A keycap light-emitting effect dynamic control method and system

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of computer peripherals, and discloses a keycap light-emitting effect dynamic control method and system, which comprises the following steps: when a switching instruction is received, the current output state of a first light-emitting effect mode is maintained, and the last frame output data of the first light-emitting effect mode at the switching moment is extracted; according to the physical attenuation characteristics of a light-emitting unit in the keycap, the simulated afterglow energy curve is calculated based on the last frame output data; the afterglow energy curve is superimposed on the starting output sequence of a second light-emitting effect mode frame by frame to obtain a target transition output sequence; and the light-emitting unit is driven to display according to the target transition output sequence, so that the physical light-emitting intensity of the light-emitting unit in the switching process matches the synthesized energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence. The compensation curve is generated by simulating the physical attenuation of the light-emitting unit and superimposed on the new light effect sequence, so that the smooth visual transition of mode switching is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of computer peripheral technology, and in particular to a method and system for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps. Background Technology

[0002] In the context of personalized computer peripherals, keyboards with dynamic backlighting have become mainstream. Users expect to be able to freely switch between various lighting effect modes according to different application scenarios or personal preferences, and require the process of light and shadow changes to be smooth and continuous. For example, after finishing a game, a user might switch the keyboard from a bright "breathing" mode to a "static dim light" mode for nighttime office work. However, existing control methods typically handle such switches with a rigid logic: immediately terminating the instruction output of the previous lighting effect and starting the new lighting effect from scratch. This approach completely ignores the physical characteristics of the light-emitting units, such as LED beads. After power is cut off, the brightness of the light-emitting unit does not instantly drop to zero, but rather there is a brief, physical brightness decay process, i.e., a visual "afterglow." The current technology's approach of directly cutting off and starting the new mode results in a visual conflict and discontinuity between the initial brightness of the new mode and the physical afterglow of the old mode. Users will perceive a noticeable brightness jump or flicker, disrupting the immersive and continuous experience of the lighting effect. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention discloses a dynamic control method and system for keycap backlighting effects, aiming to solve the technical problem of discontinuous lighting effects and visual jumps caused by switching backlighting effect modes in existing technologies.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps, the method comprising: When a command is received to switch from a preset first lighting effect mode to a preset second lighting effect mode, the current output state of the first lighting effect mode is maintained, and the last frame output data of the first lighting effect mode at the moment of switching is extracted; Based on the physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting units preset in the keycaps, a simulated afterglow energy curve is calculated based on the output data of the last frame, and the afterglow energy curve is used as compensation information. The physical decay characteristics include the response delay of the light-emitting units and the brightness residue after the last output. The compensation information is superimposed frame by frame with the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode to obtain the target transition output sequence. The starting output sequence refers to the set of at least one frame of output data generated from the initial moment after the second luminous effect mode is activated, according to its preset light effect logic. The light-emitting unit is driven to display according to the target transition output sequence, so that the physical luminescence intensity of the light-emitting unit during the switching process matches the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence.

[0005] This technical solution captures the final state of the old effect and simulates its physical decay process when switching lighting effects, then blends this decay process with the initial state of the new effect, creating a smooth transition. This effectively bridges the visual gap between the two effects, eliminating abrupt changes in brightness or color caused by direct switching, making the entire lighting effect change process appear natural and continuous, greatly enhancing the user experience.

[0006] Furthermore, before the step of calculating the simulated afterglow energy curve based on the output data of the last frame, according to the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycap, the method also includes: Real-time monitoring of the average output load of the light-emitting unit within a preset time period; Determine the thermal state influence parameters of the light-emitting unit based on the average output load; The physical decay characteristics are dynamically corrected based on the thermal state influence parameters.

[0007] Furthermore, based on the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycaps, the simulated afterglow energy curve is calculated based on the output data of the last frame, and the afterglow energy curve is used as compensation information. The steps include: The physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting unit are obtained. These physical decay characteristics are used to characterize the brightness decay rate of the light-emitting unit after power is turned off or the duty cycle is reduced. Based on the output data of the last frame and the physical decay characteristics, an energy decay function that shows a decay trend over time is constructed. According to the refresh rate of the second luminous effect mode, the energy decay function is discretized and sampled to obtain the afterglow energy curve composed of compensation values ​​of multiple consecutive frames, and the afterglow energy curve is used as compensation information.

[0008] Furthermore, the last frame of output data includes the pulse width modulation (PWM) duty cycle data output to the light-emitting unit at the switching moment of the first light-emitting effect mode; The energy decay function is an exponential decay function with the last frame of output data as the initial value, time as the independent variable, and physical decay characteristics as the base.

[0009] Furthermore, the step of superimposing the compensation information onto the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence includes: The compensation value of the nth frame in the compensation information is algebraically added to the original output value of the nth frame in the initial output sequence to obtain the synthesized intermediate value of the nth frame, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1; Determine whether the synthesized intermediate value exceeds the preset hardware output extreme value; If the synthesized intermediate value does not exceed the hardware output extreme value, then the synthesized intermediate value is determined as the output value of the nth frame in the target transition output sequence; If the synthesized intermediate value exceeds the hardware output extreme value, then the hardware output extreme value is determined as the output value of the nth frame in the target transition output sequence.

[0010] Furthermore, the method also includes: During the output cycle of the target transition output sequence, monitor in real time whether there are key trigger signals generated by key interactions; If a key trigger signal is detected, the trigger strength and key feedback sequence corresponding to the key trigger signal are obtained. Set the output priority of the button feedback sequence to the first priority, and set the output priority of the compensation information and the starting output sequence of the second lighting effect mode to the second priority, which is lower than the first priority.

