Driver circuit for electro-active polymer devices
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsJeffrey N. Gleason, Richard H. Tsai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A driver circuit for electro-active polymer (EAP) device has a shared, voltage boost circuit that is coupled to drive a common terminal of first and second EAP devices to a given voltage. A first voltage boost circuit is coupled to drive a respective terminal of the first EAP device to an opposite polarity voltage, while a second voltage boost circuit is coupled to drive a respective terminal of the second EAP device to an opposite polarity voltage. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
Claims19
A driver circuit for electro-active polymer (EAP) devices, comprising:
- a shared, voltage boost circuit coupled to drive a common terminal of first and second EAP devices to a voltage;
- a first voltage boost circuit that is coupled to drive a respective terminal of the first EAP device to an opposite polarity voltage;
- and
- a second voltage boost circuit that is coupled to drive a respective terminal of the second EAP device to an opposite polarity voltage.
A process for controlling electro-active polymer (EAP) devices, comprising:
- applying the same voltage to a lower electrode of a first EAP device and to a lower electrode of a second EAP device;
- and
- while applying said voltage to the lower electrodes of the first and second EAP devices, applying an opposite polarity voltage to one of a) an upper electrode of the first EAP device and b) an upper electrode of the second EAP device.
An electronic device having a camera function, comprising:
- a portable consumer electronics device having integrated therein
- camera optics,
- a first EAP device that is coupled to control a first aspect of the camera optics,
- a second EAP device that is coupled to control a second aspect of the camera optics,
- a shared, voltage boost circuit coupled to apply the same voltage to lower electrodes of the first and second EAP devices,
- a first voltage boost circuit that is coupled to apply an opposite polarity voltage to a respective upper electrode of the first EAP device, and
- a second voltage boost circuit that is coupled to apply an opposite polarity voltage to a respective electrode of the second EAP device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.