Electronic device lighting system

• US 7,641,362 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lev, Jeffrey A., Ryder, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US11/799,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 362/321, 362/253, 362/293, 36167904-67906, 361/679.21, 361/679.29
• US Class Current: 362/253
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/08 by movement of the screens or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence

Abstract

A lighting system for an electronic device comprising at least one movable lens to cover a light source.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a base having a working surface;

a display rotably coupled to the base; and

a lighting system including a light source that illuminates the working surface and a lens that moves to change an amount of light transmitting through the lens to the working surface, wherein the lens includes plural different opacity portions.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lighting system further includes a slider connected to the lens, the slider movable along a slot to change an intensity level of light output through the lens to the working surface.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lens is circular and includes plural different opacity portions.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the lighting system further includes a knob that rotates to change an intensity level of light output through the lens to the working surface.

2. An electronic device, comprising:

a base having a working surface;

a display rotably coupled to the base; and

a lighting system including a light source that illuminates the working surface and a lens that moves to change an amount of light transmitting through the lens to the working surface, wherein the lens is treated to add tint or color and movable to change a color of light transmitted through the lens to the working surface.

6. A computer, comprising:

a base having a working surface;

a display connected to the base; and

a lighting system including a light source that illuminates the working surface and a lens having different opacity portions that change an amount of light transmitting through the lens to the working surface, wherein the lens includes a plurality of different colors to change an amount of light being transmitted through the lens.

7. The computer of claim 6, wherein the lighting system is disposed in a top cover of a housing of the display.

8. The computer of claim 6, wherein the lighting system is integrated into and forms part of a housing of the electronic device.

9. The computer of claim 6, wherein the lens changes a color of light transmitting to the working surface.

10. The computer of claim 6, wherein the lens rotates to change the amount of light transmitting to the working surface.

11. The computer of claim 6, wherein the lighting system further includes an indicator that indicates directions the lens is movable to change the amount of light transmitting to the working surface.

12. A laptop computer, comprising:

a base having a working surface;

a display rotatably coupled to the base; and

a lighting system in a housing of the display and including a light source that illuminates the working surface and a lens having different opacity portions that change an amount of light transmitting through the lens to the working surface.

13. The laptop computer of claim 12, wherein the lens includes a plurality of different colors to change a color of light being transmitted through the lens and to the working surface.

14. The laptop computer of claim 12, wherein the lighting system includes plural different and separate lenses that are stacked in a slot.

15. The laptop computer of claim 12, wherein the lighting system includes plural different lenses and plural buttons, and actuation of each one of the plural buttons selects one of the plural different lenses to change the amount of light transmitting through the lens to the working surface.

16. The laptop computer of claim 12, wherein the lens is rectangular.