IP Library Granted Patent US 12,079,048
Granted Patent B2
US 12,079,048 · App. 17/232,846 · Granted Sep 3, 2024

Dynamically illuminated element on information handling system bezel

Inventors: Sean P. O'Donnell (Poughkeepsie, NY); Richard Crisp (Austin, TX); Matthew B. Gilbert (Austin, TX); Scott C. Lauffer (Austin, TX); Timothy M. Lambert (Austin, TX); Libertad Paloma Escobar Carrizales (Austin, TX); Peter Kaltenbach (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
G06F1/182G06F1/181G06F11/3055G06F11/325G08B5/36G06F8/65G06F9/4401
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,079,048
App. No.
17/232,846
Granted
Sep 3, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bezel configured to mechanically couple to a housing for housing components of an information handling system may include one or more mechanical features for mechanically coupling the bezel to the housing, an illuminated element module mechanically coupled to a mechanical structure of the bezel, and a bezel connector having a plurality of pins communicatively coupled to the illuminated element module, the bezel connector configured to communicatively couple the illuminated element module to an access controller of the information handling system housed within the housing, such that the illuminated element module receives instructions from the access controller for displaying a visual behavior relating to a status of the information handling system and displays the visual behavior in response to receiving the instructions.

Claims (25)

1. A bezel configured to mechanically couple to a housing for housing components of an information handling system, the bezel comprising:

one or more mechanical features for mechanically coupling the bezel to the housing;

an illumination module mechanically coupled to a mechanical structure of the bezel wherein the illumination module includes:

a segmented light guide located within a light guide housing; and

a printed circuit board, containing a plurality of visual indicators, covering a backside of the light guide housing; and

a bezel connector having a plurality of pins communicatively coupled to the illumination module, the bezel connector configured to communicatively couple the illumination module to an access controller of the information handling system housed within the housing, such that the illumination module receives instructions from the access controller for causing the plurality of visual indicators to display a brand behavior illumination indicative of a brand characteristic of the information handling system.

2. The bezel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of visual indicators comprise an array of individually-addressable visual indicators such that in response to the instructions, each individually-addressable visual indicator displays behavior associated with the status.

3. The bezel of claim 1 , wherein the illumination module comprises a plurality of segments such that in response to the instructions, each of the plurality of segments displays behavior associated with the status.

4. The bezel of claim 3 , wherein the visual behavior comprises one or more of a pattern of illumination of the segments, a color of illumination of each of the segments, an intensity of illumination of each of the segments, and a frequency at which each of the segments is periodically illuminated.

5. The bezel of claim 1 , wherein the status of the information handling system comprises a firmware update request and the visual behavior is unique to the firmware update request.

6. The bezel of claim 1 , wherein the status of the information handling system comprises a powering-on or boot request and the visual behavior is unique to the powering-on or boot request.

7. The bezel of claim 1 , wherein the status of the information handling system comprises a brand, model, or type of information handling system and the visual behavior is unique to the brand, model, or type.

8. An information handling system comprising:

an access controller; and

a housing configured to house the access controller, the housing comprising:

one or more mechanical features for mechanically coupling a bezel to the housing; and a housing connector mechanically mounted on the housing and communicatively coupled to the access controller and configured to engage with a corresponding connector of the bezel in order to communicatively couple an illumination module mechanically coupled to the bezel to the access controller, such that the access controller is configured to communicate instructions to the illumination module for causing the plurality of visual indicators to display a brand behavior illumination indicative of a brand characteristic of the information handling system,

wherein the illumination module includes:

a segmented light guide located within a light guide housing; and a printed circuit board, containing a plurality of visual indicators, covering a backside of the light guide housing.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more mechanical features is formed in an ear of the housing, and the housing connector is mechanically mounted to the ear.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of visual indicators comprise an array of individually-addressable visual indicators such that in response to the instructions, each individually-addressable visual indicator displays behavior associated with the status.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 , wherein the illumination module comprises a plurality of segments such that in response to the instructions, each of the plurality of segments displays behavior associated with the status.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the visual behavior comprises one or more of a pattern of illumination of the segments, a color of illumination of each of the segments, an intensity of illumination of each of the segments, and a frequency at which each of the segments is periodically illuminated.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the status of the information handling system comprises a firmware update request and the visual behavior is unique to the firmware update request.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the status of the information handling system comprises a powering-on or boot request and the visual behavior is unique to the powering-on or boot request.

15. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the status of the information handling system comprises a brand, model, or type of information handling system and the visual behavior is unique to the brand, model, or type.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0124) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0012 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0001) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062021/0844 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0280) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0255 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058297/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0280 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0124 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE MISSING PATENTS THAT WERE ON THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED SUBMITTED BUT NOT ENTERED PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 056250 FRAME: 0541. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 17, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056311/0781 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 14, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056250/0541 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2021
From: ESCOBAR CARRIZALES, LIBERTAD PALOMA; KALTENBACH, PETER
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 055945/0626 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2021
From: O'DONNELL, SEAN P.; CRISP, RICHARD; GILBERT, MATTHEW B.; LAUFFER, SCOTT C.; LAMBERT, TIMOTHY M.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 055945/0964 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,360,578