Method for tracking the state of a MEMS optical switch using magnetic sensor detection
OwnerMurali Chaparala, Gary Zalewskiinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for tracking the ON/OFF state of a 2D MEMS optical switch is based on comparing the output property of a magnetic sensor deployed on a micro machined optical element with fixed values predetermined by the property the sensor when said element is known to be in the ON and OFF states.
Claims32
A method for tracking a state of a micro machined element, the micro machined element having at least one magnetic sensor, the method comprising:
- a) exposing the magnetic sensor to a magnetic field;
- b) measuring a value of a property of the at least one magnetic sensor as a state of the micro machined element changes;
- and
- c) comparing the measured value of the magnetic sensor property with a predetermined value of the sensor property when the micro machined element is in a known state.
A method for tracking a state of a micro machined element, the micro machined element having at least one magnetic sensor, the method comprising:
- a) exposing the magnetic sensor to a magnetic field;
- b) measuring a property of the magnetic sensor while the micro machined element is in a first state, to provide one or more predetermined values of the property for the first state;
- c) storing the predetermined value for the first state;
- d) measuring the property of the magnetic sensor while the micro machined element is in a second state, to provide one or more predetermined values of the property for the second state;
- e) storing the predetermined value for the second state;
- f) measuring the property of the magnetic sensor;
- and
- g) comparing the value of the property measured in step f to the predetermined values for the first and second states to determine the state of the micro machined element.
A method for tracking a state of each of a plurality of micro machined elements, each micro machined element in the plurality having at least one sensor, the method comprising:
- a) measuring a combined value of a property of the sensors in the plurality;
- and
- b) comparing the combined value measured in b) with one or more predetermined combined values to determine the state of each element in the plurality, wherein each of the one or more predetermined combined values corresponds to a known combination of states for the micro machined elements in the plurality.
The method of claim 30 wherein the plurality of micro machined elements is a column of micro machined elements in an array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.