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Patent: Dynamic Ornamental Appearance

Re: A New Server?

Originally posted by clubsport
Some of the information given in the patent leads me to believe that this technology could be used to display various information about what the Mac is currently doing.

Therefore, could this be purtaining to a new line of xServes that are able to change colour to reflect certain info about the server? For instance, the xServe could turn red if there was a problem, making it easily visible to people in the room.

Of course, this could be frightfully expensive and I have to say that it is not really worth it, but Apple is known for going to extreme lengths to make their products the best in the field.
Click to expand...

This actually seems like the most plausible application for this technology (or at least by the way I understand it) I don't see how it would be too expensive though, all that you need are some LED's, and a type of case that can easily diffuse the light evenly...
 
I've just read through the whole thing: I've never seen anything remotely like it! Is anyone clued up enough on Patent applications to tell if this is how they would normally look? It is SO BIZARRE!! I can't see it having anything to do with XServes: there's a long section about asteroids and spaceships, and another showing what looks like an old iMac plus speakers, external drive, mouse, keyboard and so on, ALL illuminated! And then there's a bit referring to coloured iMacs being currently available. Some of this stuff is far from new, and the drawings are very strange for a company like Apple to produce, unless it's purposeful disinformation. :eek: :eek: :eek:
Time to resurrect the Tetrahedron thread??? This is really freaky stuff!!
 
The first thing I thought of was cell phone covers.

This technology, if used as a phone cover, would allow its owner to change the look of the phone at will.

When the phone rings, it could do all kinds of things... Maybe even custom "ring animations" for specific people in your addressbook. Know what I mean?

Sometimes I am very skeptical about an Apple cell phone... but it is very, very possible.

Apple says that the PDA is evolving into the cell phone. Then stories appear about Quicktime on Japanese phones. Now "Dynamic Ornamental Appearance". Hmmmm...

12_10_2001_10_23_08Low.gif
 
a new language for H-C communication

This could be bringing back the color to Apple,
literally. A new way for your computer/device
to communicate with you (startup, errors, iTunes,
iCal, IM, email, alarmclock,...), and for you to
customize it to your likes.

Using all the flexible plastic LED and similar display
materials being developed, Apple could basically embed
this into the clear plastic and turn your computer's
surface into a screen. Or leave it off.

This can be applied across their entire
line of computers and devices. Squeeze a
little more $$ from liscensing it to each of their
3rd party hardware maufacturers (zips, printers,
etc) -- would definately add up to some bank!

I've long thought of an arm-top that could
change it's "desktop" to conform to your
clothing/style.

And I don't mean to be lazy, but anyone got
a LINK? or reposting some of the images?
 
Re: A New Server?

Originally posted by clubsport
Some of the information given in the patent leads me to believe that this technology could be used to display various information about what the Mac is currently doing.

Therefore, could this be purtaining to a new line of xServes that are able to change colour to reflect certain info about the server? For instance, the xServe could turn red if there was a problem, making it easily visible to people in the room.

Of course, this could be frightfully expensive and I have to say that it is not really worth it, but Apple is known for going to extreme lengths to make their products the best in the field.
Click to expand...
I can't see why a glowing xserve would be any more effective than a couple of super-bright LEDs on the front, especially considering 9 times out of 10 nothing but the front of the xserve will be visible.



BTW, the link on the front page is no onger valid - the page says "Search Time Limit Has Expired."
 
Sounds wacky and yet very interesting...

Sure this could be silly for certain things, but imagine this:
A PDA that basically looks like a thin flat box with nothing on it. Titanium in color for example. Touch one tiny spot where the classic 1/0 power button appears and... tadaaaa.... it comes to life. A full touch(stylus) sesitive PDA that can be reconfigured as other devices like a phone, an iPod, video player, voice recorder, digicam, etc. The interface changes on the outside depending on the use. Could be very, very cool!
 
Originally posted by dukestreet
Am I the only one having a problem looking at the images? They seem to be cut off :confused:
Click to expand...

in chimera i'm getting a broken quicktime icon, in ie something appears to load but it's blank.
 
Apple has been experimenting with light and transperancies for a long time. In fact the original imac was going to have suround sound that was driving light that was projected out of the machine on the wall. This sounds hokey but from what I hear it was very cool. It gave yet another dimension to the experience of watching a movie. This could be a variation on this theme. Apple has a guy in R+D who's job is to come up with interesting things with lights. (eg. pulsating sleep light)
 
maybe it will have something to do with the lightup apple logos on the ibook and powerbook
 
Originally posted by Tommy!
maybe it will have something to do with the lightup apple logos on the ibook and powerbook
Click to expand...

could be.... but I think this goes past just the apple logo on the
iBook.
 
