Systems and methods for electrically coupling wires and conductors
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsCarl Picciotto, Peter Hartwell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A first device includes a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first conductor. A second device includes a micrometer-scale or smaller second conductor. An actuator the first and second devices relative to each other between first and second positions. Signals are substantially coupled between the first and second conductors in the first position and not in the second position.
Claims53
A system comprising:
- a first device having a surface and including a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first wire extending along the surface of the first device;
- and
- a second device having a surface opposite the surface of the first device and including a micrometer-scale or smaller second wire extending through the second device to a position in proximity to the surface of the second device;
- wherein one of the first and second devices is displaceable between first and second positions relative to the other device, and further wherein the first wire is not substantially electrically coupled to the second wire in the first position and the first wire is substantially electrically coupled to the second wire in the second position.
A method of substantially electrically coupling a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first wire to a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry second wire in a system wherein a first device has a surface and includes the first wire extending along its surface, a second device has a surface opposite the surface of the first device and includes the second wire extending through the second device to a position in proximity to the surface of the second device comprising:
- displacing the first and second devices relative to each other;
- receiving a signal from a sensor indicating the relative position of first and second wires;
- and
- determining whether the first and second wires are aligned in response to the signal.
A method of substantially electrically coupling a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first wire to a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry second wire in a system wherein a first device has a surface and includes the first wire extending along its surface, a second device has a surface opposite the surface of the first device and includes the second wire extending through the second device to a position in proximity to the surface of the second device comprising:
- receiving a signal identifying one of the first and second wires;
- reading position information from memory corresponding to the wire identified;
- and
- displacing one of the first and second devices in response to the position information.
A system comprising:
- a first device having a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first conductor;
- a second device having a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry second conductor;
- and
- an actuator for displacing at least one of the first and second devices relative to the other device between first and second positions;
- wherein signals are substantially coupled between the first and second conductors in the first position and not in the second position.
A system comprising:
- a first device including micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first means for conducting signals;
- a second device including micrometer-scale or smaller geometry second means for conducting signals;
- and
- third means for displacing the first and second devices relative to each other between first and second positions;
- wherein signals are substantially coupled between the first and second signal conductors in the first position and not in the second position.
A method of conducting signals between first and second devices where the first device has a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry first conductor and the second device has a micrometer-scale or smaller geometry second conductor comprising:
- receiving a command signal indicating to align the first and second conductors;
- generating a control signal in response to the command signal;
- and
- actuating at least one of the first and second devices to align the first and second conductors in response to the control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.