Apple Applies For Color-Change Patent

Secret300 writes "Apple is applying for a patent to release "devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance." If this is a success, it would considerably boost Apple's presence in the technology world." So, perhaps we can not only theme our desktop on the machine - but our *literal* desktop.

Comments

"devices capable of changing their color"

[torpor]

... sounds an awful lot like an LCD screen to me, which'd be prior art.

What's special about their patent? Are the surfaces non-planar or some such thing?

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[WPIDalamar]

Sounds more like a patent to change how the mac looks, not just the display. Maybe my mac's case is blue in the morning, and yellow at night? If this is the case, there MUST be things that do similar things.

Hell, wouldn't certain animals qualify as prior art?

And what about novelity (is that a word?)? Screw the prior art searches, we need examiners that can say "This is not novel, so it's not patentable, even tho no one else has done it."

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[MrAndrews]

Quite aside from the patent-worthiness debate, I'd say that, after reading about this everywhere I could, this is a VERY novel patent. Much more so than any patent I can remember in the past few years. The ability to change the skin of objects (like an iPod, or a cell phone or what have you) really would make a big impact on many industries. That is a far better patent than, for instance, tabbed window interfaces.

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[sydb]

And what about novelity (is that a word?)? Screw the prior art searches, we need examiners that can say "This is not novel, so it's not patentable, even tho no one else has done it."

"Novelty" is "newness". "Novel" means "new". If no-one else has done something then by definition it is novel.

You might argue that "novelty" suggests something which is actually imaginative. But I think that here the word "novel" is used to define what is imaginative.

So don't throw away your prior art database out of a desire for novelty; you'll be throwing away your primary objective indicator of novelty.

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[motardo]

what about the oh-so-cool t-shirts from the late eighties, early nineties that changed color?

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[WPIDalamar]

My bad... I guess I confused it with the "Non Obvious" clause.

http://www.bitlaw.com/patent/requirements.html

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[ceejayoz]

Wow, and you're calling the US system "brain fucked"?

At least here people can only patent stuff that's known to be possible...

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[Jucius Maximus]

Haven't the people at apple ever seen a mood ring?

Or a lava lamp?

Or those little artificial christmas trees with fiber optic stands built into them that dynamically emit changing colours?

I think that this has been done before.

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[Yokaze]

The point is, the idea is not new.

IRC, in Neal Stephensons "Diamond Age" John Hackworth implemented this for chop sticks. Little animations on them.

In Total Recall, the film, the secretary of Total Recall, the company, changed the colour of her finger nail electronically.

In William Gibsons "Virtual Light" a car was changing its painting (otherwise called animation).

Another point is, it is too generic and they are (surely) missing a working prototype.

It's seldom the "what", more often it is the "how".

Otherwise, I'll go and patent "an apparatus or method for creating products by the means of moluclar modifications".

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[User 956]

Hell, wouldn't certain animals qualify as prior art?

If you read the patent, it covers, essentially, a "transparent" area of the case (case windows, great new idea!), with an "arrangement of lights". In which case, wouldn't everything being done with case modding be prior art? Wouldn't putting an LCD in the side of your case qualify, under this patent? How long till they start up the lawsuits on people that have been doing this shit for the last four years or so?

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[Jugalator]

"That is a far better patent than, for instance, tabbed window interfaces."

I'll remember that quote when we manage to manipulate DNA enough to create the first mozilla's to walk on our earth. I'll tell a mozilla to "Get Mr Andrews" and *then* ask you if tabbed windows interfaces aren't useful. Mwahahaha!

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[Oculus Habent]

But they don't change color by sampling an area and adjusting the color output of the tree to match?

Granted, a chameleon Christmas tree wouldn't be so exciting.

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[Oculus Habent]

Any computer they put out with that capability probably won't fair well in warm or hot water, either. ;)

Re:"devices capable of changing their color"

[sydb]

You know, I did read the dictionary definition before making my post.

The primary definition of "novel" is "new". It is a synonym.

Noting that there are suggestions of special newness about the word "novelty" I included a sentence about how the word suggests some creative act on the part of the novelty-generating individual.

Does that make sense to you?

I didn't deserve to be moderated to +5, by pointing out simple facts, but my post was factually accurate. Conversely, you seem keen to make cheap and ill-aimed shots, sporting the inappropriate garb of arrogance.

May the coming new year bring you much joy and happiness, may your dreams, however wicked, be realised!

Boost what?

[cloudmaster]

If this is a success, it would considerably boost Apple's presence in the technology world.

I'm not sure how pretty colors will bost them in the technology world, let alone the ability to change amongst various pretty colors. Remember those sneakers with the clear logo and replacable colored inserts? That didn't boost the shoes in the technology world, why would a similar tech boost Apple? Have their shiny colored computers boosted them "considerably" so far, or was it their generally good hardware architecture and cleanly-integrated OS? Sigh.

Re:Boost what?

[micromoog]

Have their shiny colored computers boosted them "considerably" so far, or was it their generally good hardware architecture and cleanly-integrated OS? Sigh.

Their shiny-colored computers have boosted them more than anything else. Remember the first iMacs? That's when the great unwashed began to take notice of Apple again.

Re:Boost what?

[cloudmaster]

No, the majority of people that you *notice* are looks-driven. You (the general you, not "ReVMD") tend to notice the flash stuff and not notice the plain beige wrappers because the flashy stuff neccisarily stands out. The problem with being "different" is it's only different until everyone else starts doing the same thing. The macs aren't generally good looking, they're just different looking, and that's inherently self-destructive IMHO.

I maintain that the majority of people who buy a mac make the final decision because of mac v/s pc, not flashy color v/s beige. I'll grant that ever-changing flashy colors do probably draw in a bigger crowd than would otherwise be present, however, the elitist in me won't count that crowd as being part of the "technology world"... :)

RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[AssFace]

This would allow me to fufill my quest to fully rice out my desktop computer. I have swollen fenders on it, a pumping neon glow that throbs to the beat of ABBA, and of course the ubiquitous spoiler that keeps my computer from flipping over when I'm crusing.

If my computer could change colors as you walk around it like some of those wonderful paint jobs that I've seen on many a Honda Civic... well, then I would probably shit my pants with joy.
Come to think of it, and judging my that smell, I guess it doesn't have to be with joy.

I hope that having color changing exteriors won't cause them to give up hope of the slowest JVM, fire causing power supplys, and expensive underclocked RAM.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

The term "ricer" started from the motorcycle days of old when all the "rice-burners" came to the US.

Exactly. Back when racism against Asians was commonplace, 1) because of WWII, then 2) because American industry workers feared the loss of their jobs because of lower-priced Asian imports.

The cars are indeed laughable. The term, however, is racist.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

...I have friends that are Asian and heard the term from them...

Just because you know some Asians that don't mind the term, that doesn't make it non-racist. It is offensive to some people. If you don't care, that's your bag . . . just be aware that it's racist.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[finkployd]

I think the phrase comes not from the race of the people doing it (since they are mostly anglo/saxon Americans it seems) but the fact that they pretty much only do it Japanese cars (Civics and the like).

Finkployd

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

Everyone is a racist in on form or another. I have seen it all over the world in many forms.

That's a sad way to rationalize away a problem. "I'm just one man, what can I do?" That doesn't make it any less of a problem here and now.

