Patents by Inventor Maria Elina Simon
Maria Elina Simon 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: 20140209288Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for cooling a heat source using a refrigerant flow in a heat exchanger. According to some embodiments, a flow property of the refrigerant as it flows through a heat exchanger is measured and based on the measurement a flow distribution rate for the flow of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger is determined. A valve is operated for adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger according to the determined flow distribution rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2013Publication date: July 31, 2014Applicant: ALCATEL-LUCENT USA, INC.Inventors: Maria Elina Simon, Paul Robert Kolodner, Todd Richard Salamon, Jen-Hau Cheng, Krishna Murty Kota Venkata
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Patent number: 8427727Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a mirror. The mirror is attached to the substrate via a spring. An electro-mechanical driver is operable to cause the mirror to rotationally oscillate about first and second non-collinear axes at different first and second frequencies.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2009Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Alcatel LucentInventors: Gang Chen, Roland Ryf, Maria Elina Simon
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Patent number: 8361825Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical switch. The mechanical switch includes a bilayer with first and second stable curved states. A transformation of the bilayer from the first state to the second state closes the switch.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2011Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Alcatel LucentInventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Omar Daniel Lopez, Flavio Pardo, Maria Elina Simon
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Patent number: 8269396Abstract: An electro-mechanical actuator includes a comb drive and a deformable connector. The comb drive has a first capacitor plate and a second capacitor plate. The capacitor plates have teeth capable of inter-digitating. The deformable connector is configured to apply a mechanical restoring force to the first capacitor plate. The deformable connector is configured to restore the first capacitor plate to be at an equilibrium rest position in response to no control voltage being applied across the capacitor. The comb drive is more engaged at the equilibrium rest position than at a mechanical stability threshold of the comb drive. The capacitor plates are disengaged at the equilibrium rest position.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2011Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Alcatel LucentInventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Carl Jeremy Nuzman, Maria Elina Simon, Alan Weiss
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Patent number: 8154378Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides a thermal actuator for a MEMS-based relay switch. The thermal actuator has an “active” arm that is movably mounted on a substrate. The “active” arm has (i) a thermal expansion layer and (ii) a resistive heater that is electrically isolated from the thermal expansion layer. The thermal expansion layer is adapted to expand in response to a temperature change induced by a control current flowing through the resistive heater, thereby bending the “active” arm and moving that arm with respect to the substrate. Due to the fact that mechanical and electrical characteristics of the “active” arm are primarily controlled by the thermal expansion layer and the resistive heater, respectively, those characteristics can be optimized independently to obtain better operating characteristics for MEMS-based relay switches of the invention compared to those attained in the prior art.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2007Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Alcatel LucentInventors: Validmir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Flavio Pardo, Maria Elina Simon
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Publication number: 20120023738Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical switch. The mechanical switch includes a bilayer with first and second stable curved states. A transformation of the bilayer from the first state to the second state closes the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2011Publication date: February 2, 2012Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Omar Daniel Lopez, Flavio Pardo, Maria Elina Simon
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Patent number: 8063456Abstract: An apparatus includes a mechanical switch. The mechanical switch includes a bilayer with first and second stable curved states. A transformation of the bilayer from the first state to the second state closes the switch.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2006Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Alcatel LucentInventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Omar Daniel Lopez, Flavio Pardo, Maria Elina Simon
