Patents by Inventor Eric L. Nikkei

Eric L. Nikkei 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).

  • MEMS device having distance stops
    Patent number: 7741751
    Abstract: A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device includes bottom and top capacitive plates, such that a capacitor is definable therebetween. A mechanism is electrostatically movably disposed between the bottom and top capacitive plates. One or more flexures are movably disposed between the bottom capacitive plate and the mechanism, and having distance stops between the bottom capacitive plate and the mechanism corresponding to maximum downward movement. The MEMS device includes one or more electrodes of the bottom capacitive plate corresponding to the flexures. Energizing different of the electrodes causes the flexures to move to different of the distance stops, causing the mechanism to move to different positions between the bottom and top capacitive plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Faase, Tony S. Cruz-Uribe, Eric L. Nikkei, Adel Jilani, Bao Yeh