Cover for an electronic device

• US 6,608,996 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Laurikka, Salla, Hämeen-Anttila, Tapio, Ijäs, Jari
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US09/641,475
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/550, 455/90, 340/7.61, 340/7.55, 340/815.4, 340/815.65
• US Class Current: 455/90.3
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/037 using organic materials, e.g. organic LED
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0279 Improving the user comfort or ergonomics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits

Abstract

A cover (1) of an electronic device (7) is at least partly formed or coated by using a material whose color is arranged changeable at least partly by means of at least one control signal.

Claims

1. A cover (1) of an electronic device (7), characterized in that the cover (1) is at least partly formed or coated by using electronic ink (5) whose colour is changeable at least partly by means of at least one control signal, said electronic ink, containing electrically charged particles (3), and that in connection with, conductors (4a, 4b), in the cover, for conducting the control signal to the electronic ink (5), to attain a change in the colour of the cover.

2. The cover (1) of the electronic device (7) according to claim 1, characterized in that said material is electronic ink (5) which contains electrically charged particles (3), and that in connection with the cover, there are conductors (4a, 4b) for conducting the control signal to the electronic ink (5), wherein the location of the particles in the electronic ink is arranged changeable to attain a change in the colour of the cover.

3. The cover (1) of the electronic device (7) according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic ink (5) comprises positively charged particles (3a) and negatively charged particles (3b), and that. at least some of the positively charged particles are different in colour than the negatively charged particles.

4. The cover (1) of the electronic device (7) according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic ink (5) comprises charged particles (3) and coloured liquid (10), and at least part of the charged particles are different in colour than the coloured liquid.

5. The cover (1) of the electronic device (7) according to claim 2, in which the electronic ink contains microcapsules, characterized in that the particles (3) are placed in the microcapsules.

6. The cover (1) of the electronic device (7), according to claim 1, characterized in that a fixed section on the surface of the cover (1) is arranged to function as a display (9).

7. An electronic device (7) which comprises a cover (1), characterized in that the cover is at least partly formed or coated by using electronic ink (5) whose colour is changeable at least partly by means of at least one control signal, said electronic ink, containing electrically charged particles (3), and that in connection with, conductors (4a, 4b), in the cover, for conducting the control signal to the electronic ink (5), to attain a change in the colour of the cover.

8. The electronic device (7) according to claim 7, characterized in that it is a wireless communication device (7).

9. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 8, characterized in that the wireless communication device (7) is provided with the possibility to change the colour of the cover (1) repeatedly.

10. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 8, characterized in that the wireless communication device (7) is provided with a group of surface pattern information to produce different surface patterns on the surface of the cover (1), means (11) for selecting the surface pattern (8) of the cover (1) from said group of surface pattern information, and means (4a, 4b, V) for changing the colour of the cover to comply with the selected surface pattern.

11. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 9, which comprises means for receiving text messages and calls, characterized in that the colour of the cover (1) is arranged at least partly changeable when a text message has arrived, a call is coming, or a call that has arrived has remained unanswered.

12. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 9, which comprises means for receiving text messages and calls, characterized in that the caller has been provided with the possibility to change the colour of the cover (1) by keying a control command or transmitting a text message to the wireless communication device, on the basis of which the wireless communication device is arranged to change the colour of the cover (1).

13. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 11, characterized in that the user has been provided with the possibility to define caller groups, which definition of the caller group comprises at least the steps of selecting the number of the caller, and selecting whether the colour of the cover (1) is changed if a call arrives from a number belonging to the caller group in question and which colour is then changed on the cover.

14. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 11, characterized in that the colour of the cover (1) is arranged to change at least partly at intervals when a text message has arrived, a call is arriving, or a call that has arrived has remained unanswered.

15. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 9, which comprises means for establishing a data transmission connection to a mobile communication network, characterized in that it is arranged to indicate a state of the wireless communication device (7) or the mobile communication network by means of at least partly changing of the colour of the cover (1).

16. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 15, characterized in that the user is provided with the possibility to determine the changes that are desired to be indicated and the colour and/or surface pattern (8) which is produced in a given situation.

17. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 10, which comprises means for establishing a data transmission connection to a data processor of at least one service provider, characterized in that the wireless communication device (7) comprises means for transferring surface pattern information from said data processor to the wireless communication device via said data transmission connection.

18. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 17, characterized in that said means for transmitting surface pattern information comprise means for formulating and transmitting text messages to said data processor, which text message contains information on the surface pattern information selected to be transmitted.

19. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 10, which comprises means for establishing a data transmission connection to the data processor of at least one service provider, characterized in that the wireless communication device (7) comprises means for transmitting surface pattern information from said data processor to the wireless communication device by means of WAP.

20. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 10, characterized in that the cover (1) is provided with a means (14) recognizing the contact point, into which means (14) activation areas (13) can be arranged substantially freely to implement key functions, wherein the colour of the cover (1) is arranged to be changed at least partly at the location of at least one activation area (13).

21. The wireless communication device (7) according to claim 10, characterized in that the information transmitted thereto is divided at least into a first and a second class, of which the first class information is arranged to be presented on a display (9) of the wireless communication device and the second class information is arranged to be presented in the part of the cover (1) that changes the colour.

22. The wireless communication device (7), characterized in that the display (9), a keypad (11) and/or an antenna (12) are at least partly formed or coated by using electronic ink (5) whose colour is changeable at least partly by means of at least one control signal, said electronic ink, containing electrically charged particles (3), and that in connection with, conductors (4a, 4b), in the cover, for conducting the control signal to the electronic ink (5), to attain a change in the colour of the cover.