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Publication number: 20110193502Abstract: An electro-mechanical actuator includes a comb drive and a deformable connector. The comb drive has a first capacitor plate and a second capacitor plate. The capacitor plates have teeth capable of inter-digitating. The deformable connector is configured to apply a mechanical restoring force to the first capacitor plate. The deformable connector is configured to restore the first capacitor plate to be at an equilibrium rest position in response to no control voltage being applied across the capacitor. The comb drive is more engaged at the equilibrium rest position than at a mechanical stability threshold of the comb drive. The capacitor plates are disengaged at the equilibrium rest position.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: August 11, 2011Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Carl Jeremy Nuzman, Maria Elina Simon, Alan Weiss
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Publication number: 20110193447Abstract: An electro-mechanical actuator includes a comb drive and a deformable connector. The comb drive has a first capacitor plate and a second capacitor plate. The capacitor plates have teeth capable of inter-digitating. The deformable connector is configured to apply a mechanical restoring force to the first capacitor plate. The deformable connector is configured to restore the first capacitor plate to be at an equilibrium rest position in response to no control voltage being applied across the capacitor. The comb drive is more engaged at the equilibrium rest position than at a mechanical stability threshold of the comb drive. The capacitor plates are disengaged at the equilibrium rest position.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2011Publication date: August 11, 2011Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Carl Jeremy Nuzman, Maria Elina Simon, Alan Weiss
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Patent number: 7973637Abstract: The present invention provides a bi-directional microelectromechanical element, a microelectromechanical switch including the bi-directional element, and a method to reduce mechanical creep in the bi-directional element. In one embodiment, the bi-directional microelectromechanical element includes a cold beam having a free end and a first end connected to a cold beam anchor. The cold beam anchor is attached to a substrate. A first beam pair is coupled to the cold beam by a free end tether and is configured to elongate when heated thereby to a greater temperature than a temperature of the cold beam. A second beam pair is located on an opposing side of the cold beam from the first beam pair and is coupled to the first beam pair and the cold beam by the free end tether. The second beam pair is configured to elongate when heated thereby to the greater temperature.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2010Date of Patent: July 5, 2011Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.Inventors: Arman Gasparyan, John VanAtta Gates, II, Maria Elina Simon
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Patent number: 7928631Abstract: An electro-mechanical actuator includes a comb drive and a deformable connector. The comb drive has a first capacitor plate and a second capacitor plate. The capacitor plates have teeth capable of inter-digitating. The deformable connector is configured to apply a mechanical restoring force to the first capacitor plate. The deformable connector is configured to restore the first capacitor plate to be at an equilibrium rest position in response to no control voltage being applied across the capacitor. The comb drive is more engaged at the equilibrium rest position than at a mechanical stability threshold of the comb drive. The capacitor plates are disengaged at the equilibrium rest position.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2006Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Carl Jeremy Nuzman, Maria Elina Simon, Alan Weiss
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Patent number: 7851759Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides an infrared (IR) imaging system adapted to (i) convert an IR image of an object into mechanical displacements of a plurality of movable plates, (ii) use the mechanical displacements to impart a corresponding spatial phase modulation pattern onto a beam of visible light, and (iii) apply spatial filtering to convert the spatial phase modulation pattern into a visible image of the object.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2007Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Cristian A. Bolle, Christopher D. W. Jones, Flavio Pardo, Roland Ryf, Maria Elina Simon
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Publication number: 20100182120Abstract: The present invention provides a bi-directional microelectromechanical element, a microelectromechanical switch including the bi-directional element, and a method to reduce mechanical creep in the bi-directional element. In one embodiment, the bi-directional microelectromechanical element includes a cold beam having a free end and a first end connected to a cold beam anchor. The cold beam anchor is attached to a substrate. A first beam pair is coupled to the cold beam by a free end tether and is configured to elongate when heated thereby to a greater temperature than a temperature of the cold beam. A second beam pair is located on an opposing side of the cold beam from the first beam pair and is coupled to the first beam pair and the cold beam by the free end tether. The second beam pair is configured to elongate when heated thereby to the greater temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2010Publication date: July 22, 2010Applicant: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventors: Arman Gasparyan, John VanAtta Gates, II, Maria Elina Simon
