Illuminated document copyholder
View Patent ↗An object holder/illumination system for holding and/or positioning a first object with respect to a second object and illuminating the first object by accessing power from the second object. The system is especially useful as a copyholder/illumination system used in conjunction with a computing system such as a laptop computer, desktop or other portable electronic device.
1. An apparatus for illuminating a first object and positioning the first object relative to a second object, comprising:
a plug for coupling into an input/output port having a source of electrical power;
a flexible body having a first end coupled to said plug, said flexible body constructed to be manually reconfigurable to maintain said body in a desired dynamically established orientation;
an illumination device coupled to a second end of said body and electrically communicated to said plug;
a first clip coupled to said flexible body at a first attachment position for engaging the second object in a manner that inhibits relative movement between said first attachment position and the second object; and
a second clip coupled to said flexible body at a second attachment position for engaging the first object in a manner that inhibits relative movement between said second attachment position and the first object;
wherein the illumination device is powered by said source when said plug is electrically communicated to said port to illuminate the first object in said desired dynamically established orientation relative to the second object.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first object is a document and the second object is a portable computer device.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said power source is a battery of said portable computer device.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first object is a document and the second object is a first subsystem of an electronic device.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said power source is a battery of said electronic device.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said power source is provided by a second subsystem of said electronic device.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said electronic device is a personal computing system and said first subsystem is a display of said personal computing system.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said electronic device is a personal computing system and said first subsystem is a display of said personal computing system and said second subsystem is a universal serial bus (USB) subsystem of said personal computing system.
9. A method for illuminating a document; comprising:
attaching a first clip to an electronic device, said electronic device associated with an I/O port coupled to a power source coupled to said electronic device, said first clip coupled to a flexible member having a plug for cooperative engagement with said port at a first end and an illumination device at a second end electrically communicated to said plug, with said flexible member constructed to be manually reconfigurable to maintain said member in a desired dynamically established orientation;
attaching the document to a second clip coupled to said flexible member;
engaging said plug with said port to cause said illumination device to emit light;
positioning said flexible member into a first desired orientation to maintain said flexible member into a first desired orientation wherein said document is in a desired position relative to said device; and
positioning said flexible member into a second desired orientation to maintain said flexible member into a second desired orientation wherein said illumination device is in a desired position relative to the document and said first desired orientation is substantially unchanged.
10. The document illuminating method of claim 4 wherein said electronic device is a portable computer, said I/O port is provided as part of said portable computer, and said power supply is a battery for said portable computer.
11. An apparatus for illuminating a first object and positioning the first object relative to a second object, comprising:
a flexible body constructed to be manually reconfigurable to maintain the body in a desired dynamically established orientation;
a plug coupled to a first end portion of the flexible body;
an illumination device coupled to a second end portion of the body;
a first attachment element coupled to the flexible body at the first attachment position on the flexible body for engaging the second object in a manner that inhibits relative movement between the first attachment position and the second object, and
a second attachment element attached to a second attachment position on the flexible body,
wherein the illumination device is configured to illuminate the first object in the desired dynamically established orientation relative to the second object.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plug is adapted for insertion into an input/output port in a portable electronic device having a source of electrical power.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a power cord coupled to the plug.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the flexible body comprises a wire.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first object is a document and the second object is a portable computer device.
16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the attachment element is a clip.