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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7630114 | Diffusion barrier layer for MEMS devices Described herein is the use of a diffusion barrier layer between metallic layers in MEMS devices. The diffusion barrier layer prevents mixing of the two metals, which can alter desired physical characteristics and complicate processing. In one example, the diffusion... | 12/08/2009 |
| 7626751 | Display device having an array of spatial light modulators with integrated color filters By selectively placing color filters with different transmittance spectrums on an array of modulator elements each having the same reflectance spectrum, a resultant reflectance spectrum for each modulator element and it's respective color filter is created. In one e... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7626581 | Device and method for display memory using manipulation of mechanical response Embodiments of an exemplary MEMS interferometric modulator comprise a movable layer and a fixed layer separated by an air gap. A driving scheme employs row/column actuation protocols which maintain voltages to the MEMS interferometric modulator that are above or bel... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7623752 | System and method of testing humidity in a sealed MEMS device One embodiment provides a method of testing humidity, comprising: i) determining a property of a device which encloses a plurality of interferometric modulators and ii) determining a relative humidity value or a degree of the relative humidity inside the device base... | 11/24/2009 |
| 7619810 | Systems and methods of testing micro-electromechanical devices An interference modulator (Imod) incorporates anti-reflection coatings and/or micro-fabricated supplemental lighting sources. An efficient drive scheme is provided for matrix addressed arrays of IMods or other micromechanical devices. An improved color scheme provid... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7618831 | Method of monitoring the manufacture of interferometric modulators Process control monitors are disclosed that are produced using at least some of the same process steps used to manufacture a MEMS device. Analysis of the process control monitors can provide information regarding properties of the MEMS device and components or sub-c... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7612932 | Microelectromechanical device with optical function separated from mechanical and electrical function A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device includes a first reflective layer, a movable element, and an actuation electrode. The movable element is over the first reflective layer. The movable element includes a deformable layer and a reflective element. The actuation e... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7586484 | Controller and driver features for bi-stable display The invention comprises systems and methods for partitioning displays, and in particular, displays of interferometric modulator displays. In one embodiment, a display system includes one driving circuit configured to provide signals based on video data intended for ... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7583429 | Ornamental display device An ornamental display device having an interferometric modulator for displaying an ornamental image. The ornamental device may have a patterned diffuser formed on a transparent substrate to provide an ornamental image or information. The ornamental device may also b... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7576901 | Method and device for selective adjustment of hysteresis window The width and location of a hysteresis window of an interferometric modulator may be altered by adjusting various physical characteristics of the interferometric modulator. Thus, depending on the particular application for which the interferometric modulators are ma... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7573547 | System and method for protecting micro-structure of display array using spacers in gap within display device Physical forces sufficient to deform an electronic device and/or packaging for the electronic device can damage the device. Some mechanical components in a device, for example, in a microelectromechanical device and/or in an interferometric modulator are particularl... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7570865 | System and method of testing humidity in a sealed MEMS device One embodiment provides a method of testing humidity. The method includes measuring i) a first weight of a first device which encloses a plurality of interferometric modulators and ii) a second weight of a second device which encloses a plurality of interferometric ... | 08/04/2009 |
| 7567373 | System and method for micro-electromechanical operation of an interferometric modulator An interferometric modulator is formed by a stationary layer and a mirror facing the stationary layer. The mirror is movable between the undriven and driven positions. Landing pads, bumps or spring clips are formed on at least one of the stationary layer and the mir... | 07/28/2009 |
| 7561323 | Optical films for directing light towards active areas of displays In various embodiments of the invention, an interferometric display device is provided having an external film with a plurality of structures that redirect light from an inactive area of the display to an active area of the display. Light incident on the external fi... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7560299 | Systems and methods of actuating MEMS display elements Methods of writing display data to MEMS display elements are configured to minimize charge buildup and differential aging. The methods may include writing data with opposite polarities, and periodically releasing and/or actuating MEMS elements during the display upd... | 07/14/2009 |
| 7556917 | Method for manufacturing an array of interferometric modulators In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for manufacturing an array of interferometric modulators. Each interferometric modulator comprises first and second optical layers which when the interferometric modulator is in an undriven state are spaced by a gap... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7554714 | Device and method for manipulation of thermal response in a modulator By varying the spacing between two surfaces, one of which is disposed in front of the other, an interferometric modulator selectively creates constructive and/or destructive interference between light waves reflecting off the two surfaces. The desired spacing can be... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7553684 | Method of fabricating interferometric devices using lift-off processing techniques Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method of fabricating interferometric devices using lift-off processing techniques. Use of lift-off processing in the fabrication of various layers of interferometric modulators, such as an optical stack or a flex laye... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7551159 | System and method of sensing actuation and release voltages of an interferometric modulator A method for sensing the actuation and/or release voltages of a microelectromechanical device include applying a varying voltage to the device and sensing its state and different voltage levels. In one embodiment, the device is part of a system comprising an array o... