U.S. patent application number 11/716087 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-12 for removalbe customizable inserts and faceplate for electronic devices.
Invention is credited to Paul Bradley, Markus Diebel, Antonio T. Latto, Isaac A. Simpson.
Application Number | 20070161421 11/716087 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21933329 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070161421 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Latto; Antonio T. ; et
al. |
July 12, 2007 |
Removalbe customizable inserts and faceplate for electronic
devices
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for the customization of
electronic equipment of which portable audio players, portable disc
players, portable digital games and laptop computers are
representative. The electronic equipment may be fitted with a
substantially transparent faceplate that may cover removable
inserts. These inserts may be customizable to provide unique
decorative appearances to the electronic equipment upon which they
may be fitted. Decorative designs may either be preprinted on the
inserts or a user may produce a customized design.
Inventors: |
Latto; Antonio T.;
(Portland, OR) ; Simpson; Isaac A.; (Milwaukie,
OR) ; Diebel; Markus; (San Francisco, CA) ;
Bradley; Paul; (Woodside, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TROP PRUNER & HU, PC
1616 S. VOSS ROAD, SUITE 750
HOUSTON
TX
77057-2631
US
|
Family ID: |
21933329 |
Appl. No.: |
11/716087 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10044613 |
Jan 11, 2002 |
7206618 |
|
|
11716087 |
Mar 9, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/575.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 17/56 20130101;
H05K 5/03 20130101; H04M 1/72427 20210101; H04M 1/0283 20130101;
H05K 5/0243 20130101; Y10T 29/53 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/575.8 |
International
Class: |
H04M 1/00 20060101
H04M001/00 |
Claims
1. a method comprising: providing a user with a sheet precut to a
shape suitable for use as the insert for a faceplate of an
electronic device; providing software to enable the user to select
one of a plurality of designs to print on said sheet; and providing
software to enable the user to print the selected design on the
sheet to make an insert for a faceplate for an electronic
device.
2. The method of claim 1 including providing the user with a sheet
that is cut to enable the user to punch out a shape suitable for
use as an insert for the faceplate for an electronic device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the user with a sheet
includes providing the user with a paper-based material.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the user with a sheet
includes providing the user with mylar.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent
Application Ser. No. 10/044,613, filed Jan. 11, 2002.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This invention relates to the field of portable
electronic.
[0003] Today electronic devices are ubiquitous. Cell phones,
portable disc players and the like can be seen daily in most public
places such as on the beach and in shopping malls. Many families
own multiple portable devices and not infrequently have a number of
the same make and model units. For example, the husband and wife
may each have the same cell phone model. The children may each have
similar looking portable disc players.
[0004] In addition, many of the devices look similar even if they
are from different manufactures. For example, many of the portable
disc players are manufactured from dark colored plastic and are
generally square shaped. Many portable phones have a similar shape.
This similarity of devices can and often does lead to confusion.
The husband will take the wrong phone or the children will argue
over who owns a particular disc player. There is therefore a need
to be able to distinguish one device from another similar
device.
[0005] There is also a need to distinguish a particular portable
device for promotional or other purposes. For example, cellular
service providers may desire to put their logos on the phones they
provide to customers. A museum may wish to uniquely identify the
tape players they rent to patrons.
