Patents Assigned to QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies
  • Publication number: 20140174955
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for delivery of gas from solid phase sources. A solid phase gas source canister can include multiple separated volumes configured to contain multiple quantities of a solid phase gas source. Sublimated vapor can be independently produced by each quantity of the solid phase gas source. In some implementations, the solid phase gas source canisters are configured for simultaneous fill of the multiple volumes with a solid source gas phase powder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Teruo Sasagawa
  • Publication number: 20140168040
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for halftoning video images for presentation on an electronic display. In one aspect, input frames of video data may be received, where each input frame includes a number of input pixels, each input pixel having a respective first spatial coordinate location. For each input pixel, an output pixel is generated using a selected halftone value. The selected halftone value is substantially identical to a halftone value of a corresponding pixel in a comparison frame, where a spatial coordinate location of the “corresponding pixel” is determined based on a motion vector of an image element with which the pixel is associated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Behnam Bastani, Muhammed Ibrahim Sezan, Alok Govil
  • Publication number: 20140168223
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for electromechanical systems displays. In one aspect, the display can include a plurality of electromechanical display elements including a first set of electromechanical display elements and a second set of electromechanical display elements. Each electromechanical display element can include a common electrode and a segment electrode. Each of the segment electrodes of the first set of electromechanical display elements can have a first area located under the common electrodes of the first set. Each of the segment electrodes of the second set of electromechanical display elements can have a second area smaller than the first area located under the common electrodes of the second set. In some implementations, an actuation voltage of each electromechanical display element of the first set is approximately the same as an actuation voltage of each electromechanical display element of the second set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Tao, Fan Zhong
  • Publication number: 20140159636
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus that can generate PV power and simultaneously provide artificial lighting. The devices disclosed herein include a first optical structure having a plurality of focusing elements that can collect and focus ambient light onto a first set of light redirecting elements that is optically coupled to at least photovoltaic (PV) cell. The devices also include at least one illumination source that is optically coupled to a first edge of a second optical structure including a second set of light redirecting elements that can direct light from the at least one illumination source out of the device to provide artificial lighting. The at least one photovoltaic cell is coupled to a second edge of the second optical structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Fan Yang, Russell W. Gruhlke, Ying Zhou
  • Publication number: 20140158181
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus including a power generating and a power saving device having a plurality of shutters and a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) devices. In one aspect, each of the plurality of shutters is configured to move laterally in the plane of the shutter by the action of one or more electrostatic actuators. The array of shutters can control the amount of ambient light that is transmitted through the device. Additionally, the array of shutters can shield or expose the array of the PV devices to ambient sunlight to generate PV power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Igor Tchertkov
  • Publication number: 20140158197
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus that can generate PV power and simultaneously provide artificial lighting. The devices disclosed herein include a first optical structure having a plurality of focusing elements that can collect and focus ambient light onto a first set of light redirecting elements that is optically coupled to one or more photovoltaic (PV) cells. The devices also include one or more illumination sources that are optically coupled to a light guide including a second set of light redirecting elements that can direct light from the one or more illumination sources out of the device to provide artificial lighting. The devices further include a second optical structure disposed below the first optical structure such that the one or more illumination sources and the one or more PV cells are disposed along the edges of the first or the second optical structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anne C. Rubenstein, Fan Yang, Gaurav Sethi, Russell W. Gruhlke, Robert Holman, Ying Zhou
  • Patent number: 8749538
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for controlling brightness of a display based on ambient light conditions. In one aspect, a display device can include a reflective display and an auxiliary light source configured to provide supplemental light to the display. The display device further can include a sensor system configured to determine an illuminance of ambient light, and a controller configured to adjust the auxiliary light source to provide an amount of supplemental light to the display based at least in part on the determined illuminance. In one aspect, the amount of supplemental light remains substantially the same or substantially increases in response to increasing illuminance when the illuminance is below a first threshold, and substantially decreases in response to increasing illuminance when the illuminance is above a second threshold that is greater than or equal to the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Webster, Russel A. Martin, Jennifer L. Gille
  • Patent number: 8740439
    Abstract: The present invention introduces a new class of thin doubly collimating light distributing engines for use in a variety of general lighting applications. Output illumination from these slim-profile illumination systems whether square, rectangular or circular in physical aperture shape is directional, square, rectangular or circular in beam cross-section, and spatially uniform and sharply cutoff outside the system's adjustable far-field angular cone. Some embodiments provided include thin light distributing engines which provide input light collimated in one meridian and a light distributing element that maintains input collimation while collimating output light in the un-collimated orthogonal meridian, in such a manner that the system's far-field output light is collimated in both its orthogonal output meridians.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Holman, Matthew B. Sampsell
  • Patent number: 8742570
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for manufacturing display devices having electronic components mounted within a display device package. In one aspect, the electronic component connects to the exterior of the display device through pads that run below a seal that holds a substrate and a backplate of the display device together. In another aspect the electronic components also connect to an electromechanical device within the display device, as well as connecting to pads that are external to the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravindra V. Shenoy, Marc Maurice Mignard, Manish Kothari, Clarence Chui
  • Patent number: 8743082
    Abstract: A separate control system may be configured for a combined sensor device. Alternatively, at least part of the control system may be included in another device, such as a processor of a mobile device. Software for handwriting, touch and fingerprint detection may be included in the control system. Low, medium and high resolution may be obtained with a single combined sensor device by scanning a subset of the sensels, or by aggregating lines or columns. Power consumption may be reduced by aggregating sensor pixels (or rows or columns) electrically using the controller, so that they perform as a low power small array until higher resolution with a larger array is needed. Power consumption may be reduced by turning off portions or all of the sensor device, turning off parts of the control system, and/or employing first-level screening at a reduced frame rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Kodaganallur Ganapathi, Nicholas Ian Buchan, David William Burns, Thad William Smith, Ion Elinor Opris