You probably get offended by the word 'Nigger' but blacks use it...

Far from the first time I've seen this logical fallacy . . . the same word can have different connotations in different circumstances. I don't get offended by the kind of usage you give as an example.

The Blacks nor Asians do not need another champion... really.

Who are you to decide that?

"Rice"-related Asian references are offensive to some people. Whether you choose to continue using them is up to you . . . just know that you may be offending some people by doing so.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[Xerithane]

Exactly. Back when racism against Asians was commonplace, 1) because of WWII, then 2) because American industry workers feared the loss of their jobs because of lower-priced Asian imports.

Saying that a car is a rice-rocket, or he is a Rice boy is not racist. If you ask anybody in the world what area produces and consumes the most rice, they would say Asia.

Granted, not Japan, but Asia. If you think saying Rice Rocket, or Rice Boy is racist, you seriously need to lighten up. None of them mean anything derogatory towards Asians or Japanese, specifically. In order for something to be racist, it has to mean something other than a slang label.

It's a lot easier to say someone is a Rice boy than "He's a guy who drives a honda civic that has chrome rims, a 12" spoiler, and neon lights pulsing with NOS stickers all over"

Ironically, in Japan, the kanji for the US is gohan. Which is rice...

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

In order for something to be racist, it has to mean something other than a slang label.

Wrong. Most racist slang has innocent roots. If it's offensive to the target group, and you know it, and you use it anyway, you are a bigot for using it. A marginal amount of googling for "rice racist" will reveal that the term does indeed offend. Be aware of this if you choose to continue using it.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[Xerithane]

Wrong. Most racist slang has innocent roots. If it's offensive to the target group, and you know it, and you use it anyway, you are a bigot for using it.

It's not racist slang. Looking at other slangs, lets say, nigger, rooted from negro, meaning black isn't even offensive. The problem is the hateful white-people-yelling-it-to-black-people-while-hang ing-them is still a fresh memory.

I don't think to date, anyone has lynched someone driving a rice-car while screaming "Rice Boy!" because, being called a Rice Boy means little more than the fact they are driving a Japanese car. A country that has a primary food staple of... you guessed it, rice.

There are also Kraut-Rockets, for german cars, but do you go up in arms against that? Do germans find any offense to that? None that I know. I think the reason why there are no names for American cars like that is because "Big Mac and Fries Rocket" doesn't sound like something that belongs outside a toilet.

Your google reference is completely lacking, because only one page on the initial list supports it as a Racist term. The other relevent searches say it isn't. So you are missing out on that one a bit.

Be aware of this if you choose to continue using it.
Who am I going to offend, exactly? Are you asian? Do you own a rice-rocket? Will it make you feel better if I tell you I'll be calling Japan in a few hours, after driving home from work in a Toyota?

Besides, Rice Boy is someone who drives a Rice Rocket. You can't be racist against a car that comes from Japan. Racism only works against people not cars.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[macshit]

If you think saying Rice Rocket, or Rice Boy is racist, you seriously need to lighten up. None of them mean anything derogatory towards Asians or Japanese, specifically.

Maybe you don't intend to be racist, but man does it sound racist, at least to the average ear. It sounds like the sort of thing an embittered auto-worker might mutter while revving his muscle-car.

So however you mean it, you should understand that to many people, it's going to make you look like a bigot.

Ironically, in Japan, the kanji for the US is gohan. Which is rice...

[Actually the `rice' kanji used in the various Japanese names for America (kome) is not the same as that used in `gohan' (meshi).]

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

*sigh*

nigger...isn't even offensive

This point isn't even worth arguing.

I don't think to date, anyone has lynched someone driving a rice-car while screaming "Rice Boy!"

Murderous violence is not a prerequisite for racism. It's generally the other way around.

primary food staple of... you guessed it, rice. There are also Kraut-Rockets, for german cars, but do you go up in arms against that? Do germans find any offense to that? None that I know.

"Kraut" is actually quite a negative term, comparable to "nigger".

Your google reference is completely lacking, because only one page on the initial list supports it as a Racist term.

Precisely how many people need to be offended before you begin to care? Give me a number. How many people's feelings equate to your need to use a mildly humorous term?

Will it make you feel better if I tell you I'll be calling Japan in a few hours, after driving home from work in a Toyota?

Not slightly. Would it make you feel better?

Racism only works against people not cars.

Of course. The term "riced-up" refers to a car decorated in a style pioneered by a subculture of young Asian men in Southern California. The term "rice-burner" refers to a car built by Asian people. The point is, using "rice" in any way as a reference to Asians or Asian culture is a generalization that many find offensive. It doesn't matter if it's based in truth (i.e. most Asians like rice); generalizations do exist for a reason. However, it is offensive, and if you use it, you demonstrate that you don't care if you offend. That's your choice.

Even if you're using the term to refer to a white boy in a Mustang, the term still has its roots in racism. It may be watered down, but it's still poison.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

Many other people agree with me.

I don't give a fuck what your or my national origin is; that's immaterial to the argument. The term is offensive to some people, and has offensive roots. The fact that you know a few people that are not offended by the term does not scale to everyone.

As for your argument that you only use the term in the company of people that you know aren't offended by it . . . do you carefully check with each person within range before saying it? Including the vast hordes of Slashdot readers that may or may not have been reading our little discussion?

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

All I need to prove my point ("rice" is offensive) is to find one person that it offends. Each of those links had at least one person that was offended, generally accompanied by debate from both sides. The fact that there is a public debate about the issue proves that it is offensive to some. If nobody found it offensive, there would be no links or discussion about it. Being "outnumbered" does not apply.

Besides, you've clearly stated that you don't care who you offend. Which is it now, it's not offensive, or you don't care?

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

They are mutually exclusive. You are bypassing simple logic, blinded by your conviction that your pet term for "drivers of falsely enhanced cars" is worth fighting for.

As far as racism being a non-issue in the US today, that is complete nonsense. Consider that a major political leader was just ousted from his position because of his comments.

Your attempts at personal and racial attacks against me go along with the rest of your demonstrated ethic. It's offensive, you know it, and yet you will continue to use it. Happy New Year.

Re:RICE BABY YEAH!!!!

[micromoog]

You are in the minority, so again, fuck off.

The true irony of this is that you don't even see the irony.

Is this how the patent system works now?

[Junior J. Junior III]

"devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance."

I thought that a patent had to be on a particular method or device, not on a general class of devices that has a capability to do something.

If Inventor A patents Mousetrap A that works using a mechanical spring baited with cheese, and Inventor B invents Mousetrap B that works using poison, if Inventor A holds a patent on Mousetrap A, it shouldn't affect B's ability to build or patent Mousetrap B. It's not the capability of the device (the capability to trap mice in this case), it's the *method* or the *design* used to achieve that capability.

Or has the patent system gotten completely screwed up?

Re:Is this how the patent system works now?

[WPIDalamar]

read the patent.

It's on a method of doing it using light to shine through the case.

Re:Is this how the patent system works now?

[SeanTobin]

Ok, but how many clicks does it take to change it?

Re:Is this how the patent system works now?

[MoneyT]

would probaly pay $500 for a computer case with a red light in it.

