1. A monolithic piezo actuator, comprising:
a bulk piezoelectric substrate having a starting top surface and an opposing starting bottom surface; and
a plurality of electrodes operatively disposed on the bulk piezoelectric substrate, consisting of:
a plurality of discrete electrodes disposed on at least one of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface and at least one electrode disposed on the at least one of the respective starting bottom surface and the starting top surface.
2. The piezoelectric actuator of claim 1, characterized by an operative condition of substantially only in-plane motion.
3. The piezoelectric actuator of claim 1, characterized by a width, W, a height, H, and a length, L, where W is less than or about equal to H to enable high aspect ratio piezoelectric beam structures.
4. The piezoelectric actuator of claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric actuator is comprised of a plurality of monolithic, contiguous segments, each next adjoining segment of which has an in-plane orientation along the length, L, that is different than that of its respective prior segment by between greater than zero degrees to \xb190 degrees.
5. The piezoelectric actuator of claim 1, wherein the bulk piezoelectric substrate has at least one intermediate surface.
6. The piezoelectric actuator of claim 5, wherein the bulk piezoelectric substrate is asymmetric in the H direction.
7. The piezoelectric actuator of claim 5, characterized by an operative condition comprising an out-of-plane twisting motion.
8. The piezoelectric actuator of claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric actuator has a curvilinear length dimension.
9. A stage, comprising:
a PZT base;
a plurality of the piezoelectric actuators of claim 1 disposed on the base;
a movable platform disposed on the base; and
a plurality of deformable connectors each having a first connection to a respective one of the plurality of piezoelectric actuators and a second connection to a respective portion of the movable platform,
wherein the stage is electrically controllable.
10. The stage of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of the piezoelectric actuators are characterized by an operative condition of substantially only in-plane motion.
11. The stage of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of the piezoelectric actuators are characterized by a width, W, a height, H, and a length, L, where W is less than or about equal to H.
12. The stage of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of the piezoelectric actuators is comprised of a plurality of monolithic, contiguous segments, each next adjoining segment of which has an in-plane orientation along the length, L, that is different than that of its respective prior segment by between greater than zero degrees to \xb190 degrees.
13. The stage of claim 9, wherein the bulk piezoelectric substrate of each of the plurality of the piezoelectric actuators has at least one intermediate surface.
14. The stage of claim 13, wherein each of the bulk piezoelectric substrates is asymmetric in the H direction.
15. The stage of claim 13, wherein each of the bulk piezoelectric substrates is characterized by an operative condition comprising an out-of-plane twisting motion.
16. The stage of claim 11, wherein each of the bulk piezoelectric actuators has a curvilinear length dimension.
17. The stage of claim 9, wherein the moveable platform is PZT.
18. The stage of claim 17, wherein the moveable PZT platform integrally comprises a monolithic, bulk PZT device.
19. The stage of claim 18, wherein the monolithic, bulk PZT device is at least one of a sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and an energy harvester.
20. The stage of claim 9, further comprising a monolithic, bulk PZT device mounted on the moveable platform.
21. The stage of claim 20, wherein the monolithic, bulk PZT device is at least one of a sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and an energy harvester.
22. A method for monolithically making a piezoelectric actuator, comprising:
providing a bulk piezoelectric (PZT) material that includes an electrode disposed on a starting top surface thereof and on an opposing starting bottom surface thereof; and
using a direct write micropatterning technique to remove at least a portion of the electrode on at least one of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface, such that the monolithic, bulk PZT material comprises a plurality of electrodes consisting of a plurality of discrete electrodes on the at least one of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface and at least one electrode on the at least one of the respective starting bottom surface and the starting top surface.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the direct write (maskless) micropatterning technique includes at least one of laser micromachining, water-jet drilling, ultrasonic drilling, electrical discharge machining, laser-assisted etching, and micro-CNC machining.
24. The method of claim 22, further comprising removing at least a portion of at least one of the non-electrode containing starting top surface and the non-electrode containing starting bottom surface to form at least one non-electrode containing intermediate surface.
25. The method of claim 24, comprising forming asymmetric intermediate surfaces in the respective non-electrode containing regions of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface.
26. The method of claim 22, comprising forming the monolithic piezoelectric actuator into a beam shape in a length, L, direction characterized by a width, W and a height, H, where W is less than or about equal to H and W, H<<L.
27. The method of claim 22, comprising forming the monolithic piezoelectric actuator into a plurality of monolithic, contiguous segments, each next adjoining segment of which has an in-plane orientation along the length, L, that is different than that of its respective prior segment by between greater than zero degrees to \xb190 degrees.
28. The method of claim 22, comprising forming the monolithic piezoelectric actuator into a curvilinear shape along the length, L, direction.
