Patents by Inventor Micheal Albert Helmbrecht

Micheal Albert Helmbrecht 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).

  • Method for fabricating an actuator system
    Patent number: 7294282
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a substrate; and a platform elevated above the substrate and supported by curved flexures. The curvature of said flexures results substantially from variations in intrinsic residual stress within said flexures. In one embodiment the apparatus is a deformable mirror exhibiting low temperature-dependence, high stroke, high control resolution, large number of degrees of freedom, reduced pin count and small form-factor. Structures and methods of fabrication are disclosed that allow the elevation of mirror segments to remain substantially constant over a wide operating temperature range. Methods are also disclosed for integrating movable mirror segments with control and sense electronics to a produce small-form-factor deformable mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Iris AO, Inc.
    Inventor: Micheal Albert Helmbrecht
  • Deformable mirror method and apparatus including bimorph flexures and integrated drive
    Patent number: 7019434
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a substrate; and a platform elevated above the substrate and supported by curved flexures. The curvature of said flexures results substantially from variations in intrinsic residual stress within said flexures. In one embodiment the apparatus is a deformable mirror exhibiting low temperature-dependence, high stroke, high control resolution, large number of degrees of freedom, reduced pin count and small form-factor. Structures and methods of fabrication are disclosed that allow the elevation of mirror segments to remain substantially constant over a wide operating temperature range. Methods are also disclosed for integrating movable mirror segments with control and sense electronics to a produce small-form-factor deformable mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Iris AO, Inc.
    Inventor: Micheal Albert Helmbrecht