[0011] Furthermore, the step of superimposing the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence includes: The energy extrusion coefficient is determined based on the trigger intensity. The background energy sequence is obtained by compressing the compensation information and the initial output sequence proportionally using the energy compression coefficient and then superimposing them frame by frame. The background energy sequence and the button feedback sequence are weighted and fused to obtain the target transition output sequence, so that the physical position corresponding to the button trigger signal has a preset brightness performance space in the target transition output sequence.

[0012] Furthermore, the step of driving the light-emitting unit to display according to the target transition output sequence includes: The target transition output sequence is converted into a corresponding driving signal and sent to the keyboard control circuit according to a preset frame rate to drive the light-emitting unit; Obtain feedback data of the actual luminous intensity of the light-emitting unit during the driving process; The actual luminous intensity feedback data is compared in real time with the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence; When the deviation between the actual luminous intensity feedback data and the target synthetic energy is within the preset consistency tolerance range, the online consistency verification mechanism will block the correction or degradation instructions for the luminous unit.

[0013] Furthermore, after the step of shielding the online consistency verification mechanism from correcting or downgrading the light-emitting unit's error correction instructions, the method further includes: The deviation trend between the cumulative actual luminous intensity feedback data and the synthetic energy target over multiple output cycles; Determine whether the deviation trend conforms to the preset hardware aging characteristic model; If the hardware aging characteristic model is met, the physical decay characteristics are incrementally compensated according to the reverse change of the deviation trend, so as to achieve adaptive updating of the physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting unit.

[0014] Secondly, the present invention also discloses a dynamic control system for keycap lighting effects, used to execute any of the aforementioned methods, the system comprising: The latching and interception module is used to maintain the current output state of the first lighting effect mode and extract the last frame of output data of the first lighting effect mode at the moment of switching when it receives an instruction to switch from the first lighting effect mode to the second lighting effect mode. The sequence generation module is used to calculate the simulated afterglow energy curve based on the last frame output data according to the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycap, and use the afterglow energy curve as compensation information. The physical decay characteristics include the response delay of the light-emitting units and the brightness residue after the last output. The overlay synthesis module is used to overlay the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence. The starting output sequence refers to the set of at least one frame of output data generated by the second luminous effect mode according to its preset light effect logic after it is activated, starting from the initial moment. The display driver module is used to drive the light-emitting unit to display according to the target transition output sequence, so that the physical luminescence intensity of the light-emitting unit during the switching process matches the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence.

[0015] This technical solution provides a specific system architecture capable of implementing the aforementioned methods. By dividing the functional logic into independent modules and clarifying the functional responsibilities of each part, it provides a clear blueprint for hardware or software implementation, ensuring the feasibility of the technical solution and enabling the construction of physical products with smooth light effect transitions.

[0016] In summary, this invention provides a method and system for dynamically controlling keycap backlighting effects. The method captures the "energy tail" of the previous effect at the moment of switching, i.e., the output state of the last frame, and scientifically calculates a simulated "afterglow" decay curve based on the actual physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting unit. This simulated afterglow is essentially a digital reproduction of the natural dissipation process of light in the physical world. Subsequently, this gradually weakening afterglow energy is superimposed frame-by-frame with the energy growth sequence of the new effect starting from zero. In this way, the end of the old effect and the beginning of the new effect are seamlessly connected by a calculated, smooth transition bridge. What is ultimately presented to the user is no longer abrupt screen changes, but a gradual process where brightness and color are naturally connected and conform to physical intuition. This fundamentally solves the persistent problem of discontinuous light effect switching in existing technologies, bringing users a more advanced, immersive, and comfortable visual experience. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a dynamic control system for keycap lighting effects provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Labeling explanation: 210, latching and interception module; 220, sequence generation module; 230, overlay and synthesis module; 240, display driver module. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of this invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. The components of this invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0021] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] In a typical user environment, a user might have just finished a game requiring high concentration and quick reflexes. During this time, the mechanical keyboard's backlighting is set to a vibrant, dynamically changing "gaming mode," such as a rapidly flowing rainbow wave effect, with all the keyboard's LEDs at high brightness and saturation. When the game ends and the user switches to word processing software for nighttime work, to avoid light interference and create a quiet atmosphere, they switch the keyboard's backlighting to a preset "office mode" via driver software or a shortcut key—for example, a static, low-brightness, single warm white light effect. In existing technology, this switch is often instantaneous and abrupt. The control system immediately stops outputting data for "gaming mode" and directly begins outputting the initial data for "office mode." Because the initial brightness of "office mode" is very low, close to zero, while the keyboard was just moments before at extremely high brightness, this sudden change causes a very noticeable flicker or momentary dimming in the user's visual perception, disrupting the continuity and immersion of the user experience. Such inconsistent changes in lighting effects, especially during transitions from bright to dark, can cause discomfort for users.

[0023] Firstly, please see Figure 1 This invention provides a method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps, the method comprising: S1. When a command is received to switch from a preset first lighting effect mode to a preset second lighting effect mode, the current output state of the first lighting effect mode is maintained, and the last frame output data of the first lighting effect mode at the moment of switching is extracted. S2. Based on the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycaps, calculate the simulated afterglow energy curve based on the output data of the last frame, and use the afterglow energy curve as compensation information. The physical decay characteristics include the response delay of the light-emitting units and the brightness residue after the last output. S3. The compensation information is superimposed frame by frame with the starting output sequence of the second light emission effect mode to obtain the target transition output sequence. The starting output sequence refers to the set of at least one frame of output data generated by the second light emission effect mode according to its preset light effect logic after it is activated, starting from the initial moment. S4. Drive the light-emitting unit to display according to the target transition output sequence, so that the physical light intensity of the light-emitting unit during the switching process matches the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence.

