Optical: systems and elements – Glare or unwanted light reduction – With mirror
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2002-05-28
Nguyen, Thong Q (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Glare or unwanted light reduction
With mirror
C359S601000, C348S834000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394615
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to improving the visibility of portable computer display screens, and in particular to an improved light shield for laptop computers. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a device for enhancing the visibility of portable computer display screens by shielding direct and indirect light from the display screen and the eyes of the user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When portable laptop or notebook computers are used in outdoor or otherwise brightly lit environments, their display screens are often difficult to view. The display screens typically utilize a relatively low-powered liquid crystal display (LCD) to reduce power consumption and prolong battery life. Although LCD screens are more efficient, they also produce lower intensity images that are less visible than those of their desktop computer counterparts. Moreover, brightly lit environments make LCD screens appear dark for a variety of reasons. As shown in
FIG. 1
, direct sunlight
11
creates a direct glare or reflectance
13
on the glass of the LCD panel
15
of a portable computer
17
. In addition, indirect sunlight
21
creates a diffuse glare
23
on the LCD glass
15
. Finally, bright light conditions
25
cause the pupils of the user's eyes to constrict, thus allowing less of the illumination
29
from the computer's LCD screen to enter the user's eyes. These effects combine to make portable computers very difficult to operate in brightly lit conditions.
In the prior art, a number of methods and devices have been proposed to enhance the viewability of computer display images in brightly lit environments. Sunshades for electronic displays are commercially available and used primarily by professional photographers using digital cameras, and officials of sporting events that must view television monitors outdoors.
One example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,303. In that patent, a tubular, flexible hood 16 is provided for shielding external light from the eyes of the user and the video display screen 11 of a monitor 12. One end of the hood is attached to the monitor with an elastic band 19, and the other end of the hood is secured to the head of a user with an uncomfortable elastic band and hat 21. This design is ideally suited for use by operators of monitors who must maintain visual contact with the monitor at all times and those who need access to control knobs 15 on the monitor. The operator is unable to quickly or readily view anything but the monitor since the hood is literally wrapped around his or her head via the band and cap
21
. Moreover, since the hood 16 is a flexible material, the user must use his or her neck to maintain enough tension in the hood to prevent it from sagging and blocking his or her view of the screen. Such a physical strain on the neck of the user will certainly cause muscle fatigue. In addition, some light is still permitted to enter the hood through openings 24 for the hands of the user. Although it is conceivable that this design could be adapted for use with a portable computer, it is a highly impractical solution as outdoor users of portable computers are typically not so transfixed with their display screens.
Other prior art solutions for enhancing the viewability of computer display screens may be generally characterized as two types of devices: those that dramatically alter the desired small, lightweight, and portable profile of laptop users, and those that are relatively consistent with such a profile. The first type of device typically employs a series of large, stiff, cumbersome panels that surround a monitor (and, often, the computer itself) to block only some of the direct and indirect sunlight when deployed. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,095,385; 3,329,770; and 5,877,896. Although some of these types of devices may be folded to reduce their overall size when not in use, their folded configuration is larger than a folded laptop computer, thereby violating the small, lightweight, and portable profile laptop users seek. Furthermore, these solutions are designed to be spaced apart from the user by such a distance that a significant amount of direct and indirect sunlight is still permitted to reach the screen, and the constricting pupils of the eyes of the user.
The second type of device typically employs a series of small rigid panels that are attached to the monitor or cover of the laptop computer to block direct and indirect sunlight. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,905,546; 5,218,474; and 5,069,529. Unfortunately, each of these devices only shield three sides of the display and are completely open on their lower ends (just above the keyboard of the laptop). This configuration permits a significant amount of direct and indirect sunlight to reach the screen and the eyes of the user, further dilating his or her eyes. Furthermore, other than U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,529 (which is designed for a desktop computer), these solutions are spaced apart from the user by such a distance that additional direct and indirect sunlight is still permitted to reach the screen and the eyes of the user.
Another problem with these devices is their lack of adaptability to different sized monitors. The rigid panels of these designs are pre-cut for specific laptop models and are limited to use therewith via fasteners that are also unable to compensate for variations in display dimensions. Moreover, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,529, requires is mating grooves
1
d
(
FIG. 1
) to be formed in the monitor itself, thereby; further restricting its use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,546, uses a separate rubber band
56
(
FIG. 5
) to attach the device to the laptop. The rubber band may. be easily broken or misplaced to render the device unusable. Although this latter device may be reconfigured for different sized displays, the multiple flaps utilized by the device must be refolded to do so. Furthermore, the fold-in flaps
71
,
72
,
73
,
74
(
FIG. 1
) obscure the user's view of certain areas of the screen. When not in use, the devices of this second category may be folded to reduce their overall size. However, since the panels are rigid, the size of their folded configurations are limited to the size of their respective largest panels. Thus, an improved design for shielding direct and indirect light from the display of a laptop computer and the eyes of its user is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A collapsible light shield for a portable computer shields direct and indirect light from the computer display and from the eyes of the user. The light shield has four flexible panels that form a generally tubular shape when in use. One end of the light shield has a contoured viewing port through which the user may view the screen. The other end of the light shield has a ring-like elastic fastener that detachably secures to three sides of the computer display. Each panel has two bisecting fold lines about which the tubular light shield may be collapsed into a substantially flat profile that is a small fraction of its original size.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the visibility of portable computer display screens.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an improved light shield for laptop computers.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for enhancing the visibility of portable computer display screens by shielding direct and indirect light from the display screen and the eyes of the user.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in view of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2683391 (1954-07-01), Nichols
patent: 3329770 (1967-07-01), Rose
patent: 4121303 (1978-10-01), Reece
patent: 4314280 (1982-02-01), Rose
patent: 4865420 (1989-09-01), Schmidt
patent: 5069529 (1991-12-01), Takaha
Hill David Wayne
Sawin David Andrew
Takahashi Tomoyuki
Bracewell & Patterson LLP
International Business Machines - Corporation
Nguyen Thong Q
Schelkopf J. Bruce
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