By Richard Shim, 17 August 2004 10:45
NEWS Apple is again trying to light up the computer market, according to a patent filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
A patent application, listing Apple as the assignee and Duncan Kerr and Steve Hotelling as the inventors, was published on the USPTO site late last week. The abstract described a computer with an illuminable housing and a light device - red, green, blue and white light emitting diodes "disposed" inside the housing.
The filing describes a "chameleonic" electronic device which can "alter its visual appearance".
This published patent, filed on 2 February, is the latest in a series related to this capability.
Apple representatives declined to comment on the filing. The Web site Mac Observer first noted the updated application.
The application has 36 claims regarding what is used to light up the casing of a computer - different color LEDs and a partly translucent housing - and how and when it is supposed to occur. An indicator assembly produces an image on the surface of the case when activated.
Apple started a trend in creating more colorful desktops in early 1999 with the introduction of five 'flavors' of iMac: strawberry, blueberry, tangerine, grape, and lime.
The company has acknowledged it is working on a new iMac design.
Apple will be participating in a trade show in Paris at the end of the month.
Richard Shim writes for CNET News.com
Comments
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1. simon
can anybody really claim to have "invented" the idea of putting an LED inside a case and have it change colour etc. ? my pc does this already, i had a pen when i was a lad that did it when you pressed the end down, i had a plastic space gun too ... all these patents are just ridiculous, these things just arent' "invented" any more than me patenting the idea of keeping lemons on the top shelf of my fridge or selling little cubes of salt as the latest way to melt snow ... i really hope we dont get so stupid in UK
2. Gerry
Could this idea be the Mathmos demo product, that I gave to Johnny Ives 2 years ago at the D&AD awards, taking root?
Or is that too audacious a claim to make?