Adaptive keyboard lighting

• US 9,007,308 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Yoshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): XAVIER, ANTONIO J
• Application Number:
  US13/566,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20140035818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/170
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for managing backlight illumination of a keyboard that is coupled to an electronic device or computer system includes 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, a use state of the keyboard, and a state of a display presented to the user by the electronic device or computer system to receive input via keyboard entry. The method includes turning off at least one backlight if the user'"'"'s eyesight is directed away the keyboard, if the keyboard is not in use, or if the display does not include an input element for receiving input via keyboard entry.

Claims

1. A system for managing illumination of a keyboard that is coupled to an electronic device or computer system, the system comprising:

an imaging device configured to determine a direction of a user'"'"'s eyesight relative to the keyboard; and

a light source controller configured to control a plurality of backlights illuminating the keyboard according to the determined direction of the user'"'"'s eyesight relative to the keyboard, such that, when it is determined that the user'"'"'s eyesight is directed away from the keyboard, the light source controller is configured to keep on all of the backlights associated with illuminating a predetermined key of the keyboard, or to keep on all of the backlights associated with illuminating a predetermined subset of keys of the keyboard, and to turn off or keep off remaining backlights of the plurality of backlights associated with illuminating remaining keys of the plurality of keys.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device includes a camera.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device includes an image processing unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the image processing unit is configured to analyze images of the user'"'"'s face to track a direction of the user'"'"'s eyesight.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the light source controller is configured to turn on or keep on at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the user'"'"'s eyesight is directed toward the keyboard.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined key is a function key or an arrow key on the keyboard, and the predetermined subset of keys is a plurality of function keys, a plurality of arrow keys or a plurality of numerical pad keys on the keyboard.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising, circuitry configured to determine a use state of the keyboard, wherein the light source controller is further configured to turn on or keep on at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the keyboard is in use.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising, circuitry configured 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, wherein the light source controller is further configured to turn 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.

9. A microprocessor-implemented method for managing backlight illumination of a keyboard that is coupled to an electronic device or computer system, the method comprising:

determining a direction of a user'"'"'s eyesight relative to the keyboard; and

placing each of a plurality of backlights illuminating the keyboard in an on-state or an off-state according to the determined direction of the user'"'"'s eyesight relative to the keyboard, including, when it is determined that the user'"'"'s eyesight is not directed toward the keyboard;

keeping on any backlights of the plurality of backlights associated with illuminating a predetermined key of the keyboard; and

turning off or keeping off any remaining backlights of the plurality of backlights associated with illuminating remaining keys of the plurality of keys.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a direction of a user'"'"'s eyesight relative to the keyboard includes imaging the user'"'"'s face and analyzing the images to track a direction of the user'"'"'s eyesight.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein imaging the user'"'"'s face includes imaging eye portions of the user'"'"'s face.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein imaging the user'"'"'s face includes imaging the user'"'"'s face with a camera disposed on the electronic device or computer system.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a use state of the keyboard; and

if the keyboard is in use, turning on or keeping on at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

if there is no input element configured to receive a keyboard entry displayed, turning off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

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

if there is an input element configured to receive a keyboard entry displayed, turning on or keeping on at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein placing each of a plurality of backlights illuminating the keyboard in an on-state or an off-state according to the determined direction of the user'"'"'s eyesight relative to the keyboard includes turning on or keeping on at least one backlight if the user'"'"'s eyesight is directed toward the keyboard.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein keeping on any backlights of the plurality of backlights associated with illuminating a predetermined key of the keyboard includes keeping any backlights associated with illuminating a function key or an arrow key of the keyboard even if the user'"'"'s eyesight is directed away from the keyboard.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a use state of the keyboard; and

if the keyboard is not in use, turning off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard.

19. A microprocessor-implemented method for managing backlight illumination of a keyboard that is coupled to an electronic device or computer system, the method comprising:

placing each of a plurality of 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, including keeping on any backlights of the plurality of backlights associated with illuminating a predetermined key of the keyboard, and turning off or keeping off any remaining backlights of the plurality of backlights, when it is determined that the user'"'"'s eyesight is not directed toward the keyboard.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein keeping on any backlights of the plurality of backlights illuminating a predetermined key of the keyboard includes keeping on a backlight illuminating a function key or an arrow key of the keyboard even if the user'"'"'s eyesight is directed away from the keyboard.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising placing each of the plurality of backlights illuminating the keyboard in an on-state or an off-state according to a use state of the keyboard, including turning off at least one backlight if the keyboard is not in use.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising placing each of a plurality of backlights illuminating the keyboard in an on-state or an off-state according to a state of a display presented to the user by the electronic device or computer system to receive input via keyboard entry, including turning off at least one backlight if the display does not include an input element for receiving input via keyboard entry.

23. A system for managing illumination of a keyboard that is coupled to an electronic device or computer system, the system comprising:

a light source controller configured to place one or more 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, wherein the light source controller is configured to keep on any backlights of the plurality of backlights illuminating a predetermined subset of keys of the keyboard, and to turn off or keep off any remaining backlights of the plurality of backlights, when it is determined that the user'"'"'s eyesight is not directed toward the keyboard.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the light source controller is configured to turn off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the keyboard is not in use.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the light source controller is configured to turn off at least one backlight illuminating the keyboard if the display does not include an input element for receiving input via keyboard entry.