour of life crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks,
is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum.
— Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

his is a continuation of my polling for one or more volunteers to write articles for future antenneX monthly issues on the subject of “life after the patent.” While we’ve published some good articles and discussions about patents on how to obtain them, I would like to publish another series of articles to complete the “symphony” — what happens after one has applied and secured a patent. Plenty of info can be found about how to file, which is more of a recipe than a real-life story. Also, there are plenty of experts out there willing to assist in the applications, for a price of course.

Many would-be inventors believe if they could just patent a “new” device, they’ve got it made and can just sit back and “clip coupons.” Actually, the work has just begun and it is still a long way/time before that new gizmo reaches the marketplace, if it ever does. Moreover, it is a vulnerable time for the unwary inventor who may “love” his new baby to a fault and subject to impaired judgment about the future of that new device. Vanity has blurred the vision of inventors more than once. As evidence, just look at the tens of thousands of patents filed over the past 100 years still gathering dust rather than income for the inventor.

Sure, some make it a success, but the large majority does not. If the effort doesn’t break a heart, it may break a bank account! Moreover, being granted a patent doesn't guarantee your invention idea is safe either. Most have heard the term "reverse engineering"—plus a bit of "design around."

My desire for an article is for stories for the benefit of our readers about what happens after that patent is secured. What steps were taken to make it to market, or what steps (or lack of) may have caused nothing more than disappointment. In fact, it would be great to have both stories—those that made it and those that didn’t.

Since a large majority of our reading audience is made up of engineers and other bright people with technical abilities, antenneX is the perfect place for articles like this. It will provide interesting reading and enlighten some 70,000 people in 203 countries. Both sides of the stories are just as important if it tells someone what steps they may have missed in making the device as success—while protecting themselves along the way too. Or, it may even make one think twice about filing an application because it's very expensive—just as much for bad ideas as good ones.

To present such an article from those with experience in the trenches will be a valuable service to many, because they are more likely to find a great deal of info about how to file a patent—even those for a fee, who will help you file. In fact, this is a cottage industry because there are so many that believe they have a great idea and if they just had a patent.......(those "helpers" understand about the vanity factor— and they make money whether the inventor does or not). It’s a lot harder to find good info about the “after life” of the patent process. Why? Because the failure rate is high. And thus, some (most?) are embarrassed should that effort fail to produce the riches they dreamed about and maybe even bragged about to all his/her relatives and friends about that great patent that will rock the world. While one may be granted a patent and even boast about that, they run the risk of being asked about the "sales."

And, antenneX will even pay you $100.00 U$ for such an article! Do the public a great service and earn a writer’s fee at the same time. If, interested in submitting your “story,” please send your manuscript submission directly to me: jack@antennex.com

NEW ARCHIVE OPENED UP
Those of you with subscriptions will find that your access just got larger! There are now NINE reading rooms included in your present subscription. A new past issues/articles Archive VIII has opened up for the accumulation of another 100 articles. If you have the All Reading Rooms subscription, your same login works there as well. With the completion of Archive VII at the 100-article limit, all new issue articles will now move to the new Archive until it also reaches 100.

For the open-access Guest Rooms and the Antenna Discussion List archives, we changed our login system during October 2005. Previously, each of these two areas used a completely different login system, neither of which where able to handle the member growth and became fragile and unstable. A message was emailed to everyone about this change and most of you have re-registered as was requested. If you haven't yet re-registered after the October 10th changeover, you will need to do so for your next visit to those areas. We have tried to make this change for the better in the way of stability and ease of login management by the members. It has become impossible to keep up with so many login requests about lost passwords, or that the system denies access, etc. Now, folks can request their own login if a password is forgotten and/or change a login when desired and using the new automatic system and without the need for manual intervention.

Paid subscribers cannot alter a login, but can request a reminder of their password using a new auto-feature for that separate system.

ABOUT OUR FREE SOFTWARE
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Among the many services that antenneX tries to offer our readers, we provide a selection of software that you may download at no cost. Most of the programs come from our generous readers and/or writers. The software comes in many formats, ranging from GW Basic to various scripts to Windows-ready programs to antenna models in various formats.

antenneX loads and checks each program before making them available at the download site (located in the Guest Rooms) to be certain that each one is virus-free. We also do a rudimentary check to be sure that they appear to function okay. Unfortunately, we lack the qualified staff to check the programs more thoroughly to be certain that they are technically adequate to perform tasks that you may expect of them. Therefore, we cannot certify that the programs are 100% accurate in their calculations for any particular purpose.

