Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090073539 | PERIODIC DIMPLE ARRAY - A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device includes a substrate, an actuation electrode over the substrate, a reflective layer over the actuation electrode, and a support layer between the actuation electrode and the reflective layer. The reflective layer includes at least one aperture through the reflective layer. The support layer includes a recess between the actuation electrode and the at least one aperture. Upon application of a control signal to the device, at least a first portion of the reflective layer is configured to move into the recess and at least a second portion of the reflective layer is configured to remain stationary. The reflectivity of the MEMS device is dominantly modulated by changing a phase difference between light reflected from the first portion and light reflected from the second portion. | 03-19-2009 |
20090126792 | THIN FILM SOLAR CONCENTRATOR/COLLECTOR - In various embodiments described herein, a device comprising a light guiding layer optically coupled to a photocell is described. A plurality of surface features are formed on one the surface of the light guiding layer. The surface features can comprise facets that are angled with respect to each other. Light incident on the surface of the light guide is redirected by the surface features and guided through the light guide by multiple total internal reflections. The guided light is directed towards a photocell. | 05-21-2009 |
20090199893 | THIN FILM HOLOGRAPHIC SOLAR CONCENTRATOR/COLLECTOR - In various embodiments described herein, a device comprising a light collector optically coupled to a photocell is described. The device further comprises a light turning film or layer comprising volume or surface diffractive features or holograms. Light incident on the light collector is turned by volume or surface diffractive features or holograms that are reflective or transmissive and guided through the light collector by multiple total internal reflections. The guided light is directed towards a photocell. In various embodiments, the light collector is thin (e.g., less than 1 millimeter) and comprises, for example, a thin film. The light collector may be formed of a flexible material. | 08-13-2009 |
20090199900 | THIN FILM HOLOGRAPHIC SOLAR CONCENTRATOR/COLLECTOR - In various embodiments described herein, a device comprising one or more light guides that is optically coupled to one or more photocells is described. The device further comprises one or more light turning films or layers comprising volume or surface diffractive features or holograms. Light incident on the light guides is turned by volume or surface diffractive features or holograms that are reflective or transmissive and guided through the light guides by multiple total internal reflections. The guided light is directed towards the photocells. In certain embodiments, solar energy is also used to power or heat a thermal generator to heat water or produce electricity from steam. Various embodiments may comprise an air gap or an optical isolation layer disposed between the multiple light guides. | 08-13-2009 |
20100219155 | EQUIPMENT AND METHODS FOR ETCHING OF MEMS - Etching equipment and methods are disclosed herein for more efficient etching of sacrificial material from between permanent MEMS structures. An etching head includes an elongate etchant inlet structure, which may be slot-shaped or an elongate distribution of inlet holes. A substrate is supported in proximity to the etching head in a manner that defines a flow path substantially parallel to the substrate face, and permits relative motion for the etching head to scan across the substrate. | 09-02-2010 |
20100309572 | PERIODIC DIMPLE ARRAY - A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device includes a substrate, an actuation electrode over the substrate, a reflective layer over the actuation electrode, and a support layer between the actuation electrode and the reflective layer. The reflective layer includes at least one aperture through the reflective layer. The support layer includes a recess between the actuation electrode and the at least one aperture. Upon application of a control signal to the device, at least a first portion of the reflective layer is configured to move into the recess and at least a second portion of the reflective layer is configured to remain stationary. The reflectivity of the MEMS device is dominantly modulated by changing a phase difference between light reflected from the first portion and light reflected from the second portion. | 12-09-2010 |
20110043889 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING BRIGHTNESS CONTROL IN AN INTERFEROMETRIC MODULATOR (IMOD) DISPLAY - Methods and systems for providing brightness control in an interferometric modulator (IMOD) display are provided. In one embodiment, an interferometric modulator display pixel is provided that includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) interferometric modulator having an associated first color spectrum, and a color absorber located substantially in front of the interferometric modulator display pixel, in which the color absorber has an associated second color spectrum. The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) interferometric modulator is operable to shift the first color spectrum relative to the second color spectrum to control a visual brightness of the interferometric modulator display pixel independent of a color of the interferometric modulator display pixel. | 02-24-2011 |
20110109615 | ENERGY SAVING DRIVING SEQUENCE FOR A DISPLAY - A method of writing a display image to a display having an array of pixels according to a selected driving sequence. One driving sequence includes addressing each color row in a line of the array in a sequence before addressing a second line. Another driving sequence includes addressing a first color row of each line in the array before addressing a second color row of each line in the array. | 05-12-2011 |
