Changing the appearance of an electronic device
View Patent ↗An apparatus includes a layer including a material which has an electrically controllable transparency. At least a part of the layer is arranged to cover at least a part of a surface of a display. The apparatus further includes electrical contacts arranged to enable an electrical control of the transparency of the layer. When employing such an apparatus, it may be determined which appearance the layer is to assume. The transparency of the layer can then be controlled in accordance with the determined appearance.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a layer comprising a material which has an electrically controllable transparency, wherein at least a part of the layer is arranged to cover at least a part of a surface of a display, and wherein at least a part of the layer is configured to be opaque and have a non-black color when no voltage is applied to the at least a part of the layer.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising the display.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the layer is arranged to cover a surface exceeding the surface of the display.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical contacts are arranged to enable an individual electrical control of the transparency of different parts of the layer.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising electrical contacts arrange to enable an electrical control of the transparency of the layer.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a control arrangement configured to electrically control the transparency of the layer by means of the electrical contacts.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control arrangement is configured to monitor whether the display is in an active mode and to control at least the portion of the layer covering the display to be transparent when the display is in an active mode.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control arrangement is configured to individually control the transparency of different parts of the layer to present a selectable pattern.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the layer comprises polymer network liquid crystal material.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is a cover for an electronic device.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is an electronic device.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least a part of the layer is configured to be opaque and have a non-black color when the display is inactive, and wherein the display being inactive comprises the display being in at least one or more of: a power save mode, a partial display mode or an off mode.
13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the material is configured to be substantially white when no voltage is applied thereto.
14. A method comprising:
determining an appearance which a layer of an electronic device is to assume, wherein the layer comprises a material which has an electrically controllable transparency and wherein at least a part of the layer is arranged to cover at least a part of a surface of a display of the electronic device and wherein at least a part of the layer is configured to be opaque and have a non-black color when no voltage is applied to the at least a part of the layer; and
electrically controlling the transparency of the layer in accordance with the determined appearance.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein determining an appearance which the layer is to assume comprises monitoring whether the display is in an active mode and controlling at least the portion of the layer covering the display to be transparent when the display is in an active mode.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein electrically controlling the transparency of the layer comprises individually controlling the transparency of different parts of the layer to present a selectable pattern in accordance with the determined appearance.
17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least a part of the layer is configured to be opaque and have a non-black color when the display is inactive, and wherein the display being inactive comprises the display being in at least one or more of: a power save mode, a partial display mode or an off mode.
18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the material is configured to be substantially white when no voltage is applied thereto.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying computer program code, which realizes the following when executed by a processor:
determining an appearance which a layer of an electronic device is to assume, wherein the layer comprises a material which has an electrically controllable transparency and wherein at least a part of the layer is arranged to cover at least a part of a surface of a display of the electronic device, and wherein at least a part of the layer is configured to be opaque and have a non-black color when no voltage is applied to the at least a part of the layer; and
causing an electrical control of the transparency of the layer in accordance with the determined appearance.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19 , wherein the at least a part of the layer is configured to be opaque and have a non-black color when the display is inactive, and wherein the display being inactive comprises the display being in at least one or more of: a power save mode, a partial display mode or an off mode.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19 , wherein the material is configured to be substantially white when no voltage is applied thereto.