CAMBRIDGE MECHATRONICS LIMITED Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20150304561 | SUSPENSION SYSTEM FOR A CAMERA LENS ELEMENT - A camera lens element is suspended on a support structure by balls that allow movement of the camera lens elementorthogonal to the optical axis and plural flexures connected between the support structure and the camera lens element to bias them against the balls whilst permitting said movement of the camera lens elementorthogonal to the optical axis. Lateral movement is driven by a lateral actuation arrangement comprising plural SMA actuator wires. The flexures provide a lateral biasing force that biases the camera lens element towards a central position. An electrical connection is made through the flexures from the support structure to the camera lens element. The flexures may be connected to laminated structures. | 10-22-2015 |
20150260169 | DRIVE CIRCUIT FOR ACTUATING A SHAPE-MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATOR - Methods and apparatus are disclosed for actuating a shape-memory alloy actuator. An example method comprises a measurement phase, in which a voltage is applied across a bridge comprising a sense resistor to measure the resistance of the shape-memory alloy actuator, and a drive phase, in which a bypass unit is used to bypass the sense resistor while still driving current through the shape-memory alloy actuator in order to drive the shape-memory alloy actuator. | 09-17-2015 |
20150135703 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATION APPARATUS - An SMA actuation apparatus moves a movable element relative to a support structure in two orthogonal directions using a total of four SMA actuator wires each connected at its ends between the movable element and the support structure and extending perpendicular to the primary axis. None of the SMA actuator wires are collinear, but the SMA actuator wires have an arrangement in which they are capable of being selectively driven to move the movable element relative to the support structure to any position in said range of movement without applying any net torque to the movable element in the plane of the two orthogonal directions around the primary axis. Accordingly, it is possible to drive movement whilst balancing the forces to limit torque around the primary axis. | 05-21-2015 |
20150113974 | SMA ACTUATION APPARATUS - An SMA actuation apparatus moves a movable element, such as a camera lens element, relative to a support structure in any direction perpendicular to a notional primary axis using N pairs of SMA actuator wires extending perpendicular to said primary axis, where N is three or more. The SMA actuator wires of each pair extend parallel to each other and being connected at their ends in tension to the movable element and the support structure in opposition to apply a force to the movable element in opposite directions. The SMA actuator wires are arranged around the movable element such that they are capable of being selectively driven to move the movable element in any direction perpendicular to said primary axis. Accordingly, it is possible to drive movement with an apparatus that is compact along the primary axis. | 04-30-2015 |
20140055630 | OPTICAL IMAGE STABILISATION - A camera apparatus capable of providing optical image stabilisation comprises: a support structure; a camera unit comprising an image sensor and a lens system; a suspension system comprising a plurality of flexure elements supporting the camera unit on the support structure in a manner allowing the camera unit to tilt; and a plurality of SMA actuators. A sensor arrangement, whose output is used as the basis for generating drive signals, is mounted on the camera unit. A control circuit generates drive signals for the SMA actuators, by deriving closed-loop control signals representative of a desired degree of variation in the power of the drive signals from the output signals of the sensor arrangement without dependence on any measurement of the resistance of the SMA actuators, and generating the drive signals with powers that varies from a set-point power in correspondence with the closed-loop control signal. | 02-27-2014 |
20130300880 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATION APPARATUS - An SMA actuation apparatus comprises a support structure, a movable element movably supported on the support structure and an arrangement of three or more SMA actuator wires mechanically connected between the support structure and the movable element. The SMA actuator wires have an interconnection at the movable element that electrically connects the group of SMA actuator wires together. This avoids the need to make a separate electrical connection to the movable element. | 11-14-2013 |
20130279723 | ARRAY LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM - A sound reproduction system for producing sound and 3D sound at the listener position by directing beams from an array loudspeaker using differential apodisation. Optionally, cross-talk cancellation is applied to beams directed to the listener's left and right ears. | 10-24-2013 |
