Patent ID: 8096695

Claim:
A light guide for a portable electronic device comprising top and bottom portions formed of an optically transmissive material, the top portion comprising a substantially planar horizontal top surface and having a first outer diameter defining first substantially vertical sidewalls, the bottom portion being contiguous with and attached to the top portion such that at least some ambient light incident on the top surface is transmitted through the top portion into the bottom portion, the bottom portion having upper and lower outer diameters that are less than the first outer diameter, the upper outer diameter defining second substantially vertical sidewalls depending downwardly from the top portion, the lower outer diameters defining third sloping sidewalls that decrease in diameter downwardly between the upper outer diameter and a lowermost minimum diameter, the sloping sidewalls having an angle with respect to vertical sufficient to cause total internal reflection of ambient light transmitted through the top portion, reflected from the first sidewalls, and that subsequently becomes incident on the third sloping sidewalls.