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Class 359/291 - Shape or contour of light control surface altered


Subclass of Class 359 - Optical: systems and elements
Definition: Subject matter wherein the light property is controlled
No. of patents: 1739
Last issue date: 05/08/2012


1                      
NumberTitleIssue Date
8174752Interferometric modulator in transmission mode
A transmissive micromechanical device includes a substrate, an optical stack over the substrate and a moveable membrane over the optical stack. The moveable membrane may include a partially reflective mirror and be configured to move from a first position to a secon...
05/08/2012
8169689Integrated modulator illumination
A spatial light modulator includes an array of elements to modulate light in accordance with image data. The modulator has a display panel having first and second surfaces arranged adjacent to the array of elements such that the second surface is directly adjacent t...
05/01/2012
8149497Support structure for MEMS device and methods therefor
A microelectromechanical systems device having support structures formed of sacrificial material surrounded by a protective material. The microelectromechanical systems device includes a substrate having an electrode formed thereon. Another electrode is separated fr...
04/03/2012
8149496Integrated touch for IMOD displays using back glass
An interferometric modulator (“IMOD”) display utilizes ambient light and incorporates touch sensing without reducing the amount of ambient light that reaches the MEMS modulators, and without introducing any optical distortion or loss of performance. Electrodes f...
04/03/2012
8139284Digital micromirror device having wavelength-dependent modulation structure and method of manufacturing the same
A digital micromirror device (DMD), a method of manufacturing the DMD and an optical processor incorporating a DMD. In one embodiment, the DMD includes: (1) a first group of micromirrors having a first modulation structure based on a first wavelength of light and a ...
03/20/2012
8139283Surface plasmon polariton modulation
An apparatus includes a substrate having a metallic surface, a structure, and a dielectric object facing the metallic top surface. The structure is configured to optically produce surface plasmon polaritons that propagate on the metallic surface. The dielectric obje...
03/20/2012
8115988System 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...
02/14/2012
8115987Modulating the intensity of light from an interferometric reflector
An optical device for modulating the intensity of light from an interferometric reflector. In one embodiment, the optical device can include an optical stack having a reflective layer and a partially reflective, partially transmissive layer for reflecting light. The...
02/14/2012
8111446Optical 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...
02/07/2012
8111445Spatial light modulator with integrated optical compensation structure
A spatial light modulator comprises an integrated optical compensation structure, e.g., an optical compensation structure arranged between a substrate and a plurality of individually addressable light-modulating elements, or an optical compensation structure located...
02/07/2012
8107157Micromirror unit and method of making the same
A method is provided for making a micromirror unit which includes a frame, a mirror forming base, and bridges connecting the frame to the mirror forming base. The method includes the following steps. First, a first mask pattern is formed on a substrate for masking p...
01/31/2012
8098416Analog interferometric modulator device with electrostatic actuation and release
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a first electrode, a second electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode, and a third electrode electrically insulated from the first electrode and the second electrode. The MEMS device also include...
01/17/2012
8098417Electromechanical system having a dielectric movable membrane
An electromechanical device includes a partially reflective and partially transmissive layer and a movable functional element. The movable functional element includes a patterned flexible dielectric layer and a reflective layer mechanically coupled to the flexible d...
01/17/2012
8081373Devices and methods for enhancing color shift of interferometric modulators
The color reflected by an interferometric modulator may vary as a function of the angle of view. A range of colors are thus viewable by rotating the interferometric modulator relative to an observer. By placing a textured layer between an observer and an interferome...
12/20/2011
8081372Method and system for driving interferometric modulators
Systems and methods for driving a display of MEMS devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a display includes an array comprising a plurality of interferometric modulators, and a driving circuit coupled to said array, said driving circuit configured to provide actu...
12/20/2011
8077378Calibration system and method for light modulation device
A calibration method for a grating light modulator includes calibrating light reflective ribbons on the modulator on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The method further includes performing a dark-state calibration and a bright-state calibration for each pixel. Once completed...
12/13/2011
8077379Interferometric optical display system with broadband characteristics
Broad band white color can be achieved in MEMS display devices by incorporating a material having an extinction coefficient (k) below a threshold value for wavelength of light within an operative optical range of the interferometric modulator. One embodiment provide...
12/13/2011
8077377Spatial light modulator with structured mirror surfaces
The invention relates to methods to improve SLMs, in particular to reflecting micromechanical SLMs, for applications with simple system architecture, high precision, high power handling capability, high throughput, and/or high optical processing capability. Applicat...
12/13/2011
8064124Silicon-rich silicon nitrides as etch stops in MEMS manufacture
The fabrication of a MEMS device such as an interferometric modulator is improved by employing an etch stop layer between a sacrificial layer and a an electrode. The etch stop may reduce undesirable over-etching of the sacrificial layer and the electrode. The etch s...
11/22/2011
8054532Method and device for providing illumination to interferometric modulators
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...