As oposed to the people that are paying how much for case mods of neon lights? clear sides? Round cables? Lets face it geeks pay for looks regardless of wether they use PCs or Macs

Re:Is this how the patent system works now?

[Phroggy]

OS X (a closed-source BSD variant)

Um, the BSD part is open-source. The GUI on top is no less open-source than it's ever been. What are you complaining about?

Whats your favorite color HAL?

[Ogrez]

Blue... no! GREEN!!... aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

WOW!

[CashCarSTAR]

Apple invented the light bulb!!

Seriously 'tho..after reading the patent I don't think this is anything that special. It seems like Apple is going to start putting RGB LED lights inside a specially designed case so you can change the color of it to match your surroundings.

Is it just me or is this the hardware version of feature creep? Is Apple going to fit all its devices full of cute doodads just to raise the price more? My opinion is that Apple should be investigating an open architechture for its hardware..but that's just me.

Re:WOW!

[CashCarSTAR]

I'm actually more talking about getting rid of their mini-case format, or at least having a tower size option. Mini-cases are ugly and just don't feel right, even excluding the lack of upgrades. Just my personal taste 'tho..

Some prior art:

[Asprin]

The receptionist's fingernails.

Marty's clothes, IIRC

Visuals

[Daleks]

iTunes visuals on your computer skin or even your iPod case would be awesome. It would make every case-modder out there green with envy.

Re:Visuals

[overunderunderdone]

It would make every case-modder out there green with envy.

Only if they already have some form of this technology.

Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[duffbeer703]

if ( $org within ("Microsoft"|"Amazon"|"Intel")
&& $topic == "patent" )
{
post.story("Patents are evil, Linux r0x0rZ!");
}
elsif ($org within ("Apple"|"Transmeta"|"VA")
&& $topic == "patent" )
{
post.story("Feature xxx is cool! $org r0x0rZ!");
}
else {
ignore.story();
}

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[NineNine]

That's exactly what I was gonna say... just not in so much code...

But, that's nice that they're doing such a wide reaching patent. I think that we can safely say, "Bye bye case mods", since any cases sold already modded would violate the patent. So if anybody does LAN parties, you're gonna have to get an Apple if you want a cool case. Swell.

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[duffbeer703]

I traded readability for efficency with that code :D

The most pathetic thing is, if Dell did something like this, there would be a front-page rant with 1500 replies to it in 10 minutes.

But Apple is held sacrosanct, because they compete (poorly) with Wintel.

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[pohl]

What an idiot you are. That's like

• going into a restaurant,
• hearing one person exclaiming how eating veal is immoral,
• witnessing somone else ordering veal, and
• accusing the entire clientele of hypocrisy.

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[duffbeer703]

The general tone on Slashdot has been that patents & copyright are bad things -- As long as the patent/copyright holders are from "bad" corporations

If you google for "case mods", you'll find plent of prior art for using LEDs to alter the appearance of a computer.

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[glwtta]

I don't get it. Why are people not allowed to like or dislike companies? I'm very much within my rights to dislike a company, even for no reason at all. There is just no reason for me to be strictly obejctive about this.

btw, what sort of bastard language is that? Perl style variables, with what looks like java style objects (but all with the method story() and the action in the name of the object - seems a bit backwards), and some god-awful 'within' syntax. - Yikes! Wouldn't want to code that for a living :)

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[duffbeer703]

While I may be an idiot, I also happen to be literate. Maybe you should ask your mom to come down to the basement and read to you.

I wasn't referring to Slashbots like yourself, but to the editorial staff. In case you haven't noticed yet, (which is frightening considering your UID) users don't post stories.

Slashdot employs editors who actually post stories submitted by users. Editors tend to post stories in a manner consistent with the algorithim that I noted earlier.

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[duffbeer703]

You are allowed to like or dislike companies... but if you judge Amazon by it's one-click patent, then you should judge Apple and it's LED-on-a-box patent at the same level. Both are inane.

That bastard language is what happens when a java/c programmer becomes a dba, then gets dropped into a large Perl project! My code in real-life isn't nearly as disgusting looking though!

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[glwtta]

That bastard language is what happens when a java/c programmer becomes a dba, then gets dropped into a large Perl project!

I just got scared for a bit :)

re: ignore.story(); - there's a "in soviet union, method invokes you" joke in there somewhere

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[pohl]

Wow, you are an idiot. The same principle applies to the editors (note the plural). Your post only makes sense if you imagine there to be only one editor.

Re:Slashdot hypocrisy pseudocode

[elemental23]

Please note that the editor who posted the story didn't give an opinion one way or another on the subject. Did he post this because he thinks Apple patents are a good thing? Did he post it because he thinks Apple patents are a bad thing? I don't know and neither do you. Most likely, he posted the story because patents interest a good number of Slashdot posters. Simple, no?

That's just great.

[teamhasnoi]

devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance.

Sounds like Apple is patenting women. Women are closed source enough as it is, now they're patented?

Definately prior art ...

[mustangdavis]

Apple is applying for a patent to release "devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance.

As mentioned before, this sounds like an LCD, but there are other things that this would infringe upon ...

Paint for automobiles that you can hook up to an E.Q. that will change colors based on the electric current that passes through the paint already exists ...

... so I guess Apple is getting into pimping out cars as well ....

Re:Great

[moc.tfosorcimgllib]

> BTW, why the fuck can't we post in the last story?

I'm guessing because it's a story about the decline of quality education in america that uses the word "plase".

Re:Computers don't make the man

[AlgUSF]

I remember a friend of mine hacked the server on our high school computer lab LAN. If you could call it hacking, he just guessed really good at the teacher's password, and deleted a bunch of stuff and screwed with all of the settings. There was a consultant there for a week trying to fix everything, and I bet that cost some real $$$$$$.

Transformers....

[Querty]

"robots in the sky"

Prior art?

Re:Transformers....

[Querty]

True of course, duh....

Thing is, I saw those cartoons when I was about 12. Since I'm not a native english speaker, I never listened to the lyrics properly. "Robots in the sky" and "Robots in disguise" are fairly close phonetically. I guess that must have been the reason it stuck in my mind like this.

This has already been done...

[Anonymous Custard]

This has already been done... You manually rearrange oversize translucent colored pixels to create designs which appear when you turn on the lightbulb inside. It's called LiteBrite. (and u can play with a virtual LiteBrite here!.

These new macs...

[hermescom]

Will work like the children's toys such as easy-bake oven:

Dip it into icy water, and it will turn hot pink. Wipe it down with a warm wet cloth and it's blue. Bake it in the microwave, and it will light up in all colors of the rainbow.

Ain't technology grand?

Mood Mac

[Anonymous Coward]

"I was like... Bummed... And my Mac turned, like, black and stuff..."

What would Ellen do?

Mood ring / mood laptop

[z_gringo]

Anyone remember "mood rings"? They changed color based on something, probably body heat, and each color supposedly meant what mood you were in.. Yeah, they were really cool in the 5th grade, but anyway, The inventor of those, might be able to claim prior art.. I would like to see some of the technical details.

So, they're patenting the mood ring?

[Thag]

Or those t-shirts that change color, or those coffee mugs....

Serisouly, even if they are changing color dynamically, isn't that basically just wrapping an object in "electronic ink" paper?

