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:
Nov. 10, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 24, 1997
Richard L Knipe, McKinney, TX (US);
Duane E Carter, Plano, TX (US);
Lionel S White, Dallas, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A method of operating a micromechanical device. The device is in a first state. Data for the next state of the device is loaded onto the activation circuitry of the device, where the next state may be the same state the device is currently in, or a state different from the first state. The equilibrium of the device is shifted away from the next state, by making the data appear complementary to the true data for the next state. When the trapping field is removed or lowered, and a signal to start the transition is provided, the device moves to its new state and the trapping field is reapplied. The data can be made to look complementary by either loading the complements to the true data, or by reversing the polarity of the trapping field.