Apparatus utilizing latching micromagnetic switches

• US 7,372,349 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Charles, Shen, Jun, Ruan, Meichun
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad; Elvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rojas; Bernard
• Application Number:
  US11/483,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 335/78, 200/181
• US Class Current: 335/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2050/007 Relays of the polarised type, e.g. the MEMS relay beam having a preferential magnetisation direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/005 using micromechanics

Abstract

An apparatus includes an electrical device and a latching micromagnetic switch that controls energy flow through the electrical device. The latching micromagnetic switch includes a cantilever, a permanent magnet, and a coil configured to latch the latching micromagnetic switch in one of two positions each time energy passes through the coil. The electrical device and the latching micromagnetic switch can be integrated on a same substrate. Otherwise, the electrical device and the latching micromagnetic switch can be located on separate substrates and coupled together. The electrical device can be a circuit, a filter, an antenna, a transceiver, or the like.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

N branches including an electrical device in each, wherein N is a positive integer of 1 or greater;

a latching micromagnetic switch system that controls energy flow to each branch, such that only the electrical device in the branch connected to the latching micromagnetic switch system operates, the latching micromagnetic switch system having one or more latching micromagnetic switches, each including,

a magnet proximate to a substrate, the magnet producing a first magnetic field;

a cantilever having a magnetic material and a longitudinal axis, the magnetic material making the cantilever sensitive to the first magnetic field, which is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cantilever rotating between a first and second state based on the first magnetic field producing a torque in the magnetic material of the cantilever that maintains the cantilever in one of the first and second states; and

a conductor that conducts a current, the current induces a torque in the cantilever based on a second magnetic field, a component of the second magnetic field that is parallel to the longitudinal axis adjusts the direction of the torque produced by the first magnetic field in the magnetic material of the cantilever such that the conductor switches the cantilever between the first and second states;

wherein each of the N branches is coupled to first and second ones of the latching micromagnetic switches and wherein the first latching micromagnetic switch is located at an input of each of the N branches and the second latching micromagnetic switch is located at an output of the N branches.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the N branches and the latching micromagnetic switch system are integrated on a same substrate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the N branches and the latching micromagnetic switch system are located on separate substrates and coupled together.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second latching micromagnetic switches are singe-pole, four-throw switches.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second latching micromagnetic switches are 1 by m matrix switches, wherein m is a positive integer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical device is a transceiver; and

the first latching micromagnetic switch controls a receive differential pair and the second latching micromagnetic switch controls a transmit differential pair.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first latching micromagnetic switch is a 1-input-N-output switch; and

the second latching micromagnetic switch is a N-input-1-output switch.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical device is a filter passing various frequencies; and

the first and the second latching micromagnetic switches control whether a signal is routed to the filter.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a coupled line filter.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a stub bandpass filter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a capacitive bandpass filter.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive bandpass filter is a capacitive gap-coupled line bandpass filter.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a lumped filter.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a discrete device filter.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical device is a microstrip filter.

16. A system comprising:

N branches including an electrical device in each, wherein N is a positive integer of 1 or greater;

a latching micromagnetic switch system that controls energy flow to each branch, such that only the electrical device in the branch connected to the latching micromagnetic switch system operates, the latching micromagnetic switch system having one or more latching micromagnetic switches, each including,

a magnet proximate to a substrate, the magnet producing a first magnetic field;

a cantilever having a magnetic material and a longitudinal axis, the magnetic material making the cantilever sensitive to the first magnetic field, which is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cantilever rotating between a first and second state based on the first magnetic field producing a torque in the magnetic material of the cantilever that maintains the cantilever in one of the first and second states; and

a conductor that conducts a current, the current induces a torque in the cantilever based on a second magnetic field, a component of the second magnetic field that is parallel to the longitudinal axis adjusts the direction of the torque produced by the first magnetic field in the magnetic material of the cantilever such that the conductor switches the cantilever between the first and second states, wherein;

the electrical device is a dipole antenna, wherein each pole of the dipole has a predetermined number of conductive traces; and

adjacent ones of the conductive traces are coupled together via the latching micromagnetic switch system.