11/08/2011
8054531Micro-electro-mechanical systems and photonic interconnects employing the same
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to micro-electro-mechanical systems and photonic interconnects employing micro-electro-mechanical systems. One micro-electro-mechanical system embodiment of the present invention includes a lens structure and...
11/08/2011
8054530E-paper panel
An electrode of an E-paper panel having a lattice structure, wherein an electric field concentrated on edge regions of the electrode is dispersed, and thus while driving a cell, charged particles are uniformly distributed over an entire region of the cell, thereby i...
11/08/2011
8035884Method and device for modulating light with semiconductor substrate
Light in the visible spectrum is modulated using an array of modulation elements, and control circuitry connected to the array for controlling each of the modulation elements independently, each of the modulation elements having a surface which is caused to exhibit ...
10/11/2011
8031391System and method for operating light processing electronic devices
A system and method for operating an electronic device used in light processing. A method comprises altering a spatial relationship between a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a light incident on the SLM, shifting light modulator states of a first portion of light m...
10/04/2011
8027080Transflective electro-wetting display device
An exemplary transflective electro-wetting display (EWD) device includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate opposite to the upper substrate, a first polar liquid disposed between the upper and lower substrates, a second, colored, non-polar liquid disposed between...
09/27/2011
8009347MEMS display
A displaying apparatus that includes a plurality of electromechanical system elements arranged in rows. The electromechanical system elements of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows. The subrows of each row are electrically connected. Certain of the elec...
08/30/2011
7999995Full color range interferometric modulation
A full color range analog controlled interferometric modulation device is provided. The device includes a transparent substrate, and a transparent fixed-position electrically conductive electrode with a bottom surface overlying the substrate. A transparent spacer ov...
08/16/2011
7995265Interferometric modulators having charge persistence
An interferometric modulator is formed having a dielectric with charge persistence. The interferometric modulator is addressed by a method making advantageous use of the charge persistence property, wherein the interferometric modulator is pre-charged in such a way ...
08/09/2011
7986451Optical 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...
07/26/2011
7978396Optical interference display panel
An optical interference display panel is disclosed that has a substrate, an optical interference reflection structure, and an opaque protection structure. The optical interference reflection structure has many color-changeable pixels and is formed on the substrate. ...
07/12/2011
7961376Reducing adherence in a MEMS device
In one embodiment, an apparatus for reducing adherence in a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device comprises a substrate. A MEMS is disposed outwardly from the substrate. The MEMS comprises structures and corresponding landing pads. Dibs are disposed outwardly...
06/14/2011
7944603Microelectromechanical device and method utilizing a porous surface
A microelectromechanical device (MEMS) utilizing a porous electrode surface for reducing stiction is disclosed. In one embodiment, a microelectromechanical device is an interferometric modulator that includes a transparent electrode having a first surface; and a mov...
05/17/2011
7944604Interferometric modulator in transmission mode
A transmissive micromechanical device includes a substrate, an optical stack over the substrate and a moveable membrane over the optical stack. The moveable membrane may include a partially reflective mirror and be configured to move from a first position to a secon...
05/17/2011
7929196System and method of implementation of interferometric modulators for display mirrors
A specular interferometric modulator array is configured to be at least partially selectably reflective. As such, the array forms a mirror surface having the capability of displaying information to the user while simultaneously being used as a specular mirror. The d...
04/19/2011
7929197System and method for a MEMS device
Light in the visible spectrum is modulated using an array of modulation elements, and control circuitry connected to the array for controlling each of the modulation elements independently, each of the modulation elements having a surface which is caused to exhibit ...
04/19/2011
7929195MEMS based retroreflector
A deformable reflective surface is disclosed that may be used with a retroreflector to provide a modulated retroreflector. The modulated retroreflector may be used in communication systems such as optical laser communication systems wherein an incident beam is refle...
04/19/2011
7920319Electromechanical device with optical function separated from mechanical and electrical function
In certain embodiments, a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device comprises a substrate having a top surface, a movable element over the substrate, and an actuation electrode disposed laterally from the reflective surface. The movable element comprises a deformable lay...
04/05/2011
7911679Hinge design for enhanced optical performance for a digital micro-mirror device
An apparatus for use with a digital micro-mirror 100 includes a hinge 116 disposed outwardly from a substrate 102. The hinge 116 is capable of at least partially supporting a micro-mirror 104 disposed outwardly from the hinge 11...
03/22/2011
7907326Reflecting apparatus
A reflecting apparatus that includes a mirror having an axis. A holding unit holds the mirror via an elastic member. A first actuator positions the mirror by driving the holding unit. A second actuator deforms the mirror and includes a magnetic member attached to th...
03/15/2011
7903318MEMS micromirror devices with anti-reflective structures
Diffractive patterns are disposed on a MEMS substrate in the gaps between the MEMS micromirrors to reduce backreflection of light leaking through the gaps and reflected by the MEMS substrate. The diffractive patterns are silicon surface-relief diffraction gratings o...
03/08/2011
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