Patents by Inventor Kenneth Diest
Kenneth 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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Patent number: 11045835Abstract: Example methods include depositing a precursor layer onto a substrate where the precursor layer includes droplets comprising a polymerizable material, inducing a phase inversion in the precursor layer to obtain a modified precursor layer including droplets of a non-polymerizable liquid within a polymerizable liquid mixture, and polymerizing the polymerizable liquid mixture to obtain a nanovoided polymer element. Examples include devices fabricated using nanovoided polymer elements fabricated using such methods, including electroactive devices such as actuators and sensors.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2019Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLCInventors: Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Kenneth Diest, Sheng Ye, Andrew John Ouderkirk
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Patent number: 11022856Abstract: A display device includes a scanned projector for projecting a beam of light, and a diffraction grating for dispersing the light at a plurality of angles into a waveguide, wherein at least a portion of the diffraction grating includes a nanovoided polymer. Manipulation of the nanovoid topology, such as through capacitive actuation, can be used to reversibly control the effective refractive index of the nanovoided polymer and hence the grating efficiency. The switchable grating can be used to control the amount of diffraction of an incident beam of light through the grating thereby decreasing optical loss. Various other methods, systems, apparatuses, and materials are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Wanli Chi, Kenneth Diest, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Tanya Malhotra, Austin Lane, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Katherine Marie Smyth, Jack Lindsay
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Patent number: 11025175Abstract: In some examples, a device includes a nanovoided polymer element, a planarization layer disposed on a surface of the nanovoided polymer element, a first electrode disposed on the planarization layer, and a second electrode. The nanovoided polymer element may be located at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. The planarization layer may be located between the nanovoided polymer element and the first electrode.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLCInventors: Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Kenneth Diest, Spencer Allan Wells, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Sheng Ye
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Publication number: 20210080688Abstract: A varifocal lens includes a substrate having an inclined region, a primary electrode disposed over the inclined region of the substrate, a dielectric layer disposed over the primary electrode, a deformable membrane disposed over and at least partially spaced away from the dielectric layer, a secondary electrode disposed over a surface of the deformable membrane facing toward or away from the dielectric layer and overlying at least a portion of the primary electrode, and a fluid between the membrane and the substrate, wherein a surface of the dielectric layer facing the secondary electrode comprises a textured surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Christopher Stipe, Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Maik Andre Scheller, Sheng Ye, John Cooke, Yigit Menguc, Nagi Elabbasi, James Ransley
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Publication number: 20210083141Abstract: An optical transformer includes a light source and an array of photovoltaic cells optically coupled to the light source, where at least a portion of the photovoltaic cells are connected in series. An optical connector such as a waveguide or an optical fiber may be disposed between an output of the light source and an input of the array of photovoltaic cells. Configured to generate a high voltage output, the optical transformer may be configured to power a device such as an actuator that provides a tunable displacement as a function of voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2019Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: Maik Andre Scheller, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Jonathan Robert Peterson, Daniele Piazza, Jeremy Thomas Braun, Kenneth Diest, Spencer Allan Wells, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Liliana Ruiz Diaz, Tanya Malhotra
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Publication number: 20210066574Abstract: 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: January 23, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Katherine Marie Smyth, Spencer Allan Wells, Tingling Rao, Sheng Ye, Eric Schmitt, Nagi Elabbasi, Bachir Ahmed Abeid
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Patent number: 10926446Abstract: In various embodiments, an electrode precursor material may be flowed into a manifold extrusion die having first and second manifold inlet openings. Further, an electroactive polymer precursor material may be flowed into the manifold extrusion die via a third manifold inlet opening such that the electroactive polymer precursor material is layered between alternating layers of the electrode precursor material from the first and second manifold inlet openings. Moreover, the electrode precursor material and the electroactive polymer precursor material may be extruded through a manifold outlet opening of the manifold extrusion die. Various other methods, systems, apparatuses, and materials are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLCInventors: Andrew John Ouderkirk, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Katherine Marie Smyth, Thomas John Farrell Wallin, Jack Lindsay, Austin Lane, Tanya Malhotra, Kenneth Diest, Yigit Menguc
