Patents by Inventor Alexander Vakakis

Alexander Vakakis 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).

  • Publication number: 20120279306
    Abstract: In an embodiment, provided are nanoresonators, nanoresonator components and related methods using the nanoresonators to measure parameters of interest. In an aspect, provided is a nanoresonator component comprising an elongated nanostructure having a central portion, a first end, and a second end and an electrode having a protrusion ending in a tip that is positioned adjacent to the elongated nanostructure. The electrode is used to impart a highly-localized driving force in a perpendicular direction to the nanostructure to induce geometric non-linear deformation, thereby generating non-linear resonance having a broadband resonance range that spans a frequency range of at least one times the elongated nanostructure natural resonance frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Min-Feng Yu, Han Na Cho, D. Michael McFarland, Lawrence A. Bergman, Alexander Vakakis
  • Publication number: 20060037822
    Abstract: A nonlinear attachment induces energy to be transferred and/or to be pumped from a primary system or primary structure to the nonlinear attachment. The nonlinear attachment is an essentially nonlinear device and functions as a nonlinear energy sink. The nonlinear attachment attaches to the primary system or primary structure as a module and does not require connection to a ground. The energy is irreversibly pumped from the primary system or primary structure to the nonlinear attachment during transient resonance capture between the nonlinear attachment and the primary system or primary structure. The nonlinear attachment attenuates the energy of the primary system or primary structure. The nonlinear attachment locally confines the energy and/or dissipates the energy through a passive means and/or an active means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Publication date: February 23, 2006
    Inventors: D. McFarland, Lawrence Bergman, Alexander Vakakis