On February 6, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Google titled "Adaptive Keyboard Lighting." The invention is primarily aimed at their battery powered Chromebook. The new system will use the Chromebook's camera to figure out if a user is watching content like a movie or actually typing. If the user isn't using their keyboard, then the device will turn off the keyboard's lighting until needed so as to save battery life.
Google's Patent Background
Touch-activated input devices (e.g., keyboards, keypads, mice, track pads, etc.) are commonly used for interacting with electronic devices and computer systems. The electronic devices and computers may be used in poor ambient light conditions. The touch-activated input devices can be artificially illuminated to help users see the devices in the poor ambient light conditions. For example, some commercially-available computer devices (e.g., laptops) are provisioned with lighted or illuminated keyboards ("illuminated keyboards"). An illuminated keyboard may include electronic light sources (e.g., LEDs) disposed, for example, on the sides or back of the keyboard, to provide backlight that illuminates the keys. The illuminated keyboard may be coupled to an ambient light sensor (ALS) which can automatically switch on the light sources when the ambient light falls below a certain threshold. The electronic light sources (e.g., LEDs) may be battery-powered.
While illuminated keyboards can increase the utility of electronic devices and computer systems by allowing interactive use in the dark or in low light conditions, the electronic light sources used in the illuminated keyboards consume power and can run down batteries. Consideration is now being given to ways of managing power consumption by illuminated keyboards.
Google Invents Adaptive Keyboard Lighting
Google's invention generally relates to a system for managing illumination of a keyboard, which is coupled to an electronic device or computer system. It includes a light source controller that's configured to place light sources ("backlights") that illuminate the keyboard in an on-state or an off-state according a direction of the user's eyesight relative to the keyboard.
Google notes that the direction of the user's eyesight relative to the keyboard is determined using an imaging device (e.g., a camera). The imaging device includes an image processing unit, which is configured to analyze images of the user's face to track a direction of the user's eyesight. The light source controller turns on or keeps on at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the user's eyesight is directed toward the keyboard. The light source controller, conversely, turns off or keeps off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the user's eyesight is directed away from the keyboard. The light source controller can keep on at least one backlight for illuminating a function key or an arrow key in the keyboard even if the user's eyesight is directed away from the keyboard.
Google's patent FIG. 3 noted below illustrates an example system for managing power consumption by a lighted or illuminated keyboard that may be used to interact with an electronic device or computer system.
Google notes that in another aspect, the system can include circuitry to determine a use state of the keyboard. The light source controller turns on or keeps on at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the keyboard is in use.
In a further aspect of the invention, the system can include circuitry to determine if a display presented to the user by the electronic device or computer system includes an input element configured to receive a keyboard entry. The light source controller turns off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the display presented to the user does not include an input element configured to receive a keyboard entry.
In a general aspect, a microprocessor-implemented method for managing backlight illumination of a keyboard, which is coupled to an electronic device or computer system, includes determining a direction of a user's eyesight relative to the keyboard and placing backlights illuminating the keyboard in an on-state or an off-state according to a direction of the user's eyesight relative to the keyboard. The direction of user's eyesight relative to the keyboard may be determined by carrying out an analysis of images of the user's face (e.g., at least the eye portions of the user's face) to track a direction of the user's eyesight.
The images of the user's face can be obtained by a camera disposed on the electronic device or computer system. Placing backlights illuminating the keyboard in an on-state or an off-state includes turning on or keeping on at least one backlight if the user's eyesight is directed toward the keyboard, and conversely turning off at least one backlight if the user's eyesight is directed away the keyboard. In a further aspect, the method includes keeping on at least one backlight for illuminating a function key or an arrow key even if the user's eyesight is directed away from the keyboard.
In another aspect, the method includes determining a use state of the keyboard and turning off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the keyboard is in not in use.
In yet another aspect, the method includes determining if a display presented to the user by the electronic device or computer system includes an input element configured to receive a keyboard entry, and turning off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if there is no such input element displayed.
Google's patent application which was published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office was originally filed in Q3 2012 under the title "Adaptive Keyboard Lighting." In the end it seems to be an overly complicated feature for the little that it's supposed to accomplish.
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