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Publication number: 20200227020Abstract: An acoustic element includes a nanovoided polymer layer having a first nanovoid topology in an unactuated state and a second nanovoid topology different than the first nanovoid topology in an actuated state. Capacitive actuation of the nanovoided polymer layer, for instance, can be used to reversibly control the size and shape of the nanovoids within the polymer layer and hence tune its sound damping characteristics or sound transduction behavior, e.g., during operation of the acoustic element. An acoustic element may be configured for passive or active sound attenuation. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2020Publication date: July 16, 2020Inventors: Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk
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Publication number: 20200224745Abstract: A vibration control element includes a nanovoided polymer layer having a first damping coefficient and a first resonance frequency in a first state and a second damping coefficient and a second resonance frequency in a second state, where the first damping coefficient is different from the second damping coefficient and the first resonance frequency is different from the second resonance frequency.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2019Publication date: July 16, 2020Inventors: Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk
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Publication number: 20200183200Abstract: An optical element includes a nanovoided polymer layer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Compression or expansion of the nanovoided polymer layer, for instance, can be used to reversibly control the size and shape of the nanovoids within the polymer layer and hence tune its refractive index over a range of values, e.g., during operation of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Robin Sharma, Tanya Malhotra, Barry David Silverstein, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Erik Shipton, Gregory Olegovic Andreev
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Publication number: 20200183199Abstract: A form birefringent optical element includes a structured layer and a dielectric environment disposed over the structured layer. At least one of the structured layer and the dielectric environment includes a nanovoided polymer, the nanovoided polymer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Actuation of the nanovoided polymer can be used to reversibly control the form birefringence of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Gregory Olegovic Andreev, Erik Shipton, Tanya Malhotra, Barry David Silverstein, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao
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Publication number: 20200185592Abstract: An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, which may be located at least in part between the electrodes. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids, including a gas, and separated from each other by polymer walls. The device may be an electroactive device, such as an actuator having a response time for a transition between actuation states. The gas may have a characteristic diffusion time (e.g., to diffuse half the mean wall thickness through the polymer walls) that is less than the response time. The nanovoids may be sufficiently small (e.g., below 1 micron in diameter or an analogous dimension), and/or the polymer walls may be sufficiently thin, such that the gas interchange between gas in the voids and gas absorbed by the polymer walls may occur faster than the response time, and in some examples, effectively instantaneously.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Andrew Spann, Eric Schmitt, Nagi Elabbasi, Kenneth Diest, Katherine Marie Smyth, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Andrew John Ouderkirk
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Publication number: 20200186056Abstract: In some embodiments, a device, such as a transducer, includes a polymer element disposed between electrodes, and a control circuit configured to apply electrical potentials having the same polarity to the electrodes. A separation distance between the electrodes may be increased by an electrostatic repulsion between the electrodes. Various other devices, systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 11, 2018Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Yigit Menguc, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Katherine Marie Smyth, Thomas John Farrell Wallin, Jack Lindsay, Austin Lane, Tanya Malhotra, Kenneth Diest
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Publication number: 20200183168Abstract: An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The nanovoided polymer element may be located at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids. In some examples, anisotropic voids may be elongated along one or more directions. In some examples, the anisotropic voids are configured so that a polymer wall thickness between neighboring voids is generally uniform. Example devices may include a spatially addressable electroactive device, such as an actuator or a sensor, and/or may include an optical element. A nanovoided polymer layer may include one or more polymer components, such as an electroactive polymer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Andrew Spann, Eric Schmitt, Nagi Elabbasi, Kenneth Diest, Katherine Marie Smyth, Renate Eva Klementine Landig, Andrew John Ouderkirk
