Active enclosure for computing device

• US 7,868,905 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2006
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US11/486,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-169, 345/905, 345/30, 315/292, 315/312, 315/362, 315/169.3
• US Class Current: 345/83
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a housing having an illuminable portion. The computing device also includes a light device disposed inside the housing. The light device is configured to illuminate the illuminable portion.

Claims

1. A method for illuminating a housing of a general purpose computer system, said method comprising:

providing a housing for enclosing a device of the general purpose computer system, the housing being separated into a plurality of independent illuminable zones, the housing also enclosing a plurality of light elements each of which is positioned proximate to an associated illuminable zone and arranged to transmit light through the housing and illuminate substantially only the associated illuminable zone;

monitoring events associated with the computer system, wherein at least one of said monitored events includes providing a display on a display screen of the computer system, wherein the display may include a moving image, said display screen being proximate to the housing;

sampling a plurality of regions of the display on the display screen to acquire color indicators for the plurality of regions;

associating particular events with corresponding particular illuminable zones;

determining driving signals for the light elements in accordance with the monitored events, wherein one or more of the driving signals is determined based on the color indicators of one or more sampled regions of the display on the display screen; and

controlling the light elements using the driving signals such that each light element illuminates an associated particular illuminable zone of the housing proximate to a sampled region in order to significantly affect the ornamental appearance of the illuminable zone of the housing such that the feel of the display on the display screen is extended to the illuminable zone of the housing proximate to the screen display by illuminating an associated particular illuminable zone such that it exudes a light effect similar to the moving image of the display as the image moves into the associated sampled region proximate to the associated illuminable zone.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the light elements are LEDs of various colors and thus the surface appearance of the housing can be multi-colored.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer system events are chosen from the group consisting of:

processor mode, processor status, data being processed, displayed information, I/O device status, I/O device mode, and program status.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer system events are chosen from the group consisting of:

removable medium insertion, network connectivity, computer system start-up and computer system shut-down.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a microprocessor that operates in one of a plurality of states, and

wherein the computer system events comprise the states of the microprocessor which are chosen from the group consisting of:

on, sleep or off.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a microprocessor that can recognize a plurality of different program status events, and

wherein the computer system events comprise the program status events which are chosen from the group consisting of:

program error, new electronic mail, awaiting input, and loading program.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the general purpose computer system is a desktop computer system.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the LEDs associated with each of the light elements comprise a plurality of LEDs having a variety of different colors.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined configuration information is provided by user-adjustable settings.

10. A computer system, comprising:

a housing for enclosing a component of the computer system, the housing being separated into a plurality of independent illuminable zones;

an event monitor configured to track computer events associated with said computer system, wherein at least one of said tracked events includes a providing a display on a display screen of the computer system, wherein the display may include a moving image, said display screen being proximate to the housing, and wherein said event monitor is further configured to sample a plurality of regions of the display on the display screen to acquire color indicators for the plurality of regions;

a light effect manager operatively coupled to said event monitor, said light effect manager being configured to generate light control signals when said computer events are executed by said computer system, said light effect manager being further configured to associate particular events with associated particular illuminable zones, wherein one or more of the light control signals is determined based on the color indicators of one or more sampled regions of the display on the display screen; and

a light arrangement operatively coupled to said light effect manager and enclosed by said housing, said light arrangement including a plurality of light elements, each light element being positioned proximate to an associated illuminable zone and arranged to transmit light through the housing and to illuminate the associated illuminable zone proximate to a sampled region, said light arrangement being configured to work in conjunction with said light effect manager to dynamically change the ornamental appearance of the illuminable zone of said housing such that the feel of the display on the display screen is extended to the illuminable zone of the housing proximate to the screen display by illuminating an associated illuminable zone such that it exudes a light effect similar to the moving image of the display as the image moves into the associated sampled region proximate to the associated illuminable zone.

11. A computer system as recited in claim 10, wherein said computer component is one of a processor or controller.

12. A computer system as recited in claim 10, wherein said computer component is one of an operating system, utility program or application program.

13. A computer system as recited in claim 10, wherein said computer event is one of input data or output data.

14. A computer system as recited in claim 10, wherein said light control signal carries illumination characteristics pertaining to the desired light effect that said light arrangement is to provide to said illuminable zone of said illuminable housing.

15. A computer system as recited in claim 10, wherein the illumination significantly alters the surface appearance of the housing such that a portion of the housing itself associated with the illuminable zone and not the light element provides visual indication of the computer event.

16. A computer system as recited in claim 10, wherein the light illuminates an inner surface of the housing to effect an appearance change at an outer surface of the housing.

17. A computer system as recited in claim 10, where the housing is capable of changing between multiple colors or patterns.

18. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein the multiple colors are selected from the color spectrum.

19. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein the multiple colors that are available are similar to the colors available to a screen display.

20. A computer system as recited in claim 10, wherein the light elements are LEDs.

21. A computer system as recited in claim 20, wherein each light element includes a plurality of LEDs.

22. A computer system as recited in claim 21, wherein the LEDs associated with a particular light element have a variety of different colors.

23. A computer system, comprising:

a housing adapted to enclose a plurality of computer system components therein, the housing including a plurality of independent illuminable zones;

a display screen situated proximate to said housing, the display screen being configured to provide a display that may include a moving image;

a sampling device operatively coupled to the display screen and adapted to sample a plurality of regions of the display provided on the display screen to acquire color indicators for the plurality of regions;

a light effect manager operatively coupled to said sampling device, said light effect manager being configured to generate light control signals based on the color indicators of one or more sampled regions of the display on the display screen; and

a light arrangement operatively coupled to said light effect manager and enclosed by said housing, said light arrangement including a plurality of light elements configured to transmit light through the housing, each light element positioned proximate to an associated illuminable zone and said light arrangement being configured to work in conjunction with said light effect manager to illuminate a particular area of said illuminable housing proximate to a sampled region so as to dynamically change the ornamental appearance of said housing based on the color indicators of the one or more sampled regions, such that the feel of the display on the display screen is extended to the illuminable zone of the housing proximate to the screen display by illuminating an associated illuminable zone such that it exudes a light effect similar to the moving image of the display as the image moves into the sampled region proximate to the associated illuminable zone.