Apple Patent: Dynamic Ornamental Appearance

Very interesting indeed... new iDevice?

Anyone else thinking maybe iTunes effects against the outside cover of an iPod...in effect a Mood Pod??

Too bad I only use mine while in traffic or at the gym...trust me, half the time it would not be pretty.

wow, what in the world could this become? I'm imagining a new cube that does everything the article talks about.....wow, I wonder how long it will be before we see this implemented in something?

I don't understand what all the latin text means but the drawing has me excited :D

Originally posted by TheAnswer
Anyone else thinking maybe iTunes effects against the outside cover of an iPod...in effect a Mood Pod??

Too bad I only use mine while in traffic or at the gym...trust me, half the time it would not be pretty.

No it's definitely meant for a computer, at least at the current stage, I just browsed through the rest of the patent page and its very very interesting, read some of the claims on it. ie:19. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the general purpose computer system is a desktop computer system.

Yay! Apple finally makes a toaster oven! You know, those diagrams are pretty vague. I noticed how boxlike the diagram was, and apple doesn't like squares. Of course I do realize they wouldn't put a detailed diagram down. That would ruin steve's show.

"By way of example, the iMAC model, which is produced by Apple Computer..."

Nice.:D

Originally posted by Macrumors
A patent filed on February 13, 2002 by "Apple Computers, Inc" [sic] reveals a very interesting patent description:

quote:
The invention pertains to electronic devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance, i.e., the outer appearance as seen by a user. The electronic devices generally include an illuminable housing. The illuminable housing, which includes at least one wall configured for the passage of light, is configured to enclose, cover and protect a light arrangement as well as functional components of the electronic device. The light arrangement, which generally includes one or more light sources, is configured to produce light for transmission through the light passing wall(s) of the illuminable housing. The transmitted light illuminates the wall(s) thus giving the wall a new appearance. That is, the transmitted light effectively alters the ornamental or decorative appearance of the electronic device. In most cases, the light is controlled so as to produce a light effect having specific characteristics or attributes. As such, the electronic device may be configured to provide additional feedback to the user of the electronic device and to give users the ability to personalize or change the look of their electronic device on an on-going basis. That is, a housing of the electronic device is active rather than passive, i.e., the housing has the ability to adapt and change. For example, the light may be used to exhibit a housing behavior that reflects the desires or moods of the user, that reflects inputs or outputs for the electronic device, or that reacts to tasks or events associated with operation of the electronic device.


Images/diagrams also available at the US Patent site.

They could have simply said: screen, monitor, display or tv...

I don't know that all the fuss is about, looks like an idea to make the cases of future (COMSUMER ONLY HOPEFULLY) Macs illuminate with user defined color related info, boooring. I mean not terribly useless, but some on, use the R&D money for something else.

Throw the darn R&D money into Marklar or PPC970 research. I know the 970 R&D is outside apples hands, but still......apply the money to something the PRO Mac users need, or some of us just might jump ship(by necessity, not choice). I don't know if any of you have had the chance to use a dual athalon alienware system with music/video/2D/3D but WOW!!!!!. I am really hoping that apple comes up with something quickly to remedy the processor issue. sorry this is off topic, but really, we need more posts from those that understand that this money and effort should be focused in more necessary directions....unless of course, as it has happened before, this new invention revolutionizes Mac computing, as well as the computer market as a whole.