Jon Acheson

Re:So, they're patenting the mood ring?

[Doppler00]

Those t-shirts were a terrible idea. They just ended up changing color around your arm pits when you got warm. Not a very good look. I would really like to see electronically controlled color changing car paint though.

prior art

[slothdog]

two words: mood rings.

Re:prior art

[Alsee]

Sure, if you want to call mood rings "art".

-

Re:Prior Art

[blair1q]

Good thing they make it change colors dynamically, because it starts out fugly.

Re:Prior Art

[blair1q]

Waitasec.

What makes any of this different from '70s color-organ technology?

What next? Cases in Avocado and Autumn Gold?

Prior Art

[Zapdos]

See it here

I changed... color, that it.

[jeepliberty]

Move over, GEICO gecko, here comes the Apple Chameleon.

These guys are doing this already -- SERIOUSLY!

[Geraden]

http://www.colorkinetics.com/

I thought I'd read a press release lately about how some teen/geek toy was doing the color change case thing already. Will submit when I find it.

Scott

I'm going to patent ....

[mustangdavis]

1) The sky (esp. sunsets) ...

2) Disco floors ...

3) Those cool fish tanks with rotating lights

4) Cop sirens (no more tickets for me)

.... gimme a break here!!!

Re:I'm going to patent ....

[Kevinv]

why should this be an unpatenable idea? I don't have a problem with the concepts of patents, i just think the current implementation of the patent system has a) too long a duration for computer technolog, b) allows software/algorythm/business patents, c) too easy to patent obvious or already implemented ideas.

I don't see this as being any of those (except the too long a duration) assuming it's very different from mood ring technology. The applications range far outside the computer domain -- i'd love to have a car i could change color at will.

Why?

[Nevermore-Spoon]

"If this is a success, it would considerably boost Apple's presence in the technology world"

Why would this considerably boost Apple's Presence? So your computer changes color, OMG the technology I've been waiting for to "Switch"

I can see the commercial now. 'I've been waiting forever for a computer that can change colors and look cool on my desktop, It's finally arrived, Now I have a reason to leave Microsoft forever.'

Re:COSMETIC

[stilwebm]

On one hand, it's hard to underestimate the draw Apple users have to cosmetics. On the other hand there is a cost benefit analysis you can't ignore. Apple users already paying a premium for their hardware. When you increase the premium for cosmetic reasons, the begin to decrease the pool of willing buyers. Take the G4 Cube for example. Apple users raved about them, most "wanted" one, but almost no one was willing to pay the steep premium for one. The trick here is that Apple must make this feature as inexpensive as possible if it is to be a success.

Judging from most of the responses ...

[thedbp]

most of you have forgotten that Apple is not just about Form, they are highly concentrated on FUNCTION. So many "oh, blinking lights, real nice" comments ... i don't think you necessarily grasp that while the underlying idea may seem simplistic, it is always Apple's implementation of said ideas that makes them stand out and in effect be more than what they are.

perhaps it is just LEDs. and if this were the case, trust me, Apple's found some ingenius way to use them that no one has done before to communicate information via color - something that is more 'human' than a dialog box, let's say. and if it IS just LEDs, then it won't really incur much more cost, now would it?

Lets not forget the derision that was apparent when Apple released the new style towers in 99 w/ the B&W G3. Sure, the colors mighta been weird, but for all the nastiness written about its "girly" appearnace, how it didn't have enough drive bays, yadda yadda, they ignore the fact that you can upgrade this thing by just pulling a latch and swinging the entire side panel down, reveaeling the motherboard and all other internal components, all within reach and plain view and without obstruction, in a fraction of a second.

so please, enough of this 'shiny useless trinkets' crap. what's wrong with adding a little style to round out seriously amazing capabilities?

Re:Judging from most of the responses ...

[NineNine]

seriously amazing capabilities?

Well, uh, A Mac is a computer. A slow, expensive one at that. What's so amazing about 'em? Do they do things that I don't know about, like make me coffee?

Apple Trying to out-do Microsoft

[MrCam]

Microsoft has niffty blue screen to tell you something is wrong with the computer. Now Apple is out-doing them by making the computer change color when things go wrong.

User: Hello.
Apple: This is Apple support, how may I help you?
User: My computer is flashing, and it is all black.
Apple: What is the pattern?
User: Three short flashes followed by three long flashes.
Apple: If I were you I would drop the phone and run away!

Re:Apple Trying to out-do Microsoft

[tconnors]

colour changing cases would be cool. server status at a glance?

Yeah - come a slashdotting, your computer first brightens in the infrared, then glows a dull red, then works its way up to orange, white, a pale but very bright blue, and then, well, becomes a naked singularity.

Apple == Amazon???

[swordgeek]

I'll start with a disclaimer: I can't get to the site right now, so I can't read the details. If this really IS just patenting hardware aesthetics that change colour, then this is (a) frivolous, and (b) affected by prior art. In other words, it's an Amazon patent.

I've liked Apple all along, even if I haven't always (ever?) liked their computers that much. They have been innovators, designers, and inventors. Now they're turning into litigators. Sigh.

potential patent flaw

[Chris Canfield]

If the patent calls for a change in the "ornamental or decroative appearance of a device," but then goes back to claim this could provide feedback to the user about the internal state of the device, doesn't that preclude the display from being decorative? Isn't it then, simply, an additional display device inside of a case?

I know, there are millions of examples of prior art that all are microprocessor controlled utilizing storage (write once only, but it is storage) and decorative lights projected through a surface. But at what point do we draw the line between decorative and functional?

-C

Re:potential patent flaw

[miffo.swe]

Theese examples doesnt cover cases, not any of them. The patent is covering cases and not the function of changing colours in itself. Prior art would be a computer that did what this describes. Find one and get back to us.

Mathmos?

[obi]

Sounds like Mathmos (www.mathmos.com) would have a bone to pick with this patent.

They've got a whole series of "devices dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance", pretty much in the same way Apple describes in this patent. Just check out the "tumbler" or "faze"...

All sorts of possible USEFUL uses

[goombah99]

There are all sorts of possible useful uses. For example, a signal strength/direction finder for wireless connection displayed on the back of the ibook could help you orient it. Imagine that spagetti of cables in the back of your rack; now imiagine if the computer could selectively light up the sheeth of its ethernet cable to show you where it went. Also the patent says it could be in input device too. perhaps, an ipod could display a keyboard on its back surface. Or maybe a iTablet computer lacking a real keyboard could form a rudimentary keyboard on its back side.

I have often wanted just a small built in light for my keyboard on my notebook computer so I could see the keyboard with the roomlights off and not be blinded by the screens light.

How about a trackpad button that could segment itself into a three button mouse depending on where you pressed it.

how about just a load sensor, or something that showed you the state of the computer (like VM swap, talking to the firewire disk) or maybe if it told you if some other user was remotely logged in.

What if the computer turned oranged striped if it detected (somehow) that it had been stolen, or an un authorized log in was attempted.

finally, is there anyone who does not think the visualls that go on with iTunes are not stunning? maybe they can do something equally impressive here.

my last comment is this. it is only a short trip down the road before skinable color changing polymers allow video screens to be painted on all most anything in any shape, even flexible ones. That's when this idea will really take off. So this is just a precursor.

