Patents by Inventor Kenneth Alexander Diest
Kenneth Alexander Diest has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20240141128Abstract: A nanovoided polymer-based material may include a bulk polymer material defining a plurality of nanovoids and an interfacial film disposed at an interface between each of the plurality of nanovoids and the bulk polymer material. The interfacial film may include one or more layers of material. A method of forming a nanovoided polymer-based material may include (1) forming a bulk polymer material defining a plurality of nanovoids and (2) forming an interfacial film at an interface between each of the plurality of nanovoids and the bulk polymer material. Various other methods, systems, and materials are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2022Publication date: May 2, 2024Inventors: Kenneth Alexander Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Spencer Allan Wells, Katherine Marie Smyth
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Publication number: 20240130239Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, and an electroactive polymer layer disposed between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, where the electroactive polymer layer includes a non-vertical (e.g., sloped) sidewall with respect to a major surface of at least one of the electrodes. The electroactive polymer layer may be characterized by a non-axisymmetric shape with respect to an axis that is oriented orthogonal to an electrode major surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2022Publication date: April 18, 2024Inventors: Kenneth Alexander Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Katherine Marie Smyth, Spencer Allan Wells, Tingling Rao, Sheng Ye, Eric Collier Schmitt, Nagi Hosni Elabbasi, Bachir Ahmed Abeid
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Patent number: 11953702Abstract: A graded-index optical element may include a nanovoided material including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The nanovoided material may be transparent between the first surface and the second surface. Additionally, the nanovoided material may have a predefined change in effective refractive index in at least one axis due to a change in at least one of nanovoid size or nanovoid distribution along the at least one axis. Various other elements, devices, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2022Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Renate Eva Klementine Landig
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Patent number: 11889763Abstract: An actuator may be integrated into an optical element such as a liquid lens and configured to create spherical curvature as well as a variable cylinder radius and axis in a surface of the optical element. An example actuator may include a stack of electromechanical layers, and electrodes configured to apply an electric field independently across each of the electromechanical layers. Within the stack, an orientation of neighboring electromechanical layers may differ, e.g., stepwise, by at least approximately 10°.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2021Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Spencer Allan Wells, Christopher Stipe, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Nagi Hosni Elabbasi, James Howard Thomas Ransley, Taha Masood, Liliana Ruiz Diaz, Laura Cressman
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Publication number: 20230273424Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micromirror including a plurality of stiffening structures is described. The MEMS micromirror includes a mirror surface to reflect light, a support platform coupled along a mirror surface, and a plurality of stiffening structures formed from or coupled to the support platform. In some examples, a dimensionality or density of the stiffening structures scale across an area of the support platform in a manner to assist in keeping the mirror surface flat under torsional force.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2022Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Kenneth Alexander Diest, Katherine Marie Smyth, Daniel Guenther Greif
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Publication number: 20230271823Abstract: A direct drive scanning micromirror includes a mirror body defining a mirror surface, and a plurality of curved cantilevers that each extend directly from the mirror body. The shape of the cantilevers and the geometry of the interface between the cantilevers and the mirror body are configured to decrease peak stresses within the micromirror during operation, which may beneficially impact performance and lifetime.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2022Publication date: August 31, 2023Inventors: Katherine Marie Smyth, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Brian Wheelwright, Daniel Guenther Greif
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Patent number: 11740391Abstract: Disclosed devices may include a membrane having a membrane curvature, a substrate, an enclosure (defined at least in part by the membrane and the substrate) enclosing a fluid, a peripheral structure configured to adjust the membrane curvature, and a sensor configured to provide a sensor signal that is a function of the membrane curvature. The device may also include a controller configured to control the membrane curvature using a control signal. For example, the control signal may be provided to at least one actuator. The controller may receive a sensor signal from the sensor and modify the control signal based on the sensor signal. Examples also include associated methods and systems.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLCInventors: Jonathan Robert Peterson, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Liliana Ruiz Diaz, Robin Sharma
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Publication number: 20230076619Abstract: An actuator includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlapping at least a portion of the primary electrode, a nanovoided polymer layer disposed between and abutting the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, the nanovoided polymer layer having a plurality of nanovoids dispersed throughout a polymer matrix, and a sealing layer at least partially encapsulating the nanovoided polymer layer, where the nanovoids include a fill gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Sheng Ye, Spencer Allan Wells, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Renate Eva Klementine Landig
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Patent number: 11467669Abstract: Disclosed devices may include a membrane, a first electrode supported by the membrane, a second electrode, a capacitance sensor configured to determine a capacitance measurement between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a controller configured to control an electrical potential applied between the electrode and the second electrode. The controller may be configured to modify the electrical potential based on the capacitance measurement. Example devices may include one or more flexible membranes that may, at least in part, define an enclosure that is at least partially filled with a dielectric fluid. Examples also include associated methods and systems.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2020Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLCInventors: Tianshu Liu, Jonathan Robert Peterson, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Daniele Piazza, Yigit Menguc, Harsha Prahlad