Many of the programs are fairly simple (compared to word processors or antenna modeling programs) and fall into the category of utility programs. A utility is basically any small program that saves you the trouble of hauling out your hand calculator or setting up your spreadsheet program and going through the tedious task of calculating individual steps in a sequence of calculations. Utilities may also be programs that perform specific but limited functions, including some that may have been overlooked by major software. Before you rely on a program that you have downloaded--either from antenneX or from elsewhere—you should perform a set of calculations for yourself by the old and slow method to confirm the program's accuracy. If it is accurate, your one-time investment of energy will let to use the program with confidence in the future.

Likewise, if the program is calculates antenna dimensions, you should model the results using either NEC or MININEC to assure yourself that the program does its job with reasonable accuracy. Not every such program is careful to specify all of the inputs required by a sophisticated modeling program. Therefore, antenna utility programs may serve better as starting points for antenna design refinement than as finished products ready to build.

Likewise, there are many utility programs both at antenneX and elsewhere that provide calculations involving transmission lines. In many cases, you can compare the results of a handy utility program with those from more formal programs of known accuracy, such as TLD and TLW. A few months back, we carried a review that included these programs relative to their ability to calculate values for common networks.

The final responsibility for the use of any of the free downloadable programs from antenneX rests with the user. You would not buy a new car without a test drive, and your should not rely upon a utility program without adequate initial tests. In addition, look under the hood. In software terms, that means seeking out the origins of the equations used in the calculations. If the program does not contain the desired information, you may correspond with the program author. We can always add some of the critical information to the download information if we receive it. If we discover that a program contains too many technical errors, simplifications, or oversights, we can always remove it from our offerings. Therefore, your feedback is important to us so that the software in our list of downloadable materials is the best possible within the limits of how we receive it.
Not all software is of equal quality in performing its claimed functions. Even a collection as large as the well-known GW Basic collection gathered by VE3ERP and called HamCalc contains a mixture of very useful and accurate programs along with a number of more dubious ones. (One advantage of GW Basic as a utility program is its transparency. You can always examine the program listing to find the equations used in producing the results. Compiled programs have largely replaced Basic utilities. However compilation may speed the program and may allow for direct Windows access, it also makes internal examination impractical.)

In your search for useful utility programs, do not overlook the sites mentioned by our authors in their articles. The sites they reference often contain useful software in addition to valuable information. In fact, if you read on-line, you may want to keep a special scratchpad to list sites and sources of programs. You may not need the program today, but Murphy's laws dictate that you will need the program just after your memory of where you read about it has slipped into oblivion.

Although free programs have the right price tag, they come with no certifications, guarantees, or after-sale support. Therefore, you may also wish to visit the Shopping Shack and see what antenna-related software you might want to invest in for the long-term. Of course, there are other good sources for software to purchase other than antenneX. However, while you are reading the latest issue, checking up on the offerings in the Shopping Shack is good practice.

In the meantime, feel free and safe in downloading the various software items from antenneX. However, use them with care and caution until you have verified for yourself that they will do the job that you need them to do.

Short Course at the University of Surrey
In the past, we have announced upcoming events that might be of interest. In keeping with that policy, we are pleased to announce another "Antennas and Propagation Short Course" at the University of Surrey in the UK that is scheduled for December 5-9, 2005.

We have announced similar courses of this type and in the past & some readers at antenneX have attended previous courses at this University from as far away as Australia. They enjoyed the course as reported back to me.

If you were planning a trip to the UK, this would be an activity to consider. If you weren't planning a trip, now you have a good reason. If you reside in the area, then you have the advantage.

Antennas and Propagation Short Course
at the University of Surrey

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5-9 December 2005

The course is designed to provide an overview of the fundamental principles associated with microwave and RF antennas and propagation. The course will present the underlying theory in an accessible manner, together with techniques for application of the theory to satellite and mobile communications scenarios. In past courses attendees have included people from the avionics and aerospace, broadcasting, mobiles, radar, satellites, telecommunications, and defense industries. The course will cover such topics as:

Principles of antennas;
Aperture Antennas;
Wire and Mobile Antennas;
Principles of radio wave propagation I & II;
Terrestrial path loss;
Mobile Radio Propagation Models I & II;
Satellite Propagation;
HF propagation;
Transmission lines and feeders;
Small loop and compact antennas;
Array antennas;
Antenna labs and NEC simulations;
Printed and small antennas;
Antenna demonstrations

Lecturers include experts in their field from the University of Surrey and also from industry.

