Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120112152 | ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED SQUISHABLE COMPOSITE SWITCH - A method and apparatus for making analog and digital electronics which includes a composite including a squishable material doped with conductive particles. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device has a channel made from the composite, where the channel forms a primary conduction path for the device. Upon applied voltage, capacitive actuators squeeze the composite, causing it to become conductive. The squishable device includes a control electrode, and a composite electrically and mechanically connected to two terminal electrodes. By applying a voltage to the control electrode relative to a first terminal electrode, an electric field is developed between the control electrode and the first terminal electrode. This electric field results in an attractive force between the control electrode and the first terminal electrode, which compresses the composite and enables electric control of the electron conduction from the first terminal electrode through the channel to the second terminal electrode. | 05-10-2012 |
20150228805 | ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED SQUISHABLE COMPOSITE SWITCH - A method and apparatus for making analog and digital electronics which includes a composite including a squishable material doped with conductive particles. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device has a channel made from the composite, where the channel forms a primary conduction path for the device. Upon applied voltage, capacitive actuators squeeze the composite, causing it to become conductive. The squishable device includes a control electrode, and a composite electrically and mechanically connected to two terminal electrodes. By applying a voltage to the control electrode relative to a first terminal electrode, an electric field is developed between the control electrode and the first terminal electrode. This electric field results in an attractive force between the control electrode and the first terminal electrode, which compresses the composite and enables electric control of the electron conduction from the first terminal electrode through the channel to the second terminal electrode. | 08-13-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100188796 | Method And Apparatus for Microcontact Printing of MEMS - The embodiments disclosed herein are directed to fabrication methods useful for creating MEMS via microcontact printing by using small organic molecule release layers. The disclose method enables transfer of a continuous metal film onto a discontinuous platform to form a variable capacitor array. The variable capacitor array can produce mechanical motion under the application of a voltage. The methods disclosed herein eliminate masking and other traditional MEMS fabrication methodology. The methods disclosed herein can be used to form a substantially transparent MEMS having a PDMS layer interposed between an electrode and a graphene diaphragm. | 07-29-2010 |
20120069488 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MICROCONTACT PRINTING OF MEMS - The embodiments disclosed herein are directed to fabrication methods useful for creating MEMS via microcontact printing by using small organic molecule release layers. The disclose method enables transfer of a continuous metal film onto a discontinuous platform to form a variable capacitor array. The variable capacitor array can produce mechanical motion under the application of a voltage. The methods disclosed herein eliminate masking and other traditional MEMS fabrication methodology. The methods disclosed herein can be used to form a substantially transparent MEMS having a PDMS layer interposed between an electrode and a graphene diaphragm. | 03-22-2012 |
20140054732 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RELEASE-ASSISTED MICROCONTACT PRINTING OF MEMS - The disclosure provides methods and apparatus for release-assisted microcontact printing of MEMS. Specifically, the principles disclosed herein enable patterning diaphragms and conductive membranes on a substrate having articulations of desired shapes and sizes. Such diaphragms deflect under applied pressure or force (e.g., electrostatic, electromagnetic, acoustic, pneumatic, mechanical, etc.) generating a responsive signal. Alternatively, the diaphragm can be made to deflect in response to an external bias to measure the external bias/phenomenon. The disclosed principles enable transferring diaphragms and/or thin membranes without rupturing. | 02-27-2014 |
20140091409 | APPLICATIONS OF CONTACT-TRANSFER PRINTED MEMBRANES - The disclosed embodiments provide sensitive pixel arrays formed using solvent-assisted or unassisted release processes. Exemplary devices include detectors arrays, tunable optical instruments, deflectable mirrors, digital micro-mirrors, digital light processing chips, tunable optical micro-cavity resonators, acoustic sensors, acoustic actuators, acoustic transducer devices and capacitive zipper actuators to name a few. | 04-03-2014 |
20150076632 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RELEASE-ASSISTED MICROCONTACT PRINTING OF MEMS - The disclosure provides methods and apparatus for release-assisted microcontact printing of MEMS. Specifically, the principles disclosed herein enable patterning diaphragms and conductive membranes on a substrate having articulations of desired shapes and sizes. Such diaphragms deflect under applied pressure or force (e.g., electrostatic, electromagnetic, acoustic, pneumatic, mechanical, etc.) generating a responsive signal. Alternatively, the diaphragm can be made to deflect in response to an external bias to measure the external bias/phenomenon. The disclosed principles enable transferring diaphragms and/or thin membranes without rupturing. | 03-19-2015 |