Originally posted by bobafett
Apple has been experimenting with light and transperancies for a long time. In fact the original imac was going to have suround sound that was driving light that was projected out of the machine on the wall. This sounds hokey but from what I hear it was very cool. It gave yet another dimension to the experience of watching a movie. This could be a variation on this theme. Apple has a guy in R+D who's job is to come up with interesting things with lights. (eg. pulsating sleep light)
Click to expand...

Is his name Duncan Kerr???

i read through the entire patent and it was quite intersting. not as spaceage as some people here are posting. it sounds very much like the pulsating sleep light taken to the next extreme. for example, when you are playing a game everything is stull running behind it, but currently the computer does not inform you if you have new mail or an im. this patent seems to be implying that with this technology, that won't be the case anymore. the shell of the computer will light up a particular color to make you aware of the mail...or more likely a mail icon will appear somewhere on the computer's enclosure to let you know you have mail. For the regular consumers, they'll be able to customize the appearance of their computers a use i don't think is neccessary for the already beautiful Macs.

Also, to the person who stated this patent was filed with "Apple Computers" as the assignee and not "Apple Computer", I found that suspect as well, but whoever filed used one of Apple's patent lawyers. Also, Apple appears to have filed several other patents about computer enclosures during that same week.

What is suspect though is that the patent refers tot his technology being compatible with either IBM computers or Apple computers. Does anyone call Windoze PCs "IBM" computers anymore?
 
Yes, I am rather suspicious of this myself. Are all of Apple's patents so badly laid out? Could someone show us the patent to an Apple product we're all familiar with so that we could compare patent to reality and get a better idea of what this one could mean?

The 'Apple Computers' strikes me as highly suspect, too, as does their capitalisation of 'iMAC'; although again, I'm not sure how Apple works with patents, and perhaps those who write their patents are indeed this far removed from the creative aspects of the company.

I am sceptical but intrigued. Let's get some more information.
 
Advances in Ease of Use! Don't tell MS...

A while back I put a suggestion in Apple's box:

It was around the time that there were rumors of a back lit keyboards on Powerbook prototypes, my suggestion to Apple was that they should put RGB diodes (They were not available yet from any manufacturer but were a near future possibility!) under each key of keyboards and put bulbs in the menus of applications about half the size of the bulbs in windows of OS X. I suggested that they use various colors in the bulbs and light keys on the keyboard to correspond to the bulbs and get rid of command key equivalents text in the menus.

Now Command key equivalents are functional even when they are not visible, the menu item not deployed, in contrast to this I suggested a scheme where the main menu would light up on the keyboard and then the selected menu would pop down and the keyboard lights would change to correspond to the menu that was visible thus the lighting of the keyboard would be very dynamic and change frequently.

A truly type-able interface and very easy to use.

Implementing this on digital devices would probably be even more useful, easier to use in dark places, and a further enhancement of easy of use!

MacYoda LIVES!!!
 
Originally posted by sprescott1974

for example, when you are playing a game everything is stull running behind it, but currently the computer does not inform you if you have new mail or an im. this patent seems to be implying that with this technology, that won't be the case anymore. the shell of the computer will light up a particular color to make you aware of the mail...or more likely a mail icon will appear somewhere on the computer's enclosure to let you know you have mail.
Click to expand...

This (and the patent) seems to fit in of the field of Ambient Computing. This company has been getting some press for thier early work in this arena

http://www.ambientdevices.com
 
Re: Patent: Dynamic Ornamental Appearance

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

***************

A phone !

The color changes are for universal access and theater
no-ring situations and more -- like colors assigned to
separate caller classes or individuals -- pink is Mom,
Red is boss, green is stock agent, etc.

I hope it uses the iMac to do tons of useful phone things.

Anyone see the vapor ware iTalk with cool wheel/button
with 6-way motion , in Bondi Blue years ago ???

I need agood phone to interface with my iMac...

hope it has true spread-spectrum security for internet
credit card orders (not "frequency hopping").

That's my guess and I am sticking to it.

---gooddog



Images/diagrams also available at the US Patent site.
Click to expand...
 
It's obvious that Apple is planning to announce iLavalamp, the combination computer/psychedelic lamp. Sure, I'll buy one.
 
It will be the iRave. The best kind of party light for the best kind of party. Don't forget your pacifier.
 
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