Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110317013 | AUTOFOCUS CAMERA SYSTEMS AND METHODS - In an example embodiment, a method for focusing a miniature camera includes applying a signal to an actuator in the camera, moving a MEMS stage movably supported by one or more flexures in response to the application of the signal, moving a lens in response to the moving of the MEMS stage, and limiting movement of the MEMS stage to substantially one degree of freedom corresponding to an optical axis of the lens. | 12-29-2011 |
20120119612 | MOTION CONTROLLED ACTUATOR - A device can have an outer frame and an actuator. The actuator can have a movable frame and a fixed frame. At least one torsional flexure and at least one hinge flexure can cooperate to provide comparatively high lateral stiffness between the outer frame and the movable frame and can cooperate to provide comparatively low rotational stiffness between the outer frame and the movable frame. | 05-17-2012 |
20120120262 | ROTATIONALLY DEPLOYED ACTUATORS - A method for making an actuator includes forming, e.g., using photolithography techniques, a substantially planar actuator device of an electrically conductive material, e.g., a semiconductor, to include an outer frame, a fixed frame coupled to the outer frame for rotational movement relative thereto, a moveable frame coupled to the outer frame for rotational movement relative thereto, and an actuator incorporating a plurality of interdigitated teeth, a fixed portion of which is attached to the fixed frame and a moving portion of which is attached to the moveable frame. The fixed frame is then rotated to a deployed position relative to the outer frame such that the fixed portion of the actuator teeth is disposed at a selected angle relative to the moving portion of the actuator teeth, and the position of the fixed frame relative to the outer frame is then fixed at the deployed position. | 05-17-2012 |
20120121242 | LENS BARREL WITH MEMS ACTUATORS - A lens barrel for, e.g., a miniature camera or another device, includes an annular barrel, a plurality of first optical elements disposed coaxially within the barrel, an actuator device disposed coaxially within the barrel in front of the first optical elements, a front cover attached coaxially to a front surface of the actuator device, and a second optical element mounted coaxially in a central opening of a moving platform of the actuator device such that rotational movement of actuators in the actuator device causes the moving platform and second optical element to move conjointly with a purely translation movement along the optical axis of the second optical element and relative to the first optical elements. | 05-17-2012 |
20120121243 | MEMS ACTUATOR ALIGNMENT - A method for aligning an actuator device relative to an adjacent component, such as a rear cover of an actuator module or a stationary lens, includes disposing a plurality of radially extending tabs around an outer periphery of the actuator device, disposing a corresponding plurality of pairs of raised mounting features on a front surface of the adjacent component, each pair defining a slot having sidewalls that are complementary in configuration to respective sidewalls of corresponding ones of the tabs, and inserting respective ones of the tabs into corresponding ones of the slots. | 05-17-2012 |
20130128099 | AUTOFOCUS CAMERA SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A method for focusing a miniature camera includes providing a current through a coil, moving a lens of a camera based on the current to adjust a focus of the camera, and limiting movement of the lens along an optical path of the camera. | 05-23-2013 |
20130215325 | ARCUATE MOTION CONTROL IN ELECTROSTATIC ACTUATORS - In one embodiment, an actuator includes a moving frame coupled to a fixed frame by a plurality of elongated parallel motion flexures for generally parallel motion relative to the fixed frame and between an as-fabricated position and a deployed position. The flexures are disposed at a first angle relative to a line extending perpendicularly to both the moving frame and the fixed frame when the moving frame is disposed in the as-fabricated position, and at a second angle relative to that same line when the moving frame is disposed in the deployed position, Arcuate movement of the first frame relative to the second frame is controlled by constraining the first angle to a value of less than about half of the sum of the first and second angles. | 08-22-2013 |
