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Apple Patent Application Addresses Use of Ambient Light Sources for Notebook Backlighting

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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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).
Click to expand...
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.


114344-notebook_reflector.jpg


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.

Article Link: Apple Patent Application Addresses Use of Ambient Light Sources for Notebook Backlighting
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/03/25/apple-patent-application-addresses-use-of-ambient-light-sources-for-notebook-backlighting/
Jayomat

Jayomat

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Jan 10, 2009
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MacRumors said:
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.
Click to expand...

not going to happen^^
 
JMax1

JMax1

macrumors 6502
Oct 17, 2006
424
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Harlem, NY
Awesome - if they keep the apple logo on the back too, the sunlight might burn a permanent apple logo image into my retinas. That's pretty good marketing -"I see Apple everywhere I look!"

but this would be cool because it could also increase battery life by a ton.
 
zombitronic

zombitronic

macrumors 65816
Feb 9, 2007
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They're never going to actually put a harness on the back of a laptop...think of the aesthetics!! Still, it's cool that they're thinking of the possibilities.
 
sishaw

sishaw

macrumors 65816
Jan 12, 2005
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The trick in a patent application is to reveal enough to get the patent, but not too much. There's no way the reflector is going to bulk outwards like that. A thin, reflective layer behind the screen like a cat's eye (the user won't even know it's there) --sure, that makes sense.
 
Rot'nApple

Rot'nApple

macrumors 65816
Dec 27, 2006
1,152
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I DID build that!
Dr.%20Evil.jpg



I've created a "light harness" that would focus and route light from an exterior source to the "LCD Display"...

I'm Dr. Evil and I approve this frick'n technology... :D
 
jclardy

jclardy

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Oct 6, 2008
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I was actually thinking about this a few weeks ago. It was really sunny outside and my macbook was in front of the window with the backlight all the way off. I could still see a small bit of text that was illuminated by the light shining through the Apple logo. I thought they could make the entire back translucent then the ambient light would shine through to light the screen. The problem was that it would only be useful in a handful of situations. (This is on an a gen 1 white plastic Macbook, I don't know if the newer ones do it.)

The reflector idea is interesting but I don't think it would ever be used.
 
zombitronic

zombitronic

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Feb 9, 2007
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sishaw said:
The trick in a patent application is to reveal enough to get the patent, but not too much. There's no way the reflector is going to bulk outwards like that. A thin, reflective layer behind the screen like a cat's eye (the user won't even know it's there) --sure, that makes sense.
Click to expand...

I think you're absolutely right about that. Maybe not the exact implementation, but the concept is the key. True, being patented would hinder competitors from just blatantly copying the obvious idea presented in this patent, but Apple would still like to protect their ideas for implementing this technology.
 
Surely

Surely

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Oct 27, 2007
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Sure it works, but it looks awful. They'll never actually produce laptops with that sail on it.

How are you going to put that puppy in your laptop bag?
 
thejadedmonkey

thejadedmonkey

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May 28, 2005
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I'm pretty sure this already exists in pre-production models. I don't know if it uses the sun on the back, or the sun reflecting off of a mirror in the back of the LCD though.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
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People always talk about these out-there patents as if they point to something that will happen.

They’re interesting for sure--and occasionally one will see the light in some form. But Apple (and others) patent TONS of ideas they have no current intention of building. And most of the time, especially with these out-there ideas, that intention never comes.

Apple clearly encourages innovative thinking, and when an idea comes up they don’t wait and patent “only the best” (which is hard to predict into the future anyway).

They patent tons of ideas, just in case they ever want them—or in case someone else does and they can license it. If Apple doesn’t patent something then potentially they could be locked out of using it later. So they’re not very selective, and their more exotic patents like this tell us nothing about their future plans.
 
B

bdkennedy1

Suspended
Oct 24, 2002
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Actually I think the current design shown is impractical. Are you really going to undo a back flap on your laptop to let sunlight in? Really?

I think what would have been more practical is to have a magnifying glass like material around the edge of the lid that absorbs the light and refracts it into the screen.
 
Truffy

Truffy

macrumors 6502a
May 9, 2005
978
7
somewhere outside your window...
nagromme said:
People always talk about these out-there patents as if they point to something that will happen.

They’re interesting for sure--and occasionally one will see the light in some form. But Apple (and others) patent TONS of ideas they have no current intention of building. And most of the time, especially with these out-there ideas, that intention never comes.
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That's exactly what I thought when I read the article, 'patent squatting'. And they'll also have to patent a screen that's viewable in sunlight strong enough to have any meaningful energy-generating capacity! :D
 
C

cvaldes

macrumors 68040
Dec 14, 2006
3,237
0
somewhere else
sticky.chicken said:
I guess it's hard to tell how flimsy this thing would be, but how easy would it be to break the damn thing? :confused:
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It would probably be very easy to break the damn thing. Which might be one reason why they wouldn't take it to market.

You realize that Apple doesn't turn all of its patent ideas into shipping products, right?
 
miketcool

miketcool

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Jun 24, 2003
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California
zombitronic said:
They're never going to actually put a harness on the back of a laptop...think of the aesthetics!! Still, it's cool that they're thinking of the possibilities.
Click to expand...

Lookup any of Renzo Piano's thin light reflecting roof surfaces. Scale that onto the back of a laptop. Think tiny, tiny mirrors that react to light. It is completely doable. The drawings above are just exaggerated. It is more a cost feature at this point then an aesthetic.
 
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