20150268461 | APPLICATIONS OF CONTACT-TRANSFER PRINTED MEMBRANES - The disclosed embodiments provide sensitive pixel arrays formed using solvent-assisted or unassisted release processes. Exemplary devices include detectors arrays, tunable optical instruments, deflectable mirrors, digital micro-mirrors, digital light processing chips, tunable optical micro-cavity resonators, acoustic sensors, acoustic actuators, acoustic transducer devices and capacitive zipper actuators to name a few. | 09-24-2015 |
20150309306 | APPLICATIONS OF CONTACT-TRANSFER PRINTED MEMBRANES - The disclosed embodiments provide sensitive pixel arrays formed using solvent-assisted or unassisted release processes. Exemplary devices include detectors arrays, tunable optical instruments, deflectable minors, digital micro-mirrors, digital light processing chips, tunable optical micro-cavity resonators, acoustic sensors, acoustic actuators, acoustic transducer devices and capacitive zipper actuators to name a few. | 10-29-2015 |
20150311664 | METHOD AND APPLICATIONS OF THIN-FILM MEMBRANE TRANSFER - The disclosure relates to method and apparatus for micro-contact printing of micro-electromechanical systems (“MEMS”) in a solvent-free environment. The disclosed embodiments enable forming a composite membrane over a parylene layer and transferring the composite structure to a receiving structure to form one or more microcavities covered by the composite membrane. The parylene film may have a thickness in the range of about 100 nm-2 microns; 100 nm-1 micron, 200-300 nm, 300-500 nm, 500 nm to 1 micron and 1-30 microns. Next, one or more secondary layers are formed over the parylene to create a composite membrane. The composite membrane may have a thickness of about 100 nm to 700 nm to several microns. The composite membrane's deflection in response to external forces can be measured to provide a contact-less detector. Conversely, the composite membrane may be actuated using an external bias to cause deflection commensurate with the applied bias. Applications of the disclosed embodiments include tunable lasers, microphones, microspeakers, remotely-activated contact-less pressure sensors and the like. | 10-29-2015 |
20150357142 | ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE - Electromechanical devices described herein may employ tunneling phenomena to function as low-voltage switches. Opposing electrodes may be separated by an elastically deformable layer which, in some cases, may be made up of a non-electrically conductive material. In some embodiments, the elastically deformable layer is substantially free of electrically conductive material. When a sufficient actuation voltage and/or force is applied, the electrodes are brought toward one another and, accordingly, the elastically deformable layer is compressed. Though, the elastically deformable layer prevents the electrodes from making direct contact with one another. Rather, when the electrodes are close enough to one another, a tunneling current arises therebetween. The elastically deformable layer may exhibit spring-like behavior such that, upon release of the actuation voltage and/or force, the separation distance between electrodes is restored. Thus, the electromechanical device may be actuated between open and closed switch positions. | 12-10-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130185355 | Recommendations Based On Geolocation - In one embodiment, a method includes accessing data indicating the geolocation of the mobile computing device of a user of a social-networking system, identifying one or more nodes of the social graph associated with a location within a pre-determined threshold distance of the user's location, determining one or more recommendations for the user based at least in part on the nodes, and providing the recommendations to the mobile computing device of the user. | 07-18-2013 |
20130344904 | Short-Message Service Verification of Account Information - In one embodiment, a method includes accessing one or more short-message service (SMS) messages received at the first mobile device from a server of a verification authority; automatically and without manual user input, processing by the application data in the SMS messages to detect a particular bit sequence; and automatically and without manual user input, transmitting the information of the first user to the verification authority from the first mobile device in response to detecting the particular bit sequence. | 12-26-2013 |
20140040366 | Dynamic New User Experience (NUX) - In one embodiment, a method includes receiving from a mobile device of a user configuration data of the mobile device. The configuration data identifies one or more characteristics of the mobile device. The method also includes determining a group of users of the social-networking system based at least in part on the configuration data. Each user in the group of users uses a mobile device having similar configuration data as the mobile device of the user. The method also includes providing user-assistance information associated with the group of users to the user. | 02-06-2014 |
20140047020 | Handling Notifications - In particular embodiments, one or more notifications are presented on a screen of a personal computing device while the personal computing device is in a locked state. Entry of one or more user responses may be detected on the personal computing device while still in the locked state. Each user response may be associated with at least one notification. An authorization event associated with the personal computing device may be detected, thereby unlocking the personal computing device. The one or more user responses on the personal computing device may then be presented to the user for confirmation. Once user confirmation is received, confirmed user responses may then be published. | 02-13-2014 |
