Interferometric communication

• US 20080199188A1
• Filed: 02/21/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Kuohua (Angus), Van Brocklin, Andrew L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/183
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26

Abstract

Embodiments of interferometric communication are disclosed.

Claims

1. An interferometric communication system, comprising:

a fabry-perot microelectromechanical system (MEMS) array; and

a controller configured to drive the MEMS array to form at least one security-related image.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one security-related image is formed by spatial modulation of transmitted light.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one security-related image is formed by spatial modulation of reflected light.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the MEMS array and the controller are disposed on an access card.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a memory accessible by the controller and storing array data indicative of the at least one security-related image.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to decrypt data used by the controller to drive the MEMS array.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a light source configured to illuminate the MEMS array.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user-actuatable switch for initiating generation of the at least one security-related image.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising an inductive coupler configured to initiate generation of the at least one security-related image.

10. An interferometric communication method, comprising:

driving a fabry-perot microelectromechanical system (MEMS) array to form at least one security-related image.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising forming the at least one security-related image using spatially modulated transmitted light.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising forming the at least one security-related image using spatially modulated reflected light.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising accessing a memory storing array data indicative of the at least one security-related image for driving the MEMS array.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising forming the at least one security-related image receiving in response to user actuation of a switch.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising decrypting data used for driving the MEMS array to form the at least one security-related image.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising initiating generation of the at least one security-related image in response to detecting an inductive coupling.

17. An interferometric communication system, comprising:

means for controlling a fabry-perot microelectromechanical system (MEMS) array to form at least one security-related image.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for decrypting data indicative of the at least one security-related image and used for driving the MEMS array means.

19. The system of claim 17 further comprising means, actuatable by a user, for initiating generation of the at least one security-related image.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising means for illuminating the MEMS array means.