20130215525 | MEMS SNUBBER SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide concomitant mechanical motion inhibition and electrical distribution for actuator modules, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based optical actuators adapted to move and/or orient one or more lenses and/or optical devices of a camera module. A mechanical motion inhibition and electrical distribution system may include one or more flexible snubber structures disposed substantially adjacent a MEMS structure and between the MEMS structure and another component of a camera module. Each flexible snubber structure may be implemented with one or more electrical traces, flexible films, snubber films, and/or mechanical stabilizers adapted to route electrical signals to or from the MEMS structure and/or to inhibit mechanical motion of at least a portion of the MEMS structure. | 08-22-2013 |
20130279030 | MINIATURE MEMS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLIES - In one embodiment, an electrostatic actuator includes a generally planar fixed frame, a generally planar moving frame coupled to the fixed frame by a flexure for substantially coplanar, perpendicular movement relative to the fixed frame, a plurality of interdigitated teeth, a fixed portion of which is attached to the fixed frame and a moving portion of which is attached to the moving frame, and an elongated output shaft having opposite input and output ends, the input end being coupled to the moving frame. | 10-24-2013 |
20130343740 | MEMS Actuator Alignment - A method for aligning an actuator device relative to an adjacent component, such as a rear cover of an actuator module or a stationary lens, includes disposing a plurality of radially extending tabs around an outer periphery of the actuator device, disposing a corresponding plurality of pairs of raised mounting features on a front surface of the adjacent component, each pair defining a slot having sidewalls that are complementary in configuration to respective sidewalls of corresponding ones of the tabs, and inserting respective ones of the tabs into corresponding ones of the slots. | 12-26-2013 |
20140116163 | MOTION CONTROLLED ACTUATOR - A device can have an outer frame and an actuator. The actuator can have a movable frame and a fixed frame. At least one torsional flexure and at least one hinge flexure can cooperate to provide comparatively high lateral stiffness between the outer frame and the movable frame and can cooperate to provide comparatively low rotational stiffness between the outer frame and the movable frame. | 05-01-2014 |
20140184892 | AUTOFOCUS CAMERA SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A method for focusing a miniature camera includes providing a current through a coil, moving a lens of a camera based on the current to adjust a focus of the camera, and limiting movement of the lens along an optical path of the camera. | 07-03-2014 |
20150070793 | MINIATURE MEMS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLIES - In one embodiment, an electrostatic actuator includes a generally planar fixed frame, a generally planar moving frame coupled to the fixed frame by a flexure for substantially coplanar, perpendicular movement relative to the fixed frame, a plurality of interdigitated teeth, a fixed portion of which is attached to the fixed frame and a moving portion of which is attached to the moving frame, and an elongated output shaft having opposite input and output ends, the input end being coupled to the moving frame. | 03-12-2015 |
20150321900 | LOW STIFFNESS FLEXURE - A flexure includes a support first end connected to a first frame; a support second end connected to a second frame; and a buckled section connecting the first support end to the second support end. The length of the flexure is substantially greater than its width, and the width of the flexure is substantially greater than its thickness. During operation, the flexure is maintained in a buckled state where the flexure's stiffness is significantly less than in the unbuckled state. In one implementation, a stage includes a flexure array joining a first frame and a second frame, where: the first frame and the second frame are substantially on a plane; the flexure array is substantially on the plane prior to buckling by the flexures of the flexure array; and the flexure array is bent substantially out of the plane after buckling by the flexures. | 11-12-2015 |