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Patent number: 7760065Abstract: The present invention provides a bi-directional microelectromechanical element, a microelectromechanical switch including the bi-directional element, and a method to reduce mechanical creep in the bi-directional element. In one embodiment, the bi-directional microelectromechanical element includes a cold beam having a free end and a first end connected to a cold beam anchor. The cold beam anchor is attached to a substrate. A first beam pair is coupled to the cold beam by a free end tether and is configured to elongate when heated thereby to a greater temperature than a temperature of the cold beam. A second beam pair is located on an opposing side of the cold beam from the first beam pair and is coupled to the first beam pair and the cold beam by the free end tether. The second beam pair is configured to elongate when heated thereby to the greater temperature.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2007Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.Inventors: Arman Gasparyan, John VanAtta Gates, II, Maria Elina Simon
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Patent number: 7733200Abstract: Apparatus including substrate, pusher assembly, and flexor assembly adjacent to pusher assembly. Pusher assembly includes hot and cold pusher arms. First ends of hot and cold pusher arms are anchored over substrate. Second ends of hot and cold pusher arms are coupled together and suspended for lateral displacement over substrate. Flexor assembly includes flexor arm, and conductor having actuator contact. First end of flexor arm is anchored over substrate. Pusher assembly is configured for causing lateral displacement of second end of flexor arm and of actuator contact over the substrate. Method includes providing apparatus and causing pusher assembly to laterally displace second end of flexor arm and actuator contact over substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2007Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Flavio Pardo, Maria Elina Simon
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Publication number: 20100025581Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides an infrared (IR) imaging system adapted to (i) convert an IR image of an object into mechanical displacements of a plurality of movable plates, (ii) use the mechanical displacements to impart a corresponding spatial phase modulation pattern onto a beam of visible light, and (iii) apply spatial filtering to convert the spatial phase modulation pattern into a visible image of the object.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2007Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC.Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Cristian A. Bolle, Christopher D.W. Jones, Flavio Pardo, Roland Ryf, Maria Elina Simon
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Patent number: 7616425Abstract: A heat-sensitive apparatus includes a substrate with a top surface, one or more bars being rotatably joined to the surface and having bimorph portions, and a plate rotatably joined to the surface and substantially rigidly joined to the one or more bars. Each bimorph portion bends in response to being heated. The one or more bars and the plate are configured to cause the plate to move farther away from the top surface in response to the one or more bimorph portions being heated.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Maria Elina Simon, Richart Elliott Slusher
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Patent number: 7580175Abstract: A representative embodiment of the invention provides an infrared (IR) detector having a movable plate supported at an offset distance from a substrate by a suspension arm. In response to a temperature difference between the plate and the substrate generated by the incident IR radiation, the suspension arm deforms and changes the offset distance for the plate. In one embodiment, the suspension arm has three rod-shaped bimorph transducers that lie within a plane that is parallel to the substrate. The transducers are also parallel to one another, with the transducer that is attached to an anchor of the suspension arm being located between the two transducers that are attached to the plate.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2007Date of Patent: August 25, 2009Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.Inventors: Vladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Cristian A. Bolle, Christopher D. W. Jones, Flavio Pardo, Roland Ryf, Maria Elina Simon
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Publication number: 20090195882Abstract: A mechanical lens includes a rigid chamber, a first transparent window located to close one end of the chamber, a flexible transparent membrane window located to close another end of the chamber, and a transparent fluid having an index of refraction. The flexible transparent membrane window is along an optical path of light received through said first transparent window. The chamber is filled with said fluid and a curvature of said flexible transparent membrane window is responsive to a pressure of said transparent fluid.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2008Publication date: August 6, 2009Inventors: Cristian A. Bolle, Roland Ryf, Maria Elina Simon
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Publication number: 20090185251Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a mirror. The mirror is attached to the substrate via a spring. An electro-mechanical driver is operable to cause the mirror to rotationally oscillate about first and second non-collinear axes at different first and second frequencies.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2009Publication date: July 23, 2009Applicant: Alcatel-Lucent USA, IncorporatedInventors: Gang Chen, Roland Ryf, Maria Elina Simon