20110261036 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MASSIVE PARALLEL DITHERING OF IMAGES - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for parallel dithering images are disclosed. In one aspect, a display device includes: a front substrate; a backplate opposing the front substrate; an array of display elements associated with the front substrate; and an array of processing units associated with the backplate. Each of the processing units is configured to process data for one or more of the display elements for dithering an image. Each of the processing units is spatially arranged to correspond to the one or more display elements for which it is configured to process data. The array of processing units can perform a faster dithering process than a single processor sequentially performing all computation for dithering. Further, the position of the array of processing units allows effective image data processing in an active-matrix type display device while utilizing the space of the backplate thereof. | 10-27-2011 |
20110286072 | METHOD AND STRUCTURE CAPABLE OF CHANGING COLOR SATURATION - Various embodiments include an interferometric modulator device configured to provide improved saturation. In some embodiments, saturation is improved by optically matching the impedance of two materials with different refractive indices using a multilayer having a refractive index gradient. In various embodiments, the thickness one or more of the layers in the multilayer are selected to provide increased saturation. Accordingly, in various embodiments the multilayer having a refractive index gradient helps to narrow the resonance of a pixel such that the band of wavelengths that are reflected from the pixel is smaller. In turn, a device including a combination of red, green and blue pixels may expand the spectrum of colors that are reflected by the device in operation. Additionally, there may be better contrast between whites and blacks, as darker blacks with less hue are produced. | 11-24-2011 |
20120062570 | PROCESS OF FORMING AN AIR GAP IN A MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM DEVICE USING A LINER MATERIAL - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for forming an air gap in an EMS device without using a sacrificial layer in the air gap. In some implementations, a support structure is formed on the substrate, and a sacrificial substrate is provided on the support structure. A liner material is deposited on the substrate, the support structure, and the sacrificial substrate, for instance, via an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The sacrificial substrate can be removed, and a top layer material can be deposited on the exposed areas of the support structure and the liner material. The liner material defines an air gap between the substrate and the top layer material. | 03-15-2012 |
20120062572 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING BRIGHTNESS CONTROL IN AN INTERFEROMETRIC MODULATOR (IMOD) DISPLAY - Methods and systems for providing brightness control in an interferometric modulator (IMOD) display are provided. In one embodiment, an interferometric modulator display pixel is provided that includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) interferometric modulator having an associated first color spectrum, and a color absorber located substantially in front of the interferometric modulator display pixel, in which the color absorber has an associated second color spectrum. The micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) interferometric modulator is operable to shift the first color spectrum relative to the second color spectrum to control a visual brightness of the interferometric modulator display pixel independent of a color of the interferometric modulator display pixel. | 03-15-2012 |
20120153970 | CAPACITIVE TOUCH SENSING DEVICES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF - The present disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for sensing the location(s) of conductive objects disposed near a sensor array. In one aspect, a sensor array includes a conductive row and a conductive column formed of non-transparent material(s). At least a portion of the conductive row overlaps at least a portion of the conductive column and each of the conductive rows and columns include sensing elements. The sensing elements at least partially define volumes including non-conductive and optically transparent material(s) to limit the loss of light that passes therethrough. | 06-21-2012 |
20120274611 | THIN FILM TRANSISTORS (TFT) ACTIVE-MATRIX IMOD PIXEL LAYOUT - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus relating to pixel designs for use in active matrix displays which employ poly-silicon (p-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) having dual gate structures to control the pixels. The poly-silicon island of the TFT is configured to take advantage of the black mask area attributable to other non-reflective display components, thus enhancing the fill factor of the display. | 11-01-2012 |
20120281270 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ACHIEVING NON-CONTACTING WHITE STATE IN INTERFEROMETRIC MODULATORS - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing white light color output from an electromechanical systems (EMS) device with reduced likelihood of stiction. In one aspect, interferometric modulators are configured to provide a white color output while having a non-zero modulator gap dimension. Such a feature can reduce problems associated with zero modulator gap dimensions such as stiction. Various methodologies can be used to yield such a non-zero modulator gap and a white color output. In some implementations, for example, an optical element that introduced wavelength dependent phase shift is used. In some implementations this wavelength dependent phase shifting optical element includes a stack of color filters, a hologram, a diffraction grating, or layers of material having specific thicknesses and wavelength dependent indices of refraction. | 11-08-2012 |
