Watch Display Using Light Sources With A Translucent Cover

• US 20080002528A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Clarkson, Brad, Andren, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/241
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/045 Mounting of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/08 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes

Abstract

A display assembly includes a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof and a cover disposed over the display. The cover has a homogeneous surface over the entire face of the display. The display assembly is controllable between an inactive state and an active state. In the inactive state, the face of the display is not viewable through the cover, and in the active state, the indicia are viewable through the cover.

Claims

1. A display assembly comprising:

a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof; and

a cover disposed over the entire face of the display, wherein the cover has a homogeneous surface over the entire face of the display.

2. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover has a thinned portion, the thinned portion having a thickness substantially less than a thickness of an adjacent portion of the cover, the thinned portion positioned over the face of the display.

3. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein the display has a plurality of LED'"'"'s to produce the indicia, and the cover has a plurality of conduits, each of the conduits being substantially aligned with each of the LED'"'"'s.

4. The display assembly of claim 3, wherein the cover has a thickness, and each of the conduits extends through a portion of the thickness of the cover.

5. The display assembly of claim 3, further comprising a rigid shell positioned between the face of the display and the cover, the shell comprising a plurality of conduits extending therethrough, wherein each of the conduits of the cover is substantially aligned with one of the conduits of the shell and one of the LED'"'"'s, such that light emitted from one of the LED'"'"'s travels through the corresponding conduit of the shell and the conduit of the cover to be viewable through the cover.

6. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover has a translucent portion and an opaque portion, the translucent portion positioned over the face of the display.

7. The display assembly of claim 1, wherein the display is integrated into an electronic display module containing a computer component.

8. The display assembly of claim 7, wherein the homogeneous surface has contours defining buttons thereon, each button operatively coupled to the display module to interact with the computer component.

9. The display assembly of claim 7, wherein the computer component is configured to communicate with and control a separate electronic device.

10. A display assembly comprising:

a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof; and

a cover disposed over the face of the display,

wherein the display assembly is controllable between an inactive state, wherein the face of the display is not viewable through the cover, and an active state, wherein the indicia are viewable through the cover.

11. The display assembly of claim 10, wherein the cover has a thinned portion, the thinned portion having a thickness substantially less than a thickness of an adjacent portion of the cover, the thinned portion positioned over the face of the display.

12. The display assembly of claim 11, wherein the thinned portion obscures vision of the display when the assembly is in the inactive state and the display emits light that is visible through the thinned portion to make the indicia viewable through the thinned portion when the assembly is in the active state.

13. The display assembly of claim 10, wherein the display has a plurality of LED'"'"'s to produce the indicia, and the cover has a plurality of conduits, each of the conduits being substantially aligned with each of the LED'"'"'s, wherein, when the assembly is in the active state, light is emitted by each LED and travels down the corresponding conduit to be viewable through the cover.

14. The display assembly of claim 13, wherein the cover has a thickness, and each of the conduits extends through a portion of the thickness of the cover.

15. The display assembly of claim 13, further comprising a rigid shell positioned between the face of the display and the cover, the shell comprising a plurality of conduits extending therethrough, wherein each of the conduits of the cover is substantially aligned with one of the conduits of the shell and one of the LED'"'"'s, such that light emitted from one of the LED'"'"'s travels through the corresponding conduit of the shell and the conduit of the cover to be viewable through the cover.

16. The display assembly of claim 10, wherein the cover has a translucent portion and an opaque portion, the translucent portion positioned over the face of the display.

17. The display assembly of claim 16, wherein the translucent portion obscures vision of the display when the assembly is in the inactive state and the display emits light that is visible through the translucent portion to make the indicia viewable through the translucent portion when the assembly is in the active state.

18. The display assembly of claim 10, wherein the display is integrated into an electronic display module containing a computer component.

19. The display assembly of claim 18, wherein the computer component is configured to communicate with and control a separate electronic device.

20. A display assembly comprising:

a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof;

a cover disposed over the face of the display, wherein the cover is made of a material; and

a strap operatively connected to the display and the cover, the strap adapted to mount the assembly on a body of a user, wherein the strap is made of the same material as the cover.

