Methods and Apparatuses Using Control Indicators for Data Processing Systems

• US 20110199226A1
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Gong, Brian Huppi, Christoph H. Krah, Duncan R. Kerr, Michael Culbert, Richard D. Cappels
• Original Assignee: Andrew Gong, Brian Huppi, Christoph H. Krah, Duncan R. Kerr, Michael Culbert, Richard D. Cappels
• Inventors: Kerr, Duncan R., Culbert, Michael, Huppi, Brian Q., Krah, Christoph H., Gong, Andrew, Cappels, Richard D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,935,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/815.45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/18 Modifications for indicating state of switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96079 using a single or more light guides

Abstract

A control indication assembly. A first control mounted on a surface of a computer is coupled to a first sensor, to a first sensing circuit to send an electrical signal to the first control when a user-touch occurs to the first sensor, and to a first indicator to indicate an occurrence of said user-touch. A second control mounted on a surface of a display which is coupled to the computer is coupled to a second sensor, to a second sensing circuit to send an electrical signal to said second control when said user-touch occurs to the display, and to a second indicator to indicate an occurrence of the user-touch. The first and second control are configured such that the first and second indicator are synchronized to exhibit identical behaviors when the user-touch occurs to either the first control or the second control.

Claims

1. A method of operating a data processing system having a processor, memory coupled to a bus which is coupled to said processor, and a display, said method comprising:

receiving an input to a sensor;

displaying for a period of time light from an indicator at a first intensity of light in response to said receiving said input; and

displaying, after said period of time, light from said indicator at a second intensity of light which is less than said first intensity.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said sensor is a capacitive sensor which senses a finger input and said indicator is an LED.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein said indicator is a white LED.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said input causes said data processing system to be turned on and said second intensity indicates that said data processing system is operating at a first power consumption level.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein said indicator repetitively displays fluctuating light intensity when said data processing system is operating at a second power consumption level which is less than said first power consumption level.