| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080315099 | DETECTOR OF INFRARED RADIATION HAVING A BI-MATERIAL TRANSDUCER - A representative embodiment of the invention provides an infrared (IR) detector having a movable plate supported at an offset distance from a substrate by a suspension arm. In response to a temperature difference between the plate and the substrate generated by the incident IR radiation, the suspension arm deforms and changes the offset distance for the plate. In one embodiment, the suspension arm has three rod-shaped bimorph transducers that lie within a plane that is parallel to the substrate. The transducers are also parallel to one another, with the transducer that is attached to an anchor of the suspension arm being located between the two transducers that are attached to the plate. | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090002118 | MEMS DEVICE WITH BI-DIRECTIONAL ELEMENT - The present invention provides a bi-directional microelectromechanical element, a microelectromechanical switch including the bi-directional element, and a method to reduce mechanical creep in the bi-directional element. In one embodiment, the bi-directional microelectromechanical element includes a cold beam having a free end and a first end connected to a cold beam anchor. The cold beam anchor is attached to a substrate. A first beam pair is coupled to the cold beam by a free end tether and is configured to elongate when heated thereby to a greater temperature than a temperature of the cold beam. A second beam pair is located on an opposing side of the cold beam from the first beam pair and is coupled to the first beam pair and the cold beam by the free end tether. The second beam pair is configured to elongate when heated thereby to the greater temperature. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090040008 | THERMAL ACTUATOR FOR A MEMS-BASED RELAY SWITCH - A representative embodiment of the invention provides a thermal actuator for a MEMS-based relay switch. The thermal actuator has an “active” arm that is movably mounted on a substrate. The “active” arm has (i) a thermal expansion layer and (ii) a resistive heater that is electrically isolated from the thermal expansion layer. The thermal expansion layer is adapted to expand in response to a temperature change induced by a control current flowing through the resistive heater, thereby bending the “active” arm and moving that arm with respect to the substrate. Due to the fact that mechanical and electrical characteristics of the “active” arm are primarily controlled by the thermal expansion layer and the resistive heater, respectively, those characteristics can be optimized independently to obtain better operating characteristics for MEMS-based relay switches of the invention compared to those attained in the prior art. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090085699 | MEMS ACTUATOR - Apparatus including substrate, pusher assembly, and flexor assembly adjacent to pusher assembly. Pusher assembly includes hot and cold pusher arms. First ends of hot and cold pusher arms are anchored over substrate. Second ends of hot and cold pusher arms are coupled together and suspended for lateral displacement over substrate. Flexor assembly includes flexor arm, and conductor having actuator contact. First end of flexor arm is anchored over substrate. Pusher assembly is configured for causing lateral displacement of second end of flexor arm and of actuator contact over the substrate. Method includes providing apparatus and causing pusher assembly to laterally displace second end of flexor arm and actuator contact over substrate. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090185251 | OSCILLATING MIRROR FOR IMAGE PROJECTION - An apparatus includes a substrate and a mirror. The mirror is attached to the substrate via a spring. An electro-mechanical driver is operable to cause the mirror to rotationally oscillate about first and second non-collinear axes at different first and second frequencies. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090195882 | Mechanical lenses - A mechanical lens includes a rigid chamber, a first transparent window located to close one end of the chamber, a flexible transparent membrane window located to close another end of the chamber, and a transparent fluid having an index of refraction. The flexible transparent membrane window is along an optical path of light received through said first transparent window. The chamber is filled with said fluid and a curvature of said flexible transparent membrane window is responsive to a pressure of said transparent fluid. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20100025581 | INFRARED IMAGING APPARATUS - A representative embodiment of the invention provides an infrared (IR) imaging system adapted to (i) convert an IR image of an object into mechanical displacements of a plurality of movable plates, (ii) use the mechanical displacements to impart a corresponding spatial phase modulation pattern onto a beam of visible light, and (iii) apply spatial filtering to convert the spatial phase modulation pattern into a visible image of the object. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100182120 | MEMS DEVICE WITH BI-DIRECTIONAL ELEMENT - The present invention provides a bi-directional microelectromechanical element, a microelectromechanical switch including the bi-directional element, and a method to reduce mechanical creep in the bi-directional element. In one embodiment, the bi-directional microelectromechanical element includes a cold beam having a free end and a first end connected to a cold beam anchor. The cold beam anchor is attached to a substrate. A first beam pair is coupled to the cold beam by a free end tether and is configured to elongate when heated thereby to a greater temperature than a temperature of the cold beam. A second beam pair is located on an opposing side of the cold beam from the first beam pair and is coupled to the first beam pair and the cold beam by the free end tether. The second beam pair is configured to elongate when heated thereby to the greater temperature. | 07-22-2010 |
