Appeal 2007-3048
Application 10/664,947
A. INVENTION
The invention at issue on appeal is an electrostatic actuator.
A microelectromechanical system ("MEMS") often uses electrostatic
actuators to position optical devices and switches and to turn gears. Such
actuators are particularly useful for generating a low-to-moderate force.
(Specification 1.)
One design for an electrostatic actuator is the "comb drive actuator,"
the name of which derives from the actuator's physical resemblance to a
comb. Comb drive actuators have a stationary element and an element that
moves relative thereto. The Appellants refer to the stationary element as a
"stator;" the moveable element, a "rotor." The term "rotor" implies no
rotational motion, however; in a common application of such an actuator, the
rotor moves linearly in a plane parallel to a plane occupied by the stator. (Id.
2.)
The Appellants explain that conventional comb drive actuators
provide analog positioning in which the positioning varies continuously with
the applied voltage. Accurate positioning of such an actuator requires
controlling the voltage with high precision. (Id. 4.)
Figure 3A of the Specification shows their stator 310. As shown
therein, each of three stator conductors 318 connects to every third stator
electrode 316 in an electrode array 315. A high voltage is applied to some
of the electrodes, and a low voltage is applied to the other electrodes.
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