[0024] Specifically, the first and second lighting effect modes refer to two different lighting effect schemes built into the keyboard or defined by the driver software. For example, the first lighting effect mode could be the "gaming mode" mentioned in the previous scenario, characterized by high brightness, multiple colors, and fast-paced dynamic changes. The second lighting effect mode could be the "office mode," characterized by low brightness, single color, and static or slow changes.

[0025] The last frame of output data is a precise snapshot of the control data that is about to be sent to each individual LED on the keyboard at the moment the system receives the switching command. This data set completely describes the visual state of the keyboard at the instant of switching. For an RGB keyboard using pulse width modulation (PWM) control, this is usually an array containing the PWM duty cycle values ​​of the red, green, and blue channels on all keys.

[0026] Physical decay characteristics describe the inherent physical property of how the brightness of a light-emitting unit naturally diminishes over time after the loss of electrical power. This is not an abstract concept, but is determined by the semiconductor materials inside the light-emitting diode (LED), the afterglow effect of the phosphor, and the discharge behavior of the capacitor in the driving circuit. It quantifies the "inertia" of light, meaning that the brightness does not instantly drop to zero, but rather undergoes a brief and smooth decay process.

[0027] The afterglow energy curve is one of the core innovations of this technical solution. It is a digital data sequence generated through calculation that simulates the aforementioned physical decay process. Starting from the last frame of output data, the curve gradually decreases over time according to the rules defined by the physical decay characteristics. Essentially, it is a prediction and digital modeling of the impending physical brightness decay phenomenon.

[0028] In this scheme, the afterglow energy curve itself serves as compensation information. Its function is to bridge the visual gap between the disappearance of the old effect and the beginning of the new effect.

[0029] The initial output sequence refers to the preset output data for the first few or dozens of frames when any lighting effect is activated, starting from a zero state. For example, the initial output sequence of a "breathing" effect is a series of PWM values ​​as its brightness gradually increases from 0 to the first peak.

[0030] The target transition output sequence is the final control data generated in this scheme for actually driving the light-emitting unit. It is a hybrid sequence formed by mathematically fusing the afterglow energy curve representing the "past" and the starting output sequence representing the "future," with the goal of creating a visually seamless transition phase.

[0031] Below, we will elaborate on the overall process of this method in the context of the aforementioned transition from gaming to office work.

[0032] When a user exits a game and the system issues a command to switch from "Esports Mode" (first lighting effect mode) to "Office Mode" (second lighting effect mode), the keyboard's control core (such as a microcontroller MCU) first latches and extracts the last frame of PWM data that is about to be output to all LEDs. Assuming there are 104 keys on the keyboard, each with an RGB lighting unit, this last frame of output data is a huge array containing 104 multiplied by 3 PWM values ​​(typically ranging from 0 to 255), which precisely records the red, green, and blue brightness of the rainbow wave effect on each key at the moment of switching.

[0033] Next, the control core enters the crucial calculation phase. It reads the pre-calibrated physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting units from its firmware storage. This characteristic can be a simple decay coefficient or a more complex function model parameter. Based on this characteristic and the output data from the last captured frame, the control core independently calculates the simulated afterglow energy curve for each color channel of each LED. This calculation process essentially predicts how the brightness of this LED will naturally dim over the next few hundred milliseconds if the power is immediately cut off. This prediction result is organized into a time-dependent sequence of compensation values, i.e., the afterglow energy curve.

[0034] At the same time, the control core also begins to generate the initial output sequence for "office mode". Since "office mode" is a static warm white light, its initial sequence may be very simple, that is, the RGB values ​​of all LEDs slowly rise from (0,0,0) to the target value over several frames, such as (30,25,20).

[0035] Then, a frame-by-frame overlay operation is performed. The control core adds the afterglow energy curve representing the "past" to the starting output sequence representing the "future." For example, for the W key on the keyboard, its color is bright green at the moment of switching, and the last frame data is (20,230,50). The afterglow energy curve generated by its physical decay may be (18,207,45), (16,186,40),... in the following frames. The starting sequence for "office mode" is (2,2,1), (4,4,2),... The first few frames of the target transition output sequence obtained after overlay are (20,209,46), (20,190,42),... This process is performed independently for each light-emitting unit on the keyboard.

[0036] Finally, the control core sends this synthesized, entirely new target transition output sequence, rather than any of the original effects, to the LED driver circuit. The result is an extremely smooth visual transition: the vibrant, flowing rainbow waves on the keyboard don't abruptly disappear, but rather seem to lose energy, maintaining their original color distribution while the overall brightness naturally and gently decays. Simultaneously, a faint, warm white glow appears to emerge from beneath the decaying light and shadow, gradually intensifying before stabilizing at the preset office mode brightness. The entire process is coherent, elegant, and perfectly in line with physical intuition, effectively avoiding the discomfort caused by flickering and abrupt changes.

[0037] Furthermore, to generate the afterglow energy curve more accurately, this invention proposes a specific implementation method. The steps of calculating the simulated afterglow energy curve based on the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycap and using the afterglow energy curve as compensation information include: The physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting unit are obtained. These physical decay characteristics are used to characterize the brightness decay rate of the light-emitting unit after power is turned off or the duty cycle is reduced. Based on the output data of the last frame and the physical decay characteristics, an energy decay function that shows a decay trend over time is constructed. According to the refresh rate of the second luminous effect mode, the energy decay function is discretized and sampled to obtain the afterglow energy curve composed of compensation values ​​of multiple consecutive frames, and the afterglow energy curve is used as compensation information.

