MOBILE DEVICE WITH ILLUMINATION

• US 20100177531A1
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ostlund, Petter
• Granted Patent: US 8,297,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/555
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials

Abstract

A mobile device is provided comprising a light guide modified at a plurality of locations to let light guided in the light guide at least partially escape. Furthermore, methods and apparatuses for manufacturing such mobile devices are provided.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

at least one light source configured to emit light in the visible range,

a light guide coupled to said light source configured to guide light emitted by said at least one light source through said mobile device,

wherein said light guide is modified at a plurality of locations to let at least part of the light guided within the light guide escape at said locations.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of elements to be illuminated, wherein each element of said plurality of elements is associated with at least one location of said plurality of locations.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein at least one element of said plurality of elements is selected from the group consisting of a key, a button, a joystick and an area of the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least two locations of said plurality of locations are configured to let light of different wavelength ranges escape from the light guide.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source comprises at least two light sources having different wavelengths.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said light guide comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a plastic material, a glass material and a combined plastic/glass material.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least one location of said plurality of locations said light guide comprises a modification, said modification being selected from the group consisting of a removal of material from an outer layer of the light guide, a removal of material of a core layer of the light guide, a modification of material according to a predetermined pattern and a removal of material according to a predetermined pattern.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a light transmitter configured to couple light modulated depending on data to be transmitted into said light guide and a light receiver coupled to said light guide configured to receive said modulated light and demodulate said light to retrieve said data.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein said modulated light has a wavelength in the infrared range.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said mobile device is selected from the group consisting of a mobile phone, a gaming device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer and a music player.

12. A method of manufacturing a mobile device, comprising:

providing a light guide,

structuring said light guide such that light guided in the light guide is allowed to escape the light guide at a plurality of predetermined locations, and

incorporating the light guide in a mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said providing a light guide comprises providing said light guide coupled with a carrier element, and wherein said incorporating said light guide in said mobile device comprises incorporating said light guide together with said carrier element in said mobile device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said structuring comprises irradiating said light guide with a laser beam.

15. An apparatus for manufacturing a mobile device, comprising:

a laser,

a diffractive optical element configured to receive a laser beam from said laser and to guide a modified laser beam onto a light guide to create a location in said light guide where light guided in said light guide may escape the light guide,

wherein said light guide is to be incorporated into a mobile device for illuminating parts thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said diffractive optical element is selected from the group consisting of a holographic diffractive optical element, an axicon, a Bragg grating and an acousto-optical module.