[0006] Therefore a need exists for a way to change the look of
electronic equipment to aid in identifying a particular unit from
other similar units and to allow a user to give their unit a unique
look.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cell phone incorporating a
replaceable insert and a substantially transparent faceplate in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a cell phone base with the
faceplate removed in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a replaceable insert having
an ornamental design in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a substantially transparent
faceplate in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0011] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a digital audio player in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the digital audio player
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0013] FIGS. 7-9 are plan views of a digital audio player having
three different ornamental designs printed on the replaceable
insert in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a laptop computer
incorporating a replaceable insert and a substantially transparent
faceplate in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0015] FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a base section of the top
lid of the laptop computer in one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a replaceable insert in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention having an
ornamental design thereon;
[0017] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of a substantially transparent
faceplate for the laptop computer in accordance with one embodiment
of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 14 is a plan view of a handheld digital game
incorporating a replaceable faceplate and a substantially
transparent faceplate in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention;
[0019] FIG. 15 is a plan view of a base section of the handheld
digital game in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 16 is a plan view of a replaceable insert in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention having an ornamental
design thereon; and
[0021] FIG. 17 is a plan view of a substantially transparent
faceplate for the handheld digital game in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, a portable cell phone 101 may display,
in some embodiments, an ornamental design 103 that may be easily
changed and customized by a user of the phone 101.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 2, a base section 201 of the cell phone
101 may, in some embodiments, include a plurality of operational
controls of which 203, 205 and 207 may be representative. The base
section 201 may also include a display 209 that may display the
phone number being called and other operational data.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, an insert 301 may
incorporate a plurality of apertures of which 303, 305, 307 and 309
are representative. Apertures 303, 305 and 307 may be designed to
allow the operational controls 203, 205, and 207 to be accessed
from the front panel of the cell phone 101. Aperture 309 may allow
the replaceable insert 301 to fit over the display 209 such that
the display 209 is generally unobstructed.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, a faceplate 401
maybe designed to be affixed to the base section 201. In one
embodiment of the present invention, the faceplate 401 may be
manufactured of a material that is substantially transparent such
as a clear plastic or other materials.
[0026] The cell phone 101 may be constructed such that the
replaceable insert 301 may be sandwiched between the base section
201 and the inside of the faceplate 401. As the faceplate 401 is
substantially transparent, any ornamental design on the replaceable
insert 301 may be viewable through the faceplate 401. The
replaceable insert 301 may be constructed of any material that is
advantageous for the printing technology used to print an
ornamental design thereon.
[0027] For example, in some embodiments, a paper material may be
used if an ink-jet or photocopy process is utilized to print a
design on the insert 301. The paper may be fed into a printer or
copier as a normal sheet of paper would. After the image has been
transferred to the insert 301, the insert 301 may be formed to the
size required and placed between the faceplate 401 and the base
section 201. To assist in the printing process, the insert may be
integrated into a full sheet of 8.5'' by 11'' paper with punch out
tabs to assist in separating the insert 301 from the remainder of
the paper.
[0028] Many of the well known graphics programs which run on home
or office computers may be used to design and print a desired image
on the insert 301. Alternatively, specialized programs may be
designed and made available to those wishing to make custom
inserts. The printing may be conveniently performed by using a home
or office printer that utilizes an ink-jet, laser or other
technology.
[0029] For mass produced designs, in addition to paper based
materials, Mylar or other materials may be utilized to fabricate
the insert should a printing technology such as silk screening or
other large scale printing processes be utilized.
[0030] Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG.
5. In FIG. 5, a digital audio player 501 includes a faceplate 503
and a base 505. The faceplate 503 may be manufactured such that a
viewing section 507 of the faceplate 503 is substantially
transparent. A display 509 may be visible through the faceplate 503
as is a top surface 511 located under the faceplate 503. The
faceplate 503 may cover substantially the entire top surface 511 of
the base 505.
[0031] A "digital audio player" as used herein is an electronic
device in which audio is stored digitally in non-volatile memory
and converted to an analog signal for playback. Examples of
non-volatile memory are solid state memory or digital audio
tape.
[0032] In one embodiment of the present invention illustrated in
FIG. 6, an insert 601 may fit between the top surface 511 and the
underside of the faceplate 503. Insert 601 may include a display
aperture 603 that may permit the display 509 to be viewed once the
insert 601 is positioned on the top surface 511. In one embodiment,
the player 501 may be constructed such that when the faceplate 503
is affixed to the base 505, the insert 601 may be visible through
the viewing section 507.