20140143347 | Electronic Message Data Input for Social Graphing - In one embodiment, a method includes extracting, by a computing device, information from an electronic message, where the electronic message has been communicated to or from a user of a social-networking system, cross-referencing, by the computing device, the extracted information with social-networking information associated with one or more nodes or edges of the social-networking system, and determining, by the computing device, an action for execution by the social-networking system based on the cross-referencing. | 05-22-2014 |
20140152541 | Card-Stack Interface - In one embodiment, a method includes displaying one of a number of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) of one or more applications as a card on top of a card stack. One or more of the cards in the card stack corresponds to a GUI of a home screen of the computing device. Each of one or more of the cards in the card stack corresponds to one of the GUIs of an application. The application controls presentation of their GUIs as cards in the card stack. The method also includes receiving user input to display another one of the GUIs as the card on top of the card stack; and, in response to the user input, displaying the other one of the GUIs as the card on top of the card stack. | 06-05-2014 |
20140157379 | Social Authentication - In one embodiment, a method includes providing for presentation to a user a number of content objects. Some of the content objects are socially relevant to the user and some of the content objects are socially irrelevant to the user. The method also includes receiving input indicating a selection of one of the content objects by the user; determining whether the content object selected by the user is socially relevant to the user; authenticating the user if the content object selected by the user is socially relevant to the user; and declining to authenticate the user if the content object selected by the user is socially irrelevant to the user. | 06-05-2014 |
20140189524 | Social Cover Feed Interface - In one embodiment, user information for a user of a social-networking system is retrieved. Device information is determined for a device associated with the user. Based on the device information or the user information, content associated with the user is retrieved. Using the retrieved content, a content board is composed for use in a cover feed displayed on the device The content board may comprise a background image. Finally, the content board is sent to the device. In one embodiment, updated information for content associated with the user is retrieved. The updated information may be associated with content that was included in a previously-provided content board. Using the updated information, an update to the previously-provided content boards is composed. Finally, the updates may be sent to the previously-provided content boards to the device. | 07-03-2014 |
20140189531 | Socialized Dash - In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether a user of the mobile computing device is currently actively using an application on the mobile computing device; and if the user is not currently actively using an application on the mobile computing device, then automatically and without user input providing for display to the user on the mobile computing device a user interface (UI) including a number of interactive elements that each correspond to one of a number of social-networking functionalities provided at least in part by a social-networking system remote from the mobile computing device. | 07-03-2014 |
20140244745 | Social Context for Applications - In one embodiment, a method includes determining one or more applications on one or more first client computing devices of a first user of a social-networking system; determining one or more second users of the social-networking system that are connected to the first user within the social-networking system; determining one or more applications on one or more second client computing devices of the second users; comparing the applications on the first client computing devices with the applications on the second client computing devices; determining one or more application recommendations for the first user based at least in part on the comparison; and sending the application recommendations to the first user. | 08-28-2014 |
20140282084 | Systems and Methods For Displaying a Digest of Messages or Notifications Without Launching Applications Associated With the Messages or Notifications - In one embodiment, a method includes displaying a digest of messages and notifications without launching applications associated with the messages or notifications, receiving a user input selecting an interactive element in the digest corresponding to a message or notification, displaying the message or notification corresponding to the selected interactive element without launching the application associated with the message or notification, receiving a second user input interacting with the message or notification, executing a messaging or notification function corresponding to the interaction without launching the application associated with the message or notification. | 09-18-2014 |
20150304299 | Social Authentication - In one embodiment, a method includes providing for presentation to a user a number of content objects. At least one of the presented content objects is socially relevant to the user. wherein at least one of presented content objects is socially irrelevant to the user. The presented content objects are socially relevant or socially irrelevant to the user based on whether in a social graph a node corresponding to the user is connected by an edge to a node associated with the content object. The edge represents a social relationship between the content object and the user. The method also includes receiving an input indicating a selection of a number of the presented content objects by the user; and authenticating the user based on a determination of whether the selected content objects are socially irrelevant to the user. | 10-22-2015 |