TERMINAL DEVICE, AND BACK LIGHT EMITTING METHOD AND PROGRAM IN MOBILE TERMINAL OF THE DEVICE

• US 20110128233A1
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Aoike, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 8,487,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials

Abstract

By helping key input using a key backlight of a terminal apparatus to improve operability of the terminal apparatus.

The terminal apparatus comprises input keys configured to detect pressing conducted thereon respectively, key backlights each of which emits a plurality of colors of light to shine corresponding one of the input keys, and a backlight controller configured to control the plurality of colors of light independently for each of the key backlights, wherein the backlight controller causes the key backlights to emit light of a first color in a case where an input key out of the input keys detects pressing thereon, and changes an emission color of a key backlight corresponding to the input key detecting the pressing from the first color to a second color when a state of the pressing becomes a predetermined state.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus comprising:

input keys configured to detect pressing conducted thereon respectively;

key backlights each of which emits a plurality of colors of light to shine corresponding one of the input keys; and

a backlight controller configured to control the plurality of colors of light independently for each of the key backlights,

wherein the backlight controller causes the key backlights to emit light of a first color in a case where an input key out of the input keys detects pressing thereon, and changes an emission color of a key backlight corresponding to the input key detecting the pressing from the first color to a second color when a state of the pressing becomes a predetermined state.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the key backlights is positioned under or near corresponding one of the input keys.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined state includes a state where a pressing period, for which the pressing on the input key is continuously detected, becomes a predetermined time period.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the key backlights includes three light emitting elements controllable by RGB control, and the backlight controller controls the key backlights under the RGB control.

5. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the emission color is gradually changed when the emission color is changed from the first color to the second color.

6. A backlight emission method for a terminal apparatus comprising:

input keys configured to detect pressing conducted thereon respectively;

key backlights each of which emits a plurality of colors of light to shine corresponding one of the input keys; and

a backlight controller configured to control the plurality of colors of light independently for each of the key backlights,

the method comprising causing the key backlights to emit light of a first color in a case where an input key out of the input keys detects pressing thereon, and changing an emission color of a key backlight corresponding to the input key detecting the pressing from the first color to a second color when a state of the pressing becomes a predetermined state.

7. The backlight emission method according to claim 6, wherein each of the key backlights is positioned under or near corresponding one of the input keys.

8. The backlight emission method according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined state includes a state where a pressing period, for which the pressing on the input key is continuously detected, becomes a predetermined time period.

9. The backlight emission method according to claim 6, wherein each of the key backlights includes three light emitting elements controllable by RGB control, and the backlight controller controls the key backlights under the RGB control.

10. The backlight emission method according to claim 6, wherein the emission color is gradually changed when the emission color is changed from the first color to the second color.

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a program which, when executed by a computer, causes a computer to function as a terminal apparatus,

the terminal apparatus comprising:

input keys configured to detect pressing conducted thereon respectively;

key backlights each of which emits a plurality of colors of light to shine corresponding one of the input keys; and

a backlight controller configured to control the plurality of colors of light independently for each of the key backlights,

wherein the backlight controller causes the key backlights to emit light of a first color in a case where an input key out of the input keys detects pressing thereon, and changes an emission color of a key backlight corresponding to the input key detecting the pressing from the first color to a second color when a state of the pressing becomes a predetermined state.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein each of the key backlights is positioned under or near corresponding one of the input keys.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined state includes a state where a pressing period, for which the pressing on the input key is continuously detected, becomes a predetermined time period.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein each of the key backlights includes three light emitting elements controllable by RGB control, and the backlight controller controls the key backlights under the RGB control.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the emission color is gradually changed when the emission color is changed from the first color to the second color.