20130222685 | CAMERA APPARATUS - In a camera apparatus, two SMA actuator subsystems each comprise two SMA wires connected between a camera unit and a support structure, hooked over a pivot element defining pivot axes that lie in a common plane along the optical axis. Differential contraction of the SMA wires drives rotation. The SMA actuator subsystems are opposed, but the SMA wires of each subsystem are fixed respectively to the camera unit and the support structure, reducing the height. A non-conductive substrate supporting conductive tracks electrically connected to the SMA actuator system is configured as a flexure arrangement between the camera unit and the support structure. The flexure arrangement is connected to the camera unit at a position in the common plane reducing lateral resistance to tilt. Use of an intermediate connector element allows the circuit board to be arranged in front of the intermediate connector inside the height of the lens system. | 08-29-2013 |
20130142337 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO SHAPE SOUND - The invention relates to sonic steerable antennae and their use to achieve a variety of effects. The invention comprises a method and apparatus for taking an input signal, replicating it a number of times and modifying each of the replicas before routing them to respective output transducers such that a desired sound field is created. This sound field may comprise a directed beam, focus beam or a simulated origin. Further, “anti-sound” may be directed so as to create nulls (quiet spots) in an already existing sound field. The input signal replicas may also be modified in way which changes their amplitude or they may be filtered to provide the desired delaying. Reflective or resonant surfaces may be used to achieve a surround sound effect, a microphone may be located in front of an array of loudspeakers, beams of light may be used to identify the present focal position, a limiting device may be used to ensure that clipping or distortion is reduced when more than one input signal is output by the same device and the concept of beam directivity may be used to achieve input nulls or beams in a microphone made up of an array of input transducers. Further, sound field shaping information may be associated with an audio signal to be broadcast. | 06-06-2013 |
20130121515 | LOUDSPEAKERS WITH POSITION TRACKING - The present invention combines a head-tracking system, for example a camera system typically used for user head and eye tracking, with a plurality of loudspeakers to as to enhance the audio experience of the user. The location of the user can be used to alter the audio signal sent to the plurality of loudspeakers to improve such functions as surround sound. In addition, the camera system can be used, when combined with an array of loudspeakers that can produce tight beams of sound, to direct different sound beams at different users, with virtually no crosstalk so as to allow users to experience different media from the same audio system, and which is tolerant of changed user positions. In addition, the camera system can aid setting up the array for real surround sound delivery, which bounces sound beams off wall. Cross-talk cancellation can additionally be used. The sound beams may represent 2-D or 3-D sound sources in real time. Sound beam parameters are adjusted to provide the listener with in impression of the 2-D or 3-D position and movement of sound-producing entities of audio-visual programme material in real-time. The beam parameters used include beam-direction, beam focal length, frequency response and gain. Such a Sound Projector producing a real-time representation of 3-D sound sources can be used alone or in conjunction with a video display, a television, a personal computer or a games console. | 05-16-2013 |
20130002933 | SMA ACTUATION APPARATUS - An SMA actuation apparatus uses SMA actuator wires to move a movable element supported on a support structure, for example to provide optical image stabilisation. Eight SMA actuator wires are arranged inclined with respect to a notional primary axis with a pair of the SMA actuator wires on each of four sides around the primary axis. The SMA actuators are connected so that on contraction two groups of four SMA actuator wires provide a force with a component in opposite directions along the primary axis, so that the groups are capable of providing movement along the primary axis. The SMA actuator wires of each group have 2-fold rotational symmetry about the primary axis, so that there are SMA actuator wires opposing each other that are capable of providing lateral movement or tilting. | 01-03-2013 |
20110279916 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATION APPARATUS - An SMA actuation apparatus comprises a camera lens element supported on a support structure by a plurality of flexures. An SMA wire at an acute angle to the movement axis and a biassing element are connected between the support structure and the movable element. A component of the force applied by the SMA wire perpendicular to the movement axis compresses the flexures causing them to apply a force to the movable element having a component along the movement axis in the same direction as the SMA wire. An end-stop limits the movement of the movable element, and the moment applied by the end-stop to the movable element about the centre of stiffness is equal to the moment applied by the SMA wire about the centre of stiffness at the point when the movable element loses contact with the end-stop on contraction of the SMA wire. | 11-17-2011 |