[0038] This step concretizes and mathematically represents the aforementioned calculation process. First, the process of obtaining physical decay characteristics is typically completed during the product design or manufacturing phase. Using specialized equipment, such as a high-speed photometer, the luminous flux of the selected LED model after power-off at different initial brightness levels can be accurately measured over time. By fitting these experimental data to the curves, a mathematical model that accurately describes the decay behavior can be obtained. Its core parameter, the decay rate, is then embedded into the keyboard's firmware. This decay rate can be a constant or a variable related to the initial brightness.

[0039] Next, an energy decay function is constructed. This is a mathematical function that uses continuous time as the independent variable and predicted brightness as the dependent variable. The initial value of this function is determined by the output data of the last frame, and the rate of decay is determined by the acquired physical decay characteristics. This function provides a continuous and computable theoretical model for the entire decay process.

[0040] Finally, discretization sampling is performed. Since the digital control system operates frame-by-frame, it cannot handle continuous functions. Therefore, the constructed continuous energy decay function needs to be converted into a discrete sequence of data points. The sampling frequency must be consistent with the refresh rate of the second lighting effect mode to be played. For example, if the new "office mode" refreshes at 100 frames per second, the controller will evaluate the energy decay function at 0.01-second intervals, obtaining a series of discrete brightness values. This sequence of compensation values ​​from multiple consecutive frames is the final afterglow energy curve used for superposition. This approach ensures that the compensation information and the output sequence of the new effect are completely synchronized in time, laying the foundation for accurate frame-by-frame superposition.

[0041] To make the construction of the above-mentioned energy decay function more feasible, the present invention also provides a more specific embodiment. The last frame output data includes the pulse width modulation (PWM) duty cycle data output to the light-emitting unit at the switching moment of the first light-emitting effect mode; the energy decay function is an exponential decay function with the last frame output data as the initial value, time as the independent variable, and physical decay characteristics as the base.

[0042] This embodiment tightly integrates abstract computation with the actual way the hardware works. In most backlit keyboards, the brightness of the LEDs is controlled by the duty cycle of the PWM signal. Therefore, the last frame of output data is directly the PWM value of each color channel (e.g., an integer from 0 to 255), which provides direct, conversion-free initial values ​​for computation.

[0043] Meanwhile, numerous physical experiments have shown that the brightness decay process of many light-emitting devices can be well approximated by an exponential decay model. Therefore, directly defining the energy decay function as an exponential decay function is an efficient and high-fidelity choice. Specifically, for any color channel, its predicted brightness value during the transition period can be expressed as B(t) = B_initial * exp(-k * t). Here, B_initial is the initial PWM value extracted from the last frame of data, t is the time elapsed since the switching moment, B(t) is the predicted brightness value at time t, and k is the decay constant determined based on the physical decay characteristics. The larger this constant k is, the faster the brightness decays. This function is concise and computationally inexpensive, making it ideal for real-time operation in resource-constrained embedded microcontrollers.

[0044] For example, suppose an LED's blue channel has a PWM value of 200 during switching, its attenuation constant k is 10, and the refresh rate of the new effect is 100 Hz (i.e., 0.01 seconds per frame). Then, the first few terms of the afterglow energy curve (compensation value sequence) calculated by the controller will be: First frame compensation value: 200*exp(-10*0.01)≈180 Second frame compensation value: 200*exp(-10*0.02)≈163 Third frame compensation value: 200*exp(-10*0.03)≈148 In this way, the controller can quickly generate a smoothly decreasing sequence of compensation values ​​for subsequent overlay operations.

[0045] When performing the overlay operation, a practical engineering problem needs to be considered: the synthesized values ​​may exceed the hardware's expression range. This invention provides a clear solution to this problem. The steps of overlaying the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence include: The compensation value of the nth frame in the compensation information is algebraically added to the original output value of the nth frame in the initial output sequence to obtain the synthesized intermediate value of the nth frame, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1; Determine whether the synthesized intermediate value exceeds the preset hardware output extreme value; If the synthesized intermediate value does not exceed the hardware output extreme value, then the synthesized intermediate value is determined as the output value of the nth frame in the target transition output sequence; If the synthesized intermediate value exceeds the hardware output extreme value, then the hardware output extreme value is determined as the output value of the nth frame in the target transition output sequence.

[0046] For each frame of the initial output sequence, the above steps are performed (i.e., n=1, 2, ..., N, where N is the total number of frames in the initial output sequence).

[0047] This step ensures the stability and safety of the entire transition process. During the superposition process, especially when switching from a high-brightness old effect to an effect that also has a high initial brightness, the result of adding the compensation value to the original value of the new effect may exceed the maximum value that the PWM controller can represent (e.g., 255 for an 8-bit PWM). If this intermediate synthesized value is not processed and is directly written to the register, it may cause data overflow and produce unpredictable consequences, such as the brightness value wrapping back to 0, causing a flicker.

[0048] The proposed solution employs a limiting process, also known as peak clipping or saturation. After obtaining the intermediate composite value for each frame, the controller immediately compares it with a preset hardware output limit (e.g., 255). If the composite value is less than or equal to this limit, it is directly used as the final output. If the composite value is greater than this limit, the output value is forcibly set to this limit.

[0049] To illustrate, suppose the red channel of an LED has an afterglow compensation value of 180 from the old effect in a certain frame, while the original output value of the new effect in that frame is 100. The resulting composite intermediate value is 280. Since 280 exceeds the hardware output limit of 255, the controller will not output 280, but instead will set the value of that channel in that frame of the final target transition output sequence to 255. In this way, although the theoretical energy superposition exceeds the upper limit, the actual output is safely limited to the maximum brightness allowed by the hardware, ensuring the normal operation of the light-emitting unit and avoiding visual defects caused by data overflow, thus ensuring the smoothness and robustness of the transition effect.