  • Patent number: 8736949
    Abstract: The color reflected by an interferometric modulator may vary as a function of the angle of view. A range of colors are thus viewable by rotating the interferometric modulator relative to an observer. By placing a textured layer between an observer and an interferometric modulator, a pattern which includes the range of colors may be viewed by the observer, and the range of colors may thus be viewable from a single viewing angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Manish Kothari, Gaurav Sethi, Jonathan Charles Griffiths, Eric Worthington
  • Patent number: 8736590
    Abstract: A method of driving electromechanical devices such as interferometric modulators includes applying a voltage along a common line to release the electromechanical devices along the common line, followed by applying an address voltage along the common line to actuate selected electromechanical devices along the common line based on voltages applied along segment lines. Hold voltages may be applied along common lines between applications of release and address voltages, and the segment voltages may be selected to be sufficiently small that the segment voltages will not affect the state of the electromechanical devices along other common lines not being written to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan G. Lewis, Marc Maurice Mignard, Clarence Chui, Wilhelmus Johannes Robertus Van Lier, Mark M. Todorovich, William Cummings
  • Patent number: 8736939
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for an electromechanical systems reflective display device. In one aspect, an electromechanical systems display device includes a reflective layer and an absorber layer. The absorber layer is spaced apart from the reflective layer to define a cavity between the absorber layer and the reflective layer. The absorber layer is capable of transmitting light into the cavity, absorbing light, and reflecting light, and includes a metal layer. A plurality of matching layers are on a surface of the absorber layer facing away from the cavity, the plurality of matching layers including a first matching layer disposed on the absorber layer and a second matching layer disposed on the first matching layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Hyunchul Hong, Jian J. Ma, Tallis Young Chang, Chong Uk Lee
  • Publication number: 20140139540
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods, apparatus, and computer programs encoded on computer storage media for displaying a final color on an electronic display capable of displaying a set of native colors. In one aspect, a method includes producing a first color from drive instructions for a plurality of display devices. Some aspects include identifying a plurality of weights including at least a first weight and one or more other weights, wherein the one or more other weights are less than the first weight and proportional to the first weight. The method also includes associating the first weight with a first color from the set of native colors and recursively assigning one or more colors from the set of native colors to the one or more other weights. Some aspects determine an error between one or more native colors and a desired color. The final color is then displayed on the electronic display by displaying each of the assigned colors according to its weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Alok Govil
  • Patent number: 8721149
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for illumination devices. In one aspect, an illumination device having a longitudinal axis includes a light source and a light guide. The light guide has a peripheral edge, a transmissive illumination surface, a center portion, and an upper surface. The transmissive illumination surface is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and disposed between the center portion and the peripheral edge. The upper surface is oriented relative to the illumination surface to define an angle ? therebetween. In some implementations, the angle ? can be greater than 15 degrees, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Holman, Matthew B. Sampsell
  • Patent number: 8724832
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for sense elements in an electromechanical microphone device. In one aspect, a piezoelectric sense element may include a glass substrate, electrode layers, piezoelectric layers, and elastic layers. The elastic layers may serve to modify the neutral plane of the piezoelectric sense element. Including an elastic layer or layers to modify the neutral plane of the piezoelectric sense element may serve to configure the sense element such that the piezoelectric layer generates a voltage in response to a sound wave or may serve to increase the sensitivity of the sense element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Jason Stephanou, David William Burns
  • Patent number: 8724202
    Abstract: An array of MEMS shutters may incorporate opaque and/or interference-based film stacks, to control light in a window. The shutter structure may include one or more layers with a controlled stress gradient, which makes a shutter arm curl out of plane and away from a defined aperture for light, thus permitting light to be transmitted through a transparent substrate and past the MEMS structure. To close the shutter, a voltage may be applied between an electrode in the shutter arm and an electrode covering a region on the substrate, rolling the shutter arm flat against the substrate electrode and placing the shutter arm over the aperture. The shutter arm may be configured to transmit selected wavelengths of light. In some implementations, the shutter arm may be configured to filter out infrared light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Don Floyd, Wilhelmus Adrianus de Groot
  • Patent number: 8724038
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a combined sensor device. In some implementations, a combined sensor device includes a wrap-around configuration wherein an upper flexible substrate has patterned conductive material on an extended portion to allow routing of signal lines, electrical ground, and power. One or more integrated circuits or passive components, which may include connecting sockets, may be mounted onto the flexible layer to reduce cost and complexity. Such implementations may eliminate a flex cable and may allow a bezel-less configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivasan Kodaganallur Ganapathi, Nicholas Ian Buchan, Kurt Edward Petersen, Ravindra V. Shenoy, Peng Cheng Lin, Ericson Cheng
  • Patent number: 8714023
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for assessing a surface using a piezoelectric element. In one aspect, the method includes applying a device to the surface, wherein the device includes at least one piezoelectric element and at least one EMS device, wherein the EMS device includes a conductive first layer separated from a conductive second layer, and wherein the piezoelectric element is electrically coupled to the EMS device such that a force applied to the piezoelectric element results in a voltage applied across the first and second layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey B. Sampsell
  • Patent number: 8717660
    Abstract: This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for enhancing the brightness and/or contrast ratio of display devices. In one aspect, the display devices can include an annular diffuser that is configured to scatter light into a ring shaped region. The annular diffuser can include a plurality of axicon lenses or holographic features. The reflective display can include an annular diffuser to shift the direction along which most of the modulated light is scattered away from the direction along which light is specularly reflected by the display devices to reduce specular glare and enhance brightness and/or contrast ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian J. Ma, John H. Hong, Bing Wen