SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ILLUMINATING A BEZEL

• US 20110018462A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Inventors: Schindler, John, Lowe, Kenneth, McRae, Matthew Blake
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13332 Front frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/58 in dependence upon ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/30 using solid-state colour display devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/67 for matrixing camera processing pipelines for matrixing of colour signals H04N23/85

Abstract

An application for a bezel with internal lighting includes at least one illuminated element situated behind a monitor/television bezel. The brightness and color of the illuminating elements and hence the bezel appearance are modified based upon either user preference or an internal or external parameters such as time, content being viewed, recording status, etc.

Claims

1. A bezel lighting system mounted on a monitor/television, the bezel lighting system comprising:

a bezel mounted on a periphery of a face of the monitor/television, the bezel surrounding a display panel, the bezel made of a material, the material transmitting light from within the bezel to outside of the bezel; and

at least one illuminating element situated behind the bezel, the at least one illuminating element situated such that when any of the at least one illuminating elements is energized to emit the light, at least some of the light passes through the bezel.

2. The bezel lighting system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one illuminating element is selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode, a florescent lamp, an incandescent lamp and an organic light emitting diode.

3. The bezel lighting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one illuminating element consists of at least two sets of the illuminating elements and each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements emit a different color of light than the other of the at least two sets of illuminating elements.

4. The bezel lighting system of claim 3, wherein a brightness of each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements is controlled by a processing element.

5. The bezel lighting system of claim 4, wherein the processing element sets the brightness of each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements based upon a user setting.

6. The bezel lighting system of claim 4, wherein the processing element sets the brightness of each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements based upon a parameter known to the processing element, the parameter obtained from information available to the processing element.

7. The bezel lighting system of claim 5, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a time-of-day, a date, a holiday, a user'"'"'s horoscope and weather.

8. The bezel lighting system of claim 5, wherein the parameter is derived from a source selected from the group consisting of information displayed on the display panel, information internal to the monitor/television and information from systems external to the monitor/television.

9. The bezel lighting system of claim 8, wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of a date, a time, a phone ringing, an incoming message, a favorite show is currently being received, a new voicemail has been received, a new email has been received, a current channel, and a current show.

10. The bezel lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a light diffuser situated between the at least one illuminating element and an inner surface of the bezel.

11. A method of controlling a bezel lighting system, the method comprising:

providing the bezel lighting system mounted on a monitor/television, the bezel lighting system comprising;

a bezel mounted on a periphery of a face of the monitor/television, the bezel surrounding a display panel, the bezel made of a material, the material transmitting light from within the bezel to outside of the bezel; and

at least one illuminating element situated behind the bezel, the at least one illuminating element situated such that when any of the at least one illuminating elements is energized to emit the light, at least some of the light passes through the bezel;

providing a processing element interfaced to each of the at least one illuminating elements;

displaying an on-screen display by the processing element responsive to an input device;

selecting a bezel lighting option from the on-screen display by a user;

responsive to the bezel lighting option, controlling a brightness of each illuminating element by the processing element of the at least one illuminating elements; and

taking off the on-screen display by the processing element.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one illuminating element is selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode, a florescent lamp, an incandescent lamp and an organic light emitting diode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one illuminating element consists of at least two sets of the illuminating elements and each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements emit a different wavelength of light than the other of the at least two sets of illuminating elements.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of controlling the brightness of each illuminating element includes independently controlling the brightness of each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements by the processing element.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of controlling the brightness of each illuminating element by the processing element includes independently controlling the brightness of each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements by the processing element based upon a user setting.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of controlling the brightness of each illuminating element includes obtaining a parameter from information available to the processing element and independently controlling the brightness of each of the at least two sets of the illuminating elements by the processing element based upon the parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a time-of-day, a date, a holiday, a user'"'"'s horoscope and weather.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the parameter is derived from information, the information selected from the group consisting of a date, a time, a phone ringing, an incoming message, a favorite show is currently being received, new voicemail has been received, a new email has been received, a current channel, and a current show.

19. An illuminated bezel mounted on a periphery of a face of a monitor/television, the illuminated bezel made of a material, the material transmitting light from within the illuminated bezel to outside of the illuminated bezel, the illuminated bezel comprising:

at least one illuminating element situated behind the illuminated bezel, the at least one illuminating element situated such that when any of the at least one illuminating elements are energized to emit light, at least some of the light passes through the illuminated bezel.

20. The illuminated bezel of claim 19, wherein the material forms a diffuser.

21. The illuminated bezel of claim 19, further comprising a light diffuser situated between the at least one illuminating element and an inner surface of the illuminated bezel.