Re:All sorts of possible USEFUL uses

[mbourgon]

Yup, and I actually think this idea might be patent-worthy: it's obvious once you hear about it, and frickin' useful to boot. Even if it's just one color at a time (as opposed to a iLavaLamp), that's still a whole lot of uses. Someone on Ars suggested having it flash when people are in Rendezvous range, but I like your suggestion for signal strength, or how the CPU is doing (works its way from blue to red or white)

Re:All sorts of possible USEFUL uses

[sg3000]

> There are all sorts of possible useful uses.

All your suggestions are interesting. However, let's not forget that this is the company that came up with the Flower Power iMac.

So this means you *can't* rule out this patent allowing a future product to sin against nature.

Re:All sorts of possible USEFUL uses

[radish]

FYI - IBM thinkpads already have little lights built into the lid which illuminate the keyboard (although I find the screen usually does just as good a job).

Does "prior art" for US patent have to be from US?

[rickmccl]

http://shinza.com/product_info.php?products_id=4&o sCsid=4ffe3865fde656aa3ea9c8cba84ba502 I actually tried to submit this, once. I located it on a websurf initiated by a slashdot link to animenewsnetwork, back in October. I rediscovered the link in animenewsnetwork's archive, they link to the anime-artist desgined mice sold at Shinza.com but something else had caught my eye. The Elecom Grast24 "Optical 24-color USB mouse". Translucent mouse uses internal LED's to change color of the mouse. Software controlled -- user selectable color. "Illumination mode cycles through all 24 colors when mouse is idle." Shinza.com. This is the same thing Apple is talking about, no?

Re:Our term for 'em is:

[micromoog]

I see. So if it doesn't offend you, as a white man, it doesn't matter.

Re:new imacs

[KingAdrock]

Maybe they just realized that no schmuck on Earth would buy a new computer just to get a new color.

Re:Our term for 'em is:

[micromoog]

No, they're words. They don't matter. Words by themselves can't be offensive.

Offense is in the eye of the beholder. Please don't assume your own sensitivity level is universal.

I really don't care who I offend.

That's what I want to hear. You know you use racist, offensive language and admit it freely. That is indeed your choice. Just don't pretend otherwise.

"APPLYING for a patent "

[Picass0]

...they do not yet HAVE the patent.

This means there is a public comment period approaching. You case mod gurus may want to make your views known on prior art for illuminating computer cases.

The Shining Apple Logo on iBooks?

[klang]

Maybe, just maybe this has to do with the backlighted Apple logo on the back of the iBook screen. (the cover, lid, whatever)

By applying for a patent on this idea, Apple secures that no other laptop producer removes the light isolation on the back of an LCD screen to allow light to shine through a logoshaped part of the lid of the computer. The only part of the computer you can see in a dark conference room, I might add. ...or?

Patents are evil!!

[kakos]

Patents are evil. How can Apple do this? How can the patent system let them do this? ...

OH, wait. We're talking about Apple, not Microsoft.

This is great. This will be great for Apple. Hooray for Apple!

Pretty nice idea.

[miffo.swe]

Okey, case modding has done almost similar things like putting a neon light into a case but i doubth that they have made the colours interchangable. I have never ever anywhere on the net seen a case that was made of semitransparent plastic and that changed colour, that idea is to me all new. I have seen some toys that does this but never ever a case for a computer.

We have to hand it to them, it would make some awsome cases. Imagine a plugin to XMMS that flashed not only the screen but the whole damn computer with the music!

Salesman: "What colour do you want your Imac in?"
Customer: "Blue"
salesman clicks on a button.
Salesman: "There you go"

Holy Mother of God. Literally.

[kfg]

I can find prior art for this as near as my neighbor's back yard. He's got one of those Madonna in a bathtub thingies. The Madonna and bathtub are both white. He has different colored spotlights he can shine on it to change its color depending on his mood.

He's been doing this for 40 years * that I know of.* I don't know how long before I moved in next door he'd been doing it.

You'll find the same technique used in any theatrical performance, rock show, movie or other such staged performance.

This technique is so old it isn't even medieval. It predates that period by a considerable margin.

And since when is chrome "tech?"

"Yeah, I advance the technology of my house by putting up some new wallpaper and adding a few colored lights."

Right Bob, bite me.

KFG

Re:Holy Mother of God. Literally.

[morzel]

He's been doing this for 40 years * that I know of.*

Sheesh... You're far too old for slashdot :-)

as always, very broad wording....

[lfourrier]

The invention pertains to electronic devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance, i.e., the outer appearance as seen by a user. The electronic devices generally include an illuminable housing. The illuminable housing, which includes at least one wall configured for the passage of light, is configured to enclose, cover and protect a light arrangement as well as functional components of the electronic device. The light arrangement, which generally includes one or more light sources, is configured to produce light for transmission through the light passing wall(s) of the illuminable housing. The transmitted light illuminates the wall(s) thus giving the wall a new appearance. That is, the transmitted light effectively alters the ornamental or decorative appearance of the electronic device. In most cases, the light is controlled so as to produce a light effect having specific characteristics or attributes. As such, the electronic device may be configured to provide additional feedback to the user of the electronic device and to give users the ability to personalize or change the look of their electronic device on an on-going basis. That is, a housing of the electronic device is active rather than passive, i.e., the housing has the ability to adapt and change. For example, the light may be used to exhibit a housing behavior that reflects the desires or moods of the user, that reflects inputs or outputs for the electronic device, or that reacts to tasks or events associated with operation of the electronic device

any hard drive in a transparent housing, with a led indicating seek or read, is covered by this patent

Re:as always, very broad wording....

[JohnG]

"any hard drive in a transparent housing, with a led indicating seek or read, is covered by this patent"

It's not so much what is covered by the patent, as what Apple intends to enforce with it. Until I see what Apple has built that they are describing and whether or not they go after anything that can change color I don't see this as malicious a patent as say Amazon's 1-Click.
If, however, they have just built a case made out of a very large mood ring and start sueing mood ring manufacturers, then I'll have a problem with it.

Re:as always, very broad wording....

[xigxag]

Okay, now, reading the above, tell me how a television set is not prior art?

Re:as always, very broad wording....

[Bartmoss]

Wouldn't Blinkenlights be prior art?

This is rather nifty:

[Randolpho]

20. A method for illuminating a housing of a computing device, the computing device having a screen display, said method comprising: sampling a plurality of regions on the screen display to acquire color indicators for the plurality of regions; and illuminating a plurality of regions of the housing of the computing device based on the color indicators.

So they want to make the housing look a little in tune with whatever is on the screen at the time. I wonder how fast that will be... can you imagine playing Quake and watching a frag flash your monitor housing a different color suddenly? That'd be cool. :)

Re:This is rather nifty:

[jafiwam]

Yeah, Quake. That I won't be able to hide porn from my wife anymore simply because my computer screen faces the wall...

"Honey, what is all that blonde and pink stuff on your computer case?"

Re:This is rather nifty:

[Audacious]

Sounds a lot like an idea I had a few months back. (Not that it is the same - just that it sounds a lot like it.)

