# US 12,000,580 B2 · Annular light-guide integrated into a mesh network device

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- Number: US 12,000,580 B2
- Document ID: US12000580B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/638,547
- Filed: 2019-09-26
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-26
- Assignees: Google Inc.
- Applicants: Google LLC
- Inventors: Vivian W. Tang; DuanYing Lin; Clare M. Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000580B2

## CPC

- F21V 33/0052: {Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor}
- G02B 6/0001: {specially adapted for lighting devices or systems (lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00)}
- F21V 23/0435: {activated by remote control means}
- G02B 6/0051: {Diffusing sheet or layer}
- G02B 6/0073: {Light emitting diode [LED]}
- G08B 21/18: Status alarms (G08B21/02 takes precedence)
- H04L 12/44: Star or tree networks
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

The present disclosure describes an annular light-guide integrated into a system, including a mesh network device. The system includes a lighting manager application that, when executed by a processor, causes the system to determine an operational status and select, based on the determined operational status, a color. The lighting manager application then causes the system to activate one or more light-emitting components to radiate light corresponding to the selected color and transmit, through an annular light-guide, the radiated light to provide an exterior glow under a bottom housing of the system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a top housing that is radially centered along a first portion of a central axis;
a bottom housing that is radially centered along a second portion of the central axis, the bottom housing including:
a printed circuit board having one or more light-emitting components; and
an annular light-guide, the annular light-guide configured to transmit light radiated from the one or more light-emitting components to provide an exterior glow under the bottom housing; and
a footing that interfaces the bottom housing to a surface, the footing causing a gap between the bottom housing and the surface that effectuates a reflection of the exterior glow from the surface, a dimension of the gap configured based on one or more attributes of light radiated from the one or more light-emitting components, the attributes of light comprising at least one of an intensity or a color.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is disposed in a plane that is orthogonal to the central axis and the annular light-guide is disposed in another plane that is orthogonal to the central axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the annular light-guide includes an inner-annular portion that is a light pipe and an outer-annular portion that is a diffuser, the inner-annular portion that is a light pipe including, for each of the one or more light-emitting components, a respective curved recess to receive and spread light.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more light-emitting components includes a red light-emitting diode, a green light-emitting diode, and a blue light-emitting diode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein each of the one or more light-emitting components is a type of package that is a surface-mount package or a through-hole package.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein an interior radius of a wall of the bottom housing as measured from the second portion of the central axis varies when measured along the second portion of the central axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a mesh network device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor and a computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
determine an operational status of the system;
select, based on the determined operational status of the system, a color; and
activate the one or more light-emitting components to radiate light corresponding to the selected color.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein an interior radius of a wall of the bottom housing measured from the second portion of the central axis is constant along the second portion of the central axis.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the attributes of light radiated from the one or more light-emitting components upon which the dimension of the gap is configured comprise the intensity and color of light radiated from the one or more light-emitting components.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a reflector is disposed between the footing and the annular light-guide.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a pressure-sensitive adhesive is disposed between a reflector and the annular light-guide.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the provision of the exterior glow under the bottom housing provides the exterior glow around at least portions of a perimeter that is under the bottom housing of the system.

### Claim 14

A method comprising:
determining, by means of a processor of a system, an operational status of the system;
selecting, by means of the processor and based on the determined operational status of the system, a color; and
activating, by means of the processor, one or more light-emitting components to radiate light corresponding to the selected color, the radiated light transmitting through (i) an annular light-guide to provide an exterior glow and (ii) under a bottom housing of the system that interfaces to a surface through a footing effective to cause a reflection of the exterior glow from the surface, the footing causing a gap between the bottom housing and the surface, a dimension of the gap configured based on one or more attributes of light radiated from the one or more light-emitting components, the attributes of light comprising at least one of an intensity or a color.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising:
determining that the operational status of the system no longer exists; and
deactivating the one or more light-emitting components.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein determining the operational status of the system includes determining a degree of connectivity of the system to a wireless local area network, determining a degree of connectivity of the system to a radio access network, determining a degree of connectivity of the system to a user equipment, or determining a rate of data being communicated through the system.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein selecting the color based on the determined operational status of the system includes selecting the color from a cross-reference table having content that can be modified by a user or selecting the color from a cross-reference table having content that is predetermined by a manufacturer of the system.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein activating the one or more light-emitting components includes activating the one or more light-emitting components for a predetermined time duration.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein determining the operational status of the system is in response to the system powering up.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the provision of the exterior glow provides the exterior glow around a perimeter that is under the bottom housing of the system.