Integrated light-reflecting mirror system and method

A mirror assembly includes a transparent rim that surrounds a display. The rim has an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, where the inner perimeter defines a hollow center. The rim has an angled edge surrounding the outer perimeter at a back side, and a raised edge that protrudes forward to define an edge's front surface that surrounds the outer perimeter of the rim at a front side. The display covers the front side of the hollow center of the rim. The display includes a digital display panel. Light sources disposed behind the display project light that propagates from the inner perimeter of the rim radially outwards within the rim. The light is re-directed by the angled edge to exit the rim from the edge's front surface.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the invention relate to a mirror system including a transparent rim and light sources to produce a floating halo effect.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Proper lighting is crucial for makeup applications. To avoid an uneven, insufficient, or excessive application of makeup, a user needs to see clearly his/her facial features, skin, and the color and texture of the cosmetics. Additionally, good lighting can help the user to detect any imperfections or blemishes that may need extra coverage.

Lighted vanity mirrors available on the market today often do not have adjustable lighting. The mirror light is either not bright enough for makeup application in a dimly lit room, or too bright and harsh for a user's eyes. The light is typically emitted directly towards a user's eyes, causing eye strains and glare on the mirror. Moreover, conventional vanity mirror designs are typically very thick due to the bulkiness of the light source facing the user. Therefore, there is a need for improving the existing lighted mirrors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, an apparatus of a mirror assembly includes a transparent rim. The rim has an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter that defines a hollow center. The rim has an angled edge surrounding the outer perimeter at a back side, and a raised edge that protrudes forward to define an edge's front surface that surrounds the outer perimeter of the rim at a front side. The apparatus also includes a display, which further includes a digital display panel that covers the front side of the hollow center. The apparatus also includes light sources disposed behind the display to project light that propagates from the inner perimeter of the rim radially outwards within the rim. The light is re-directed by the angled edge of the rim to exit the rim from the edge's front surface.

In another embodiment, an apparatus includes a transparent rim. The rim has an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter that defines a hollow center. The rim has an angled edge surrounding the outer perimeter at a back side, and a raised edge that protrudes forward to define an edge's front surface that surrounds the outer perimeter of the rim at a front side. The apparatus also includes light sources disposed in the hollow center of the rim to project light that propagates from the inner perimeter of the rim radially outwards within the rim. The light is re-directed by the angled edge of the rim to exit the rim from the edge's front surface.

Other aspects and features will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed mirror assembly utilizes a unique lighting technique and apparatus to project uniform and diffused lights at a user. The mirror assembly can be used for makeup applications. In one embodiment, the mirror assembly includes a transparent rim. When a user turns on the mirror light, the outer edge of the rim emits diffused and reflected light toward the user while the inner area of the rim appears unlit to the human eye. The lighted rim edge creates a visual effect of a floating halo, which is smooth and pleasing to the eye. The user does not see any wires or light sources in the transparent rim. The front and rear face of the rim stays transparent whether the light is on or off. This transparency creates a visual illusion of slimness than the actual dimensions of the mirror, as humans generally cannot perceive the thickness of a transparent object.

For ease of explanation, the term “front” refers to the user-facing side and the term “back” faces away from the user. In one embodiment, the mirror assembly includes a digital display panel. In another embodiment, a viewing surface such as a reflective mirror, with or without magnification, may be used instead of a digital display panel. In one embodiment, the display panel is positioned at the center or substantially at the center of the rim. Both the display panel and the rim may have a round shape. In some embodiments, the lighting apparatus described herein can be used with or without a display (or viewing surface) for a wide range of applications not limited to makeup applications. In some embodiments, the lighting apparatus described herein can be packaged and sold as a standalone module without a display or a viewing surface.

A ring of light sources, e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED) strip is arranged into a ring shape and positioned behind the display panel. The LED light may be a white light of any color temperature, red green blue (RGB) light, or another type of light. The LED light may be dimmable. In one embodiment, each LED light source is covered with a light diffuser to create a light diffusion effect.

In one embodiment, the front side of the rim includes one or more indented areas and channels to house electronic circuitry and to route wires. The electronic circuitry may include one or more cameras to capture the image of the user. The captured image can be displayed on the display panel. The electronic circuitry may further include a touch button module to receive user input such as power on/off and adjustment to light intensity, color temperatures, etc. Additional electronic circuitry may also be included.