[0050] Based on the above implementation method, in order to further enhance the realism of the transition effect and environmental adaptability, considering that the physical characteristics of the light-emitting unit are significantly affected by its operating temperature, the present invention further proposes a dynamic correction scheme.

[0051] Before the step of calculating the simulated afterglow energy curve based on the output data of the last frame, according to the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycap, the method further includes: Real-time monitoring of the average output load of the light-emitting unit within a preset time period; Determine the thermal state influence parameters of the light-emitting unit based on the average output load; The physical decay characteristics are dynamically corrected based on the thermal state influence parameters.

[0052] This solution aims to address a common problem in practical applications: after prolonged high-brightness operation, the internal temperature of the light-emitting unit (LED) rises, altering its photoelectric conversion efficiency and phosphor decay rate, thus changing its physical decay characteristics. For example, the brightness decay rate of an LED initially powered on (when cold) may differ from that of an LED operating at high intensity for an hour (when hot). If a fixed physical decay characteristic parameter calibrated at room temperature is consistently used, the calculated afterglow energy curve will deviate from the actual physical decay process when the device is in different thermal states, affecting the smoothness of the transition effect.

[0053] The implementation method of this solution is as follows: First, regarding real-time monitoring of average output load, the keyboard's control core maintains a sliding time window for each LED or the entire keyboard area, for example, the past 5 minutes. Within this window, the controller continuously accumulates the PWM duty cycle values ​​sent to the LEDs and calculates their average value as the average output load. This average PWM value can be considered as the average output power of the LEDs in the recent period, thus indirectly reflecting their current heat accumulation level. A keyboard that is continuously in high brightness mode will inevitably have a much higher average output load than a keyboard that is in low brightness or off mode for a long time.

[0054] Secondly, the thermal state effect parameters are determined based on the average output load. A lookup table or a function is pre-stored in the keyboard firmware. This table or function maps the average output load (e.g., average PWM value) to a specific thermal state effect parameter (e.g., a correction factor).

[0055] For example, a simplified lookup representation is as follows: Average PWM value 0-50 (low load): Correction factor = 1.00 Average PWM value 51-150 (medium load): Correction factor = 1.05 Average PWM value 151-255 (high load): Correction factor = 1.12 This means that when a keyboard is used under high load for a long time, its physical degradation process will be 12% slower than when it is cold.

[0056] Finally, the physical decay characteristics are dynamically corrected based on this parameter. Before calculating the afterglow energy curve, the controller first obtains the current thermal state influence parameters and uses them to adjust the basic physical decay characteristics. If the physical decay characteristics are characterized by the decay constant k in the exponential decay function, then the dynamic correction process can be: k_dynamic = k_base / correction coefficient. Here, k_base is the basic decay constant under standard (usually cold) conditions, and k_dynamic is the dynamic decay constant. Thus, when the device is hot, the correction coefficient increases, the dynamic decay constant k_dynamic decreases, and the calculated afterglow energy curve decays more slowly, thus more accurately matching the actual physical behavior of the hot LED. Through this dynamic correction, whether the user switches effects during a cold start or after a long gaming session, they can obtain a consistent and smooth visual transition experience.

[0057] Furthermore, the user's need for immediate interaction during the transition between effects needs to be fully considered. A smooth background transition should not come at the expense of the immediacy of operational feedback. In this regard, the present invention further proposes: The method also includes: During the output cycle of the target transition output sequence, monitor in real time whether there are key trigger signals generated by key interactions; If a key trigger signal is detected, the trigger strength and key feedback sequence corresponding to the key trigger signal are obtained. Set the output priority of the button feedback sequence to the first priority, and set the output priority of the compensation information and the starting output sequence of the second lighting effect mode to the second priority, which is lower than the first priority.

[0058] The specific details regarding obtaining the trigger strength and key feedback sequence corresponding to the key trigger signal are as follows: Trigger strength acquisition: The system uses the signal detection module of the keyboard matrix to collect electrical signal parameters (such as contact resistance and signal level change amplitude) in real time when a key is pressed, and converts the collected electrical signal parameters into standardized trigger strength values. The trigger strength value is used to distinguish between valid key triggers and false presses. Only when the trigger strength value reaches a preset threshold (this threshold can be preset according to the keyboard hardware characteristics and can be fine-tuned by the user in the driver interface) is it determined to be a valid key trigger signal, and then the subsequent feedback sequence acquisition and output operations are executed; if the trigger strength value does not reach the preset threshold, it is determined to be a false press signal, no feedback operation is executed, and the normal output of the target transition output sequence continues to be maintained to avoid background transition interruption or feedback chaos caused by false presses.

[0059] Key feedback sequence acquisition: The system pre-stores multiple sets of key feedback sequences corresponding to trigger intensity and key function. These key feedback sequences are preset duty cycle output sequences that can directly drive the light-emitting unit, including brightness parameters, color parameters, duration parameters, and change rhythm parameters. When a valid key trigger signal is detected and its trigger intensity is acquired, the system matches the corresponding key feedback sequence from the preset storage module based on the trigger intensity level (e.g., low-intensity trigger, medium-intensity trigger, high-intensity trigger) and the functional attributes of the triggering key (e.g., main key area key, function key area key, custom key). For example, a low-intensity trigger (slight accidental touch at the edge) corresponds to a low-brightness, short-duration (e.g., 20 milliseconds) feedback sequence to avoid interfering with background transition; a medium-high intensity trigger (normal key operation) corresponds to a high-brightness, moderate-duration (e.g., 50-80 milliseconds) feedback sequence to ensure clear visibility of the feedback; custom keys can be matched with exclusive feedback sequences (e.g., specific colors, flashing rhythms) according to user presets, balancing personalization and interaction clarity. Simultaneously, the system supports real-time recall of feedback sequences without waiting for the frame period of the target transition output sequence to end, ensuring immediate feedback.

[0060] This solution addresses the issue of key response when a user presses a button during a smooth transition in background lighting effects. For example, during the hundreds of milliseconds of transitioning from "Gaming Mode" to "Office Mode," the background light is gradually changing from colored to warm white, and the user presses the "A" key. The user expects to see a clear button trigger feedback, such as the "A" key flashing a bright red light for a moment. If the system continues executing the background transition sequence indiscriminately, this important interactive feedback will be drowned out by the changing background light, resulting in unclear operation feedback.

[0061] This solution addresses this issue by establishing a priority mechanism. While outputting each frame of transition data, the control core simultaneously scans the keyboard matrix at high speed, monitoring in real time whether any keys are pressed. Once a key trigger signal is detected, the system immediately switches the lighting effect control for that key to an independent, higher-priority processing flow. This means that for the pressed "A" key, the system pauses sending the calculated target transition output sequence and instead sends a preset "key feedback sequence" for immediate feedback (e.g., a bright red pulse lasting 50 milliseconds). For other keys on the keyboard that are not pressed, the background transition effects continue to execute normally. By setting key feedback as the first priority, it ensures that regardless of changes in background lighting effects, every keystroke by the user receives the most direct, clear, and delay-free visual confirmation, guaranteeing the core functionality of the keyboard as an input tool.

[0062] To make the integration of button interaction and background transition effects more natural, rather than simply overlapping, this invention also provides a more refined processing method, as a preferred embodiment of the above priority scheme: The steps of superimposing the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence include: The energy extrusion coefficient is determined based on the trigger intensity. The background energy sequence is obtained by compressing the compensation information and the initial output sequence proportionally using the energy compression coefficient and then superimposing them frame by frame. The background energy sequence and the button feedback sequence are weighted and fused to obtain the target transition output sequence, so that the physical position corresponding to the button trigger signal has a preset brightness performance space in the target transition output sequence.

[0063] This solution aims to achieve a more advanced visual fusion effect. While simple priority overlay ensures feedback, it can appear visually abrupt, as if the button feedback is a patch "stuck" to the background. This solution uses the concepts of "energy compression" and "weighted fusion" to allow the two to coexist harmoniously.

[0064] In practice: When a key press is detected, the system first determines an "energy compression coefficient" based on the intensity of the press. For example, for keys that support analog input, a light press might correspond to a coefficient of 0.7, while a heavy press might correspond to 0.4. For regular keys, a fixed value, such as 0.5, can be set.

[0065] The system uses this energy compression coefficient to first compress the compensation information originally intended for synthesizing the background transition energy of the button and the initial output sequence of the second lighting effect mode proportionally. Then, the compressed compensation information is superimposed frame-by-frame with the compressed initial output sequence to obtain the compressed background energy sequence. For example, assuming the compensation information originally intended for synthesizing the background transition energy in a certain frame is (R:80, G:100, B:50) and the initial output sequence is (R:40, G:50, B:30), with an energy compression coefficient of 0.5, then the compressed compensation information becomes (R:40, G:50, B:25), and the compressed initial output sequence becomes (R:20, G:25, B:15). The resulting background energy sequence is (R:60, G:75, B:40). This operation essentially "frees up" brightness space for the upcoming button feedback effect.

[0066] Finally, this compressed background energy is weighted and fused with the key feedback sequence. Assuming the key feedback sequence is a bright red (R:255, G:0, B:0), and the fusion weights are set to 30% for the background and 70% for the feedback, the final synthesized value output to the key is: R_final=60*0.3+255*0.7=18+178.5≈197 G_final=75*0.3+0*0.7=22.5≈23 B_final = 40 * 0.3 + 0 * 0.7 = 12 The final output is (197,23,12).

[0067] The visual effect is that when a user presses a button, the background transition of that button elegantly darkens, while a dominant button feedback effect with a background color is clearly presented. This approach makes the feedback both clear and integrated with the background, resulting in a more sophisticated and harmonious overall look.

[0068] To ensure that the carefully calculated transition sequence is faithfully executed without being interfered with by the system's conventional error correction mechanisms, this invention also includes intelligent management of the system's verification mechanism: The steps for driving the light-emitting unit to display according to the target transition output sequence include: The target transition output sequence is converted into a corresponding driving signal and sent to the keyboard control circuit according to a preset frame rate to drive the light-emitting unit; Obtain feedback data of the actual luminous intensity of the light-emitting unit during the driving process; The actual luminous intensity feedback data is compared in real time with the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence; When the deviation between the actual luminous intensity feedback data and the target synthetic energy is within the preset consistency tolerance range, the online consistency verification mechanism will block the correction or degradation instructions for the luminous unit.

[0069] Some high-end keyboards may have online consistency verification mechanisms, such as using a built-in light sensor to detect the actual luminous intensity of the LEDs and compare it with the command value to ensure the accuracy of the display effect. However, during our transition phase, the brightness of the light-emitting units is itself in a precisely controlled and constantly changing process. At this time, a conventional verification mechanism may misjudge. For example, it might misinterpret a brightness value that is smoothly decaying as inconsistent with the (usually very low) initial target value of the new effect, thus issuing an incorrect correction command to forcibly lower the brightness, which would instantly destroy the smooth transition effect.