Some grants of �300 towards the course costs are available from CEESI and information is given on the University of Surrey’s website on:

http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/CE/technical/antprop.html

Discounts are also available for IEE and IEEE members and members of the antenneX website!

Places are limited to 14.

Further details:
Contact: Barbara Steel, Continuing Education Manager
Tel: +44(0)1483 686040
Email: B.Steel@surrey.ac.uk

NEW PATENT SECTION
As reported last month, antenneX will open up a new patent section of its own within the open-access Guest Rooms available to one and all. The intent of this new section is to place only those patents of interest to the subjects of material that follow the underlying theme of antenneX-antennas and antenna-related devices, old and new emerging technology.

Patent expert Alois has joined forces with antenneX to help create this new section from his vast collection of patents over the years and has already begun to transfer copies to our website. In fact, Alois sent us one of the oldest US patents for a starter—the Edison Patent of 1891 "Means of Transmitting Signals Electrically." What a way to start! I may have this one enlarged and framed!

Alois is doing a great job of organizing this new section and really know what he is doing. It's a big effort, but should be up and running soon.

Chris Trask, N7ZWY of Tempe, Arizona USA also has kindly contributed many useful pieces of material for the Science Library and has volunteered to add copies from his patent collection to this new section as well. We hope others will contribute as well when they can.

In conjunction with the new Antenna Science Library that contains many Classic as well as newer papers on theory and concepts, this together with the patents makes for a convenient one-stop "watering hole"—which is our endeavor.

NEW PROGRAMS FOR DOWNLOADS
During the past month, we have added several more programs to the download section in the new Guest Rooms. So, it is a good idea to be registered on the announcement list especially to learn about the free goodies we find and offer like the above.To register on the announcement list, to be notified about more programs and/or articles added to the Guest Rooms, just click here.

AN INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTORS
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antenneX thrives on the contributions of antenna experimenters, ranging from the informal home shop construction project to the theoretical investigation of basic antenna, feedline, and propagation phenomena. Over the years, we have published articles on the use of new or newly adapted materials, known antennas adapted to new circumstances, modifications of antenna structures, basic explorations of both common and unusual antennas, antenna modeling exercises, design improvements, antenna matching techniques from both a physical and mathematical perspective, evaluations of mini-antennas and their underlying theory of operation, new and patentable designs, propagation tutorials, and.... The list goes on, since no antenna-related topic is irrelevant to the readers of antenneX.

At the same time, antenneX has experienced continuous growth in its readership—for which we are appreciative. However, all readers can help us do even better. How? By submitting an article every now and then based on your current antenna work that may be useful at any level to other readers.

Among the engineering and researching readers, there are undoubtedly a number of unclassified and non-proprietary findings that antenneX readers would like to know. Among the practical antenna designers, there are ideas, tests, and numerous other practical findings to benefit our readers. Antenna builders very likely have some techniques to share with other readers. Besides the regular articles, we always have the home work shop column for shorter practical ideas and we always have the invited news and editorial column for information about new technologies, future advances, lost old but good ideas, and personal views on the good to bad things that are happening in the world of antennas and propagation.

If you are uncertain about whether your ideas merit an article, please feel free to send an outline to the general editor/publishers at submissions@antennex.com . Do not feel that you must be ready to be a regular submitter to write for antenneX, because we welcome the individual contribution as much as monthly articles. As well, do not believe that the slots in each issue are already spoken for—we shall always make room for a worthy article.

Modeling Yagis by Equation
Part 1. Background and One Example
By L.B. Cebik, W4RNL

For many years, The ARRL Antenna Book has shown a combination collinear, broadside, endfire array. For example, look on pages 8-51 to 8-54 of the 19th Edition. The write-up shows a typical pattern with good bi-directional gain. However, a myriad of questions remains for anyone contemplating building such an array. However, we can boil the questions down to just two. What do we get? What do we pay?

The EH Antenna
Myths and Realities
By Claudio Re, I1RFQ

Claudio says: [...]Among many others, I personally tested some of these antennas (EH, DLA, X3), finding that there was nothing about them that challenged the traditional Maxwell theories. Something strange was noticed at first sight from non-clinical and critical tests. Such was typically due to common mode currents on the feeder lines. All these effects disappeared with true no-feeder tests or good precautions to minimize the effects of the common mode currents until they were negligible in the measurements. After having used the experimental way to check PVS. (On the EH there is a series of two articles, the first is available on the antenneX public library. See references at the end and Table 1 with the summary of the results of the second article measurements.) One day I had the idea to see what can happen if I try to change the test approach. At the end this was summarized in this question: "What could theoretically happen combining the E and H fields produced from two different antennas?"[...]

