Methods and apparatuses using control indicators for data processing systems

• US 9,935,631 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2011
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gong, Andrew, Huppi, Brian Q., Krah, Christoph H., Cappels, Richard D., Kerr, Duncan R., Culbert, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, David D
• Application Number:
  US13/095,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,533 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 comprising a first device and a second device, the first device comprising a first processor, a first sensor and a first indicator, and the second device comprising a second processor, a second sensor, and a second indicator, the method comprising:

receiving a first user input to the first sensor;

in response to receiving the first user input;

displaying light from the first indicator with a first presentation; and

transmitting, with the first processor, a control signal to the second processor of the second device to control the second indicator to display light from the second indicator with a second presentation, the second presentation synchronized to the first presentation;

receiving a second input to the second sensor;

displaying light from the second indicator with a third presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input; and

displaying light from the first indicator with a fourth presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input, wherein the fourth presentation is synchronized to the third presentation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first sensor comprises at least one of a touch and a proximity sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first indicator comprises a first LED and the second indicator comprises a second LED.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first indicator and the second indicator display a same pattern when synchronized.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first sensor includes the first indicator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises at least one of a touch sensor and a proximity sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second control are capable of operating independently from each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is physically separate from the second device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of device is a computing device and the second type of device is a display device.

10. A data processing system comprising:

a first device comprising a first processor, a first sensor, and a first indicator, the first sensor configured to receive a first user input, the first processor configured to control a presentation of the first indicator in response to the first user input; and

a second device comprising a second processor, a second sensor, and a second indicator, wherein;

the first processor is configured to transmit a control signal to the second processor to display light from the second indicator with a second presentation, the second presentation synchronized to the first presentation,

the second sensor is configured to detect a second user input,

the second indicator is configured to display light with a third presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input, and

the first indicator is configured to display light with a fourth presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input, the fourth presentation synchronized to the third presentation.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first sensor comprises at least one of a touch sensor and a proximity sensor.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the first indicator comprises a first LED and the second indicator comprises a second LED.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the first indicator and the second indicator display a same pattern when synchronized.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the first sensor includes the first indicator.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the second sensor comprises at least one of a touch sensor and a proximity sensor.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first device and the second device are capable of operating independently from each other.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the second device is physically separate from the first device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for operating a data processing system comprising a first device and a second device, the first device comprising a first processor, a first sensor and a first indicator, and the second device comprising a second processor, a second sensor, and a second indicator, the instructions for:

receiving a first user input to the first sensor;

in response to receiving the first user input;

displaying light from the first indicator with a first presentation; and

transmitting, with the first processor, a control signal to the second processor of the second device to control the second indicator to display light from the second indicator with a second presentation, the second presentation synchronized to the first presentation

receiving a second input to the second sensor;

displaying light from the second indicator with a third presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input; and

displaying light from the first indicator with a fourth presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input, wherein the fourth presentation is synchronized to the third presentation.

19. A first device comprising:

a first sensor configured to receive a first user input;

a first indicator; and

a first processor, the first processor configured to, in response to receiving the first user input;

display light from the first indicator with a first presentation; and

transmit a control signal to a second processor of a second device to display light with a second indicator of the second device with a second presentation, the second presentation synchronized to the first presentation, wherein;

the second device receives a second input to a second sensor of the second device,

the second indicator of the second device displays light with a third presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input, and

the first indicator displays light with a fourth presentation in response to a signal indicative of the second input, the fourth presentation synchronized to the third presentation.