Abstract:
An apparatus is disclosed comprising a portable, handheld bag for toting personal effects. In various embodiments, the external surfaces of the handbag comprises flexible digital displays, including LED and/or LCD displays. The handbag itself may comprise an internal power supply and one or more USB ports for interfacing the handbag with other data processing devices. The In some embodiments, the LED or LCD displays may be configured to display a colored, repeating patters which aesthetically matches the ensemble or outerwear of user. Various embodiments of the present invention comprise touch screens and software for assisting users with typical day-to-day needs, including a virtual calculator, GPS, virtual notepads, and the like.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to portable handbags for personal effects, and more specifically relates to a portable handbag having a digital display and digital function. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Tens of millions of individuals across the United States, particularly women, carry personal effects in handbags or purses, including identification, calculators, cellular phones, credit cards, parking passes, tablet computers, GPS devices, make up, headphones, day planners, writing instruments, notepads, and the like. As technology has evolved and smaller digital devices have become more common place, so has the number of these digital items being carried by travelers in their handbags. 
         [0005]    Various purses, handbags, satchels, laptop bags, briefcases, and backpacks have been devised in the art for organizing digital devices, including purses with specially dimensioned internal pockets for organizing cellular phones, digital cameras, calculators, and the like. These handbags have proven largely ineffective as the items being carried and their sizes are in a constant state of flux. Many of the digital and electronic items being carried by men and women comprise integrated circuits and software which serve similar functions but each have separate power supplies, which die frequently. None of these designs have been accepted universally by any cross-segment of the population, and none of these designs consolidate the functions of the multitude of digital devices being carried or provide means of charging dead or dying batteries. 
         [0006]    Furthermore, women often wish to coordinate colors and aesthetic designs of the handbags they are carrying with outerwear, and lack this flexibility with immutable, static colors and designs that characterize each handbag, often compelling women to purchase a plurality of handbags for principally ornamental reasons. There exists no handbag with dynamic exterior appearance, and no means in the art of changing instantaneously the color or repeating patterns covering the outer surface of the handbag. 
         [0007]    What is needed is a portable handheld device for personal effects with serves many of the same functions as the personal items typically ported in handbags, and which has dynamic appearance functionality. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for a digital display purse. The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art; and, in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available methods, systems and apparatus, and that overcome many or all of the above-discussed shortcomings in the art. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a portable, handheld, receptacle comprising: a handbag defining a hollow interior recess for storing personal effects, the hand bag having two or more exterior surfaces; one or more flexible handles; and one more digital visual display(s) disposed on one of the exterior surfaces of the handbag. The digital visual display(s) may comprise touchscreens. The receptacle may further comprise one or more computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code executable to perform operations for displaying a virtual calculator on the touchscreen. 
         [0009]    The digital visual displays may be formed of flexible materials contouring a flexing, non-planar exterior surface of the exterior surface. The handbag may further comprise a rechargeable, internal power supply. In some embodiments, the power supply comprises one or more detachably insertable batteries of standardized dimensions. 
         [0010]    The handbag may further comprise one or more uniform serial bus (USB) ports for connecting peripherals. The handbag may further comprise one or more speakers, the speakers affixed to a base member of the handbag. 
         [0011]    In various embodiments, the handbag may further comprise one or more computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer usable program code executable to perform operations for displaying a user-selected ornamental design on the digital visual display. 
         [0012]    The receptacle may further comprising: an internal processor; and power adjustment controls, for controlling the electrical power to the digital visual display. 
         [0013]    The receptacle may further comprise an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) for providing mode adjustment controls, for selecting one of a plurality of modes, each mode imposing a distinct method of motor operation upon the device. 
         [0014]    The handle may further comprise a plurality of flexible LCD display(s). 
         [0015]    A second portable, handheld, receptacle is disclosed comprising: a handbag defining a hollow interior recess for storing personal effects, the hand bag having two or more exterior surfaces; one or flexible handles; two or more digital visual displays disposed on one of the exterior surfaces of the handbag; one more internal processors in logical communication with the digital visual displays; one or more internal power supplies powering the processor and the digital visual display; means for recharging the power supplies of two or more portable electronic devices from the group consisting of: a smart phone, a global positioning (GPS) device, a tablet computer, a music playback device, and laptop computer. 
         [0016]    Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention. 