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7550912 | Method and system for maintaining partial vacuum in display device The time required for an interferometric modulator to switch from a state with a collapsed cavity to a state with an open cavity or vice versa, i.e., the switch time, is decreased by decreasing the viscosity of the gas filling the cavity. The viscosity is decreased ... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7545554 | MEMS display A display comprising: a plurality of MEMS elements arranged in rows, wherein the MEMS elements of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows and wherein the subrows of each row are electrically connected; and wherein the physical property of at least one MEMS ... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7545550 | Systems and methods of actuating MEMS display elements Apparatus and methods of actuating MEMS display elements are disclosed. The disclosed embodiments can be incorporated into other drive schemes for MEMS display elements. In one embodiment, an apparatus for controlling a MEMS display element to display a frame of vid... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7532377 | Movable micro-electromechanical device Improvements in an interferometric modulator that has a cavity defined by two walls. ... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7532195 | Method and system for reducing power consumption in a display A method and system for reducing power consumption in a display includes driving a display comprising a plurality of display elements characterized by a display state. In a first mode of operation, the display state of substantially all the display elements is perio... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7532194 | Driver voltage adjuster A display system uses a standardized display driver to provide row and column address voltages. The row and address column voltages are used by an array of interferometric elements through a voltage adjuster to adjust the row address voltages to provide adjusted row... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7525730 | Method and device for generating white in an interferometric modulator display Various embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for generating the color white in displays created from interferometric modulators and more specifically, to the generation of the color white through the use of reflected light at two wavelengths. I... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7515147 | Staggered column drive circuit systems and methods A system and method for staggered actuation of columns of interferometric modulators. In one embodiment, the method determines data for actuating two or more groups of columns in the array, each group having one or more columns, and provides the data to the array to... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7511875 | Moveable micro-electromechanical device A MEMS device is provided. The MEMS device may include a first plate, a second plate and a third plate. The MEMS device may also include a first power supply configured to provide a voltage to the first plate and a second power supply configured apply a voltage to t... | 03/31/2009 |
| 7508571 | Optical films for controlling angular characteristics of displays In various embodiments of the invention, an interferometric display device is provided having an external film with a plurality of structures that reduce the field-of-view of the display. These structures may comprise, for example, baffles or non-imaging optical ele... | 03/24/2009 |
| 7492503 | System and method for multi-level brightness in interferometric modulation A display having a plurality of reflective display elements. In one embodiment, the display elements comprise at least one electrode having a plurality of active areas. In one embodiment, at least two of the sizes of the active areas are different with respect to ea... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7492502 | Method of fabricating a free-standing microstructure Provided is a MEMS device comprising an integrated post and deformable layer. In some embodiments, the transition between the post and deformable layer comprises substantially a single arcuate or convex surface, thereby providing a mechanically robust structure. Som... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7489428 | Area array modulation and lead reduction in interferometric modulators A light modulator is arranged as an array of rows and columns of interferometric display elements. Each element is divided into sub-rows of sub-elements. Array connection lines transmit operating signals to the display elements, with one connection line correspondin... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7486429 | Method and device for multistate interferometric light modulation A multi-state light modulator comprises a first reflector 104. A first electrode 142 is positioned at a distance from the first reflector 104. A second reflector 14 is positioned between the first reflector 104 and the first electr... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7483197 | Photonic MEMS and structures An interference modulator (Imod) incorporates anti-reflection coatings and/or micro-fabricated supplemental lighting sources. An efficient drive scheme is provided for matrix addressed arrays of IMods or other micromechanical devices. An improved color scheme provid... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7471444 | Interferometric modulation of radiation An Interferometric Modulator (IMod) is a microelectromechanical device for modulating light using interference. The colors of these devices may be determined in a spatial fashion, and their inherent color shift may be compensated for using several optical compensati... | 12/30/2008 |
| 7463421 | Method and device for modulating light An Interferometric Modulator (IMod) is a microelectromechanical device for modulating light using interference. The colors of these devices may be determined in a spatial fashion, and their inherent color shift may be compensated for using several optical compensati... | 12/09/2008 |
| 7460291 | Separable modulator A separable modulator architecture is disclosed. The modulator has a mirror suspended from a flexible layer over a cavity. The flexible layer also forms supports and support posts for the mirror. An alternative separable modulator architecture has a mirror suspended... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7460246 | Method and system for sensing light using interferometric elements Certain embodiments of the invention provide a light sensor comprising at least one interferometric element that absorbs light in at least one wavelength. The interferometric element comprises a first surface and a second surface substantially parallel to the first ... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7453579 | Measurement of the dynamic characteristics of interferometric modulators Various systems and methods of lighting a display are disclosed. In one embodiment, for example, a method includes applying a voltage waveform to the interferometric modulators, applying a voltage pulse to the interferometric modulators, detecting reflectivity of li... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7446927 | MEMS switch with set and latch electrodes A MEMS device is electrically actuated with a voltage placed across a first electrode (702) and a moveable material (714). The device may be maintained in an actuated state by latch electrodes (730a, 730b) that are separate ... | 11/04/2008 |