29. A method for making a stage, comprising:
providing a plurality of the actuators according to claim 22;
providing a moveable PZT platform;
providing a respective plurality of deformable connectors each having a first connection to a respective one of the plurality of piezoelectric actuators and a second connection to a respective portion of the movable platform.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising forming a monolithic, bulk PZT device in the moveable PZT platform.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for controlling concealment of a plurality of expansion cards mounted in a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising the steps of:
a) previously storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
b) determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on identification information supported by a selected operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the selected operating system; and
c) powering off the unsupported expansion card to conceal it from the selected operating system.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein
the step b) comprises the steps of:
b.1) creating a first mounted-card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards mounted in the computer system, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot; and
b.2) determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of a selected operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the selected operating system;
the step c) comprises the steps of:
c.1) deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the selected operating system; and
c.2) powering off an expansion slot mounted with the unsupported expansion card to conceal the unsupported expansion card from the selected operating system.
3. A method for controlling concealment of a plurality of expansion cards mounted in a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising the steps of:
a) previously storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
b) creating a first mounted-card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards mounted in the computer system, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
c) storing startup information including the first mounted-card information table and setting information of a selected operating system;
d) determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information, wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously selected operating system and a previously stored first mounted-card information table;
e) when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of the selected operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the selected operating system;
f) deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the selected operating system;
g) when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, using a previously stored second mounted-card information table as the second mounted card information table;
h) powering off an expansion slot mounted with an unsupported expansion card depending on the second mounted-card information table to conceal the unsupported expansion card from the selected operating system;
i) storing the second mounted-card information table; and
j) booting up the selected operating system based on the second mounted-card information table.
4. A computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising:
a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
a memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
a computation device for determining whether each of the plurality of expansion cards mounted is supported by the designated operating system, based on identification information supported by a designated operating system; and
a power controller for powering off an expansion slot mounted with an expansion card that is not supported by the designated operating system to conceal it from the designated operating system.
5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein
the computation device performs:
creating a first mounted-card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards mounted in the computer system, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot,
determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of the designated operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the designated operating system, and
deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the designated operating system, and
the power controller powers off an expansion slot mounted with the unsupported expansion card to conceal the unsupported expansion card from the designated operating system.
6. A computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising:
a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
a first memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
a second memory for storing a first mounted-card information table created upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
a third memory for storing startup information including the first mounted-card information table and setting information of a designated operating system;
a computation device for determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information,
wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously designated operating system and a previously stored first mounted-card information table,
wherein, when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, the computation device determines an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of the designated operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the designated operating system,
wherein the computation device deletes an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the designated operating system;
wherein, when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, the computation device uses a previously stored second mounted-card information table as the second mounted-card information table, and
wherein the computation device stores the second mounted-card information table, and boots up the selected operating system based on the second mounted-card information table; and
a power controller for powering off an expansion slot mounted with an unsupported expansion card depending on the second mounted-card information table to conceal the unsupported expansion card from the selected operating system.
7. A method for controlling concealment of a plurality of expansion cards mounted in a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising the steps of:
a) previously storing supported card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
b) detecting a physically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards;
c) determining whether each of the plurality of expansion cards is supported by the selected operating system, based on identification information supported by a selected operating system;
d) updating the physically mounting status by logically deleting an unsupported expansion card from the physically mounting status to produce a logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards; and
e) booting the selected operating system based on the logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards.
8. A method for controlling concealment of a plurality of expansion cards mounted in a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising the steps of:
a) previously storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
b) detecting a physically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards;
c) storing startup information including the physically mounting status and setting information of a selected operating system;
d) determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information, wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously selected operating system and a previously stored physically mounting status;
c) when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, determining whether each of the plurality of expansion cards is supported by the selected operating system, based on supported-card identification information supported by the selected operating system;
f) updating the physically mounting status by logically deleting an unsupported expansion card from the physically mounting status to produce a logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards;
g) when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, using a previously stored logically mounting status as the logically mounting status;
h) booting the selected operating system based on the logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards.
9. A basic inputoutput system code for a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems comprising:
a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
a memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems,
the basic inputoutput system code comprising the steps of:
creating a first mounted card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of a designated operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the designated operating system;
deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a secured mounted-card information table for operation of the designated operating system; and
setting a control register depending on the second mounted-card information table, wherein the control register is used to individually perform power-onoff control of the expansion slots to conceal a unsupported expansion card from the designated operating system.
10. A basic inputoutput system code for a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems comprising:
a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
a memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems,
the basic inputoutput system code comprising the steps of:
creating a first mounted-card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards mounted in the computer system, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
storing startup information including the first mounted-card information table and setting information of a designated operating system;
determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information, wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously designated operating system and a previously stored first mounted-card information table;
when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of the designated operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the designated operating system;
deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the designated operating system;
when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, using a previously stored second mounted-card information table as the second mounted-card information table;
setting a control register depending on the second mounted-card information table, wherein the control register is used to individually perform power-onoff control of the expansion slots to conceal a unsupported expansion card from the designated operating system; and
storing the second mounted-card information table.