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Publication number: 20220283340Abstract: A liquid lens includes a substrate, a transparent elastic membrane forming a cavity with the substrate, and a transparent fluid filling the cavity between the substrate and the membrane. The membrane has a pre-distorted, rotationally asymmetric shape in absence of the fluid in the cavity. When the cavity is filled with the fluid and the substrate is disposed vertically w.r.t. gravity at a pre-defined clocking angle, the membrane adopts a substantially rotationally symmetric shape due to elasticity of the membrane counteracting gravity exerting a downward force on the fluid in the cavity, reducing the effect of the gravity sag on optical performance of the liquid lens.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2021Publication date: September 8, 2022Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Nagi Hosni Elabbasi, Spencer Allan Wells, Christopher Stipe, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Liliana Ruiz Diaz, Laura Cressman, Taha Masood, James Howard Thomas Ransley
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Publication number: 20220276483Abstract: An electromechanical actuator includes a primary electrode, a secondary electrode overlying at least a portion of the primary electrode, and an electroactive layer disposed between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, where the electroactive layer has a first curvature when zero voltage is applied between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode, and a second curvature when a non-zero voltage is applied between the primary electrode and the secondary electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2021Publication date: September 1, 2022Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Nagi Elabbasi, Christopher Stipe, Spencer Allan Wells, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Liliana Ruiz Diaz, Taha Masood, Laura Cressman, James Ransley
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Publication number: 20220271214Abstract: An actuator may be integrated into an optical element such as a liquid lens and configured to create spherical curvature as well as a variable cylinder radius and axis in a surface of the optical element. An example actuator may include a stack of electromechanical layers, and electrodes configured to apply an electric field independently across each of the electromechanical layers. Within the stack, an orientation of neighboring electromechanical layers may differ, e.g., stepwise, by at least approximately 10°.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2021Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Spencer Allan Wells, Christopher Stipe, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Nagi Hosni Elabbasi, James Howard Thomas Ransley, Taha Masood, Liliana Ruiz Diaz, Laura Cressman
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Publication number: 20220254989Abstract: A piezoelectric polymer article may be characterized by a Young's modulus of 5 GPa or greater along at least one dimension thereof. The piezoelectric polymer article may include polyvinylidene fluoride, for example, and may have a polydispersity index of at least 2. A piezoelectric coefficient of the polymer article, which may be a thin film or fiber, may be at least 20 pC/N.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2021Publication date: August 11, 2022Inventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Sheng Ye, Kenneth Alexander Diest
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Publication number: 20220113800Abstract: Disclosed devices may include a membrane, a first electrode supported by the membrane, a second electrode, a capacitance sensor configured to determine a capacitance measurement between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a controller configured to control an electrical potential applied between the electrode and the second electrode. The controller may be configured to modify the electrical potential based on the capacitance measurement. Example devices may include one or more flexible membranes that may, at least in part, define an enclosure that is at least partially filled with a dielectric fluid. Examples also include associated methods and systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2020Publication date: April 14, 2022Inventors: Tianshu Liu, Jonathan Robert Peterson, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Daniele Piazza, Yigit Menguc, Harsha Prahlad
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Publication number: 20210238374Abstract: A method of forming a voided polymer includes forming a polymerizable composition containing a polymer precursor and a solid templating agent, forming a coating of the polymerizable composition, processing the coating to form a cured polymer material having a solid phase in a plurality of defined regions, and removing at least a portion of the solid phase from the cured polymer material to form a voided polymer layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2021Publication date: August 5, 2021Inventors: Sheng Ye, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Kenneth Alexander Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Charles Robert Bowman, Robert G. Bowman, William Arthur Hendrickson, Christopher J. Rueb, Lafe Joseph Purvis, II, Wenmo Sun, Ryan Li, Oleg Yaroshchuk, Tingling Rao, Arman Boromand, Churning Zhao, Morteza Khaleghimeybodi
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Publication number: 20170162738Abstract: According to some aspects, an apparatus for converting electromagnetic radiation into electric power is provided, comprising a first layer comprising a first semiconductor material, an absorber in contact with the first layer, a second layer comprising a second semiconductor material, the second layer being in contact with the absorber, and a reflector to reflect at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation passing through the second layer. According to some aspects, a method of forming an apparatus for converting electromagnetic radiation into electric power is provided, comprising forming a reflector on a substrate, forming a first layer in contact with the reflector, the first layer comprising a first semiconductor material, forming an absorber in contact with the first layer, and forming a second layer in contact with the absorber, the second layer comprising a second semiconductor material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2014Publication date: June 8, 2017Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Jesse H Mills, Jeremy S. Coombs, Joshua L. Wilson, Mark A. Hollis, Franz Busse, Kenneth Alexander Diest
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Publication number: 20160268467Abstract: According to some aspects, an apparatus for converting electromagnetic radiation into electric power is provided, comprising a first layer comprising a first semiconductor material, an absorber in contact with the first layer, a second layer comprising a second semiconductor material, the second layer being in contact with the absorber, and a reflector to reflect at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation passing through the second layer. According to some aspects, a method of forming an apparatus for converting electromagnetic radiation into electric power is provided, comprising forming a reflector on a substrate, forming a first layer in contact with the reflector, the first layer comprising a first semiconductor material, forming an absorber in contact with the first layer, and forming a second layer in contact with the absorber, the second layer comprising a second semiconductor material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2014Publication date: September 15, 2016Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Jesse H Mills, Jeremy S. Coombs, Joshua L. Wilson, Mark A. Hollis, Franz Busse, Kenneth Alexander Diest