Invisible, light transmissive display system

• US 9,423,835 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Andre, Bartley K., Coster, Daniel J., Howarth, Richard P., de Iuliis, Daniele, Ive, Jonathan P., Kerr, Duncan Robert, Nishibori, Shin, Rohrbach, Matthew Dean, Satzger, Douglas B., Seid, Calvin Q., Stringer, Christopher J., Whang, Eugene Antony, Zorkendorfer, Rico, Morgenstern, David, Chow, Paul C. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US14/281,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20150192964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 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, tapered, light-transmissive holes are penetrated in a lighttransmissive pattern through at least a portion of the light resistant material using a laser beam having a focal width less than the smallest diameter of the tapered holes.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing having a first surface and a second surface and having at least a one hole formed through the housing between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the at least one hole is less than 0.1 mm in diameter at the first surface and wherein the cross-sectional area of the at least one hole increases as the hole extends from the first surface to the second surface; and

a light sensitive receptor positioned adjacent the second surface proximate the at least one hole.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first surface is opaque.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one hole is tapered.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one hole is conical.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one hole is less than 0.04 mm in diameter.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of holes formed through the housing between the first surface and the second surface, the plurality of holes being clustered together to form a pattern, wherein each of the plurality of holes is less than 0.1 mm in diameter at the first surface and wherein the cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of holes increases as the respective hole extends from the first surface to the second surface.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the pattern has an approximate center and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of holes are tilted outwardly with respect to a longitudinal axis that passes through the approximate center substantially perpendicular to the first surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the pattern has an approximate center and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of holes are tilted away from a longitudinal axis that passes through the approximate center substantially perpendicular to the first surface.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein at least the portion of the plurality of holes tilted away from the longitudinal axis are tilted toward a preferred viewing position of a user of the electronic device.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first surface comprises a texture with peaks and valleys that range in size at least as large as the diameter of the at least one opening.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a light-conductive filler in the at least hole.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, comprising control circuitry coupled to the light sensitive receptor to generate a signal correlative to ambient light sensed by the light sensitive receptor.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, comprising control circuitry coupled to the light sensitive receptor to generate a signal correlative to infrared light sensed by the light sensitive receptor.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the light sensitive receptor comprises a proximity detector.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a housing configured to hold a keyboard, wherein the keyboard includes a plurality of keys, at least one of the plurality of keys having a first surface and a second surface and having at a plurality of holes formed between the first surface and the second surface to create a pattern of holes, wherein each of the plurality of holes is less than 0.1 mm in diameter at the first surface and wherein the cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of holes increases as the hole extends from the first surface to the second surface; and

a light source positioned adjacent the second surface proximate the pattern of holes, such that the pattern of holes is substantially invisible when the light source is off and such that the light source illuminates the pattern of holes when the light source is on.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the pattern of holes comprises a status indicator.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the status indicator comprises a caps lock indicator.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the status indicator comprises a sleep indicator.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a housing configured to hold a battery, the housing having a first surface and a second surface and having at a plurality of holes formed between the first surface and the second surface to create a pattern of holes, wherein each of the plurality of holes is less than 0.1 mm in diameter at the first surface and wherein the cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of holes increases as the hole extends from the first surface to the second surface; and

a light source positioned adjacent the second surface proximate the pattern of holes, such that the pattern of holes is substantially invisible when the light source is off and such that the light source illuminates the pattern of holes when the light source is on to provide an indication of the battery'"'"'s state of charge.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the pattern of holes comprises a plurality of circular patterns and wherein more of the plurality of circular patterns are illuminated by the light source as the battery'"'"'s state of charge increases.