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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8115937 | Methods and apparatus for measuring multiple Fabry-Perot gaps Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with measuring multiple Fabry-Perot gaps to determine environmental parameters are described herein. In one embodiment, a system for measuring environmental parameters includes an optical fiber, a first reflective... | 02/14/2012 |
| 7869055 | Process control monitors for 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... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7688452 | Determination of interferometric modulator mirror curvature and airgap variation using digital photographs Air gap variation in an interferometric modulator over a two-dimensional spatial map of the modulator is determined by acquiring a digital photograph of the modulator. Color parameters of individual pixels in the photograph are determined and compared to a model of ... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7551295 | Displacement sensor An apparatus and method for detecting multiple beams from a beamsplitter is disclosed. Some embodiments of the present invention are particularly well-suited for use in microphones, high-sensitivity pressure sensors, vibration sensors, and accelerometer applications... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7538889 | Calibration feedback-control circuit for diffraction light devices A feedback-control circuit for color calibration of a diffraction light device includes at least one diffractive light device (DLD) having a gap distance defined by opposing plates, at least one sensor configured to convert light modulated by the DLD device into a l... | 05/26/2009 |
| 7388704 | Determination of interferometric modulator mirror curvature and airgap variation using digital photographs Air gap variation in an interferometric modulator over a two-dimensional spatial map of the modulator is determined by acquiring a digital photograph of the modulator. Color parameters of individual pixels in the photograph are determined and compared to a model of ... | 06/17/2008 |
| 7359066 | Electro-optical measurement of hysteresis in interferometric modulators Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for testing interferometric modulators. The interferometric modulators may be tested by applying a time-varying voltage stimulus and measuring the resulting reflectivity from the modulators. ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7359067 | Optical displacement sensor comprising a wavelength-tunable optical source An optical displacement sensor is disclosed that provides a optical displacement sensor that includes a optically-resonant cavity tuned to an operating wavelength without some of the disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. An embodiment of the present invention... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7359058 | Miniature fourier transform spectrophotometer The Miniature Fourier Transform Spectrophotometer provides the capability, in a miniaturized device, of determining the light absorption/transmission spectra of a collected sample of gas or liquid though Fourier Transform spectroscopy techniques. The device takes an... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7355720 | Optical displacement sensor An optical displacement sensor is disclosed which uses a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) coupled to an optical cavity formed by a moveable membrane and an output mirror of the VCSEL. This arrangement renders the lasing characteristics of the VCSEL sen... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7355723 | Apparatus comprising a high-signal-to-noise displacement sensor and method therefore An optical displacement sensor is disclosed that provides a high signal-to-noise ratio output signal without some of the disadvantages for doing so in the prior art. An embodiment of the present invention directs a light beam toward a Fabry-Perot interferometer and ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7354772 | Tag free bio sensing micro strip A system and method for determining information about an assay. In one embodiment the method includes positioning a filter assembly, having an assay disposed on its surface, relative to a light source such that light from the light source is incident on the filter a... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7289220 | Broadband cavity spectrometer apparatus and method for determining the path length of an optical structure A broadband light source with a sufficiently long coherence length is impinged on the optical cavity. The broadband laser light reflects from the first and second surfaces of the cavity. The two light beams, either reflected or transmitted, are phase shifted from on... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7277181 | Interferometric apparatus and method for surface profile detection An apparatus for detecting the surface profile of a test object includes a light source, a beam splitter, a reflective component, a sensor, and a computing device. The light source emits a light beam. The beam splitter divides the light beam into reference and probi... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7259865 | Process control monitors for 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... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7242509 | MEMS Fabry Perot filter for integrated spectroscopy system Integrated spectroscopy systems are disclosed. In some examples, integrated tunable detectors, using one or multiple Fabry-Perot tunable filters, are provided. Other examples use integrated tunable sources. The tunable source combines one or multiple diodes, such as... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7242482 | Capacitance gap calibration A method for calibrating a display device comprises controlling an applied voltage to at least one fabry-perot interferometer pixel through a plurality of switches. The at least one fabry-perot interferometer pixel has a top and a bottom plate defining a gap therebe... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7180605 | Vibration sensor utilizing a feedback stabilized fabry-perot filter A sensor and method for using the same is disclosed. The sensor includes an optical cavity defined by first and second mirrors that have a spacing therebetween that varies in response to a force applied to the sensor and to a control voltage. The sensor has a drive ... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7164479 | Optical displacement sensor This invention relates to an optical displacement sensor element, e.g. for use in a pressure sensor or a microphone, comprising two essentially flat surfaces being separated by a cavity being defined by a spacer, the distance between the surfaces being variable thus... | 01/16/2007 |
