Patent ID: 7486163
Filing Date: 2009-02-03
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
1. A method of actuating an electromechanical switch structure, the method comprising: providing at least one fixed electrode; providing a free electrode that is movable with a voltage potential applied between each fixed electrode and the movable electrode; and using a feed-back control system to modulate the applied voltage potentials to actuate said electromechanical switch structure, wherein (i) the modulation of the applied voltage potentials is based on a state of the electromechanical switch structure, (ii) the modulation of the applied voltage potential injects energy into the electromechanical switch structure during plural oscillation cycles of said structure, (iii) a modulated pull-in voltage of said electromechanical switch structure is less than a quasi-static pull-in voltage of said structure, and (iv) the applied voltage potentials each have a waveform, and a frequency of each waveform matches a resonant frequency of the electromechanical switch structure.