Control device having buttons with multiple-level backlighting
First Claim
1. A control device comprising:
- a first button, a second button, and a third button;
a first light source, a second light source, and a third light source, wherein the first, second, and third light sources are configured to illuminate at least a portion of a respective one of the first, second, and third buttons; and
a control circuit responsive to actuations of the first, second, and third buttons, and electrically coupled to the first, second, and third light sources, the control circuit configured to;
illuminate the first light source to a first source illumination intensity to illuminate first indicia on the first button;
illuminate the second light source to a second source illumination intensity to illuminate second indicia on the second button; and
illuminate the third light source to a third source illumination intensity to illuminate third indicia on the third button;
wherein the second and third source illumination intensities are both less than the first source illumination intensity so that the first indicia on the first button is illuminated to a brighter intensity than the respective indicia on the second and third buttons; and
wherein the second source illumination intensity is less than the third source illumination intensity in part because the second button is closer than the third button to the first indicia on the first button.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A control device may have a plurality of buttons that may be backlit to multiple levels, such as first, second, and third adjacent buttons positioned in order, and first, second, and third LEDs positioned to illuminate a respective button. The control device may be configured to illuminate the first LED to a first LED illumination intensity to illuminate the respective button to a first surface illumination intensity; illuminate the third LED to a second LED illumination intensity to illuminate the respective button to a second surface illumination intensity; and illuminate the second LED to a third LED illumination intensity to illuminate the respective button to the second surface illumination intensity. The third LED illumination intensity may be less than the second LED illumination intensity, which may be less than the first LED illumination intensity, and the second surface illumination intensity may be less than the first surface illumination intensity.
43 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A control device comprising:
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a first button, a second button, and a third button; a first light source, a second light source, and a third light source, wherein the first, second, and third light sources are configured to illuminate at least a portion of a respective one of the first, second, and third buttons; and a control circuit responsive to actuations of the first, second, and third buttons, and electrically coupled to the first, second, and third light sources, the control circuit configured to; illuminate the first light source to a first source illumination intensity to illuminate first indicia on the first button; illuminate the second light source to a second source illumination intensity to illuminate second indicia on the second button; and illuminate the third light source to a third source illumination intensity to illuminate third indicia on the third button; wherein the second and third source illumination intensities are both less than the first source illumination intensity so that the first indicia on the first button is illuminated to a brighter intensity than the respective indicia on the second and third buttons; and wherein the second source illumination intensity is less than the third source illumination intensity in part because the second button is closer than the third button to the first indicia on the first button. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of backlighting buttons of a control device, the control device comprising first, second, and third buttons, and first, second, and third light sources positioned to illuminate a respective one of the first, second, and third buttons, the method comprising:
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illuminating the first light source to a first source illumination intensity to illuminate first indicia on the first button; illuminating the second light source to a second source illumination intensity to illuminate second indicia on the second button; illuminating the third light source to a third source illumination intensity to illuminate third indicia on the third button; wherein the second and third source illumination intensities are both less than the first source illumination intensity so that the first indicia on the first button is illuminated to a brighter intensity than the respective indicia on the second and third buttons; and wherein the second source illumination intensity is less than the third source illumination intensity in part because the second button is closer than the third button to the first indicia on the first button. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification