METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A LUMINOUS WRITING SURFACE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus having a luminous writing surface configured to receive a removable marking thereon, the apparatus comprising:
- an essentially planar member having a front surface, at least one side surface, and a back surface, the front surface comprising the writing surface; and
at least one light source associated with the essentially planar member for irradiating at least one of the side surface and the back surface thereof with visible light perceivable by an observer from the front surface, the visible light providing at least one background color for the at least one marking when received on the writing surface.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for providing a luminous writing surface, whose color, color temperature, and/or brightness are controlled to achieve a desired contrast between the writing surface and markings removably made thereon. For example, LED-based light sources and/or LED-based controllable lighting units can be employed to back-light or edge-light a transparent or translucent material thereby providing the luminous writing surface.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus having a luminous writing surface configured to receive a removable marking thereon, the apparatus comprising:
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an essentially planar member having a front surface, at least one side surface, and a back surface, the front surface comprising the writing surface; and at least one light source associated with the essentially planar member for irradiating at least one of the side surface and the back surface thereof with visible light perceivable by an observer from the front surface, the visible light providing at least one background color for the at least one marking when received on the writing surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of making a removable marking on a writing surface, the method comprising the acts of:
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A) providing an essentially planar member having a front surface, at least one side surface, and a back surface, the front surface comprising the writing surface; B) irradiating the side surface and/or the back surface of the essentially planar member with visible light from a light source perceivable by an observer from the front surface; and C) making the removable marking on the writing surface such that the visible light provides at least one background color for the marking. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. An apparatus having a luminous writing surface configured to receive a removable marking thereon, the apparatus comprising:
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an essentially planar member comprising a translucent or transparent material and having a front surface, at least one side surface, and a back surface, the front surface comprising the writing surface; at least one LED-based light source associated with the essentially planar member for irradiating at least one of the side surface and the back surface thereof with visible light perceivable by an observer from the front surface, the visible light providing at least one background color for the at least one marking when received on the writing surface; at least one controller coupled to the at least one light source and configured to control at least one of a color, a color temperature and an intensity of the visible light so as to alter at least a contrast between the at least one marking and the writing surface; and a user interface coupled to the at least one controller and configured to facilitate control of the at least one of the color, the color temperature and the intensity of the visible light.
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Specification