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Publication number: 20200185590Abstract: Examples include a device including a nanovoided polymer element having a first surface and a second surface, a first plurality of electrodes disposed on the first surface, a second plurality of electrodes disposed on the second surface, and a control circuit configured to apply an electrical potential between one or more of the first plurality of electrodes and one or more of the second plurality of electrodes to induce a physical deformation of the nanovoided polymer element.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Tanya Malhotra, Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Robin Sharma, Barry Silverstein, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Erik Shipton, Greg Olegovic Andreev, Katherine Marie Smyth
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Patent number: 9841606Abstract: An embodiment according to the invention provides an optical filter that combines narrow spectral bandwidth and high rejection of out-of-band radiation with a wide acceptance angle. These filters are based on the nanoscale engineering of materials (“metamaterials”) that possess predefined birefringence determined by a combination of their geometry and material composition. These metamaterials are combined into a functional optical filter that can exhibit true zero crossing, with acceptance angle effectively decoupled from bandwidth, at practically any wavelength of interest.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2014Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Mordechai Rothschild, Kenneth Diest, Vladimir Liberman
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Publication number: 20170299881Abstract: An embodiment according to the invention provides an optical filter that combines narrow spectral bandwidth and high rejection of out-of-band radiation with a wide acceptance angle. These filters are based on the nanoscale engineering of materials (“metamaterials”) that possess predefined birefringence determined by a combination of their geometry and material composition. These metamaterials are combined into a functional optical filter that can exhibit true zero crossing, with acceptance angle effectively decoupled from bandwidth, at practically any wavelength of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2014Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Mordechai Rothschild, Kenneth Diest, Vladimir Liberman
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Patent number: 8749866Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for modulating light of a wavelength of interest. The modulator assembly includes a plasmonic layer that supports surface plasmon polaritons at the wavelength of interest and a layer of solid-state phase change material having a first phase in which it is substantially transparent to light of the wavelength of interest and a second phase in which it is substantially opaque to light of the wavelength of interest. A control mechanism is configured to alter the phase of the solid-state phase change material between the first phase and the second phase. Each of the plasmonic layer and the layer of solid-state phase change material are configured as to provide a plasmonic mode of transmission for light of the wavelength of interest.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2011Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems CorporationInventors: Luke Sweatlock, Kenneth Diest, James Ma, Vladan Jankovic, Imogen Pryce, Ryan Briggs, Harry Atwater
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Publication number: 20130155484Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for modulating light of a wavelength of interest. The modulator assembly includes a plasmonic layer that supports surface plasmon polaritons at the wavelength of interest and a layer of solid-state phase change material having a first phase in which it is substantially transparent to light of the wavelength of interest and a second phase in which it is substantially opaque to light of the wavelength of interest. A control mechanism is configured to alter the phase of the solid-state phase change material between the first phase and the second phase. Each of the plasmonic layer and the layer of solid-state phase change material are configured as to provide a plasmonic mode of transmission for light of the wavelength of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2011Publication date: June 20, 2013Inventors: LUKE SWEATLOCK, Kenneth Diest, James Ma, Vladan Jankovic, Imogen Pryce, Ryan Briggs, Harry Atwater
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Patent number: 7925122Abstract: A slot waveguide utilized as a color-selecting element. The slot waveguide includes a first layer of plasmon supporting material, the first layer being optically opaque and having an input slit extending through the first layer; a second layer of plasmon supporting material facing the first layer and separated from the first layer by a first distance in a first direction, the second layer being optically opaque and having an output slit extending through the second layer and separated from the input slit by a second distance extending along a second direction differing from first direction; a dielectric layer interposed between the first layer and the second layer, the dielectric layer having a real or complex refractive index; and a power source electrically coupled to the first layer and the second layer to apply an electrical signal for modulation of the real or complex refractive index of the dielectric layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2008Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: California Institute of TechnologyInventors: Kenneth A. Diest, Jennifer A. Dionne, Harry A. Atwater, Henri Lezec