         [0017]    These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a lower perspective view of a digital display purse in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of a digital display purse with an exploded view of a flexible LCD display in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4A  is a forward perspective view of a digital display purse in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4B  is a forward perspective view of a digital display strap in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is an upper perspective view of a digital display satchel in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of a digital display satchel in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment. 
         [0030]    The described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. The apparatus modules recited in the claims may be configured to impart the recited functionality to the apparatus. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is a lower perspective view of a digital display purse  100  in accordance with the present invention. The purse  100  comprises a sidewall  102   a,  base member  122 , and a speaker  124 . 
         [0032]    In the shown embodiment, the purse  100  is wedge-shaped, comprising a base member  122  with a planar exterior surface. The purse  100  also comprises two sidewalls  102 , which have substantially planar exterior surfaces. In various embodiments described below, these sidewalls  102  comprise LCD or LED digital visual displays in logical connection with processor internal to the purse  100  or to the displays themselves. 
         [0033]    Various embodiments of the purse  100  comprise speakers  124  affixed to, disposed upon or behind, the various surfaces of the purse  100 , including the sidewalls  102  and/or the base member  122 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse  200  in accordance with the present invention. The purse  200  comprises a sidewall  102   a,  a handle  202 , an audio port  204 , a power jack  206 , and a USB port  208  (universal serial bus). 
         [0035]    The handle  202  may be fabricated from one of leather, nylon, chain, rope, cord, elastomeric materials, or other organic or non-organic rigid materials known to those of skill in the art. The handle  202  may comprise a shoulder strap. 
         [0036]    In various embodiments, the purse  200  comprises one or more data processing devices (DPDs), which, in the preferred embodiment, are affixed to the purse  200  internally. In various other embodiments, the DPDs may external to the purse  200  and may comprise smart phones including an iPhone, Android, Palm Pilots®, tablet computer, laptop computer, digital camera, and the like; being transported by the purse  200 . 
         [0037]    These DPDs may be in logical communication with one or more peripherals internal or external to the purse  200  via ports, jacks or sockets, such as the audio port  204 , power jack  206 , and/or USB port  208 . These peripherals may comprise a keyboard, external monitor, GPS device, cellular phone, tablet computer, speakers, desktop, server, and the like. 
         [0038]    The purse  200  may comprises a system or computer program running on the one or more data processing devices (DPDs), such as a server, computer workstation, router, mainframe computer, or the like. In various embodiments, the DPD comprises one or more processors. The processor is a computing device well-known to those in the art and may include an application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”). 
         [0039]    Additionally, the purse  200  may comprises a database management system (DBMS) or relational database management system (RDBMS), such as Oracle, SQL, FireBird, IBM DB2®, or the like. 
         [0040]    Computer readable memory in the purse  200  may comprise encrypted or non-encrypted personal identifying information which can be used by the user of the purse  200  make payments to merchants, identify the owner of a lost purse  200 , or identify himself/herself at predetermined locales. This personal identifying information is stored in the database may comprise name, address, email, telephone, IP address, banking information, and the like. 
         [0041]    The purse  200  may, in some embodiments, communicate logically through a networked environment, such as local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), with other DPDs. The purse  200  may facilitate human-to-human communication, using means known to those of skill in the art, including variations of the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Post Office Protocol (POP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), or other protocols. 
         [0042]      FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of a digital display purse  300  with an exploded view of a flexible LCD display in accordance with the present invention. The purse  300  comprises a sidewall  102 , and a flexible LCD display  302  comprising a flexible polarizing filter  304  and ITO electrodes  306 . 
         [0043]    As shown, the LCD display  302  may be flexible and may cover more than 80% of the surface area of the sidewall  102   a.    
         [0044]    The LCD display  302  may be configured to show predetermined colors, patterns, or ornamental designs for ornamental effect. In some embodiments, the purse  300  comprises two or more cameras which sense color and patterns in the environment around the purse  300  and display corresponding pictures, video, colors or patterns on the display(s)  302 , In some embodiments, the cameras and displays  302  may configured to create illusions or effects, such as invisibility or transparency of the purse  300 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 4  is a forward perspective view of a digital display purse  400  in accordance with the present invention. The purse  400  comprises a sidewall  102   a,  a handle  202 , and an LCD display  302 . 
         [0046]    As shown, the LCD display  302  may shaped in other than square or rectangular fashion. The display  302 , in the shown embodiment, is polygonal. 
         [0047]      FIG. 4B  is a forward perspective view of a digital display strap  450  in accordance with the present invention. The digital display a handle  202  comprising a strap  450  comprises LEDs  452   a - d  and LCDs  454   a - d.    
