Luminescent signaling displays utilizing a wireless mobile communication device

• US 7,072,621 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Wildseed Ltd. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Peter, Engstrom, G. Eric, Nash, Paul R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/908,118
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/550, 455/553.1, 455/90.1, 455/90.3, 340/815.4, 345/31
• US Class Current: 455/90.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/0026 having outer surface of housing of electronic apparatus programmable as display and/or input device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

The present invention includes a wireless mobile communication device with a body casing having an exterior surface, and a number of light sources (LS) disposed on the exterior surface. A machine accessible medium is provided with instructions to selectively activate the number of LS in a spatial movement dependent manner to spatially paint luminescent images. Additionally, a processor is coupled to the machine accessible medium to execute the instructions. As a result, spatial painting of luminescent images utilizing a wireless mobile communication device is facilitated.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising

a machine accessible medium having instructions encoded therein, the instructions, when executed by a wireless mobile communication device having a plurality of light sources (LS) disposed on an exterior surface of a selected one of the article and the wireless mobile communication device, selectively activates the LS in a spatial movement dependent manner, while the wireless mobile communication device is being spatially moved, to effectuate spatial painting of luminescent images,

wherein the article is an interchangeable covering of the wireless mobile communication device.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable covering is a selected one of an interchangeable faceplate and an interchangeable cover skin.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein the interchangeable covering comprises an interchangeable covering having data to complement the spatial painting of the luminescent images.

4. The article of claim 3, wherein the data comprises an audio data.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein the wireless mobile communication device receives, via wireless transmission, data to complement the spatial painting of luminescent images.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the data comprises at least one of an audio and a text data.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of LS comprises eight (8) LS.

8. The article of claim 1, wherein the plurality of LS comprises nine (9) LS.

9. A method comprising:

retrieving stored data indicative of a luminescent image to be spatially painted in a spatial movement dependent manner utilizing a plurality of light sources (LS) disposed on an exterior surface of a body casing of a wireless mobile communication device, while the wireless mobile communication device is spatially moved;

determining timing information for activating and deactivating the plurality of LS based at least in part on the spatial movement of the wireless mobile communication device, wherein said determining of timing information comprises detecting if an accelerometer is present; and

selectively activating and deactivating the plurality of LS in accordance with the determined timing information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining of the timing information further comprises determining a change in acceleration based on signals received from the accelerometer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein selectively activating and deactivating comprises selectively activating and deactivating the plurality of LS based at least upon changes in said acceleration signal.