Triangular & Rectangular Loop Wire Antenna
Characteristic Vs a Simple Inverted Vee
By Fred M. Griffee, N4FG (EE Retired)

My modeling work for this article uses the usual design equation approximation. But, since I am addressing all bands instead of one single band, the description then becomes merely a wire antenna arrangement whether rectangular, equilateral, isosceles, circular, vertical, horizontal, or other such wire arrangement that may occur. Indeed, it is well recognized, for example, that there is no such antenna as an all band Delta design although the orientation of some antennas included with this analysis include the configuration of one. Quite clearly then, my intent for this article is to design a few given wire antennas that are useful for frequencies within the 80 through 10 meter bands (excluding the 60-meter band since I do not possess that capability other than the receiving mode). Emphasis is placed on low angle radiation characteristics (more often referred to as the “take-off-angle or TO”), azimuth patterns, and drive point impedance values. Impedance matching with consequent conjugate matching is referred to but is not included in this analysis. Impedance matching for these included antennas will follow in a separate article. Also, I must mention that essentially, my efforts are related to the user and not to the theory and how the antenna works.

The Amazing X Dipole Antenna
By Robert Wilson, VA1AKK/AL7KK

Did you ever want an antenna that would cover 14 MHz to 29 MHz and all the amateur bands in-between? Did you ever want an antenna that was very cheap and fairly easy to build with no traps, switches, or special tuners involved? Perhaps something with only one low cost transmission line? At last here it is, the “X Dipole”. And it is called X because it looks like an X no matter which way you look at it, top, side, or end view.

For the past 50 years I have been working on antennas for big companies and governments. Antennas for operation in outer space, ships, aircraft, and at short wave broadcasting stations. Over that time span I investigated many different ideas on wide band, low standing wave ratio (SWR), antennas and often found that the reality often was much less than the originators would have us believe. However, with some very astute prodding from L. B. Cebik, W4RNL, I got to work on a special variation of the cone dipole antenna that is folded back on itself in the manner of a folded dipole. The result: The amazing "X" dipole described in this article.

Precision Remote Control for Multi-Turn Devices
By Anselmo Stiffan IZ3BGJ

A few months ago I initiated the design of a two-turn magnetic loop for portable operation and, while the design was relatively simple, I was disappointed by the traditional way of remotely controlling the multi-turn vacuum variable capacitor. My disappointment concerned the inability to know the position of the capacitor when the system was powered. Running the motor drive up and down was very lengthy because of the low speed of the motor with the addition of the risk of exceeding the span of the capacitor, which means either the breaking of the reduction gear or the unscrewing of the capacitor rod. The other way was to scan the RX frequency from 1.8 MHz up to 14 MHz (that was my antenna coverage) searching for a peak noise level. Unfortunately the magnetic loop selectivity is so sharp that most of the time the resonant frequency is not noticed because of the speed of the scan.

Precision control of multi-turn devices has been accomplished so far by the use of step motors that have the advantage of high torque and can have steps as low as 0.6�. Their digital type of control is very appealing because any position can be memorized for later recall and the driving motor has no electronic parts next to it, improving its ability to withstand RF interference. Yet .6� step motors are not that usual. The drawbacks are of two types: the control logic despite its simplicity needs a counter and a display to visualize the motor position; the control requires 4 wires for each motor, and they need to be kept powered in order to remember their position and to remember the end stops. After scratching my head for a while I came back to an old system that I designed several years ago of re-inventing the servo.

A ZEPP and Open-Line Simulation Using NEC
Dave Cuthbert WX7G

I have always wondered if my center-fed Zepp really worked as well as the claims by the authors of various magazine articles and antenna books. Between the high SWR, the receiving grade feeder and the small antenna tuner, I had my doubts. I present here a simple method using NEC-Win Plus+ (or other NEC simulation software) that allows one to compute antenna and open-line efficiency. Following that method is a more complex procedure used and described to estimate antenna tuner efficiency.

Well, there you have it, folks—thanks for listening and remember, the reading lamp is always on for you in the reading rooms. If I can be of further help, I'm just a Stone's Throw! away.-30-

Best reGARDS, Jack L. Stone, Publisher
jack@antennex.com
November 2005 antenneX Online Issue #103