Patent ID: 12222775

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An information handling system interior is illuminated from an illumination member that extends across a housing opening having a transparent cover and can include a visual image presented at the illumination member outer face and visible through the transparent cover. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.

Referring now toFIG.1, a side perspective view depicts an information handling system10having an opening with an illumination member30visible through a transparent cover16. Information handling system10has processing components disposed in housing12that cooperate to process information. Housing12encloses the processing components with a door14that couples to housing12and has transparent cover16over an opening15through which the processing components are visible when enclosed by housing12. In the example embodiment, the processing components include a motherboard18that supports communication between the processing components and a central processing unit (CPU)20that executes instructions to process information. CPU20interfaces with a random access memory (RAM)22that stores the instructions and information, such as an operating system and applications that execute on CPU20. An embedded controller (EC)24executes firmware instructions stored in non-transitory memory to manage operating conditions at information handling system10, such as application and removal of power, maintaining thermal conditions within thermal constraints and interacting with peripheral input devices like a keyboard and mouse. A solid state drive (SSD)26provides persistent storage of information, such as the operating system and applications, during power down periods for retrieval at power up. A graphics processing unit (GPU)28further processes the information to generate visual images, such as by defining pixel values for presentation at a display. In alternative embodiments, alternative arrangements of processing components may be used.

In the example embodiment, illumination member30couples at the housing interior to extend across the opening of transparent cover16with an appearance of floating within transparent cover16. As is described in greater depth below, illumination member30is suspended across the opening of housing12in a spaced parallel relationship with the upper side of the opening to provide a floating effect to an end user viewing the information handling system through transparent cover16. Lights included in illumination member30at the rear side are directed towards the processing components to illuminate the processing components along a viewing angle of the end user. That is, illumination member30is suspended at a front side of housing12relative to transparent cover16so that illumination directed from the rear side of illumination member30has a similar axis to the viewing angle of an end user so that shadows at the processing components are less apparent to the end user. In the example embodiment, a logo32is etched as an opening through illumination member30to spell the tradename ALIENWARE, which is illuminated by the lights at the rear side of illumination member so that the tradename appears as a floating illuminated logo at the front of transparent cover16. As an alternative, logo32may have its own separate light source that illuminates the logo at the front face of illumination member30so that the logo may illuminate independent of the housing interior illumination. In an alternative embodiment, illumination member30may integrate an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display film or liquid crystal display (LCD) panel to present visual images, such as with pixel values defined by GPU28or embedded controller24. For example, operating conditions of the processing components may be presented, such as CPU and/or GPU clock speed, memory capacity used and component temperatures. In one example embodiment, illumination member30may have an interchangeable user-facing display that is modularized to allow a user to upgrade or replace the user-facing display after point of sale. For instance, different type of logo, LCD or OLED displays may snap into place and communicate with an embedded controller through a standard type of interface, such as USB or DisplayPort type of cable.

Referring now toFIG.2, a side perspective view depicts the information handling system having the transparent cover removed. Housing12having the door removed exposes illumination member30coupled to an interior side of housing12with left hinge34at a first end33and right hinge36at a second end35. A variety of types of hinges may be used, such as those found on notebook information handling systems that have integrated torque engines to manage illumination member30position. In the example embodiment, the hinges couple to a housing side surface and suspend illumination member30to present operating conditions of the processing components as visual images at a display panel where illuminated logo32otherwise appears. For instance, firmware instructions executing on an embedded controller manage the presentation of processing component operating conditions or a logo based upon an end user preference or an operating range. Illumination member30is depicted in a spaced parallel relationship with the upper side of the opening of housing12and rotated about the hinges to align to a position against the transparent cover for ease of viewing by an end user. In an alternative embodiment, hinges34and36might extend down from the upper side of the opening. In another alternative embodiment, illumination member30may be held suspended with an offset to the opening side and/or aligned in other directions, such as vertical or horizontal directions relative to the opening side surfaces.

Referring now toFIG.3, a side perspective view depicts the information handling system having the illumination member30rotated to an exterior raised position. Illumination member30rotates approximately 90 degrees about hinges34to raise illumination member above the upper side of the opening of housing12and move illumination member30to the exterior or housing12in the raised position. LED lights38are coupled to illumination member30and aligned so that illumination from the LED lights will be directed at the processing components when illumination member30rotates to the interior position. In the raised exterior position, illumination member30is lifted out of the way of access to the housing interior so that an end user can work on the processing components in the interior without interference from illumination member30. In alternative embodiments, other orientations of illumination member30may be available so that, for instance, rotation about hinges34move illumination member out of the way off to a side of the housing instead of above the opening as depicted.

Referring now toFIG.4, a side perspective view depicts an illumination member30hinge34and position detents42. In the example embodiment, a bushing40extends out from hinge34to engage against detents42formed in the housing side surface. Detents42are small openings that an extension at the end of bushing40enters to bias hinge40to maintain a desired position. For instance, one detent42is associated with an interior position of illumination member30and the other detent42is associated with a raised exterior position of illumination member30. In one example embodiment, a bushing40is coupled to each hinge on each opposing end of illumination member30, although a single bushing and detent arrangement may be used. In an alternative embodiment, multiple positions of illumination member30may be available to adjust how illumination is directed from lights included on the rear face of illumination member30. In alternative embodiments, detents42may be embossed features, projecting either inward or outward, or other types of coupling devices that hold the bushing in place.

Referring now toFIGS.5A and5B, an exploded perspective view depicts alternative embodiments for presenting visual images from the illumination member30.FIG.5Adepicts an exploded view of illumination member30having an illuminated logo32coupled to a front face over LED lights included in illumination member30that pass light through the logo. In the example embodiment, the logo is presented by having an opening to pass illumination to the front face of illumination member30. In various embodiments, the quality and brightness of the illumination may be adapted with intermediary light filters. Alternatively, lights designed specifically to illuminate the logo may be included within illumination member30.FIG.5Bdepicts an exploded view of illumination member30having an LCD or OLED display panel44coupled to the front face to present operating conditions of the information handling system. For instance, the display panel receives and presents CPU, GPU, memory and other operating conditions that are tracked by the embedded controller of the information handling system and indicative of processing performance. Such performance information is often of interest to end users who run gaming applications. In one embodiment, during times when processing performance is of reduced interest, such as when no applications are executing, the display panel may instead present a logo.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.