Conventional makeup mirrors typically include light sources at the front side of the mirror frame to directly project light onto a user's face. This light source position causes the conventional mirror to appear bulky and heavy, and the direct light projection can be too harsh to the user's eyes. The disclosed mirror assembly combines a thin mirror with the functions and features of a smart device. Functions and features can be added to the central core of the mirror assembly while keeping the thinness of the mirror. With the transparent rim, the disclosed mirror assembly has a visual appearance of being much thinner compared to conventional makeup mirrors. This is because the rim is transparent when unlit, and when it is lit only the front side of the outer edge lights up. The transparent rim easily blends with its surroundings and makes the mirror look smaller than it actually is.

FIG.1illustrates an exploded view of an integrated light-reflecting mirror assembly100(also referred to as mirror assembly100) according to one embodiment. The mirror assembly100includes a front cover ring110, which is a hollow ring that goes over to cover the outer perimeter of a touch panel120and a digital display panel. An example of a digital display panel is a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel130. The front cover ring110connects via threaded or snap points to a cylinder140. The front of the cylinder140is a circular ring that can be tightened onto the front cover ring110. The touch panel120and the LCD panel form a touch-sensing display (referred to as display125). However, it is understood that the term “display” as used herein may include any digital display panel with and without a touch panel.

The mirror assembly100also includes a rim150made of a transparent material. In one embodiment, the rim150is made of a transparent plastic material, such as acrylic. Other transparent materials such as polycarbonate, glass, or crystal may also be used. The rim's inner perimeter defines a hollow center. The back of the cylinder140extends through the hollow center of the rim150. An LED strip160and a diffuser ring165are placed in respective circular grooves in the cylinder140. The diffuser ring165surrounds the LED strip160with an air gap in between. The diffuser ring165may be wider than the LED strip160. When the LED strip160is turned on, it projects light radially outwards through the diffuser ring165.

A control board155is behind the display125in the hollow center of the cylinder140. The control board155may house multiple integrated circuit components to control the operations of the mirror assembly100. Non-limiting examples of integrated circuit components include a computer (e.g., integrated processing computer (IPC)), processors, speakers, wireless interface, and I/O connectors for signals from cameras and user inputs, and standard I/O interfaces such as high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), universal serial bus (USB), and mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) inputs. The MIPI inputs may be used for the display panel130, the touch panel120, and inputs for other external add-ons such as a mobile phone and/or auxiliary cameras to enhance the image capturing process be it a photo or a video. The computer on the control board155can handle image processing for augmented reality functions that are displayed to the user with a guide on the user's facial image or reflection during a makeup process.

A back housing190at the back side of the rim150is threaded forming a large nut that can be tightened over the back end of the cylinder140, eliminating the need for screws and therefore making the manufacturing process easier. Alternatively, the back housing190can click to or attach to the back end of the cylinder140. A back cover may cover the back side of the back housing190. The back housing190provides a passageway for cables and space for a mounting mechanism to mount a support arm that holds the mirror assembly100. A rear fixture such as a partial screw insert, twist and click-to-hold means that does not extend into the rim150can be used to attach the back cover to multiple types of stands. The rear fixture can also be fitted with an industry-standard VESA mount to use a type of stand from third-party manufacturers. A user in front of the display125cannot see the thickness of the housing at the center back, so the overall appearance of the mirror assembly100to the user is that the mirror assembly100is only as thin as the rim150.

The front of the cylinder140has a ring shape with a diameter greater than the diameter of the rim's hollow center. The back end of the cylinder140extends through the rim's hollow center to reach the front end of the back housing190. The back housing190can be threaded onto or clicked to the back end of the cylinder140. When the front cover ring110is also tightened onto the front ring of the cylinder140, the rim150can be pressed firmly in place without a single screw drilling into the rim150. The absence of screws in the rim150prevents any disruption to the light propagation within the rim150.

In one embodiment, the mirror assembly100includes a camera sensing module170and a touch button module180at the lower part of the rim's front side. The camera sensing module170includes one or more cameras for image capturing. In some embodiments, the camera sensing module170can also perform depth sensing, image recognition, and/or other types of imaging and sensing tasks. The camera sensing module170may include a depth-sensing camera module to capture a user's 3D facial profile. Additional camera(s) may be connected to the control board155as necessary. The camera sensing module170may be a proprietary or an off-the-shelf electronic component. A microphone may be co-located with the camera sensing module170.

