The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 15, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 09, 1997
Terrance Gus McDonald, Plano, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A micromechanical optical switch (30). A reflective surface with two angled reflective surfaces (32,34) positioned opposite a micromechanical device (12). The micromechanical device is positioned such that light input along a path (36) to a first (32) of the two angled reflective surfaces is reflected to the micromechanical device. The micromechanical device then reflects the light to the second (34) of the angled surfaces to be output along another path (38a, 38b). The path (38a, 38b) that the second angled surface (34) outputs the light along is selected depending upon the position of the micromechanical device's reflective member (14). The reflective member (14) deflects from at least one hinge (22) to one of several positions. The number of positions available to the reflective member (14) depends upon the voltage applied to the electrodes (27a, 27b, 27c, 27d). The reflective member (14) makes no contact with any other surfaces, and thereby always returns to a know position upon loss of power.