Active enclosure for computing device

• US 7,452,098 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, ANABEL
• Application Number:
  US10/075,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20030002246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 362/85, 362/109, 362/253, 362/363, 362/367, 362/351, 362/800, 362/249, 361/724, 361/683, 340/762, 315/291, 315/292, 307/125
• US Class Current: 362/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a housing having an illuminable portion. The computing device also includes a light emitting device disposed inside the housing. The light emitting device is configured to produce a light effect that alters the ornamental appearance of the computing device.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a housing, the housing having an outer surface at least a portion of which is capable of being illuminated by light transmitted through an inner surface of the housing, the housing being configured to enclose at least one internal component associated with an operation of the computing device;

a shaped object positioned within the housing in close proximity to the inner surface of the housing corresponding to the portion which is capable of being illuminated by light; and

a controllable light emitting device disposed inside the housing, the light emitting device being configured to produce an adjustable shaped light effect for colorizing or patternizing the portion of the housing capable of being illuminated by light in order to alter the ornamental appearance of the housing of the computing device, the light emitting device including

an enclosed light source configured to generate the light,

a flexible light pipe for redirecting substantially all of the light from the enclosed light source regardless of where the light source is positioned within the housing, the flexible light pipe including a first end and a second end, the first end being positioned in close proximity to the light source and arranged to receive substantially all of the light from the light source, the second end being positioned in close proximity to the shaped object and arranged so as to illuminate an inner surface of the shaped object so as to produce an illuminated shaped object that is visible from the outer surface of the housing.

2. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein each light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

3. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein each light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

4. The computing device as recited in claim 3 wherein each of the light emitting diodes generates the same color of light.

5. The computing device as recited in claim 3 wherein each of the light emitting diodes generates a different color of light than the other light emitting diodes of the associated light source.

6. The computing device as recited in claim 5 wherein the light emitting diodes cooperate to produce a light effect having a single color.

7. The computing device as recited in claim 5 wherein the light emitting diodes cooperate to produce a light effect having a plurality of colors.

8. The computing device as recited in claim 3 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes are integrated into a light emitting diode array.

9. The computing device as recited in claim 8 wherein the light emitting diode away includes a blue, red and green light emitting diode.

10. The computing device as recited in claim 1 further including a light guide for focusing the light generated by the light source onto the inner surface of the shaped object.

11. The computing device as recited in claim 1 further including a lens for focusing the light generated by the light source.

12. The computing device as recited in claim 1 further including a reflector for redirecting the light onto the inner surface of the shaped object.

13. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the light emitting device further comprises a light source controller in communication with the light source, said light source controller being configured to process light commands to produce the light in a controlled manner via the light source.

14. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one internal components comprise a processor.

15. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one internal components comprise a display controller, input controller or output controller.

16. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one internal components comprise a display that is distinctly separate from the light emitting device.

17. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one internal components comprise an input or output device.

18. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the light effect is static.

19. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the light effect is dynamic.

20. The computing device as recited in claim 1 wherein the computing device is a general purpose computer.

21. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the illuminated shaped object is arranged to illuminate the inner surface of the housing corresponding to the portion which is capable of being illuminated by light thereby projecting the shape of the illuminated object onto the inner surface of the housing to produce the adjustable shaped light effect at the outer surface of the housing that substantially corresponds to the shape of the illuminated object.

22. The computing device as recited in claim 21, further comprising a light guide for directing the light from the illuminated shaped object onto a designated portion of the inner surface of the housing so as to prevent the light from reaching other non-designated portions of the inner surface of the housing.

23. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the light pipe substantially blocks light from reaching light or heat sensitive areas of the at least one internal components.

24. The computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the shaped object is in the shape of a circle, square or apple.

25. The computing device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second shaped object positioned within the housing in proximity to the inner surface of the housing corresponding to a second portion which is capable of being illuminated by light;

and

a second controllable light emitting device disposed inside the housing, the second light emitting device being configured to produce a second adjustable shaped light effect for colorizing or patternizing the second portion of the housing capable of being illuminated by light in order to alter the ornamental appearance of the housing of the computing device, the second light emitting device including

a second enclosed light source configured to generate the light,

a second flexible light pipe for redirecting substantially all of the light from the second enclosed light source regardless of where the light source is positioned within the housing so as to illuminate an inner surface of the second shaped object so as to produce a second illuminated shaped object that is visible from the outer surface of the housing.