The touch button module180provides a number of touch buttons to receive user input such as mirror light control. The mirror light control provided by the touch button module180may include LED light temperature control (e.g., 2500K-5500K) to have a more yellow or more white light, brightness intensity adjustment, light on/off, and/or a cycle function to cycle through a number of light settings. In one embodiment, the LED light intensity and/or color temperature can change according to the user's input to the touch button module180. In one embodiment, the LED light intensity and/or color temperature can change automatically according to the sensor input; e.g., sensors in the camera sensing module170.

The touch button module180provides a hardware-based control for controlling the LED light. The touch button module180may operate independently of the touch panel120. Using the touch button module180to control light is faster than the software control on the touch panel120. This is because the touch panel120operations rely on the underlying software, which is much slower than the hardware-based touch button module180. Furthermore, when the processors (e.g., the IPC) on the control board155are powered off or in sleep mode, the touch panel120cannot respond to any user input. The touch button module180offers users physical buttons for LED light control without waking up the processors. When the processors are turned on and awake, the processors can execute software to adjust the LED light automatically. The intensity and/or temperature of the LED light can be automatically adjusted based on the amount of ambient light and/or the task at hand. For example, the mirror assembly100may be attached to an automatic makeup machine (e.g., the makeup machine550inFIG.5). During the makeup application process, some makeup steps (e.g., facial contour, eye makeup, lip makeup, etc.) may require higher precision than others and therefore more lights for the cameras to detect the precise position of the target area. Moreover, the intensity and/or color of the LED light may be adjusted based on what is displayed on the LCD panel130. For example, when the display125displays a user's facial image with augmented reality (AR) superimposed thereon, the LED light may be automatically dimmed. The software-based light control, which is executed by the processors on the control board155, can automatically adjust the LED light as well as the LCD panel130brightness to support the need or requirement of the software applications being executed.

In one embodiment, the camera sensing module170, the touch button module180, the touch panel120, microphones, sensors, and other input/output modules are electrically coupled to the control board155. The control board155may receive signals from these modules for processing, and send control signals to the modules for controlling their operations. For those modules located at the front side of the rim150, electrical wires may be routed from behind the display125through the hollow center of the rim150via spacing between adjacent LED lights to reach the control board155.

In one embodiment, the camera sensing module170and the touch button module180are covered by a lower front cover172and a lower back cover182to hide the circuits and wires of the modules170and180from view. The lower back cover182may be a piece of non-transparent film attached to the front or back side of the rim150by adhesive. The lower front cover172includes a number of holes to allow input signals (e.g., image, voice, etc.) to reach the camera sensing module170and a number of touch button icons184to indicate the functions of the corresponding touch buttons. In alternative embodiments, the camera sensing module170and/or the touch button module180may be located at a different part of the rim150than what is shown inFIG.1, or may be located at another part of the mirror assembly100. For example, the touch buttons module180may be located at the outer perimeter of the front cover ring110. The camera sensing module170may be located on the upper front side of the rim150or another part of the mirror assembly100. In one embodiment, the camera sensing module170, the touch button module180, and/or wires connecting these modules to the control board155may be embedded in the rim150, such as indented areas or channels at the front side of the rim150. The depth of these indented areas and channels is less than the thickness of the rim150. An alternative embodiment of a rim with indented areas and channels is described with reference toFIG.6-FIG.11.

In one embodiment, the LCD panel130serves as an interactive mirror for the user. A 3D facial profile of the user can be captured by the camera sensing module170(which performs depth-sensing) and displayed on the LCD panel130. The LCD panel130may also be connected to a processor (e.g., located in the control board155), which performs operations including the operations based on the input from the camera sensing module170, the touch module180, and the touch panel120. With a wireless network interface (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), the LCD panel130can also serve as a computer and/or smart device display to display information from the Internet as well as interactive message exchanges between the user and another person or entity. The user may control the mirror assembly100by voice input to the microphone175.

The LCD panel130displays a digital image, which may be a digital image of the user, an augmented reality (AR) digital image (e.g., a makeup or styling choice superimposed on the user's image), an image or image sequence (e.g., a video) recommended for or selected by the user, a real-time online consulting session with a makeup coach or another party of interest to guide the user in the makeup process, a website, a social media site, images provided by a graphical interface (GUI), and the like. Although the LCD panel130is described and shown, in an alternative embodiment, the display125may include a mirror (i.e., a reflective surface with or without magnification) instead of a digital display. In another embodiment, the display125may include a semi-transparent reflective mirror on top of the LCD panel130.

