Information-presentation structure with impact-sensitive color change and overlying protection or/and surface color control

An information-presentation (“IP”) structure comprising an object-impact (“OI”) structure having an exposed surface for being impacted by an object during an activity, the OI structure comprising a principal variable-color (“VC”) region which extends to the exposed surface at a principal surface zone and normally appears along it largely as a principal surface color during the activity, the VC region comprising:

• principal impact-sensitive color-change (“ISCC”) structure, an impact-dependent (“ID”) segment of the ISCC structure responding to the object impacting the surface zone at an ID object-contact (“OC”) area spanning where the object contacts the surface zone by causing an ID portion of the VC region to temporarily appear along an ID print area of the surface zone largely as changed surface color materially different from the principal surface color if the impact meets principal threshold impact criteria, the OC area being capable of being of substantially arbitrary shape, the print area at least partly encompassing, at least mostly outwardly conforming largely to, and being largely concentric with the OC area;
• and
• principal surface structure situated between the surface zone and a principal interface with the ISCC structure, total light normally leaving the ISCC structure along the interface being of wavelength suitable for forming a principal internal color, total light temporarily leaving an ID segment of the interface spanning the ID portion along the interface while the ID portion temporarily appears along the print area largely as the changed surface color being of wavelength suitable for forming a changed internal color, a selected one of the internal colors being a principal comparatively light color, the remaining one of the internal colors being a principal comparatively dark color darker than the light color, the surface structure absorbing light leaving the ISCC structure along the interface such that the principal surface color is darker than the light color if the principal internal color is the light color and such that the changed surface color is darker than the light color if the changed internal color is the light color.

An information-presentation (“IP”) structure comprising:

• an object-impact (“OI”) structure having an exposed surface for being impacted by an object during an activity, the OI structure comprising a variable-color (“VC”) region which extends to the exposed surface at a surface zone and normally appears along it largely as a principal color during the activity, the VC region comprising (a) impact-sensitive color-change (“ISCC”) structure and (b) protective structure situated at least partly between the surface zone and the ISCC structure for materially protecting it from being damaged by matter impacting, situated on, and/or moving along the surface zone, an impact-dependent (“ID”) segment of the ISCC structure responding to the object impacting the surface zone at an ID object-contact (“OC”) area spanning where the object contacts the surface zone by providing a general characteristics-identifying impact signal if the impact meets threshold impact criteria, the impact signal identifying an expected location of an ID print area in the surface zone and general supplemental impact information for the impact;
• and
• a color-change (“CC”) controller responsive to the impact signal, if provided, for determining whether the supplemental impact information meets supplemental impact criteria and, if so, for providing a general CC initiation signal, the ID segment of the ISCC structure responding to the initiation signal, if provided, by causing an ID portion of the VC region to temporarily appear along the print area largely as changed color materially different from the principal color, the print area at least partly encompassing, at least mostly outwardly conforming largely to, and being largely concentric with the OC area.

An information-presentation (“IP”) structure comprising an object-impact (“OI”) structure having an exposed surface for being impacted by an object during an activity, the OI structure comprising a variable-color (“VC”) region which extends to the exposed surface at a surface zone and normally appears along it largely as a principal surface color during the activity, the VC region comprising:

• impact-sensitive color-change (“ISCC”) structure, an impact-dependent (“ID”) segment of the ISCC structure responding to the object impacting the surface zone at an ID object-contact (“OC”) area spanning where the object contacts the surface zone by temporarily emitting light having at least a majority component of wavelength suitable for forming color different from the principal color if the impact meets threshold impact criteria so as to cause an ID portion of the VC region to temporarily appear along an ID print area of the surface zone largely as changed surface color materially different from the principal color, the OC area being capable of being of substantially arbitrary shape, the print area at least partly encompassing, at least mostly outwardly conforming largely to, and being largely concentric with the OC area;
• and
• protective structure situated at least partly between the surface zone and the ISCC structure for materially protecting it from being damaged by matter impacting, situated on, and/or moving along the surface zone.