Basically, I thought that it would be a simple thing to put LEDs into a frosted case and then have the computer control the light emitted so the case would change color. Here's hoping they do it. It would be nice to be able to change the color of your case to fit your mood.

my powerbook already has this

[mpest]

As someone may have already pointed out, My TiBook already has TWO (2) implementations of this. 1) There's a white light on the cover that pulses (beathes kindof) when the computer is sleeping. 2) The powercharger glows green when charged and orange when charging. Both of these fit the description of "dynamic ornamental appearance" as apple describes them I believe. This patent is from february and could just be covering existing products. But I still think a glowing imac would be cool and could be likely.

fiber optic lighting

[ironfroggy]

those plastic snowmen with the fiber optics lighting would meet the requirements for this patent. sorry apple. additionally, its not even a new idea. sci-fi electronic camoflage suits do this as well. including, how about this, hotwheels color-changing toys.

Michael Jackson?

[tommck]

Does this mean Michael Jackson's going to have to cut a check to Apple?

;-)

Apple's new coat of colors

[vudufixit]

I've gauged a bit of cynicism regarding Apple's success with the I-Mac - some folks think it's in large part to the first generation unit's translucent blue color and funky integrated shape.
Does Apple's attempt to patent a color-changing desktop simply lend this further credence?

exemplary of the patent system

[g4dget]

Patents used to be about specific technology: a way of accomplishing a desirable goal. These days, anybody who has a "wouldn't it be nifty if we could do X" patents it, no matter whether they have a clue of how to do "X" or not.

In fact, arguably a large chunk of furniture and clothes design is about "dynamically adapting" to the tastes and moods of the user. It's just that the most cost effective means so far have been manually operated.

It'll probably be functional

[cryptochrome]

When I close the lid on my iBook and it goes to sleep there is a pulsing white light on the front of the machine where an LED is shining through the case. When that LED is off you wouldn't even know it's there.

It'd be nice if there were similar indicators for new mail, or alarms from iCal, connection state, short messages, etc.

THAT is how I think this technology will be used. As indicators of state independent of the display, that effectively use sparse cover space, that can change in multiple ways, and so forth. And uniquely, they don't mar up the computer's appearance when they're not needed. Possibly this will even be like having a second display capable of showing generalized information, at least in part. Changing the overall appearance of the computer is just a bonus.

this is not novel!

[simpl3x]

i have seen product designs which change color for the purpoe of displaying information or mood. sure, on a computer--cool. but, still not patentable imho.

not to nitpick...

[interactive_civilian]

But shouldn't that be:

Blue! no, yelLOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

ok...so I watch too much Monty Python...

not too innovative

[steeef]

at first i (like many slashdotters, from the looks of some of the comments) thought apple had come up with some new technology for changing the color of the computer itself.

however, after seeing this picture posted on ars technica, it looks like what they're really doing is patenting a method of lighting. the picture suggests a light inside the monitor and the computer that illuminates the device. sounds like mod kiddes putting cold cathode lights and windows in their cases, doesn't it?

no way.

[frovingslosh]

devices capable of changing their color

So what ever happened to the law that you can't patent a concept like this, only an expression of concept? Apple certainly might be able to build something that changes color and patent the technology that does that, but they can't patent the concept of things that change color. Not only isn't it an expression of a concept, but there is way too much prior art (anyone remember mood rings?).

Bad Apple, bad patent laws

[axxackall]

So, perhaps we can not only theme our desktop on the machine - but our *literal* desktop.

Read it as: "So, perhaps we are not only restricted to theme our desktop on the machine - but our *literal* desktop as well."

The patent reminds me hyperlink and similar patents. Those clerks in patent offices are nuts. The patent has many prior art cases and it's too general to be called a method.

Maybe not so new?

[djupedal]

Car makers have been producing 'color changer' vehicles for years. Black in the morning...blue in the afternoon...silver in the evening, etc. The car can look red from one angle and orange from another. If this is what this patent is about, it may be DOA.

Knowing Apple and what we put in the water in No. California, I'd expect this has more to do with projection, than surface modulation.

Re:And that's not how it should be...

[JohnG]

I agree that broad patents shouldn't get passed, but they do. That said, Apple CAN'T ban case mods. They would be VERY stupid to challenge such an obvious case of prior art in the court system as it would surely result in their patent being revoked.

Apple should take heed...

[waltc]

...the chameleon got there first.

Peace, Love and Apple Hardware, Man...

[Mulletproof]

Sounds like Apple is bringing back the mood ring..er, computer.

Question for IANNALs

[glwtta]

(those being I Am NOT Not a Lawyer)

Can someone point me in the direction of (or briefly explain) the actual (legal) requirements for something to be considered "prior art"?

Whenever a patent story comes up, dozens of people start posting the prior art links, but I get this feeling that in reality the process of finding prior art might be a little more precise that googling for "case with flashing lights".

Re:new imacs

[Tseran]

With all the discussion about prior art and how its not right to patent this and that Apple is all wrong and nuts for doing this, here's a few points to consider. Firstly, there is no prior art. We can't point at chameleons, since they respond to only a few stimulus to change their colors. You can't press a horn on one and get it to turn purple. If you have a chameleon with that much control, I think Ripley's would pay you big bucks to see that. Flashing LED's and monitor screens are nothing near what Apple is talking about in the patent (download the thing if you don't believe me) This is a lot more interesting. If you have seen the TiBooks you have seen how the Apple logo glows. Imagine if you could change the color of it. That is a lot more then a flashing LED. Now, why is Apple putting a patent on this? To protect their ass(ets) of course! Last time they had a truly original idea like this, the iMac itself, there were copies and knockoffs that made Apple look bad, especially when they tried to get them legally for it, the copiers cried that there was no patent and no trademark. Its about time Apple made a pre-emptive strike against the followers trying to ride the success of Apple's innovation.

the prior art everyone was looking for

[joshwa]

Ambient Devices

Well said.. er.. coded!!

[Sanity]

I have been trying to point out this double standard for a while now, however inevitably Slashdot's wonderful moderation system ensures that Slashdot's readers aren't exposed to my disturbing non-groupthink.

People don't seem to realize that one of the reasons that Microsoft succeeded where Apple failed is that Microsoft was actually more open than Apple! Where Apple tried to force users to use their pretty but overpriced hardware, Microsoft left users free to pick and choose the components that went into the hardware that ran their Operating System.

Now, I am not saying that Microsoft are perfect, but if Apple had won the desktop war rather than Microsoft, not only would there be an Operating System monopoly, but it would be a hardware monopoly too!

I am not suggesting that everyone goes out and installs Windows, rather I am saying that all of the reasons that we should be encouraging use of Linux over Windows apply equally to using Linux over OSX, yet Slashdot's editors seem to have no problem with migration away from Linux to OSX.

Think again Apple

[gabbarsingh]

Ambient Devices' Orb. Ambient Devices is an MIT Media Lab company and it has this Orb that changes color according to the stock portfolio. Check out the link, scroll down a bit.

Santa provides prior work evidence.

[Quixadhal]

In recent news, Santa Claus has brought a string of chaser Christmas lights in to disprove Apple's patent on color-changing hardware devices. When properly installed on a Christmas tree, these lights cause the tree to change colors, and have done so since 1980.

"That Steve Jobs is going to be on my Naughty list this year", says a miffed Santa. "It's one thing to compete in the same toy market as I do, but it's another to try and muscle ME out!"

You obviously do not understand Patents...