FIG.2is a front view of the mirror assembly100according to one embodiment. Referring toFIG.1andFIG.2, the display125covers the hollow center of the rim150. The rim150has a raised edge310around the outer perimeter. The raised edge310protrudes towards the front. The front surface of the raised edge is referred to as the edge's front surface312, from where the LED light is emitted. A circuit module280including the camera sensing module170and the touch button module180is attached to the lower part of the rim150. In this embodiment, the edge of the circuit module280does not extend to the raised edge, so the transparent rim is visible all around the circuit module280. There are no cables or wires from the circuit module280going to the raised edge310. The circuit module280may be held in place by attaching to the cylinder140or the front cover ring110(FIG.1). A support arm210may be attached to the back of the mirror assembly100. The balance of the support arm210is centered in the back to support the mirror assembly100without showing the girth at the back.

As will be described in more detail with reference toFIG.3andFIG.4, LED light stays invisible when it propagates within the rim150. The light becomes visible when it exits the rim150from the edge's front surface312. The light projected by the light sources creates a circular floating halo at the edge's front surface312surrounding the outer perimeter of the rim150, with unlit circular space of the rim150between the raised edge310and the display125. Thus, when the mirror light is turned on, a user facing the mirror would see neither the LED light source nor the light transmission path. To the user, the visible light comes from the floating halo, which appears to be a magical ring of light that surrounds the display125.

FIG.2also shows a horizontal cut A-A′ and a vertical cut B-B′ through the rim150. In the following,FIG.3illustrates a cross-sectional view of the mirror assembly100exposed by the horizontal cut A-A′, andFIG.4illustrates a cross-sectional view of the mirror assembly100exposed by the vertical cut B-B′. The rim150shown inFIG.4is symmetric with respect to the dashed center line.

Referring toFIG.3andFIG.4, when a user turns on the mirror light, the LED light projects outwards from behind the display125and passes behind the circuit components (e.g., cameras, microphone, touch module, and wires) to reach an angled back edge910of the rim150, and is re-directed (e.g., reflected) by the angled back edge910to the raised edge310to exit from the edge's front surface312. The shape of the edge's front surface312is the shape of the floating halo seen by a user when the mirror light is turned on.

Non-limiting factors affecting light reflection include the rim material, the geometry of the rim, and the finish of the reflection surface. In one embodiment, the rim150is made of acrylics, the reflection angle (θ) is 45 degrees, and the reflection surface is texturized to optimize light reflection. In alternative embodiments with a different rim material and a different reflection surface texture, the reflection angle may be different from 45 degrees. Furthermore, the width (W) of the angled back edge910and the size of the reflection angle may be designed based on the desired width (S) of the raised edge310.

In one embodiment, the light-emitting side of the LED strip160is surrounded by the diffuser ring165to diffuse and soften the light. With the reflected and diffused LED lighting, the facial image of the user can be captured by cameras in a smooth and uniform light from a suitable distance. The dotted arrows inFIG.3indicate the light propagation. The light propagates unobstructed within the rim150. The rim150is formed by a single piece of transparent material. This unobstructed light passage not only is formed by a single piece of transparent material, but is also free of any electrical and mechanical components. Thus, the rim150provides an unobstructed light passage from its inner perimeter to the angled back edge910and then to the raised edge310. This unobstructed light passage is L-shaped. The incident light ray leaving the LED strip160goes through an air gap to reach the diffuser ring165, then meets the rim150, which becomes a light conduit. The incident light ray is reflected by the angled back edge910to become an emergent ray coming out of the edge's front surface312. The reflected light ray while in the conduit of the rim150cannot be seen by the eye, maintaining the material's transparency. The entire width (W) of the angled back edge910may be coated with one or more materials (e.g., chemicals, films, metals, etc.) and texturized to enhance the light reflection. To manipulate the light reflection and/or refraction, the outer perimeter of the raised edge310and continue to the angled back edge910may also be coated. The coating may be applied by spray particle methods or by an adhesive. The coating is thin (e.g., 0.1 mm-0.5 mm) and indiscernible to a user facing the mirror assembly100. In one embodiment, the outer perimeter of the raised edge310continuing to the angled back edge910may be fitted with a thin ring of edge piece to block any light leaving the sides of the rim150.

FIG.4also shows that the control board155may be positioned within the hollow center of the cylinder140. The control board155may be held in place by an attaching mechanism that attaches the control board155to the cylinder140.

