Colored morphing apparatus for an electronic device

• US 8,957,863 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, ALLISON WALTHALL
• Application Number:
  US12/470,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,097 Days
• Field of Search: 345168-170, 345/173, 349 96-108
• US Class Current: 345/170
• 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. An 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 and configured to selectively alter a polarization of light transmitted therethrough;

a polarization dependent reflective layer disposed beneath the liquid crystal layer and configured to reflect one of a red component of the transmitted light, a blue component of the transmitted light, or a green component of the transmitted light of a first polarization along a first axis and to absorb all of the components of light of the first polarization that are not reflected, and to transmit each of the red, blue, and green components of light of a second polarization along a second axis, wherein the red, green, and blue components of the transmitted light, when combined, make white light; and

transparent electrodes disposed on one of the first or second substrate and configured to present a first one of a plurality of keypad configurations to a user when the red, blue, or green component of transmitted light is reflected by the polarization dependent reflective layer and to present a second one of a plurality of keypad configurations to the user when each of the red, green, and blue components are transmitted by the polarization dependent reflective layer.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an electroluminescent device having a plurality of selectively lightable segments configured to align with the transparent electrodes.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the electroluminescent device comprises a reflector coupled thereto configured to reflect incident light.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, 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 polarization dependent reflective layer.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, 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.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising a proximity detector configured to actuate the transparent electrodes.

7. The multimodal electronic device of claim 1, wherein the multimodal electronic device comprises a radiotelephone.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the polarization dependent reflective layer comprises a colored reflective polarizer and a reflector.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the colored reflective polarizer comprises a colored dichroic polarizer configured to absorb light polarized along the first axis and to transmit light polarized along the second axis.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the reflector is configured to reflect light polarized along the first axis and to transmit light polarized along the second axis.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the polarization dependent reflective layer further comprises a second polarizer disposed adjacent to the polarization dependent reflective layer, the second polarizer having a second polarizer transmission axis substantially aligned with the first polarizer cover layer.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first keypad configuration corresponds to a first mode of operation of the electronic device, and wherein the second keypad configuration corresponds to a second mode of operation of the electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first keypad configuration corresponds to a music player mode of operation of the electronic device, and wherein the second keypad configuration corresponds to a phone mode of operation of the electronic device.

14. A method of selectively revealing one of a plurality of keypad configurations of a user interface of an electronic device while selectively hiding another one of the plurality of the keypad configurations, the electronic device having a polarization dependent reflective layer for reflecting a predetermined color component of light from a user interface, the method comprising:

transmitting white light through a first polarizer cover layer above the polarization dependent reflective layer;

reflecting from the polarization dependent reflective layer only one color of transmitted light having a first polarization along a first axis while absorbing other colors of the transmitted light having the first polarization along the first axis;

altering an axis of polarization of the light transmitted through a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first polarizer cover layer and the polarization dependent reflective layer from a first polarization;

transmitting through the polarization dependent reflective layer at least three colors of light having a second polarization along a second axis that is different from the first axis;

when the only one color of light having the first polarization is reflected from the polarization dependent reflective layer, actuating one or more transparent electrodes disposed on a substrate to present a first keypad configuration to a user; and

when the at least three colors of light having the second polarization are transmitted through the polarization dependent reflective layer, actuating one or more transparent electrodes disposed on a substrate to present a second keypad configuration to a user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting an object proximately located with the user interface with a proximity detector.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the actuating the one or more transparent electrodes occurs in response to the detecting the object proximately located with the user interface.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising projecting light from an electroluminescent device through one or more user actuation targets on the second keypad configuration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein projecting the light comprises actuating one or more selectively actuatable segments of the electroluminescent device.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising revealing a high resolution display disposed beneath the polarization dependent reflective layer.

20. An 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 and configured to selectively alter a polarization of white light transmitted therethrough;

a polarization dependent reflective layer disposed beneath the liquid crystal layer and configured to reflect a color component of the transmitted white light having a first polarization along a first axis and to absorb all of other color components of the transmitted while light having the first polarization, and to transmit all of the transmitted white light having a second polarization along a second axis that is different from the first axis; and

transparent electrodes disposed on one of the first or second substrate and configured to present a first one of a plurality of keypad configurations to a user when the red, blue, or green component of transmitted light is reflected by the polarization dependent reflective layer and to present a second one of a plurality of keypad configurations to the user when each of the red, green, and blue components are transmitted by the polarization dependent reflective layer.