Apple Patent Application Addresses Use of Ambient Light Sources for Notebook Backlighting
A rather strange patent application published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (via Patently Apple) reveals that Apple has looked into the possibility of using reflecting "light harnesses" as a means to gather ambient light for backlighting purposes in notebook computers. In particular, the patent application proposes harnessing sunlight while the user is outdoors on a bright day and the device's own backlight is overwhelmed by the incoming sunlight.
In some embodiments, external light may be collected to illuminate a display screen of an electronic device. The external light may originate from any source or combination of sources sufficient to at least partially illuminate the display screen, such as an accessory light bulb, the centralized illumination system in a vehicle cabin, or the sun. The electronic device may be any device capable of presenting information to a user on a display screen. The display screen may include any suitable screen, such as a liquid crystal display ("LCD") screen, that may present visual information to a user of an electronic device and, in some instances, accept user input information (e.g., a touch screen).
The patent application describes several implementations of the "light harness" concept that would serve to focus or route light from an exterior source to the display, including what appears to be a bulky reflector that would sit on the back of the display and could be rotated to an "open" or "closed" position depending on whether it is gathering light from an external source such as the sun or an internal source from the device itself.
Notebook computer with light reflector shown in closed (left) and open (right) positions The patent application was filed in September 2008 and is credited solely to Pete Mahowald, a member of Apple's illumination group.
Popular Stories
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...