20110277462 | CONTROL OF A SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATION ARRANGEMENT - An SMA actuation apparatus comprises: an SMA actuator arranged to drive movement of a movable element; a current supply supplying a drive current; a detection circuit detecting a measure of the resistance of the SMA actuator; and a control unit operative to generate a closed-loop control signal supplied to current supply for controlling the power of the drive current to drive the resistance of the SMA actuator to a target value. The control unit derives: an estimate of a characteristic temperature of the SMA actuation apparatus on the basis of the supplied power, using a thermal model; and a resistance offset on the basis thereof. The closed-loop control signal is generated on the basis of the error between the measure of the resistance of the SMA actuator and the target value of the resistance of the SMA actuator, adjusted by the resistance offset to compensate for variations in resistance. | 11-17-2011 |
20110255184 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATION APPARATUS - A shape memory alloy actuation apparatus comprises a camera lens element supported on the support structure by a plurality of resilient flexures that guide movement of the movable element along the optical axis. A shape memory alloy actuator biassed by the resilient flexures and an additional resilient biassing element is arranged to drive movement of the camera lens element. An end-stop limits movement of the camera lens element at a position where the shape memory alloy actuator has a predetermined length that is above the length corresponding on the local maximum resistance by an amount not greater than 15% of the difference between (i) the length corresponding to the local maximum resistance and (ii) the length corresponding to the local minimum resistance. | 10-20-2011 |
20110179786 | SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY ACTUATION APPARATUS - A shape memory alloy actuation apparatus comprises a movable element suspended on a support structure by a plurality of flexures which are non-uniformly configured to apply forces having differing components perpendicular to the movement axis generating a net moment around the centre of mass of the movable element in an opposite sense from the moment generated by the actuation force. A shape memory alloy wire is coupled between the support structure and an intermediate body engaging the movable element through a pivotal contact to avoid lateral force transfer. Also coupled between the support structure and the intermediate body is a resilient biassing flexure plastically deformed in a partial region thereof. The shape memory alloy wire is crimped by a crimping member fixed to the support structure holding the shape memory alloy wire against a curved surface from which the shape alloy memory wire extends to the movable element. | 07-28-2011 |
20090296954 | Method and apparatus to direct sound - The invention relates to sonic steerable antennae and their use to achieve a variety of effects. The invention comprises a method and apparatus for taking an input signal, replicating it a number of times and modifying each of the replicas before routing them to respective output transducers such that a desired sound field is created. This sound field may comprise a directed beam, focus beam or a simulated origin. Further, “anti-sound” may be directed so as to create nulls (quiet spots) in an already existing sound field. The input signal replicas may also be modified in way which changes their amplitude or they may be filtered to provide the desired delaying. Reflective or resonant surfaces may be used to achieve a surround sound effect, a microphone may be located in front of an array of loudspeakers, beams of light may be used to identify the present focal position, a limiting device may be used to ensure that clipping or distortion is reduced when more than one input signal is output by the same device and the concept of beam directivity may be used to achieve input nulls or beams in a microphone made up of an array of input transducers. Further, sound field shaping information may be associated with an audio signal to be broadcast. | 12-03-2009 |
20090161880 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CREATE A SOUND FIELD - The invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for taking an input signal, replicating it a number of times and modifying each of the replicas before routing them to respective output transducers such that a desired sound field is created. This sound field may comprise a directed beam, focused beam or a simulated origin. In a first aspect, delays are added to sound channels to remove the effects of different travelling distances. In a second aspect, a delay is added to a video signal to account for the delays added to the sound channels. In a third aspect, different window functions are applied to each channel to give improved flexibility of use. In a fourth aspect, a smaller extent of transducers is used top output high frequencies than are used to output low frequencies. An array having a larger density of transducers near the center is also provided. In a fifth aspect, a line of elongate transducers is provided to give good directivity in a plane. In a sixth aspect, sound beams are focused in front or behind surfaces to give different beam widths and simulated origins. In a seventh aspect, a camera is used to indicate where sound is directed. | 06-25-2009 |