         [0048]    In various embodiments of the present invention, the handle  202  may serve some of the same purposes of the LCD display  302 . The handle  202  may comprise one more LCD displays  454   a - d  affixed in line on the handle  202 . These LCDs  454   a - d  may be configured to each display separate content relayed from a processor, or to each display the same content. In various embodiments, the LCD displays may be used to serve aesthetic purposes, serving to add color, patterns, or design matching that of the device  100  and/or display  302 . 
         [0049]    The handle  202  may also comprise LEDs  452   a - d.  These LEDs may comprise simple light emitting diodes, or may comprise complicated LED arrays, such LED backlit displays. 
         [0050]    In various embodiments, the LCDs  454   a - d  and displays  302   a - b  may all be configured to display in unison images having motions, such as waves moving across the displays  302 , 454 , fish, rivers, or other moving designs. 
         [0051]      FIG. 5  is an upper perspective view of a digital display  500  satchel in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0052]    The teachings of the present invention may apply equally to a purse as to a satchel, briefcase, backpack, day planner, laptop bag, and the like. 
         [0053]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of a digital display satchel  600  in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0054]    Any type of portable, handheld receptacle for transporting personal effects may be configured with external digital displays  302  and may comprise the other components for holding common devices, such as cellular phones, tablet computers and the like. 
         [0055]    In various embodiments, the displays  302   a - b  may be configured to display scenery, or images with small or large amount of motion. As described partially above, the displays  302   a - b  may display waves, moving clouds, or patterns in motion, to add the effect of movement to traditional styles. 
         [0056]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse  700  in accordance with the present invention. The purse  700  comprises a sidewall  102   a,  a handle  202 , an LCD display  302 , stitching  702 , and an iPod  704   a  displaying a repeating digital pattern  706 . 
         [0057]    In various embodiments, the display  302  comprises an integrated tablet computer with its own processor(s) and power supply, such as an iPod, iPad, cellular phone and the like. These devices may be configured to display select ornamental color and/or patterns at the discretion of the user of the purse  700 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse  800  in accordance with the present invention. The purse  800  comprises a sidewall  102   b,  a handle  202 , a flexible LCD display  302 , an endwall  802  (and a user&#39;s hand  804 ). 
         [0059]    In various embodiments, the LCD display  302  serves various utilitarian functions, such as providing a virtual calculator, GPS navigation system, virtual notepad, address book, email interface, and the like. A user may interface with the display  302  using a hand  804  to touch the display  302 . 
         [0060]      FIG. 9  is a side elevational perspective view of a digital display purse  900  in accordance with the present invention. The purse  900  comprises a sidewall  102   b,  a handle  202 , a display  302 , and endwall  802 , a processor  904 , and batteries  906 . 
         [0061]    The batteries  906 , in the shown embodiment, form party of the power supply, and may comprise a plurality of batteries of standardized power specifications and dimensions, such as AAA, AA, A, C, D, 9V and the like. The batteries  906  may comprise a rechargeable battery or cell as known to those of skill in the art. The batteries  906  may be internal or external to the purse  900 . The power supply may comprise an A/C power adapter and 110 V plug or other means known to those of skill in the art. 
         [0062]    As further described above, the processor  904  may be internal or external to the purse  900 . 
         [0063]    The endwall  802  connects, and is affixed to, the sidewalls  102   a - b.    
         [0064]    The purse  900  may comprise a power indicator indicating, using LEDs or using other means known to those of skill in the art, what the power setting has been previously selected and/or power remaining in the power supply. 
         [0065]    In some embodiments, a user may configure a control module to run in any one of a plurality of modes reflected on the display  302 . The mode selector controls may comprise depressible buttons, but may also comprise dials and other common controls known to those of skill in the art, disposed internally (within the interior recess). 
         [0066]    The purse  900  may comprise one or more computer program products for performing the functions necessary to realize a virtual calculator, virtual notebook, or other software features useful to the user of the purse  900 . 
         [0067]    The functions of the systems shown in the present invention correspond generally to other systems, methods, apparatii and computer program products outlined in the present invention, and further illustrates the availability of different allocations of functionality amongst modules that implement an embodiment of the invention. To the extent that hardware, software, and firmware implementations are deemed partially or fully interchangeable at the time in question (now or hereafter) by one of skill in the art, they may be utilized in embodying the invention even though the specific implementation examples discussed here are different. 
         [0068]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.