Patents Assigned to MEMS DRIVE, INC.
  • Patent number: 9781405
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide accurate pixel depth information to be applied to a single image taken by a single camera in generating a three-dimensional (3D) image. In particular, two or more images can be captured during, e.g., lateral movement of a camera to ascertain depth in a scene on a pixel level. Use of an optical image stabilization (OIS) system that can provide at least three axes of stabilization eliminates the variability associated with conventional systems that create problems with image registration. Further still, and because actual pixel depth information is being calculated rather than merely generating stereoscopic images to trick the eyes into perceiving depth, the pixel depth information that is calculated can be leveraged in other ways, such as for providing automated measurements merely by taking a picture of an object or scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: MEMS Drive, Inc.
    Inventor: Roman Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 9769385
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: MEMS Drive, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Ng, Roman Gutierrez, Guiqin Wang
  • Publication number: 20170190569
    Abstract: Caging structures are disclosed for caging or otherwise reducing the mechanical shock pulse experienced by MEMS device beam structures during events that may cause mechanical shock to the MEMS device. The caging structures at least partially surround the beam such that they limit the motion of the beam in a direction perpendicular to the beam's longitudinal axis, thereby reducing stress on the beam during a mechanical shock event. The caging structures may be used in combination with mechanical shock-resistant beams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: XIAOLEI LIU, MATTHEW NG, ROBERT CALVET, GERARDO MORABITO
  • Publication number: 20170190568
    Abstract: Shock-resistant MEMS structures are disclosed. In one implementation, a motion control flexure for a MEMS device includes: a rod including a first and second end, wherein the rod is tapered along its length such that it is widest at its center and thinnest at its ends; a first hinge directly coupled to the first end of the rod; and a second hinge directly coupled to the second of the rod. In another implementation, a conductive cantilever for a MEMS device includes: a curved center portion includes a first and second end, wherein the center portion has a point of inflection; a first root coupled to the first end of the center portion; and a second root coupled to the second end of the center portion. In yet another implementation, a shock stop for a MEMS device is described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: Gerardo MORABITO, Xiaolei LIU, Guiqin WANG, Roman GUTIERREZ, Matthew NG
  • Patent number: 9641103
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide actuator control. Actuator control is provided via charge control as opposed to voltage control. A driver for driving an actuator can include a charge pump for injecting charge into one or more capacitive elements of the actuator. The driver can further include a capacitance detection aspect for detecting the capacitance of the capacitive elements of the actuator to determine positioning of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: MEMS Drive, Inc.
    Inventors: Roman Gutierrez, Hongyu Wang
  • Patent number: 9630836
    Abstract: A simplified MEMS fabrication process and MEMS device is provided that allows for cheaper and lighter-weight MEMS devices to be fabricated. The process comprises etching a plurality of holes or other feature patterns into a MEMS device, and then etching away the underlying wafer such that, after the etching process, the MEMS device is the required thickness and the individual die are separated, avoiding the extra steps of wafer thinning and die dicing. By etching trenches into the substrate wafer and filling them with a MEMS base material, sophisticated taller MEMS devices with larger force may be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: MEMS Drive, Inc.
    Inventors: Roman Gutierrez, Tony Tang, Xiaolei Liu, Matthew Ng, Guiqin Wang
  • Patent number: 9621775
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: MEMS Drive, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Ng, Roman Gutierrez, Guiqin Wang
  • Patent number: 9617142
    Abstract: A system and method for manipulating the structural characteristics of a MEMS device include etching a plurality of holes into the surface of a MEMS device, wherein the plurality of holes comprise one or more geometric shapes determined to provide specific structural characteristics desired in the MEMS device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: MEMS Drive, Inc.
    Inventors: Roman Gutierrez, Tony Tang, Xiaolei Liu, Guiqin Wang, Matthew Ng
  • Publication number: 20170088415
    Abstract: A system and method for manipulating the structural characteristics of a MEMS device include etching a plurality of holes into the surface of a MEMS device, wherein the plurality of holes comprise one or more geometric shapes determined to provide specific structural characteristics desired in the MEMS device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: ROMAN GUTIERREZ, TONY TANG, XIAOLEI LIU, GUIQIN WANG, MATTHEW NG
  • Publication number: 20170088418
    Abstract: A simplified MEMS fabrication process and MEMS device is provided that allows for cheaper and lighter-weight MEMS devices to be fabricated. The process comprises etching a plurality of holes or other feature patterns into a MEMS device, and then etching away the underlying wafer such that, after the etching process, the MEMS device is the required thickness and the individual die are separated, avoiding the extra steps of wafer thinning and die dicing. By etching trenches into the substrate wafer and filling them with a MEMS base material, sophisticated taller MEMS devices with larger force may be made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: ROMAN GUTIERREZ, TONY TANG, XIAOLEI LIU, MATTHEW NG, GUIQIN WANG
  • Patent number: 9578217
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: MEMS Drive, Inc.
    Inventors: Roman Gutierrez, Guiqin Wang, Xiaolei Liu
  • Publication number: 20170040909
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a bidirectional comb drive actuator. The apparatus may also include a cantilever. The cantilever includes a first end connected to the bidirectional comb drive actuator and a second end connected to an inner frame. In addition, the cantilever may include first and second conductive layers for routing electrical signals. Embodiments of the disclosed apparatuses, which may include multi-dimensional actuators, allow for an increased number of electrical signals to be routed to the actuators. Moreover, the disclosed apparatuses allow for actuation multiple directions, which may provide for increased control, precision, and flexibility of movement. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments provide significant benefits with regard to optical image stabilization and auto-focus capabilities, for example in size- and power-constrained environments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: XIAOLEI LIU, ROMAN GUTIERREZ, MATTHEW NG, GUIQIN WANG
  • Publication number: 20160268927
    Abstract: A comb drive includes an inactive comb finger array and an opposing active comb finger array positioned to oppose the inactive comb finger array and configured to move in a non-linear path relative to the inactive comb finger array, wherein each comb finger array includes a comb spine and a plurality of comb fingers extending from its comb spine, and each comb finger on the active comb finger array is shaped to match a non-parallel profile. The non-parallel profile may be tapered, curved, or selected to linearize the capacitance in a gap between adjacent comb fingers from the inactive comb finger array when a comb finger from the active comb finger array moves through the gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: XIAOLEI LIU, GUIQIN WANG, ROMAN GUTIERREZ
  • Patent number: 9426362
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for super-resolution imaging using 3-axis OIS. A super-resolution image may be created by enabling optical image stabilization (OIS) in three axes using an OIS system on a camera of an image capturing device; capturing an image of a scene using an image sensor of the camera; shifting the image on the image sensor by a predetermined subpixel amount; capturing the subpixel shifted image; and constructing a super-resolution image of the scene using the image and the subpixel shifted image. In one particular implementation, a position sensor may measure a positional drift of the image sensor after capturing the image. Using this measured positional drift, a time sufficient to shift the image sensor by a predetermined subpixel amount may be determined. The OIS may subsequently be disabled in one or two axes for the determined time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: Tony Tang, Roman Gutierrez
  • Publication number: 20160212332
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for super-resolution imaging using 3-axis OIS. A super-resolution image may be created by enabling optical image stabilization (OIS) in three axes using an OIS system on a camera of an image capturing device; capturing an image of a scene using an image sensor of the camera; shifting the image on the image sensor by a predetermined subpixel amount; capturing the subpixel shifted image; and constructing a super-resolution image of the scene using the image and the subpixel shifted image. In one particular implementation, a position sensor may measure a positional drift of the image sensor after capturing the image. Using this measured positional drift, a time sufficient to shift the image sensor by a predetermined subpixel amount may be determined. The OIS may subsequently be disabled in one or two axes for the determined time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: TONY TANG, ROMAN GUTIERREZ
  • Publication number: 20160190958
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide actuator control. Actuator control is provided via charge control as opposed to voltage control. A driver for driving an actuator can include a charge pump for injecting charge into one or more capacitive elements of the actuator. The driver can further include a capacitance detection aspect for detecting the capacitance of the capacitive elements of the actuator to determine positioning of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: Roman GUTIERREZ, Hongyu Wang
  • Publication number: 20160182887
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide accurate pixel depth information to be applied to a single image taken by a single camera in generating a three-dimensional (3D) image. In particular, two or more images can be captured during, e.g., lateral movement of a camera to ascertain depth in a scene on a pixel level. Use of an optical image stabilization (OIS) system that can provide at least three axes of stabilization eliminates the variability associated with conventional systems that create problems with image registration. Further still, and because actual pixel depth information is being calculated rather than merely generating stereoscopic images to trick the eyes into perceiving depth, the pixel depth information that is calculated can be leveraged in other ways, such as for providing automated measurements merely by taking a picture of an object or scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventor: ROMAN GUTIERREZ
  • Publication number: 20150350500
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: ROMAN GUTIERREZ, GUIQIN WANG, XIAOLEI LIU
  • Publication number: 20150341534
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: MATTHEW NG, ROMAN GUTIERREZ, GUIQIN WANG
  • Publication number: 20150334277
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide dust removal on an image sensor surface of a digital camera. Dust removal can be achieved by either imparting vibrational movement on a stage upon which the image sensor is mounted and/or by moving the stage towards one or more impact stops. The vibrational movement may shake loose any contaminants present on the image sensor. The impact of the stage at the one or more impact stops also may shake loose any contaminants present on the image sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: MEMS DRIVE, INC.
    Inventors: XIAOLEI LIU, ROMAN GUTIERREZ