"Transmission of documents via telephone wires is possible in principle, but the apparatus required is so expensive that it will never become a practical proposition."
Dennis Gabor, British physicist
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8174752 | Interferometric 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 |
| 8169689 | Integrated 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 |
| 8149497 | Support 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 |
| 8149496 | Integrated 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 |
| 8139284 | Digital 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 |
| 8139283 | Surface 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 |
| 8115988 | 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... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8115987 | Modulating 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 |
| 8111446 | 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... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8111445 | Spatial 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 |
| 8107157 | Micromirror 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 |
| 8098416 | Analog 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 |
| 8098417 | Electromechanical 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 |
| 8081373 | Devices 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 |
| 8081372 | Method 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 |
| 8077378 | Calibration 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 |
| 8077379 | Interferometric 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 |
| 8077377 | Spatial 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 |
| 8064124 | Silicon-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 |
| 8054532 | Method 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 |
| 8054531 | Micro-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 |
| 8054530 | E-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 |
| 8035884 | Method 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 |
| 8031391 | System 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 |
| 8027080 | Transflective 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 |
| 8009347 | MEMS 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 |
| 7999995 | Full 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 |
| 7995265 | Interferometric 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 |
| 7986451 | 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... | 07/26/2011 |
| 7978396 | Optical 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 |
| 7961376 | Reducing 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 |
| 7944603 | Microelectromechanical 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 |
| 7944604 | Interferometric 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 |
| 7929196 | System 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 |
| 7929197 | System 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 |
| 7929195 | MEMS 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 |
| 7920319 | Electromechanical 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 |
| 7911679 | Hinge 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 |
| 7907326 | Reflecting 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 |
| 7903318 | MEMS 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 |