Light apparatus for use with a compact computer video screen

• US 5,091,832 A
• Filed: 04/19/1991
• Issued: 02/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VIC Tokai Corporation (Tokai Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Curtis Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Tortola, Angelo, Howitt, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/678,265
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23, 362/28, 362/85, 362/99, 362/109, 362/191, 362/234, 362/253, 362/396, 362/84, 368/159, 368/188, 368/241, 368/281, 368/321, 273/148 B, 273/434, 273/237, 273/269, 273/85 G, 273/85 R, 340/700, 340/705, 350/345
• US Class Current: 362/109
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 25/02 with means for illuminating object viewed
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/02 Viewing or reading apparatus stereoscopic systems G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/04 having collapsible parts
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0216 Constructional details or arrangements

Abstract

A portable, compact, battery-operated light apparatus for use with a compact computer game having a LCD video screen for enhancing the visibility of the LCD screen in use, which light apparatus comprises a body with a battery compartment and having side panels which define an open viewing space and lights provided in the body element to provide for indirect lighting of the viewing space, the light apparatus comprising a portable, compact, battery-powered light apparatus and which includes ridges on the light apparatus which snap in a releasable manner onto the grooves in a compact computer game video system to releasably secure the light apparatus in position over the LCD video screen of the compact game system.

Claims

1. A portable, battery-operated, compact light apparatus for use in enhancing the view of a compact computer video screen, which light apparatus comprises:

a) a body having a plurality of a light-colored, short, extended panels which define an open video viewing space within the body, the video viewing space adapted to conform generally to the size of the compact computer video screen to be enhanced for viewing by the user;

b) a battery compartment in the body adapted to receive one or more batteries as a power source for the light apparatus;

c) light means to light up indirectly one or more surfaces of the side panels to have reflected light from said lighting means enhance the viewing of the compact computer video screen;

d) electrical switch means to control the power from the power source;

e) electrical connection means to connect the light means through the switch means to the battery compartment and to the batteries as a power source to be employed therein;

f) attachment means to secure releasably the body of the light apparatus directly on to the compact computer apparatus so that the open viewing space of the light apparatus may be positioned over the video screen of the compact computer apparatus and whereby the indirect reflected light enhances the view of the video screen in use by the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery compartment is secured to the top section of the body, and the bottom surface of the battery compartment extends outwardly beyond the back surface of the body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light means comprises first and second light bulbs positioned generally adjacent opposite side panels of the body and which side panels include a short, raised shield section means to shield the light bulbs from direct viewing and to reflect the light of the first and second light bulbs toward the light-colored side panels for reflection onto the video screen.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the attachment means comprises one or more raised ridge means on the body, the raised ridge means adapted to fit into a close, snap-in relationship with groove means on the compact computer apparatus whereby the light apparatus may be retained with the compact computer apparatus and the open viewing space of the light apparatus positioned over the video screen of the compact computer apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the attachment means includes a first raised, straight ridge on the top back surface of the body and a second raised, straight ridge on the extended bottom surface of the battery compartment, the first and second raised ridges adapted to snap respectively into corresponding grooves on the top front and top surface of a compact computer apparatus so as to attach the light apparatus to the compact computer apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes batteries positioned in the battery compartment as a power source for the light means of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes four panels to define the open viewing area which include first and second side panels at an angle to the video screen and top and bottom panels generally perpendicular to the video screen to define a rectangular open viewing space.

8. A compact computer apparatus having a video screen for viewing by a user and which includes releasably attached thereto the light apparatus of claim 1 with the open viewing space of the light apparatus positioned generally over the video screen of the compact computer apparatus.

9. The compact computer apparatus of claim 8 wherein the video screen comprises a LCD video screen.

10. A compact computer apparatus having a LCD video screen which includes releasably attached thereto in a snap-on relationship the light apparatus of claim 5.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body has an opening therein to permit the user to view a battery warning light on the compact computer apparatus when the light apparatus is attached to the compact computer apparatus.

12. A portable, battery-operated, compact light apparatus for use in enhancing the user'"'"'s view of a compact computer video game screen, which light apparatus comprises:

a) a box-like body having four, short, extending side panels of a light-colored material which define a generally rectangular, open video viewing space within the body, the video viewing space adapted to conform to the size of the compact computer video screen to be enhanced;

b) a battery compartment integral with the body and positioned on the top section of the body and which battery compartment extends backwardly beyond the back surface of the body a short, defined distance;

c) batteries in the battery compartment as a source of power;

d) light means to light up indirectly a pair of opposing side panel surfaces and comprising first and second light bulbs wherein the side panels have short, raised shield extensions spaced apart from the light-colored surface of the side panels and to shield the direct illumination of the bulbs onto the video screen and to provide reflected light from said bulbs from said side panels;

e) an electrical switch means to include an off/on switch to operate the light means; and

f) electrical connection wiring means to connect the light means through the switch means to the batteries as the power source of the light apparatus; and

g) attachment means to secure releasably the body of the light apparatus in a releasably manner onto the compact computer apparatus and which attachment means comprises a raised ridge on the top back surface of the body and a second raised ridge on the bottom surface of the extended battery compartment, the first and second raised ridges adapted to snap in a releasable fashion into corresponding grooves on the top face and top surface of the compact computer apparatus so as to permit the open viewing space of the body to be positioned generally over the computer video screen whereby the computer video screen may be enhanced by the indirect light by the light bulbs.

13. A portable, battery-operated, compact computer video apparatus containing a generally rectangular LCD video screen for viewing and which compact apparatus includes and releasably secured thereto the portable, battery-operated, compact light apparatus of claim 12.

14. A method of enhancing the viewing of a LCD video screen of a compact computer apparatus, which method comprises:

a) providing a compact, battery-operated, portable light apparatus having an open viewing space adapted to be placed over the LCD video screen and indirectly lighting the open viewing space;

b) providing a compact computer apparatus having a LCD video screen which requires enhanced lighting for viewing in partial light conditions;

c) securing in a releasable manner the light apparatus onto the compact computer apparatus with the open viewing space of the light apparatus positioned over the video viewing screen; and

d) indirectly lighting video viewing screen by lights in the light apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14 which includes providing a pair of spaced apart, raised ridges in the light apparatus and providing a compact computer apparatus having a pair of correspondingly spaced apart grooves and securing the light apparatus onto the computer apparatus by snapping the raised ridges into the grooves.