21. The display assembly of claim 20, wherein the cover and the strap are made from a flexible polymer material.

22. The display assembly of claim 21, wherein the material of the cover and the strap is sufficiently flexible to be bent to an angle of greater than 90 degrees without permanent deformation or fracture.

23. The display assembly of claim 20, wherein the cover and the strap are made from a polyurethane material.

24. The display assembly of claim 20, wherein the cover and the strap are formed of a single, integral piece.

25. A band adapted to be mounted on a body of a user, the band comprising:

a holder having a cavity defined therein, the cavity adapted to receive an electronic display module having a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof; and

a strap adapted to mount the holder on the body of the user, wherein the strap and the holder are formed of a single, integral piece.

26. The band of claim 25, wherein the holder has a thinned portion, the thinned portion having a thickness substantially less than a thickness of an adjacent portion of the holder, the thinned portion adapted to be positioned over the face of the display when the display module is received in the cavity.

27. The band of claim 26, wherein the thinned portion comprises a plurality of conduits extending through a portion of the thickness of the cover.

28. The band of claim 25, wherein the holder has a translucent portion and an opaque portion, the translucent portion adapted to be positioned over the face of the display when the display module is received in the cavity.

29. The band of claim 25, wherein the cavity is adapted to receive the display module such that a portion of the holder covers the face of the display.

30. The band of claim 29, wherein the holder has contours defining buttons thereon, each button adapted to interact with the display module.

31. A band adapted to be mounted on a body of a user, the band comprising:

a holder having a cavity defined therein, the cavity adapted to receive an electronic display module having an electronic display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof;

the holder forming a cover adapted to be disposed over the entire face of the display, wherein the cover has a homogeneous surface over the entire face of the display; and

a strap adapted to mount the holder on the body of the user.

32. The band of claim 31, wherein the cover has a thinned portion, the thinned portion having a thickness substantially less than a thickness of an adjacent portion of the cover, the thinned portion adapted to be positioned over the face of the display when the display module is received in the cavity.

33. The band of claim 32, wherein the thinned portion comprises a plurality of conduits extending through a portion of the thickness of the cover.

34. The band of claim 33, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is adapted to be substantially aligned with one of a plurality of LED'"'"'s on the electronic display.

35. The band of claim 31, wherein the cover has a translucent portion and an opaque portion, the translucent portion adapted to be positioned over the face of the display when the display module is received in the cavity.

36. The band of claim 31, wherein the homogenous surface has contours defining buttons thereon, each button adapted to interact with the display module.

37. A display assembly comprising:

a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof; and

a cover disposed over the face of the display, wherein the cover is made from a flexible polymer material.

38. The display assembly of claim 37, wherein the material of the cover is sufficiently flexible to be bent to an angle of greater than 90 degrees without permanent deformation or fracture.

39. The display assembly of claim 37, wherein the cover is made from a polyurethane material.

40. The display assembly of claim 37, further comprising a rigid shell positioned between the face of the display and the cover.

41. A watch comprising:

an electronic display module comprising;

an electronic display having a plurality of light-emitting devices, the display configured to selectively display human-readable indicia on a face thereof; and

a computer component controlling the electronic display; and

a band adapted to be mounted on a body of a user, comprising;

a holder having a cavity defined therein, the cavity adapted to receive the electronic display module;

the holder forming a cover adapted to be disposed over the entire face of the display, wherein the cover has a homogeneous surface over the entire face of the display, and wherein the electronic display module is controllable between an inactive state, wherein the face of the display is not viewable through the cover, and an active state, wherein the indicia are viewable through the cover;

the cover having a plurality of conduits extending through a portion of a thickness of the cover, each of the conduits being substantially aligned with each of the light-emitting devices, wherein when the electronic display module is in the active state, light emitted from the light-emitting devices travels through the conduit to be viewable through the cover; and

a strap adapted to be mounted on the body of the user, wherein the strap, the holder, and the cover are formed of a single, integral piece of a flexible polymeric material.