20150341534 | ELECTRICAL BAR LATCHING FOR LOW STIFFNESS FLEXURE MEMS ACTUATOR - A MEMS actuator including buckled flexures and a method of assembling the actuator are described. The assembled MEMS actuator includes an inner frame; an outer frame including latched electrical bars, where a first of the latched bars includes a latch protrusion secured to a corresponding latch groove of a second of the latched bars; and buckled flexures coupling the inner frame to the outer frame. The flexures are buckled during assembly of the MEMS actuator by incorporating the electrical bar latching mechanism into the design of the outer frame of the MEMS actuator. In one implementation, the MEMS actuator is assembled by providing a MEMS actuator with unbuckled flexures coupling the outer frame of the MEMS actuator to an inner frame of the MEMS actuator, where the outer frame includes unlatched electrical bars, and latching the electrical bars of the outer frame, resulting in buckled flexures. | 11-26-2015 |
20150350500 | MOVING IMAGE SENSOR PACKAGE - A moving image sensor package is provided that may be used to provide optical image stabilization (OIS) in the same form factor as non-OIS enabled image sensors utilized in portable/mobile devices. The moving image sensor package includes an image sensor attached to a MEMS actuator mounted within a cutout in a circuit board, wherein the MEMS actuator has substantially the same thickness as the circuit board. | 12-03-2015 |
20150372617 | MINIATURE MEMS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLIES - In one embodiment, an electrostatic actuator includes a generally planar fixed frame, a generally planar moving frame coupled to the fixed frame by a flexure for substantially coplanar, perpendicular movement relative to the fixed frame, a plurality of interdigitated teeth, a fixed portion of which is attached to the fixed frame and a moving portion of which is attached to the moving frame, and an elongated output shaft having opposite input and output ends, the input end being coupled to the moving frame. | 12-24-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150344495 | PROCESS OF MAKING DIFLUOROTHIENOTHIOPHENE BASED CONJUGATED POLYMERS - A method of producing a monomer wherein the method begins by dissolving 3-fluoro-4,6 dihydrothieno[3,4-b]thiophene in a solvent to create a solution. An initiator is then added to the solution to produce an initiated solution. This is followed by adding a fluorinated chemical to the initiated solution to produce 2,3-difluoro-4,6-dihydrothieno[3,4-b]thiophene. 2,3-difluoro-4,6-dihydrothieno[3,4-b]thiophene is then oxidized with an oxidant to produce 2,3-difluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene. 2,3-difluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene is then bromoated to produce 4,6-dibromo-2,3-difluorothieno[2,3-c]thiophene. The final step involves debrominating 4,6-dibromo-2,3-difluorothieno[2,3-c]thiophene and adding an aryl group to produce the monomer | 12-03-2015 |
20150344608 | COMPOSITION AND APPLICATIONS OF A MULTI-COMPONENT BENZO[1,2-B:4,5-B] DITHIOPHENE-DIFLUOROTHIENOTHIOPHENE RANDOMLY SUBSTITUTED POLYMERS FOR ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS - A polymer having two different sets of repeat units consisting essentially of: | 12-03-2015 |
20150344616 | PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING AND APPLICATIONS OF A MULTI-COMPONENT BENZO[1,2-B:4,5-B] DITHIOPHENE-THIENOTHIOPHENE RANDOMLY SUBSTITUTED CONJUGATED POLYMERS FOR ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS - A process of polymerizing | 12-03-2015 |
20150344630 | PROCESS OF PRODUCING AND APPLICATIONS OF A MULTI-COMPONENT BENZO[1,2-B:4,5-B] DIFLUOROTHIENOTHIOPHENE RANDOMLY SUBSTITUTED POLYMERS FOR ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS - A process of dissolving 3-fluoro-4,6-dihydrothieno[3,4-b]thiophene in a solvent to create a solution. An initiator is then added to the solution to produce an initiated solution followed by adding a fluorinated chemical to the initiated solution to produce 2,3-difluoro-4,6-dihydrothieno[3,4-b]thiophene. 2,3-difluoro-4,6-dihydrothieno[3,4-b]thiophene is then oxidized with an oxidant to produce 2,3-difluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene. A brominating step then occurs to the 2,3-difluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene to produce 4,6-dibromo-2,3-difluorothieno[2,3-c]thiophene. 4,6-dibromo-2,3-difluorothieno[2,3-c]thiophene is then debrominated and polymerized to | 12-03-2015 |
20150349260 | COMPOSITIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF A MULTI-COMPONENT BENZO[1,2-B:4,5-B] DITHIOPHENE-THIENOTHIOPHENE RANDOMLY SUBSTITUTED POLYMERS FOR ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS - A polymer having at least four different repeat units comprising: | 12-03-2015 |
20150349261 | DIFLUOROTHIENOTHIOPHENE BASED CONJUGATED POLYMERS - A polymer having a monomer repeat unit comprising | 12-03-2015 |