Terminal, color changing method, and color changing apparatus

• US 10,222,673 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ke, Youhe, Li, Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Zhiyu
• Application Number:
  US14/980,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20160109779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/163 Operation of electrochromic cells, e.g. electrodeposition cells; Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials

Abstract

A terminal, a color changing method, and a color changing apparatus that relate to the field of communications technologies are provided, so as to resolve a technical problem of a waste of materials due to production of a terminal shell. A color changing unit is disposed inside a terminal, where the color changing unit can change a color when receiving electrical energy, and a transparency value of a shell is greater than a first preset transparency value, so that a technical problem of a waste of materials due to production of a terminal shell can be effectively resolved, which can reduce manufacturing materials and is conducive to environmental protection.

Claims

1. A terminal, comprising:

a processor;

a color changer coupled to the processor and comprising;

a first transparent conducting layer;

a first electrochromic layer coupled with the first transparent conducting layer;

a first ion conducting layer coupled with the first electrochromic layer; and

a first ion storage layer coupled with the first ion conducting layer;

a shell comprising an interior and an exterior, the color changer being disposed in the interior of the shell, the first transparent conducting layer being coupled with an interior surface of the shell, and the shell being sufficiently transparent such that the color changer is visible through the exterior of the shell;

a power supply disposed in the interior of the shell, the power supply being electrically connected to the color changer; and

a sensor configured to detect an environment color from colors in a surrounding environment of the terminal, the processor being configured to;

determine a first color whose degree of color matching with the environment color is within a preset threshold range such that a first hue angle of the first color and a second hue angle of the environment color are within the preset threshold range of fifteen degrees;

determine a color value for the first color in a corresponding set of color values, each color value in the corresponding set of color values corresponding to a different voltage; and

determine a voltage corresponding to the color value from the corresponding set of color values, the color of the terminal varying according to the voltage received by the color changer from the power supply.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal further comprises a display disposed on the interior surface of the shell, the display being configured to display local data or data acquired from another electronic device.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed in the interior of the shell, the processor being further configured to:

receive the first color by receiving color selection information from a user; and

determine the voltage according to the color selection information.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processor is disposed in the interior of the shell and coupled with the sensor, and the processor being further configured to:

match the environment color with a stored color in the corresponding set of color values;

determine the voltage according to the environment color; and

vary the first color of the terminal according to the voltage, the preset threshold range comprising an angle of a hue value.

11. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the color changer further comprises a metal layer coupled with the first ion storage layer, the first color of the terminal further varying according to a color of the metal layer.

12. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the color changer further comprises a second color changer, comprising:

a second transparent conducting layer;

a second electrochromic layer coupled with the second transparent conducting layer;

a second ion conducting layer coupled with the second electrochromic layer; and

a second ion storage layer coupled with the second ion conducting layer, the first color of the terminal further varying according to a second voltage received by the color changer from the power supply.

13. The terminal according to claim 12, wherein the second color changer further comprises a metal layer coupled with the second ion storage layer, the first color of the terminal further varying according to a color of the metal layer.

14. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the shell further comprises a top portion that is configured to be selectively connected to a bottom portion in a stacked configuration, the interior surface of the shell to which the first transparent conducting layer is coupled being an interior surface of the top portion of the shell, the terminal further comprising a second color changer disposed in the interior of the shell, and the second color changer comprising:

a second transparent conducting layer;

a second electrochromic layer coupled with the second transparent conducting layer;

a second ion conducting layer coupled with the second electrochromic layer; and

a second ion storage layer coupled with the second ion conducting layer, the second transparent conducting layer being coupled with an interior surface of the bottom portion of the shell, and the power supply being electrically coupled to the second color changer.

5. A color changing method for a terminal, comprising:

detecting, with a processor, an environment color of a surrounding environment of the terminal;

determining, with the processor, a first color whose degree of color matching with the environment color is within a preset threshold range such that a first hue angle of the first color and a second hue angle of the environment color are within the preset threshold range of fifteen degrees;

obtaining, with the processor, a first color value from the first color from a corresponding set of color values, each color value in the corresponding set of color values corresponding to a different voltage value;

determining, with the processor, a first voltage value corresponding to the first color value from the corresponding set of color values;

providing, with the processor, the first voltage value for a color changer, the color changer comprising;

a transparent conducting layer;

an electrochromic layer coupled with the transparent conducting layer;

an ion conducting layer coupled with the electrochromic layer; and

an ion storage layer coupled with the ion conducting layer; and

changing, with the processor, the color of the terminal by applying the first voltage value to the color changer.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein obtaining the first color value comprises receiving selection information from a user interface of the terminal.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising setting the first color value according to the environment color.

15. The method according to claim 7, wherein setting the color value according to the environment color comprises matching the environment color with a stored color.

8. A color changing apparatus, comprising:

a color changer comprising;

a transparent conducting layer;

an electrochromic layer coupled with the transparent conducting layer;

an ion conducting layer coupled with the electrochromic layer; and

an ion storage layer coupled with the ion conducting layer;

a shell comprising an interior side and an exterior side, the interior side being coupled with the transparent conducting layer;

a processor configured to;

obtain a first color value associated with a color from a corresponding set of color values, each color value in the corresponding set of color values corresponding to a different voltage value, the color comprising a first color whose degree of color matching with an environment color is within a preset threshold range such that a first hue angle of the first color and a second hue angle of the environment color are within the preset threshold range of fifteen degrees; and

determine a first voltage value corresponding to the first color value in the corresponding set of color values; and

a power supply configured to provide the first voltage value to the color changer according to an instruction of the processor, the color changer being configured to adjust a current color value of the color changer to the first color value corresponding to the first voltage value when receiving the first voltage value.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the first color value from a user interface.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a sensor configured to detect an environment color of a surrounding environment of a terminal comprising the color changer, the processor being further configured to receive the first color as the environment color detected by a sensor.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to match the environment color with a stored color.