Colored Morphing Apparatus for an Electronic Device

• US 20090225057A1
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Polak, Robert D., Emig, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,957,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133533 Colour selective polarisers G02F1/1347 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133567 on the back side
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133602 Direct backlight
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134327 Segmented, e.g. alpha numeric display
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13471 in which all the liquid crystal cells or layers remain transparent, e.g. FLC, ECB, DAP, HAN, TN, STN, SBE-LC cells G02F1/13475 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/44 Arrangements combining different electro-active layers, e.g. electrochromic, liquid crystal or electroluminescent layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/002 replaceable; adaptable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/054 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/058 Optical grid, collimator or microlouver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A user interface (200) for a portable electronic device (100) is configured to transition from a first state to a second state to present a plurality of mode-based user actuation targets to a user. The user interface (200) includes a segmented electro-optical device (407) configured to open and close shutters, thereby revealing and hiding the user actuation targets. The user interface includes a first polarizer (401) disposed above the segmented electro-optical device (407) and a colored reflective polarizer (405) disposed beneath the segmented electro-optical device. The colored reflective polarizer (405), which may include a colored dichroic polarizer (601) and a reflective polarizer (602), causes the user interface (200) to exhibit a predetermined color.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A electronic device having a user interface for receiving a touch input, the user interface comprising:

a first polarizer cover layer;

a liquid crystal layer disposed beneath the first polarizer cover layer and between a first and second substrate to selectively alter a polarization of light transmitted therethrough;

a polarization dependent reflective layer disposed beneath the liquid crystal layer and configured to reflect a color of light of a first polarization and to transmit light of a second polarization; and

transparent electrodes disposed on one of the first or second substrate configured to present one of a plurality of keypad configurations to a user.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising an electroluminescent device having a plurality of selectively lightable segments configured to align with the transparent electrodes.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the transparent electrodes comprise selectively actuatable segments configured to create a plurality of user actuation targets by transitioning from a first state to a second state.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising a proximity detector configured to actuate the transparent electrodes.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the electronic device comprises a radiotelephone.

21. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the polarization dependent reflective layer comprises a colored reflective polarizer and a reflector.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the colored reflective polarizer comprises a colored dichroic polarizer configured to absorb light polarized along a first axis and to transmit light polarized along a second axis.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the polarization dependent reflective layer is configured to reflect light polarized along the first axis and to transmit light polarized along the second axis.

24. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the polarization dependent reflective layer further comprises a second polarizer disposed adjacent to the colored reflective polarizer, the second polarizer having a second polarizer transmission axis substantially aligned with the first polarizer cover layer.

25. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the electroluminescent device comprises a reflector coupled thereto configured to reflect incident light.

26. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises a twisted nematic liquid crystal display configured to, in a first state, facilitate a reflection of the color of light of the first polarization from the colored reflective polarizer.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the liquid crystal layer is configured to present the one of the plurality of keypad configurations by transitioning segments in a keypad region from a state reflecting the color of light of the first polarization to a translucent state.

28. A method in an electronic device having a polarization dependent reflective layer of reflecting a predetermined color from a user interface, comprising altering a polarization of light passing through a liquid crystal layer disposed above the polarization dependent reflective layer from a first polarization to a second polarization.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising disposing a first polarizer cover layer above the polarization dependent reflective layer such that the polarization dependent reflective layer reflects a color of light of having the first polarization and transmits light having the second polarization.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising actuating one or more transparent electrodes disposed on a substrate to present one of a plurality of keypad configurations to a user.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising detecting an object proximately located with the user interface with a proximity detector.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the actuating the one or more transparent electrodes occurs in response to the detecting the object proximately located with the user interface.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising projecting light from an electroluminescent device through one or more user actuation targets on the one of the plurality of keypad configurations.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the projecting light comprises actuating one or more selectively actuatable segments of the electroluminescent device.

35. The method of claim 28, further comprising revealing a high resolution display disposed beneath the polarization dependent reflective layer.