20130027444 | FIELD-SEQUENTIAL COLOR ARCHITECTURE OF REFLECTIVE MODE MODULATOR - A field-sequential color architecture is included in a reflective mode display. The reflective mode display may be a direct-view display such as an interferometric modulator display. In some implementations, the reflective mode display may include three or more different subpixel types, each of which corresponds to a color. In some such implementations, the colors include primary colors. Data for each color may be written sequentially to subpixels for that color, while subpixels of the remaining colors are written to black. Alternatively, data for each color may be written sequentially to all subpixels of the display. Flashing of a corresponding colored light, e.g., from a front light of the display, may be timed to immediately follow a process of writing data for that color. | 01-31-2013 |
20130063415 | BACKPLATE INTERCONNECT WITH INTEGRATED PASSIVES - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for manufacturing display devices having electronic components mounted within a display device package. In one aspect, the electronic component connects to the exterior of the display device through pads that run below a seal that holds a substrate and a backplate of the display device together. In another aspect the electronic components also connect to an electromechanical device within the display device, as well as connecting to pads that are external to the display device. | 03-14-2013 |
20130215000 | PHASE DELAY TO AVOID BLADE TIP COLLISION IN ROTATING BLADES SIGNAGE - Some implementations include an array of devices having blades configured for rotation. The devices may be lighting devices having a plurality of pixel elements disposed on each blade. The blades of these devices may sweep out an area that overlaps with an area swept out by the blades of an adjacent device in a row. Each device in a column may have blades that are configured to rotate in an opposite direction from the blades of an adjacent device in the column. Diagonally adjacent devices (offset by one row and one column) may have blades that rotate in the same direction but out of phase. The blades of diagonally adjacent devices may or may not sweep out overlapping areas. The areas may overlap by more or less than a width of a pixel element. | 08-22-2013 |
20130241903 | OPTICAL STACK FOR CLEAR TO MIRROR INTERFEROMETRIC MODULATOR - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for electromechanical systems devices that can be switched between a transmissive state and a reflective state. In one aspect, the electromechanical systems devices can include a partially transmissive and a partially reflective layer that has a high refractive index and a low absorption coefficient. The electromechanical systems devices can be used in a variety of way including as a smart window, as an optical shutter, as a privacy screen and as a display device. | 09-19-2013 |
20130241919 | DISPLAY DEVICE INCLUDING CLEAR TO MIRROR INTERFEROMETRIC MODULATOR - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for electromechanical systems devices that can be switched between a transmissive state and a reflective state. In one aspect, the electromechanical systems devices is a display device including a movable layer disposed over an optical stack having a partially transmissive and a partially reflective layer that has a high refractive index and a low absorption coefficient. The movable layer is configured to be actuated between a first position and a second position such that the display device displays a color when the movable layer is in the first position and displays black when the movable layer is in the second position. Alternately, the display device displays white when the movable layer is in the first position and displays a color when the movable layer is in the second position. | 09-19-2013 |
20140218786 | DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ACHIEVING NON-CONTACTING WHITE STATE IN INTERFEROMETRIC MODULATORS - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for providing white light color output from an electromechanical systems (EMS) device with reduced likelihood of stiction. In one aspect, interferometric modulators are configured to provide a white color output while having a non-zero modulator gap dimension. Such a feature can reduce problems associated with zero modulator gap dimensions such as stiction. Various methodologies can be used to yield such a non-zero modulator gap and a white color output. In some implementations, for example, an optical element that introduced wavelength dependent phase shift is used. In some implementations this wavelength dependent phase shifting optical element includes a stack of color filters, a hologram, a diffraction grating, or layers of material having specific thicknesses and wavelength dependent indices of refraction. | 08-07-2014 |
20140264809 | BACKPLATE INTERCONNECT WITH INTEGRATED PASSIVES - This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for manufacturing display devices having electronic components mounted within a display device package. In one aspect, the electronic component connects to the exterior of the display device through pads that run below a seal that holds a substrate and a backplate of the display device together. In another aspect the electronic components also connect to an electromechanical device within the display device, as well as connecting to pads that are external to the display device. | 09-18-2014 |
20140267029 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF ENABLING INTERACTION BETWEEN A USER AND AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A method and system for enabling interaction between a user and an electronic device includes sensing at least one of position and movement of at least one finger on a physical keyboard, determining position of the finger on the physical keyboard and emulating at least one of a virtual mouse, a virtual touch screen, a virtual hand on a display, and a gesture sensing technique to enable the interaction in accordance to at least one of the position and the movement of the finger. The system includes an electronic device, a communication interface, a memory and a processor. | 09-18-2014 |