Lighting Coordinator for System Status Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Information handling systems lack effective methods to visually indicate the operating status of their components without using screen space, which is crucial for users, especially gamers, who need real-time feedback on system performance and game state.
Innovation Solution
The integration of non-video display lighting systems that use LEDs, light bars, and backlighting to represent the operational state of components like processors, GPUs, and network interfaces through varying intensities, colors, and patterns, allowing users to configure these lighting effects to correspond with specific system parameters and game states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional status indicator lights are used on information handling systems, then component operating status can be indicated, but the indicators are not visually intuitive enough and do not provide sufficient real-time feedback on system performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes in LED lighting to represent different operating states and performance levels of system components. Different colors indicate different status conditions, providing intuitive visual feedback about system performance without requiring complex displays or screens.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic lighting effects including varying intensities, patterns, and animations to convey real-time system performance data. The lighting system dynamically adjusts its characteristics based on component status, providing continuous visual feedback about system operation.
2Loss of information
If screen space is used to display system status information, then real-time feedback is provided, but valuable screen real estate is consumed reducing game or application display area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the system status display function from the screen and relocates it to external lighting indicators on the hardware. This separation allows screen space to be dedicated entirely to game or application content while system status information is conveyed through independent lighting elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves system status information from the two-dimensional screen space to the physical spatial dimension through external lighting indicators. This dimensional transition allows status information to be displayed without competing for screen real estate.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple status lights are used, then the system is easy to manufacture, but the warnings and performance insights are not noticeable enough for users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes multiple lighting parameters including intensity, color, and temporal patterns to enhance the visibility and informational content of status indicators. By varying these parameters, the system provides noticeable and distinctive visual feedback while maintaining relatively simple hardware implementation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides users with real-time, visually intuitive feedback on system performance and game status without occupying screen space, enhancing the user experience by offering more noticeable warnings and performance insights during gaming or other operations.
Implementation Method 1
The integration of non-video display lighting systems that use LEDs, light bars, and backlighting to represent the operational state of components
Data Source
AI summary
The lighting coordinator of an information handling system may associate quantitative values of a state parameter that describes a state of operation of a component of the information handling system with lighting effects. The lighting effect associated with a quantitative value may be indicative of a range of the quantitative value. The lighting coordinator may receive a signal indicative of a quantitative value of the state parameter and may transmit control signals to generate the lighting effect associated with the quantitative value of the state parameter. The lighting coordinator may receive user input to configure the association of quantitative values of the state parameter with the lighting effects. The lighting coordinator may also represent an attribute of a character or other aspect of a video game by another lighting effect. The components may include a CPU and GPU.