[Archeopteryx]

Just because a Sciffy writer has used an idea in a story does not make it prior art! None of those guys knew how to make that magic happen, that is the charm of Sciffy; it lets you try on the future for size without the mess of inventing it.

What is patentable is the means to DO the magic. A patent must disclose that means in a manner that those skilled in the art could reproduce the results.

Re:You obviously do not understand Patents...

[_avs_007]

what about those hypercolor shirts they used to have 10 years ago? Remember those? They changed color....

In fact lots of things these days are temp sensitive...

Mercedes and a few other car makes, have an option for electronic tint in the rear window, so when the car is off and the alarm is armed, the windows turn opaque.

I have an electochromatic rear view mirror that automatically darkens, etc.... Surely these things can be considered prior art.

Or what about the "mystic" paint, that Ford Mustangs used to offer back in the mid 90's... That changed color as well....

Heck, I even remember some phones at LA cellular about 10 years ago that was just an LCD panel, so that the UI for the phone changed dynamically. No keys or anything.. Just one rectangular touch screen. That could be considered dynamically changing, since the phone was just an LCD screen with a microphone and speaker.

Re:You obviously do not understand Patents...

[Yokaze]

>You obviously do not understand Patents

I think there are some misunderstandings on your side.

Firstly, on my post,
I said:
>> Another point is, it is too generic and they are (surely) missing a working prototype.
>>
>> It's seldom the "what", more often it is the "how".
So, I am well aware that the writer has no idea how to do it.

Secondly on the patent:
They not patenting a chemical, physical, biological or nanotechnological mean (due to slashdotting, I have to refer you to this post this post).
Remember, this is Apple, not Bayer or Fuji Photo.
To quote: "The invention pertains to electronic devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance,..."

They are patenting all these possible future methods including current ones. The current possible lightning is just an example.

Lastly, on patents (at least U.S. patents, it seams): One can patent almost everything, the question is, will they able to enforce it?
What should be patentable is the means to do the magic.

When they develop a coating, which makes it possible to realise this, I find the coating patent-worthy. But not the idea in itself, which is covered by named prior art from Sciffy writers.

Is the French patent system really like this??

[droopus]

Don't know in brain fucked US IP system, but in France, at least a few year ago, literal description by artist of imaginary things where enough to render the things unpatentable, when somebody finally was able to make them. The one who could have patented them was the artist. (there is no need to prove actual realisation to obtain the patent).

So, if I'm reading this right, I could describe, and therefore prevent the patenting (and therefore, any incentive to actully build the invention due to probable lack of ROI) of, say:

Interstellar Propulsion

Biological Computers (and inevitable Beowulf Clusters of same)

Teleportation

Brain Transplantation

Additional Digit Transplantation (high seven dude!)

Jetson's-type cars that levitate and fold into a neat, easily liftable briefcase

Organic Windows that kill off dirty cells and replace them with clear, clean ones

Body-implantable global communication devices

Frozen pizza that tastes like Ray's, not cardboard and sewage.

etc, etc...

Is it really possible that this is how the French view the protection of Intellectual Property? If you can think it up, no matter if it defies the currently understood laws of physics, you can claim ownership of it?

All kidding aside, if this is the real system, wouldn't it serve as an anchor on development? After all, why invent Teleportation if some unemployed briebrain smoking a Galoises can prevent you from profiting from your invention?

I find it hard to believe that this is the actual French law.

Been done before.. Prior art...

[Viewsonic]

Movie Cinemas and Lights in my area constantly change hues and colors by season and by mood of movies etc .. This has been done. It doesn't matter if it's been done on a cpu, case, etc because it's been done: peroid. Nothing new here folks, move along.

Re:new imacs

[KingAdrock]

I know a lot of Apples users. Not one of them would buy a Mac for any other reason than its ability to do what they want it to do. Not one of them wants it to be a decoration.

Prior art

[Angst Badger]

devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance.

Isn't the reversible jacket already prior art?

this is bad

[buswolley]

so basicly.. this. they get this patent and no one else can ever change the color of their hardware on its own internal program?? Patents should not be so broad. It stifles innovation.

shirts...

[josepha48]

What about those shirts that changed colors a few years ago based on your sweat or 'body'?

What about mood rings that change based on temp?

Wouldn't these both be possible candidates for prior art? I'd really love to see what they are claiming is actually 'new'? My computer changes color based on the temperature in the room?

Sell the idea to Microsoft

[kitzilla]

I like the idea of a device changing color with its state: my iMac is green, so I know it's on. It's blue, so I know it has mail waiting on me. It's red, so I know it has crashed.

Oh, wait: it's an iMac. That's not likely. Maybe they could license the idea to Microsoft.

Troll, troll, troll. I know. ;-)

Re:How long

[Alsee]

How long until we see it in a James Bond movie?

Oh, I'd say about 30 years ago or so.

-

Re:Who in the world modded *this* up?

[buswolley]

If slashdotters hate the word patent, then they have good reason to. There is a whole lot of hurt that has been caused by patents. Take Africa and its AIDS epidemic. Drug comapnies refusing to let the African governments make their own copy of the drugs for their people because of patent issues. Yeah we might have become quick to demonfy a patent even before we know what it is about, but we do know on the whole that there are many evil patents out there. The system is failing

Re:Maybe broad patents are vulnerable...

[JohnG]

I would certainly agree that if this were some type of patent-squatting attempt on Apple's part then they would be wrong for sure.
I also agree about the broad wording. I don't know why companies would so obviously phrase things to violate prior art and risk have legitimate infranctions of their patent thrown out of court because of it.

Keep grinding...

[gaudior]

You've still got a little of that axe left.

Re:Keep grinding...

[micromoog]

I've got lots of 'em.

Re:This is rather nifty: NOT

[mark_space2001]

Oh this is easy. I hade this idea a long time ago. In fact, it's normally something us hardware engineers try to avoid.

It's called bleed over. It happens when light leaking out from the edges of your screen get caught in some physical device (plastic, glass) and then start leaking out the sides / cracks / whatever of your display.

Now, I guess that if you did it carefully, you could get some interesting effects. It seems like it would be difficult to align whatever you are using to conduct the light (light pipes?) from the edge of the screen to where ever you want it to go, but if you could do it accurately enough, you could get some nice looking abstract patters.

My idea was to basically have a border ("window frame") around the edge of the screen, and also some light conductive plastic. (Light conductive plastics are called light pipes and they are a readily available item.) Then you would just twidle the colors of the pixels of the screen border, and let the light pipes pick it up and do things with it. Mostly I wanted to do it w/ existing LCD / Flat Panel type screens, because CRTs I think would be to bulky once you got all that paltic covering a portion of the edge of the scree. If you were clever and had market pull, you might even be able to have screens specially made that leaked light out of their edges.

This idea is not new, and I'm sure there's prior art for this. There's no way I would have thought to patent this, for sure. I seem to remember some wall clocks that would tell time by splashing light on the wall behind them to make it look like "big hands" and "little hands". Plus anyone one from the 60's who ever used a colored light to light their white walls, or even a lava lamp. Heck, how about discos and dance halls, did they ever color stuff with lights? Hmm, I think so...

What about Freezy Freakies?

