Invisible, light-transmissive display system

• US 9,377,821 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Andre, Bartley K., Coster, Daniel, Howarth, Richard, de Iuliis, Daniele, Ive, Jonathan P., Kerr, Duncan, Khosla, Jivan Kumar, Nishibori, Shin, Rohrbach, Matthew, Satzger, Doug B., Seid, Calvin, Stringer, Christopher, Whang, Eugene, Zorkendorfer, Rico
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US14/280,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20140321098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227.26, 345/173, 345/204, 428/690, 405/80
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/003 the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0056 Audio equipment, e.g. music instruments, radios or speakers
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/10 for personal use, e.g. hand-held
• 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 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/06 using individual cut-out symbols or cut-out silhouettes, e.g. perforated signs
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/08 using both translucent and non-translucent layers
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

An invisible, light-transmissive display system with a light resistant material is provided. Substantially invisible holes penetrate through at least a portion of the light resistant material in a predetermined light-transmissive display pattern.

Claims

1. A status indicator for an electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a plurality of openings, wherein each opening has a diameter that is less than 100 microns;

a light-cured filler in each of the plurality of openings; and

a light source adjacent to the plurality of openings, wherein the light source is operable to indicate an operational status of the electronic device to a user by transmitting visible light through the light-cured filler.

2. The status indicator defined in claim 1, wherein the light-cured filler has an outer surface that is formed in a common plane with an outer surface of the housing.

3. The status indicator defined in claim 2, wherein the plurality of openings are substantially invisible when the light source is in an unilluminated state.

4. The status indicator defined in claim 3, wherein each opening of the plurality of openings has a diameter that is less than or equal to 40 microns.

5. The status indicator defined in claim 2, wherein the electronic device has an active operational state and wherein the light source is configured to transmit the visible light through the light-cured filler when the electronic device is in the active operational state.

6. A status indicator for an electronic device, comprising:

an external electronic device surface having an opening with a diameter that is less than or equal to 100 microns; and

a light source adjacent to the opening, wherein the light source is operable to indicate an operational status of the electronic device by transmitting light through the opening in the external electronic device surface.

7. The status indicator defined in claim 6, further comprising a filler formed in the opening, wherein the light source is operable to indicate the operational status of the electronic device by transmitting the light through the filler.

8. The status indicator defined in claim 7, wherein the filler comprises a light-cured filler.

9. The electronic device status indicator defined in claim 6, wherein the external electronic device surface comprises a surface of a housing for the electronic device.

10. The electronic device status indicator defined in claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a conductive housing.

11. The status indicator defined in claim 6, wherein the electronic device comprises a keyboard having a plurality of keys and wherein the external electronic device surface comprises a surface of at least one of the keys in the keyboard.

12. The status indicator defined in claim 11, wherein the light source is operable to indicate whether a caps lock function associated with the keyboard has been engaged by transmitting the light through the opening.

13. The status indicator defined in claim 6, wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a laptop computer and a wireless telephone.

14. The status indicator defined in claim 6, wherein the external electronic device surface further comprises an additional opening having a diameter that is less than or equal to 100 microns, wherein the light source is further operable to indicate the operational status of the electronic device by transmitting the light through the additional opening.

15. The status indicator defined in claim 6, wherein the light source is operable to indicate whether the electronic device is in a sleep mode by transmitting the light through the opening.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a material having a first surface and a second surface;

at least one hole through the material between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the at least one hole is invisible; and

a light detector adjacent to the at least one hole that is operable to detect light transmitted through the at least one hole.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16, further comprising:

a filler formed in the at least one hole, wherein the light detector is operable to detect the light through the filler.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17, wherein the filler comprises at least one of:

a plurality of particles for altering the viewing angle of light transmitted through the filler;

reflective metallic particles;

silicon particles;

mica particles;

fluorescent particles;

light-conductive filler that is curable by heat; and

light-conductive filler that is curable by ultraviolet light.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 16, wherein the electronic device comprises a display panel and wherein the first surface comprises an external surface of the display panel.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 16, further comprising:

a pattern of a plurality of holes through the material between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the plurality of holes comprises the at least one hole that is invisible.