Patents by Inventor C. Anthony Hester

C. Anthony Hester 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).

  • Patent number: 11879524
    Abstract: An actuator system can be used to adjust a position of a component in a spatial light modulator. The actuator system has a pair of actuators that are coupled together by a frame that is used to adjust the height of the component relative to the substrate. The frame includes a pair of moment arms that are coupled to the actuators and a pair of connecting arms that are coupled to the moment arms. The connecting arms are then connected together at about the center of the frame, which portion of the frame can be used to raise or lower the plate. The center of the frame can be raised or lowered by a shortening or lengthening of the connecting arms relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventors: C. Anthony Hester, Charles F. Hester
  • Patent number: 11002347
    Abstract: An actuator system can be used to adjust a position of a component in a spatial light modulator. The actuator system has a pair of actuators that are coupled together by a frame that is used to adjust the height of the component relative to the substrate. The frame includes a pair of moment arms that are coupled to the actuators and a pair of connecting arms that are coupled to the moment arms. The connecting arms are then connected together at about the center of the frame, which portion of the frame can be used to raise or lower the plate. The center of the frame can be raised or lowered by a shortening or lengthening of the connecting arms relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Inventors: C. Anthony Hester, Charles F. Hester
  • Patent number: 10209511
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator is provided by positioning and repositioning micromirrors of a microelectromechanical system. The micromirrors are positioned by an actuator linked to the micromirrors by a frame. The actuator responds to a control signal having voltages that create electrical fields. The electrical fields provide forces that change the positions of the micromirrors in such a way that a light beam striking the micromirrors reflects as a modulated light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Inventors: C. Anthony Hester, Charles F. Hester
  • Patent number: 10167933
    Abstract: An actuator system can be used to adjust a position of a component in a spatial light modulator. The actuator system has a pair of actuators that are coupled together by a frame that is used to adjust the height of the component relative to the substrate. The frame includes a pair of moment arms that are coupled to the actuators and a pair of connecting arms that are coupled to the moment arms. The connecting arms are then connected together at about the center of the frame, which portion of the frame can be used to raise or lower the plate. The center of the frame can be raised or lowered by a shortening or lengthening of the connecting arms relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventors: C. Anthony Hester, Charles F. Hester
  • Patent number: 10088670
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator is provided that uses light modulation structures at each pixel to employ electromagnetic interference to modulate the intensity and/or phase of the transmitted and/or reflected light from the pixel. The use of the modulation structures enables the independent and dynamic changing of the intensity and/or phase of the reflected and/or transmitted light at each pixel. The modulation structure can incorporate a plate with a semi-reflective surface that is separated from a substrate having either a reflective or semi-reflective surface. The modulation structure can have actuators positioned between the substrate and the plate to control the separation distance between the plate and the substrate. By controlling the separation distance, the amount of light reflected by and/or transmitted through the surfaces of the plate and substrate can be controlled. The separation distance can be related to the resulting interference applied to particular wavelengths of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Inventors: C. Anthony Hester, Charles F. Hester
  • Publication number: 20160377858
    Abstract: A spatial light modulator is provided by positioning and repositioning micromirrors of a microelectromechanical system. The micromirrors are positioned by an actuator linked to the micromirrors by a frame. The actuator responds to a control signal having voltages that create electrical fields. The electrical fields provide forces that change the positions of the micromirrors in such a way that a light beam striking the micromirrors reflects as a modulated light beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: C. Anthony Hester, Charles F. Hester