[0070] This solution addresses this issue by introducing a "trust period." Throughout the execution of the target transition output sequence, the system acquires actual luminous intensity feedback data. However, its comparison target is no longer a static effect target value, but rather the dynamically changing target transition output sequence itself. As long as the deviation between the actual measured brightness and the synthetic energy target calculated for the current frame is within a very small, preset tolerance range (e.g., ±5%), the system considers the luminous unit to be executing the transition animation "as planned." In this case, the system temporarily blocks or ignores any correction or degradation commands issued by the consistency verification module, ensuring that the transition process is undisturbed. This is equivalent to informing the verification system: "The situation is special now, everything is under control, please do not disturb." Finally, to ensure the long-term adaptability of this method and to cope with the natural aging of hardware over time, this invention further proposes an adaptive update mechanism: After the step of shielding the online consistency verification mechanism from the correction or degradation instructions of the light-emitting unit, the method further includes: The deviation trend between the cumulative actual luminous intensity feedback data and the synthetic energy target over multiple output cycles; Determine whether the deviation trend conforms to the preset hardware aging characteristic model; If the hardware aging characteristic model is met, the physical decay characteristics are incrementally compensated according to the reverse change of the deviation trend, so as to achieve adaptive updating of the physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting unit.

[0071] This solution endows the system with self-learning and calibration capabilities. As semiconductor devices, LEDs experience irreversible performance degradation over time, a process known as aging. This leads to reduced luminous efficiency and potentially slow changes in their physical degradation characteristics. A keyboard used for two years may exhibit LED degradation behavior that differs significantly from the factory specifications.

[0072] This approach utilizes the deviation data obtained in the preceding steps. The system does not discard these minute deviation values ​​immediately; instead, it accumulates them over time and performs trend analysis. For example, the system might record brightness deviation data from thousands of bright-to-dark transitions. If the analysis reveals that, in the past month, the actual brightness decay rate has generally been about 3% slower than the model prediction, and this deviation exhibits stable and consistent characteristics, this aligns with typical hardware aging characteristic models (e.g., phosphor efficiency decay leading to longer afterglow time).

[0073] Once the system determines that the aging model is met, it triggers an adaptive update. This update permanently fine-tunes the underlying physical decay characteristics stored in the firmware based on the reverse change in the deviation trend. For example, it might reduce the underlying decay constant k by 3%. This update signifies that the system has "learned" the latest state of the hardware. Through this periodic self-calibration based on extensive real-world data, this method ensures that the smoothness and accuracy of the lighting transitions remain close to the factory optimal level throughout the keyboard's entire lifespan, significantly enhancing the long-term user experience and value of the product.

[0074] Secondly, see Figure 2 The present invention also provides a dynamic control system for keycap lighting effects, which can be integrated into the keyboard's microcontroller (MCU) or run as part of computer-side driver software. This system is used to perform any of the foregoing methods, including: The latching and interception module 210 is used to maintain the current output state of the first light-emitting effect mode and extract the last frame of output data of the first light-emitting effect mode at the moment of switching when it receives an instruction to switch from the first light-emitting effect mode to the second light-emitting effect mode. The sequence generation module 220 is used to calculate the simulated afterglow energy curve based on the last frame output data according to the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycap, and use the afterglow energy curve as compensation information. The physical decay characteristics include the response delay of the light-emitting units and the brightness residue after the last output. The overlay synthesis module 230 is used to overlay the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second light emission effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence. The starting output sequence refers to the set of at least one frame of output data generated by the second light emission effect mode according to its preset light effect logic after it is activated, starting from the initial moment. The display driver module 240 is used to drive the light-emitting unit to display according to the target transition output sequence, so that the physical light intensity of the light-emitting unit during the switching process matches the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence.

[0075] Through modular design, the system breaks down complex methods and processes into clear functional units, providing hardware or software structural support for the specific implementation of the methods.

[0076] The latching and capture module 210 is the starting point of the entire process. In hardware implementation, it can be a dedicated register set and corresponding control logic within the microcontroller. When a switching command arrives via the USB interface or other bus, the control logic of this module is immediately triggered, latching the data currently being sent to the PWM generator onto the register set. This action must be atomic to ensure that a complete and lossless frame of data is captured. In software implementation, it can be an interrupt service routine or a high-priority thread responsible for immediately copying the contents of the current lighting effect data buffer upon receiving a switching event.

[0077] The sequence generation module 220 is the computational core of the system. It can be implemented by the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) in the microcontroller in conjunction with firmware. This module accesses physical decay characteristic parameters stored in non-volatile memory (such as flash memory). Based on the last frame of data provided by the latching and intercepting module 210, it performs the aforementioned exponential decay function calculation, iteratively generating a series of compensation values ​​according to a preset frame rate to form the afterglow energy curve. At the same time, this module also generates its initial output sequence according to the definition of the new effect.

[0078] The overlay synthesis module 230 is responsible for data fusion. At the hardware level, it can be a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP) unit capable of efficiently performing vector addition and amplitude limiting operations. At the software level, it is a loop program that algebraically adds the two sets of data produced by the sequence generation module 220 frame by frame and channel by channel, and performs saturation operations to ensure that the result does not exceed the range allowed by the hardware.

[0079] The display driver module 240 is the final execution unit. It receives the final target transition output sequence generated by the overlay synthesis module 230 and converts it into physical drive signals. In a typical keyboard, this usually means loading the calculated 8-bit or 16-bit brightness values ​​into the corresponding channel registers of the PWM controller. The PWM controller then generates square wave signals with corresponding duty cycles based on these values ​​to drive the LED driver chip, ultimately controlling the physical brightness of each light-emitting unit.

[0080] Through the coordinated work of the above modules, the system can transform abstract control methods into specific, executable electronic signal streams, thereby achieving a smooth and natural light effect transition on physical devices and solving the problem of visual abrupt changes caused by mode switching in existing technologies.