[0033] The insert 601 may be manufactured of any convenient
material but may be advantageously manufactured of a material such
as paper which may retain an image when printed on by an ink jet,
laser or other printer, or copied onto by a photocopier or other
image transfer device. In this way, an image on the insert 601 may
be visible to a user through the viewing section 507.
[0034] In some embodiments, insert 601 may be provided by the
manufacturer of the digital audio player 501 with an image already
printed on it or the user may be provided with blank inserts. The
user may use a graphics software program to create a fanciful
design, which may then be printed or copied onto a blank insert. To
replace the insert 601, the faceplate 503 may be removed from the
base 505 and a new insert substituted for the old insert 601. The
faceplate 503 may then be affixed again to the base 505. In this
manner a user may customize the appearance of the digital audio
player 501 and change that appearance at any time.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 7, in some embodiments, the insert 601
may have a pattern that may appear as rows of circles. In other
embodiments the insert 601 may have a pattern that may resemble a
network of interconnected beams (FIG. 8) and in still other
embodiments, the insert 601 the image of a series of stars may be
printed on the insert 601 (FIG. 9).
[0036] Referring to FIG. 10, in some embodiments, a laptop computer
1001 may include a display housing 1003 on top of which an
ornamental design 1005 may be visible.
[0037] FIGS. 11-13 illustrate an exploded view of the laptop
computer of FIG. 10. Referring to FIG. 11, a base section 1101 of
the display housing 1003 may incorporate an insert retention
feature 1103 according to some embodiments.
[0038] A replaceable insert 1201 (FIG. 12) in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention may be constructed such that it
fits within the insert retention feature 1103 on the base section
1101. An ornamental design 1203 may be printed on the replaceable
insert 1201.
[0039] Referring to FIG. 13, a faceplate 1301, in one embodiment,
may be designed to fit on top of the base section 1101 and be
retained thereon. To permit viewing the replaceable insert 1201,
the faceplate 1301 may be advantageously constructed of a
substantially transparent material in some embodiments.
[0040] As in the other embodiments, the replaceable insert 1201 may
be sandwiched between the base section 1101 and the inside of the
faceplate 1301. As the faceplate may be generally transparent, any
ornamental design such as 1203 on the replaceable insert 1201 may
be visible through the faceplate 1301. By changing the replaceable
insert 1201 with another insert having a different ornamental
design, the appearance of the laptop computer 1001 may be
customized.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 14, in accordance with another embodiment,
a handheld digital game 1401 may include a display 1403 and game
controls of which 1405 may be representative.
[0042] As best illustrated in FIGS. 15-17, the handheld digital
game 1401 may include a base section 1501 upon which the display
1403 and game control 1405 are located in one embodiment.
Additionally, in some embodiments, a replaceable insert 1601 may be
provided that may have cutout areas 1603 and 1605 designed to fit
over the display 1403 and game control 1405 respectively. The
insert 1601 may also have an ornamental design 1607 thereon.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 17 a faceplate 1701 for the digital game
1401 may include an opening 1703 to allow access to the game
control 1405 and may be constructed of a substantially transparent
material.
[0044] In some embodiments, the digital game 1401 may be designed
such that the replaceable insert 1601 may be sandwiched between the
base section 1501 and the inside of the faceplate 1701. The
faceplate 1701 may be designed to be affixed to the base section
1501. In this manner, the ornamental design 1601 on the replaceable
insert 1601 may be visible through the faceplate 1701. As with the
prior described embodiments, by changing the replaceable insert
1601, the appearance of the digital game 1401 may be
customized.
[0045] In all of the above described embodiments, the faceplate and
ornamental insert combination cover a substantial portion of a
surface of an electronic device to provide the electronic device
with a unique appearance that may be easily changed. By changing
the ornamental insert, a large number of unique appearances may be
achieved.
[0046] While the present invention has been described with respect
to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will
appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is
intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and
variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present
invention.
* * * * *