US Patent 7463421 - Image capturing using MEMS

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7463421.html

Iridigm Display Corporation (IDC), a pioneer in MEMS based interferometric displays, was acquired by Qualcomm a few years ago. This patent from IDC has some very basic claims to image capturing devices (e.g. cameras, printers) using MEMS filters with early priority going back to May 5, 1994. Claim 1 reads:

1. A system for selecting spectral frequencies of light, comprising:

a tunable filter comprising a MEMS device comprising a movable layer, said MEMS device configured to select a range of spectral frequencies of light; and

a photosensitive device spaced apart from the movable layer, wherein said MEMS device is disposed to direct at least a portion of said selected spectral frequencies onto said photosensitive device.

US Patent 7446926 - Regenerating protective coating for optical MEMS

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7446926.html

Iridigm Display Corporation is one of a few companies developing MEMS-based display devices. This patent teaches including a self-repairing monolayer protective layer for the micromechanical pixels in which the self-repair is induced by a heating element. Claim 1 reads:

1. An interferometric light modulating device, comprising:

a transparent substrate;

an interferometric modulator array disposed on said transparent substrate, wherein said array comprises a transmissive layer and a reflective layer;

a protective coating disposed between at least a portion of said transmissive layer and said reflective layer; and

a heater configured to increase the temperature of said protective coating.

US Patent 7345805 - Integration of MEMS micromirrors with MEMS switches

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7345805.html

This patent from Iridigm Display (which was acquired by Qualcomm in 2004) is basic to displays using micromirrors which can switch between reflective and opaque states depending on interference patterns created by the micromirrors. This patent focused on an all-MEMS display design which uses micromechanical structures as the addressing elements for driving the rows and column pixels as well as for the micromirrors. This may simplify fabrication in comparison to the formation of both drive transistors and MEMS in the display which requires diverse fabrication steps which may be non-compatible. Claim 1 reads:

1. A display device comprising:

a MEMS display portion comprising rows and columns of MEMS elements; and

a plurality of MEMS switches formed as one or more additional rows or columns of additional MEMS elements adjacent to the MEMS elements of said display portion, wherein the pitch of the additional MEMS elements is matched with the pitch of the MEMS elements of the display, and wherein the additional MEMS elements are configured to switch signals to the display portion.

US Patent 7242512- Resistance based addressing in MEMS display

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7242512.html

Interferometric based micromechanical displays is a technology being developed by companies such as Iridigm Display and Silicon Light Machines with improved energy efficiency. As opposed to LCDs or other flat panel displays no special material is needed and the pixel reflection is determined in terms of the mechanical state of reflective microribbons. This patent from Iridigm teaches a more efficient method of addressing such displays by assigning different resistance values to subrows in a row thereby allowing a greater number of pixels and larger displays. Claim 1 reads:

1. A display comprising: a plurality of MEMS elements arranged in rows, wherein the MEMS elements of each of the rows are further arranged in subrows and wherein the subrows of each row are electrically connected; and a plurality of resistors, each of the resistors connected to a respective one of the subrows, the respective one of the resistors for each of the subrows of each row having a different resistance from the resistors connected to the other subrows of the row.