26. The computing device as recited in claim 25, wherein an outer surface of the second illuminated shaped object is arranged to illuminate the inner surface of the housing corresponding to the second portion which is capable of being illuminated by light thereby projecting the shape of the second illuminated object onto the inner surface of the housing to produce the second adjustable shaped light effect at the outer surface of the housing that substantially corresponds to the shape of the second illuminated object.

27. A computing device, comprising:

a housing, the housing having an outer surface at least a portion of which is capable of being illuminated by light transmitted through an inner surface of the housing, the housing being configured to enclose at least one internal component associated with an operation of the computing device; and

a controllable light emitting device disposed inside the housing, the light emitting device being configured to produce an adjustable shaped light effect for colorizing or patternizing the portion of the housing capable of being illuminated by light in order to alter the ornamental appearance of the housing of the computing device, the light emitting device including

an enclosed light source configured to generate the light,

a light guide for redirecting the light from the enclosed light source regardless of where the light source is positioned within the housing, the light guide including a first end and a second end, the first end being positioned in close proximity to the light source and arranged to receive substantially all of the light from the light source, the second end being positioned in close proximity to the shaped object and arranged to transmit substantially all of the light from the light source through an exit opening of the second end of the light guide so as to illuminate an inner surface of the housing corresponding to the portion which is capable of being illuminated by light, the exit opening of the light guide having a shaped configuration, wherein the shaped configuration of the exit opening is projected onto the inner surface of the housing to produce the adjustable shaped light effect at the outer surface of the housing that substantially corresponds to the shaped configuration of the exit opening.

28. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein each light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

29. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein each light source includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

30. The computing device as recited in claim 29 wherein each of the light emitting diodes generates the same color of light.

31. The computing device as recited in claim 29 wherein each of the light emitting diodes generates a different color of light than the other light emitting diodes of the associated light source.

32. The computing device as recited in claim 31 wherein the light emitting diodes cooperate to produce a light effect having a single color.

33. The computing device as recited in claim 31 wherein the light emitting diodes cooperate to produce a light effect having a plurality of colors.

34. The computing device as recited in claim 29 wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes are integrated into a light emitting diode array.

35. The computing device as recited in claim 34 wherein the light emitting diode array includes a blue, red and green light emitting diode.

36. The computing device as recited in claim 27 further including a lens for focusing the light generated by the light source.

37. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the light emitting device further comprises a light source controller in communication with the light source, said light source controller being configured to process light commands to produce the light in a controlled manner via the light source.

38. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the at least one internal components comprise a processor.

39. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the at least one internal components comprise a display controller, input controller or output controller.

40. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the at least one internal components comprise a display that is distinctly separate from the light emitting device.

41. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the at least one internal components comprise an input or output device.

42. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the light effect is static.

43. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the light effect is dynamic.

44. The computing device as recited in claim 27 wherein the computing device is a general purpose computer.

45. The computing device as recited in claim 27, wherein the light guide substantially blocks light from reaching light or heat sensitive areas of the at least one internal components.

46. The computing device as recited in claim 27, wherein the exit opening of the light guide is in the shape of a circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, letter or logo.

47. The computing device as recited in claim 27, further comprising a second controllable light emitting device disposed inside the housing, the second light emitting device being configured to produce a second adjustable shaped light effect for colorizing or patternizing a second portion of the housing capable of being illuminated by light in order to alter the ornamental appearance of the housing of the computing device, the second light emitting device including a second enclosed light source configured to generate the light, a second light guide for redirecting the light from the second light source regardless of where the second light source is positioned within the housing, the second light guide being configured to transmit substantially all of the light from the second light source through an exit opening of the second light guide so as to illuminate an inner surface of the housing corresponding to the second portion which is capable of being illuminated by light, the exit opening of the second light guide having a second shaped configuration, wherein the second shaped configuration of the exit opening is projected onto the inner surface of the housing to produce the second adjustable shaped light effect at the outer surface of the housing that substantially corresponds to the shaped configuration of the second exit opening.