Watch display using light sources with a translucent cover

• US 9,235,195 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Clarkson, Brad N., Andren, Bo Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Amy Cohen
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US14/258,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20140226448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 368/82, 368/83, 368/224, 368/241
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/045 Mounting of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/08 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes

Abstract

A display assembly includes a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof and a cover disposed over the display. The cover has a homogeneous surface over the entire face of the display. The display assembly is controllable between an inactive state and an active state. In the inactive state, the face of the display is not viewable through the cover, and in the active state, the indicia are viewable through the cover.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a band configured to wrap around a wrist or arm of a user to permit the device to be worn by the user;

a display comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices and configured for selectively displaying human-readable indicia, the display being operable between an active state and an inactive state, wherein each of the light-emitting devices is configured to emit light when in the active state; and

a cover comprising a flexible material disposed over the display and covering all of the plurality of light-emitting devices, such that the flexible material forms an outermost surface of the device, the cover further having a plurality of conduits extending through a portion of a thickness of the cover, wherein the flexible material is sufficiently flexible to be bent to an angle of greater than 90 degrees without permanent deformation or fracture, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is substantially aligned with one of the plurality of light-emitting devices, such that light emitted from one of the light-emitting devices travels through the corresponding conduit of the cover to be visible through the cover,

wherein the flexible material is generally opaque and is configured to permit a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting devices to pass through, allowing the display to be visible through the cover when the light-emitting devices are in the active states, and wherein the flexible material is configured to obscure vision of the display when the light-emitting devices are in the inactive states.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein, the flexible material includes an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, and wherein the plurality of conduits extend from the inner surface of the cover toward the outer surface through the portion of the thickness of the cover.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of conduits includes an open end at the inner surface of the cover and a closed end opposite the open end, and wherein the closed ends of the conduits form a plurality of thinned portions of the cover.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of thinned portions has a thickness substantially less than a thickness of an adjacent portion of the cover.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the thickness of the thinned portions of the cover is approximately 0.4 mm.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the open end at the inner surface of the cover has a greater surface area then the closed end opposite the open end.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a filling material is provided within a portion of each of the plurality of conduits.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the filling material is selected from the group of:

a flexible fiber optic cable, a glass rod, and a clear plastic filling.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the light-emitting devices comprises an LED.

10. A device comprising:

a band having a top portion and curved sides configured to wrap around a wrist or arm of a user to permit the device to be worn by the user;

an electronic module comprising a computer component and configured for wireless communication with an external device, the electronic module further comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices forming a display controlled by the computer component and configured for selectively displaying human-readable indicia, the display being operable between an active state and an inactive state, wherein each of the light-emitting devices is configured to emit light when in the active state; and

a cover comprising a flexible material disposed over the display and covering all of the plurality of light-emitting devices, such that the flexible material forms a single, homogenous surface that covers the entire display and extends over the top portion and around the sides of the band, wherein the flexible material includes an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, and

wherein the cover includes a plurality of conduits extending through a portion of a thickness of the cover, each of the plurality of conduits having an open end at the inner surface of the cover and a closed end opposite the open end, the open end at the inner surface of the cover having a greater surface area then the closed end opposite the open, and

wherein the cover is configured to obscure the display when the display is in the inactive state, and wherein at least a portion of the light emitted by the display is visible through the cover when the display is in the active state.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the closed end of each of the plurality of conduits form a plurality of thinned portions of the cover.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the light-emitting devices comprises an LED.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is substantially aligned with one of the plurality of light-emitting devices, such that light emitted from one of the light-emitting devices travels through the corresponding conduit of the cover to be visible through the cover.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the flexible material is sufficiently flexible to be bent to an angle of greater than 90 degrees without permanent deformation or fracture.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein a portion of each of the plurality of conduits contains at least one filling material selected from the group of:

a flexible fiber optic cable, a glass rod, and a clear plastic filling.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the device is sealed to provide water resistance for the computer component.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the flexible material of the cover is generally opaque.

18. A device comprising:

a band having a top portion and curved sides configured to wrap around a wrist or arm of a user to permit the device to be worn by the user;

a display comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices and configured for selectively displaying human-readable indicia, the display being operable between an active state and an inactive state, wherein each of the light-emitting devices is configured to emit light when in the active state; and

a generally opaque cover disposed over the display and covering a portion of the plurality of light-emitting devices, wherein the cover is made of a flexible material, wherein the flexible material is sufficiently flexible to be bent to an angle of greater than 90 degrees without permanent deformation or fracture, wherein the cover has a thinned portion of the flexible material positioned over the face of the display, and wherein the thinned portion forms a translucent portion that is configured to obscure vision of the display when the assembly is in the inactive state and is further configured, such that at least a portion of the light emitted by the display is visible through the translucent portion to make the indicia visible through the cover when the assembly is in the active state, and

wherein the flexible material includes an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, and wherein the cover includes a plurality of conduits extending from the inner surface of the cover toward the outer surface through a portion of the thickness of the cover, each of the plurality of conduits including an open end at the inner surface of the cover and a closed end opposite the open end, the closed ends of the conduits forming the thinned portion of the flexible material.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is substantially aligned with one of the plurality of light-emitting devices, such that light emitted from one of the light-emitting devices travels through the corresponding conduit of the cover to be visible through the cover.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the open end at the inner surface of the cover has a greater surface area then the closed end opposite the open end.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the thickness of the thinned portion of the flexible material is approximately 0.4 mm.