Patent ID: 7766517

Claim:
A computing device, comprising: a housing, the housing having an outer surface at least a portion of which is illuminable by light transmitted through a translucent inner portion of the housing that transmits light without permitting objects disposed behind it from being seen, wherein the housing encloses at least various internal components associated with the operation of the computing device; and an indicator assembly, wherein the indicator assembly indicates at least events associated with the computing device and produces at least a shaped indicator image on the outer surface of the housing having sharp well defined edges at a specific small region of the illuminable portion of the outer surface of the housing when activated, and eliminates the indicator image from the outer surface of the housing when deactivated, and wherein the indicator assembly is not visible from outside the outer surface of the housing at least when deactivated, wherein the indicator assembly further includes a mask that blocks light from illuminating all but the specific portion of the housing desired to be illuminated, the indicator assembly including at least one light source capable of emitting light, and a light guide that directs light emitted from the at least one light source so as to illuminate a small region of an inner surface of the housing adjacent the specific small region of the outer surface of the housing in order to create the shaped indicator image at the specific small region of the outer surface of the housing, the area of the shaped indicator image being substantially smaller than the area of the extended surface.