The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 2020

Filed:

Oct. 18, 2019
Applicant:

Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);

Inventors:

Paul X. Wang, Cupertino, CA (US);

Liquan Tan, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Assignee:

Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01J 1/42 (2006.01); G06F 3/02 (2006.01); G06F 15/02 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 3/0202 (2013.01); G01J 1/4204 (2013.01); G06F 15/0216 (2013.01);
Abstract

Disclosed are structures, devices, methods and systems for providing dynamically variable internal illumination to individual input devices of an electronic device, such as keys of a keyboard. In some embodiments, input devices contain multiple LEDs whose light intensity may be varied to alter a tone or a color of light used for the internal illumination a key. The LEDs may be micro LEDs and may be internal components of the input device as a unit. In some embodiments, the LEDs are white light LEDs having different phosphor thicknesses. In some embodiments the LEDs may be RGB LEDs, with individual control of color contributions to modify the internal illumination. Systems incorporating such input devices may need only a reduced set of LED control units. Systems can include a processing unit and a light sensor or camera to detect ambient lighting and adjust internal illumination of an input device accordingly.


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