Input device having a presence sensor

• US 20070296701A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Marshall, James, Goh, Chun Beng, Pope, Jeremiah, Fosdick, Brad
• Granted Patent: US 7,995,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3271 Power saving in keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system and method for reducing power consumption of a wireless input device is disclosed. The input device may convert between a high power state and a low power state. In the high power state, a transmitter and light sources are activated, whereas both the transmitter and the light sources are deactivated in the low power state. Following a period of inactivity in which neither a key sensor for activatable keys nor a presence sensor for the user transmit input, the input device may convert from the high power state to the low power state to conserve energy. When the presence sensor detects the presence of the user, however, the input converts to the high power state wherein the transmitter and the light sources are activated.

Claims

1. An input device comprising:

a housing that forms at least a portion of an exterior of the input device;

a plurality of activatable controls accessible from the exterior of the input device;

a light source at least partially located within the housing to illuminate the activatable controls;

a sensor for detecting a presence of a user, the sensor being separate from the controls and at least partially located within the housing; and

a control device coupled to the light source and the sensor, the control device activating the light source upon detecting the presence of the user.

2. The input device recited -in claim 1, wherein the input device is one of a pointing device and a keyboard.

3. The input device recited in claim 1, wherein the input device is a wireless input device.

4. The input device recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

5. The input device recited in claim 1, wherein the control device deactivates the light source following a predetermined time period wherein the presence of the user is not detected by the sensor.

6. The input device recited in claim 1, wherein the control device deactivates the light source following a predetermined time period wherein none of the controls are activated.

7. The input device recited in claim 1, wherein the control device increases an intensity of the light source over a period of time.

8. A wireless keyboard comprising:

a housing that forms at least a portion of an exterior of the keyboard, the housing defining a forward edge positioned proximal a user during use of the keyboard, a rearward edge positioned away from the user during use of the keyboard, and a pair of side edges extending between the forward edge and the rearward edge;

a plurality of activatable keys that are depressible toward an interior of the housing, the keys being accessible from the exterior of the keyboard;

a first sensor system having at least one first sensor that detects activation of the keys;

a transmitter that transmits data associated with the activation of the keys; and

a second sensor system having at least one second sensor that detects a presence of a user, the at least one second sensor being located within the housing and proximal the forward edge, and the at least one second sensor being separate from the at least one first sensor.

9. The wireless keyboard recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one second sensor is also proximal at least one of the side edges.

10. The wireless keyboard recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one second sensor has an elongate configuration that extends along substantially all of a length of the forward edge.

11. The wireless keyboard recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one second sensor has an elongate. configuration that extends along substantially all of a length of the forward edge and at least a portion of lengths of the side edges.

12. The wireless keyboard recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one second sensor is a capacitive sensor.

13. The wireless keyboard recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one first sensor and the at least one second sensor are capacitive sensors.

14. The wireless keyboard recited in claim 8, further including a light source for illuminating the keys.

15. A method comprising steps of:

determining a time delay for establishing a data connection between a wireless input device and a computer;

detecting a presence of a user proximal the wireless input device;

increasing an intensity of a light source during a time period substantially equal to the time delay.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein the step of detecting includes utilizing a sensor to detect the presence of the user.

17. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the step of detecting includes utilizing portions of the sensor positioned adjacent edges of the wireless input device.

18. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the step of detecting includes utilizing a capacitive sensor.

19. The method recited in claim 15, further including a step of configuring the light source to illuminate controls of the wireless input device.

20. The method recited in claim 15, further including a step of configuring the wireless input device to be a keyboard.