FIG.5illustrates the mirror assembly100in three different system configurations. The mirror assembly100in (A) is attached to a machine, such as a makeup machine550. A makeup machine is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/049,837 filed on Oct. 26, 2022. It should be noted that multiple embodiments of the makeup machine have been disclosed in the aforementioned patent application; the mirror assembly100may be installed on any of the disclosed embodiments or any variations thereof. Thus, the example shown inFIG.5is non-limiting.

In (A), the mirror assembly100is mounted on a support arm510with an adjustable height. The support arm510may be secured to the bottom back side of the machine body. In one embodiment, the mirror assembly100and the support arm510may be packaged and sold as a separate module from the rest of the makeup machine550.

The mirror assembly100in (B) is in a standalone system. In this embodiment, the mirror assembly100is mounted on the support arm510attached to a base551(e.g., a tabletop base). In the embodiments of (A) and (B), some aforementioned electronic components and/or interfaces in the control board155may instead be located in the machine550of (A) or the base551of (B). For example, the machine550and/or the base551may include a power module and a computing circuit such as an integrated processing computer (IPC). The power module and the IPC are coupled to the control board155via cables that go through the support arm510. The mirror assembly100in (C) can be mounted on a wall. In this embodiment, the mirror assembly100is mounted on the wall via a wall mount552such as an industry-standard VESA mount.

FIG.6,FIG.7, andFIG.8illustrate a mirror assembly101in several views. The mirror assembly101has the same components as the mirror assembly100inFIG.1, except for the locations of the circuit modules on the rim. In the mirror assembly101, a rim151includes indented areas at the front side to house the circuit modules. Each indented area has a depth less than the depth (i.e., thickness) of the rim151. The camera sensing module170is located at an upper indented area of the rim151, and the touch button module180is located at a lower indented area of the rim151. The camera sensing module170and the touch button module180are covered to hide the circuitry from view. The rim151has the same angled back edge910, the raised edge310, the edge's front surface312as the rim150(FIG.1-FIG.4), and also has the same transparency as the rim150. Referring to a front isometric view of the mirror assembly101shown inFIG.6, the front side of the rim151includes a covered upper indented area710and a covered lower indented area720to house the camera sensing module170and the touch button module180, respectively.FIG.7is a back isometric view of the mirror assembly101according to one embodiment. A back cover730covers the hollow center of rim150from the back side. A support arm connector790is attached to the back cover730. The support arm connector790can be attached to a support arm, which can further be attached to a makeup machine, a base, and/or a wall mount.FIG.7also shows that the lower boundary line of the covered upper indented area710and the upper boundary line of the covered lower indented area720, which are visible from the back side of the mirror assembly101. It should be understood that these boundary lines are at the front side of the rim151and extend partially into the rim151without reaching the back side of the rim151. These boundary lines are visible from the back side because the rim151is transparent.FIG.8is a back view of the mirror assembly101with the back cover730removed to show the control board155. The mirror assembly101has the same control board155as the mirror assembly100.

FIG.9is a cutaway diagram showing the LED strip160(FIG.1) in the mirror assembly101according to one embodiment. As in the mirror assembly100ofFIG.1, the LED strip160is inserted into a circular groove in the cylinder140(FIG.1). Referring also toFIG.10, in which electronic components embedded in the indented areas of the rim151are shown. Non-limiting examples of the electronics components include the camera sensing module170, a microphone175, and the touch button module180, all of which are electrically connected to the control board155via respective wires.FIG.10shows a wire channel884embedded in the rim150. In an alternative embodiment, the wire channel884may have a different position, shape, and/or orientation than what is shown inFIG.10. The wire channel884does not cut through the entire thickness of the rim151. The wires from the camera sensing module170and the microphone175go through the wire channel884and the hollow center of the rim151to connect to the control board155. In one embodiment, the wires go through the spacing between two adjacent LEDs to connect to the control board155. A similar wire channel may be provided for the wires to connect the touch button module180to the control board155. The wires from the touch button module180are routed through another wire channel and the hollow center via the spacing between two adjacent LEDs to reach the control board155. Each wire channel has a depth less than the thickness of the rim151.

FIG.11illustrates the mirror assembly101in various system configurations according to some embodiments. Referring also toFIG.5, the mirror assembly101may be attached to the machine550, the base551, and/or the wall mount552. The mirror assembly100and the mirror assembly101may be mounted on support arms different from what are shown inFIG.5andFIG.11, respectively. In (A) ofFIG.11, the mirror assembly101is mounted on a support arm610attached to the base551(FIG.5). The support arm610includes a joint620that allows a user to adjust the height of the display125. The support arm610is connected to the based551with a base connector that allows the user to rotate the support arm610on the base551and thereby adjusting the angle of the display125. In (B), the mirror assembly101is attached to a machine, such as the makeup machine550(FIG.5). The mirror assembly100is mounted on the support arm610secured to the back side of the machine body, and may be folded down on top of the machine550when not in use. In one embodiment, the mirror assembly101and the support arm610(as well as the mirror assembly100and the support arm510) may be packaged and sold as a separate module from the rest of the makeup machine550.

Embodiments of a mirror assembly have been described. In one embodiment, an apparatus of a mirror assembly includes a transparent rim. The rim has an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter that defines a hollow center. The rim has an angled edge surrounding the outer perimeter at a back side, and a raised edge that protrudes forward to define an edge's front surface that surrounds the outer perimeter of the rim at a front side. The apparatus also includes a display, which further includes a digital display panel that covers the front side of the hollow center. The apparatus also includes light sources disposed behind the display to project light that propagates from the inner perimeter of the rim radially outwards within the rim. The light is re-directed by the angled edge of the rim to exit the rim from the edge's front surface.

In one embodiment, the light sources are an LED strip surrounded by a diffuser ring with an air gap in between. The light projected by the light sources creates a circular floating halo at the edge's front surface with unlit circular space of the rim between the raised edge and the display. The light projected by the light sources propagates via an unobstructed L-shaped light passage within the rim. The L-shaped light passage extends from the inner perimeter to the angled edge and continues to the edge's front surface. In one embodiment, the angled edge has a coated and texturized surface. A camera sensing module may be attached to the front side of the rim to capture an image of a user. A touch button module may be attached to the front side of the rim to receive user input of light control. In one embodiment, the light control includes at least one of: light temperature control, brightness intensity adjustment, light on/off, and a cycle function. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes processors operative to adjust the light based on software applications being executed by the processors.

In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a circuit board behind the display. The circuit board includes circuitry to control operations of the display, the light sources, and circuitry that processes input/output signals. In one embodiment, the circuit board is connected to electronic circuitry at the front side of the rim via wires that go through the spacing between two adjacent light sources. The circuit board may include circuitry that performs image processing with augmented reality functions to guide a user during a makeup process.

In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a cylinder having a front circular ring to receive a front cover ring that surrounds the display, and a back end that extends through the hollow center of the rim to receive a back cover ring. The back cover ring, the front cover ring, and the cylinder hold the rim in place without a screw drilling into the rim. The light sources are an LED strip located in a first circular groove of the back end of the cylinder, and a diffuser ring over the LED strip is located in a second circular groove of the back end of the cylinder. In one embodiment, the rim includes at least an indented area at the front side to house electronic circuitry. The depth of the indented area is less than a thickness of the rim measured from the front side to the back side of the rim. In one embodiment, the rim includes at least an indented channel at the front side to route wires through the hollow center of the rim. The depth of the indented channel is less than a thickness of the rim measured from the front side to the back side of the rim.

In another embodiment, an apparatus includes a transparent rim. The rim has an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter that defines a hollow center. The rim has an angled edge surrounding the outer perimeter at a back side, and a raised edge that protrudes forward to define an edge's front surface that surrounds the outer perimeter of the rim at a front side. The apparatus also includes light sources disposed in the hollow center of the rim to project light that propagates from the inner perimeter of the rim radially outwards within the rim. The light is re-directed by the angled edge of the rim to exit the rim from the edge's front surface. The light projected by the light sources propagates via an unobstructed L-shaped light passage within the rim. The L-shaped light passage extends from the inner perimeter to the angled edge and continues to the edge's front surface. The light projected by the light sources creates a circular floating halo at the edge's front surface with unlit circular space of the rim between the raised edge and the inner perimeter of the rim. In one embodiment, the angled edge has a coated and texturized surface.

Various functional components or blocks have been described herein. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art, the functional blocks will preferably be implemented through circuits (either dedicated circuits or general-purpose circuits, which operate under the control of one or more processors and coded instructions), which will typically comprise transistors that are configured in such a way as to control the operation of the circuitry in accordance with the functions and operations described herein.