| 7136169 | Etalon testing system and process The present invention provides a relatively simple etalon testing system and process for measuring cavity error of etalons to high precision. It works equally well on solid and air-spaced designs. This invention should be a great aid in the manufacture of high perfo... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7110122 | Interferometer calibration methods and apparatus A method for calibrating an interferometer uses an actuator adapted to control an optical gap in response to application of an electrical signal. The interferometer is illuminated with a beam of light having a predetermined substantially monochromatic wavelength, or... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7061681 | Fabry-Perot interferometer A method of tuning a resonant cavity of an FP (Fabry-Perot) interferometer in a DLD (diffractive light device) MEMS (microelectromechanical system) device, wherein the FP interferometer has a top plate and a bottom plate, and wherein the method comprises; using firs... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7050171 | Single-exposure interferometer with no moving parts A interferometer that has no moving parts and can acquire an interferogram in a single exposure is disclosed. Embodiments according to the invention can be used for polychromatic and/or monochromatic detection and include a fixed-position element that divides a beam... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7046374 | Interferometers for optical communications utilizing photo-sensitive materials An interferometer includes: a first glass plate optically coupled to a second glass plate, forming an optical interferometric cavity therebetween; a first reflective coating coupled to the first glass plate within the optical interferometric cavity, where the first ... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7025498 | System and method of measuring thermal expansion A chuck having a high specific stiffness and high thermal conductivity compared to conventional chucks, with an apparatus for measuring thermal expansion in the chuck. High specific stiffness allows for a higher control bandwidth and improved scanning performance. H... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6886365 | Fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer and associated methods The method for making the fiber optic Fabry-Perot sensor includes securing an optical fiber to a substrate, and forming at least one gap in the optical fiber after the optical fiber is secured to the substrate to define at least one pair of self-aligned opposing spa... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6831450 | Electronic method and apparatus for measuring optical wavelength and locking to a set optical wavelength of Fabry-Perot tunable cavity opto-electronic devices Apparatus and methods are provided for measuring a selected optical behavior of a tunable opto-electric device by using the electrical characteristics of the opto-electronic device. The benefit of the present invention is the elimination or reduction in complexity o... | 12/14/2004 |
| 6822798 | Tunable optical filter A tunable optical filter including at least one deformable membrane actuator. The actuator may include an array of a thousand or millions of individual actuator cells for strength and mechanical robustness. The deformable membrane actuator including a first primary ... | 11/23/2004 |
| 6813081 | Etalon and method for producing etalon An etalon has at least one transparent plate, wherein the transparent plate consists of lithium tantalate single crystal, an etalon has at least one transparent plate, wherein the transparent plate consists of lithium niobate single crystal and a method for producin... | 11/02/2004 |
| 6788717 | Wavelength stabilized laser module A wavelength stabilized laser module is provided which is so configured as to be simplified and smaller in size and is capable of emitting semiconductor laser light whose wavelength is stablized with high accuracy. The wavelength stablized laser module includes a se... | 09/07/2004 |
| 6763718 | Micro-electro-mechanical systems ultra-sensitive accelerometer with independent sensitivity adjustment An accelerometer is based upon the monolithic integration of a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a p+n silicon photosensor. Transmission of light through a Fabry-Perot interferometer cavity is exponentially sensitive to small displacements in a movable mirro... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6747775 | Detunable Fabry-Perot interferometer and an add/drop multiplexer using the same A detunable Fabry-Perot interferometer, and method of tuning a Fabry-Perot interferometer are provided. The Fabry-Perot interferometer includes a first mirror, a second mirror oriented with respect to the first mirror so as to define a Fabry-Perot cavity therebetwee... | 06/08/2004 |
| 6721100 | Sandwiched thin film optical filter Thin film filters have been a basic building block of many wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) systems providing the means by which a signal, defined by a center wavelength, can be separated from a group of WDM signals. In an effort to maintain the same performanc... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6700706 | Fabry-perot optical filter device The present invention discloses a Fabry-Perot optical filter device, which includes a Fabry-Perot element for allowing a light to pass through and optically filtering the light at least twice, and at least one reflecting element for reflecting the light p... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6687011 | Transmission-type extrinsic fabry-perot interferometric optical fiber sensor A transmission-type extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric optical fiber sensor and a method used for integrity monitoring of structures and measuring strain and temperature are provided. The transmission-type extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric optical ... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6628405 | Optical angle finder and coaxial alignment device A method and an instrument are provided for checking and adjusting the accuracy of an alignment device which transmits a collimated (e.g. laser) light beam that serves as an alignment reference. That beam generator defines a precise reference for purposes... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6581465 | Micro-electro-mechanical systems ultra-sensitive accelerometer An accelerometer is based upon the monolithic integration of a Fabry-Perot interferometer and a p+ n silicon photosensor. Transmission of light through a Fabry-Perot etalon is exponentially sensitive to small displacements in a movable mirror d... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6538748 | Tunable Fabry-Perot filters and lasers utilizing feedback to reduce frequency noise A tunable optical cavity constructed from a fixed mirror and a movable mirror is disclosed. A circuit applies an electrical potential between first and second electrically conducting surfaces thereby adjusting the distance between the fixed and movable mi... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6389046 | Method to sense laser array power and wavelength and reduce drift for wavelength selection and stabilization The output of a dedicated control laser element in a laser array, which closely tracks the output of the array, is directed to a discriminator and feedback control means through a closed loop feedback-based system to provide both wavelength stability and ... | 05/14/2002 |
| 6246480 | Stepped etalon An improved stepped etalon comprises a transparent body having a stepped surface. Adjacent step lands are separated from each other by a transition region which includes a curved, waved, or otherwise varied step wall such that the average height of the st... | 06/12/2001 |