[0081] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps, characterized in that, The method includes: When a command is received to switch from a preset first lighting effect mode to a preset second lighting effect mode, the current output state of the first lighting effect mode is maintained, and the last frame output data of the first lighting effect mode at the moment of switching is extracted; Based on the physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting units preset in the keycaps, a simulated afterglow energy curve is calculated based on the output data of the last frame, and the afterglow energy curve is used as compensation information. The physical decay characteristics include the response delay of the light-emitting units and the brightness residue after the last output. The compensation information is superimposed frame by frame with the starting output sequence of the second light-emitting effect mode to obtain the target transition output sequence. The starting output sequence refers to the set of at least one frame of output data generated from the initial moment by the second light-emitting effect mode according to its preset light effect logic after it is activated. The light-emitting unit is driven to display according to the target transition output sequence, so that the physical luminescence intensity of the light-emitting unit during the switching process matches the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence; The step of calculating a simulated afterglow energy curve based on the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycaps, and using the afterglow energy curve as compensation information, includes: The physical decay characteristics of the light-emitting unit are obtained, and the physical decay characteristics are used to characterize the brightness decay rate of the light-emitting unit after power is turned off or the duty cycle is reduced. Based on the output data of the last frame and the physical attenuation characteristics, an energy attenuation function that shows an attenuation trend over time is constructed. According to the refresh frequency of the second light emission effect mode, the energy decay function is discretized and sampled to obtain the afterglow energy curve composed of compensation values ​​of multiple consecutive frames, and the afterglow energy curve is used as compensation information.

2. The method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the step of calculating the simulated afterglow energy curve based on the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycap and the output data of the last frame, the method further includes: Real-time monitoring of the average output load of the light-emitting unit within a preset time period; The thermal state influence parameters of the light-emitting unit are determined based on the average output load. The physical attenuation characteristics are dynamically corrected based on the thermal state influence parameters.

3. The method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps according to claim 1, characterized in that, The last frame output data includes the pulse width modulation (PWM) duty cycle data output to the light-emitting unit at the switching time of the first light-emitting effect mode; The energy decay function is an exponential decay function with the last frame output data as the initial value, time as the independent variable, and the physical decay characteristics as the base.

4. The method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of superimposing the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence includes: The compensation value of the nth frame in the compensation information is algebraically added to the original output value of the nth frame in the starting output sequence to obtain the synthesized intermediate value of the nth frame, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1; Determine whether the synthesized intermediate value exceeds the preset hardware output extreme value; If the synthesized intermediate value does not exceed the hardware output extreme value, then the synthesized intermediate value is determined as the output value of the nth frame in the target transition output sequence; If the synthesized intermediate value exceeds the hardware output extreme value, then the hardware output extreme value is determined as the output value of the nth frame in the target transition output sequence.

5. The method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method also includes: During the output cycle of the target transition output sequence, it is monitored in real time whether there is a key trigger signal generated by key interaction; If the key trigger signal is detected, the trigger strength and key feedback sequence corresponding to the key trigger signal are obtained; The output priority of the button feedback sequence is set to the first priority, and the output priority of the compensation information and the starting output sequence of the second lighting effect mode is set to the second priority, which is lower than the first priority.

6. The method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of superimposing the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second luminous effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence includes: The energy extrusion coefficient is determined based on the trigger intensity. The background energy sequence is obtained by compressing the compensation information and the initial output sequence proportionally using the energy compression coefficient and then superimposing them frame by frame. The background energy sequence and the button feedback sequence are weighted and fused to obtain the target transition output sequence, so that the physical position corresponding to the button trigger signal has a preset brightness performance space in the target transition output sequence.

7. The method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of driving the light-emitting unit to display according to the target transition output sequence includes: The target transition output sequence is converted into a corresponding driving signal and sent to the keyboard control circuit according to a preset frame rate to drive the light-emitting unit; Obtain the actual luminous intensity feedback data of the light-emitting unit during the driving process; The actual luminous intensity feedback data is compared in real time with the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence; When the deviation between the actual luminous intensity feedback data and the synthetic energy target is within the preset consistency tolerance range, the online consistency verification mechanism blocks the correction or degradation instructions for the luminous unit.

8. The method for dynamically controlling the backlighting effect of keycaps according to claim 7, characterized in that, After the step of the shielding online consistency verification mechanism in issuing correction or degradation instructions for the light-emitting unit, the method further includes: The deviation trend between the actual luminous intensity feedback data and the synthetic energy target is accumulated over multiple output cycles; Determine whether the deviation trend conforms to a preset hardware aging characteristic model; If the hardware aging characteristic model is met, the physical attenuation characteristics are incrementally compensated according to the reverse change of the deviation trend, so as to achieve adaptive updating of the physical attenuation characteristics of the light-emitting unit.

9. A dynamic control system for keycap backlighting effects, used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, include: The latching and interception module is used to maintain the current output state of the first lighting effect mode and extract the last frame of output data of the first lighting effect mode at the moment of switching when it receives an instruction to switch from the first lighting effect mode to the second lighting effect mode. The sequence generation module is used to calculate a simulated afterglow energy curve based on the last frame output data according to the physical decay characteristics of the preset light-emitting units in the keycap, and to use the afterglow energy curve as compensation information, wherein the physical decay characteristics include the response delay of the light-emitting units and the brightness residue after the previous output. The overlay synthesis module is used to overlay the compensation information with the starting output sequence of the second light emission effect mode frame by frame to obtain the target transition output sequence. The starting output sequence refers to the set of at least one frame of output data generated by the second light emission effect mode according to its preset light effect logic after it is activated, starting from the initial moment. The display driving module is used to drive the light-emitting unit to display according to the target transition output sequence, so that the physical luminescence intensity of the light-emitting unit during the switching process matches the synthetic energy target corresponding to the target transition output sequence.

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