[ruiner13]

Remember those gloves from the 80's? (I wore them in my young years) They would look plain when at room temperature, but make em cold and they change their decorative and/or ornamental appearance. Look out Apple, I have prior art in my storage bin in my folk's attic. Same goes for Hypercolor shirts (yeah, those were cool... wink wink).

glowing blobs and casemod

[kobotronic]

Why stop with RF-oozing cabinet craters and run-off-the-mill totally original cold cathode lights. ("look, you can see this PC has PC components inside!")

Let's just go stupid and cover every square inch of surface on our machines with programmable matrix displays utilizing any substance and technology capable of emitting modulated streams of photons. Laptops could have two screens - both sides of the lid, obviously, to lure actul females from across Starbucks with your carefully tuned mood biased visualizations of Eminem mp3s. PC cases would similarly resemble the bastard offspring from disco floors and slot machines.

Take it a step further! Why make a distinction between a monitor and a case? PCs could be made with tiny hard cores surrounded by a shapeless shell of soft glowing polymer, the surface shape of which is determined by a mesh of artificial muscle fibers contracting and expanding with modulated current. The active desktop layout and mapping would be determined by the topology of the user-customizable shape of the PC "thing". You would download new case shapes over the internet to really express your true nerd self, and a virus could turn your PC into T1000.

call to apple support:

[mrpuffypants]

Apple: Hello, how can I help you?
User: Well, I was playing around with my Powerbook G5 and I have a problem.
Apple: What's wrong with it?
User: The case is stuck in disco mode, iTunes keeps blaring Donna Summer music, and I haave a board meeting in 10 minutes.

Hmmmm

[ninewands]

IIRC, devices capable of "dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance" have been around since the seventies ... I think they were called "mood rings" ... ;-)

Re:Feynman

[droopus]

Well one item they developed was the nuclear reactor, and when Feynman was aked what could be done with it, he proposed a number of ideas including the fact that it could be used to power a submarine (he was just thinking of stuff off the top of his head). From that point on he got either a letter (or a letter with royalties, can't quite remember) that stated he was the owner of the 'nuclear submarine' patent. Sounds pretty much like what you described up there doesn't it?

Not really, though it's an interesting example. Feynman had already developed the tech, designed and built the reactor (or at least a POC/prototype) and was simply tossing out possible applications.

However, in the French model, one can come up with something that modern technology simply will not support, but is likely to do so in the future, such as stem cell based limb regeneration or interstellar propulsion.

Shouldn't the "artist" /royalty recipient be at least able to understand and describe the necessary technology of the invention for which he is being rewarded?

a load sensor: red hot computer case

[EccentricAnomaly]

how about just a load sensor

A load sensor would be really cool. Imagine the computer's case glowing red hot, then white hot, then blue hot as its load increases.... now imagine a server farm or a Beowulf cluster of these :)

Encumbered by idiots, we pressed on

[Sean Clifford]

His post made perfect sense. You assume that no group of like-minded people would exhibit the same or similar behaviours, which is ludicrous on its face. He simply pointed out - amusingly, I might add - that editors (and many readers) share biases.

If you want to argue, try finding something worth arguing about.

Encumbered by idiots, we pressed on...

color only?

[KurdtX]

Uh how is "devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance." limited to color?

I know this is really hard for the slashdot crowd, but you really need to think of Apple machines here, not your windowed & CCT'd PC. What I'm guessing (article is /.'d) is this patent is intended to cover such things as a smiley face-like item, or antanae, or eyes - a non-light-based feedback device.

And to burn Karma: This is one of those "outside of the box" things that is so cliche, yet the reason the expression is cliche (because everyone wants people to come up with ideas like these). One of the things I've noticed about Slashdot is people are great problem solvers, but poor artists (Btw, I code for a living). The mouse was this kind of creation. No one really had a problem using the arrow keys, and navigating on a screen was considered a solved problem. However, once the mouse was invented, it ushered in the whole windowed application environment. And I'm betting if there was /. back then people would be ridiculing it, with lots of comments like "wow, this does exactly what my arrow keys already do", "my desk is already cluttered", "uh, this is already being done... by the *keyboard*!". So I guess what I'm saying is: don't just judge this by applying it to what you already know, but what new things you might do with it.

Apple Themes

[WatertonMan]

Lets see, so Apple will let you theme your case but not let you theme your desktop. . . Is it just me or is something wrong here? (And yes I know there are hacks to theme OSX, but Apple dislikes them and they tend not to work that well)

Life Immitating Art

[nick_davison]

Wow. Apple now watch Bond movies for patent inspiration. Western civilization really is in decline.

For those of you who haven't seen the new Bond movie, Bond's Aston Martin uses a technology the military have been messing about with for a while: Active camoflage. The idea being that you record the image on one side of a vehical and display it on the other making it appear [from a distance at least] largely transparent - or invisible.

I'd love to see the prior art submission "It was in a Bond movie." Would it (will anything) be enough for the US patent office to realise it's become a joke?

Lets see now....... dynamic change of dec. or app.

[Allnighterking]

Ummmmmm sounds like a mood ring to me...
or maybe..... a teenager?
perhaps, YES a christmas tree with a light wheel.
Neon signs.......

Does this mean anything ... no. Since prior art does exist. Granting of the patent will inhibit not only future product development, but put a number of companies with existing products under the gun... there can be only one conclusion... Give the B*%$%*s thier patent.... Otherwise the Shrub in DC's friends won't make enough money!

Prior Art

[zero_offset]

I can think of at least two things which might qualify as prior art.

First of all, in the late 80's there was that awful color-changing clothing. Mostly it was a body-heat thing, so it wasn't truly controllable, but I only mention it as a point of reference -- around the same time I very clearly remember articles in magazines like PopSci telling us how we'd all soon have clothing which would allow us to change the colors at a whim. Right after we hopped out of our flying cars, I presume. In any case, even if it never came to be, I distinctly remember the concept, and I'm having trouble seeing how it differs materially (no pun intended) from this idea.

Second, auto manufacturers have demonstrated color-changing panels for various applications. I have actually seen these in operation. These are probably even closer to the description.

I think I've figured it out

[b1t r0t]

Apple is going to put one of those tri-color LED night lights from Sharper Image into the soft-white case of a typical iBook/iMac/eMac. They may need three or four sets for sufficient coverage, but this would allow it to glow in almost any color of light.

Prior Art

[ikekrull]

Those tinted windows that can be dialed from transparent to black depending on light level or user preference.

Cellphones that can dynamically change the colour of their LCD screens depending on user preference or caller identity.

I'm sure there are an assload of art installations e.g. lighted fountains that dynamically change colour in response to external stimuli.

There have been t-shirts and toys available for years that change colour when heated/cooled.

Stick-on LCD fishtank thermometers dynamically change colour depending on the temperature of the water.

'Electronic Ink' where small bicoloured spheres embedded in a matrix are rotated by application of a charge to dynamically change the appearance of a surface.

OELD (Organic Electroluminescent Displays) where light-emitting organic compounds in a matrix are used to dynamically change colour on a surface.

I remember reading an article about auto-manufacturers using 'smart paint' that would enable you to dynamically change the colour of your car at will.

In short, there are many different methods for dynamically changing the colour of a surface, used for years in many different industries, and as such, this patent is rubbish.