Peripheral Device Lighting Schema Adaptation for Obstruction Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer peripheral devices often have lighting schemas that are obscured from the user's view, particularly when objects such as hands cover the visual output elements, leading to a need for adaptive reconfiguration to ensure visibility and reduce power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that detect obstructions using sensors, determine the overlap between obfuscation and visual output areas, and reconfigure the lighting schema by repositioning, resizing, or re-dimensioning it to minimize overlap, potentially moving it to different peripheral devices, to maintain visibility and optimize power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If lighting schema is displayed on visual output elements, then aesthetic effect and information conveyance are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting schema is dynamically reconfigured based on real-time detection of object proximity. The system transitions from a static lighting display to an adaptive system that modifies its output based on environmental conditions, specifically whether an object is detected in the obfuscation area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the visual output elements by relocating the lighting schema from an first set of elements to a second set of elements. This parameter change allows the system to maintain visibility while reducing the number of active elements, thereby lowering power consumption.
2Loss of information
If lighting schema is displayed on visual output elements, then information conveyance is improved, but visibility is reduced when objects obscure the output
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to detect the presence of objects in the obfuscation area and provides feedback to the control logic. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically adjust the lighting schema position based on real-time environmental conditions, ensuring information remains visible to the user.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adjusting brightness or intensity to overcome obfuscation, the system transitions the lighting schema to a different spatial dimension by relocating it from one set of visual output elements to another set, effectively changing the position parameter to bypass the obfuscation problem.
3Ease of operation
If lighting schema is reconfigured to different visual output elements, then visibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral device incorporates multiple visual output elements that can serve different functions. The same physical elements can display lighting schemas, indicate device status, or provide aesthetic effects. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated components for each function, thereby managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual output elements are divided into distinct sets (first set and second set), allowing the lighting schema to be segmented and relocated between them. This segmentation enables independent control of different lighting regions, facilitating adaptive reconfiguration without requiring complete system redesign.
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
The solution ensures that lighting schemas remain visible to the user while reducing power consumption by dynamically adjusting their placement and intensity based on obstruction detection, enhancing the user experience and device efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Detecting the object may be performed by one or more sensors including at least one of a capacitive sensor array
Implementation Method 2
Detecting the object may be performed by one or more sensors including at least one of a capacitive sensor array, resistive sensor array
Implementation Method 3
Detecting the object may be performed by one or more sensors including at least one of a capacitive sensor array, resistive sensor array, infra-red sensor array
Implementation Method 4
Detecting the object may be performed by one or more sensors including at least one of a capacitive sensor array, resistive sensor array, infra-red sensor array, or an image sensor array
Implementation Method 5
Some computer peripheral devices often incorporate one or more output lights (e.g., typically light emitting diodes (LEDs))
Implementation Method 6
LED lighting may be used to provide aesthetically pleasing visual effects including multiple colors, blinking, wave effects
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes detecting an object in in proximity with the a peripheral device such that the object is located in a position indicative of light generated by one or more visual output elements of the peripheral device being obfuscated from a user; determining an obfuscation area defining a boundary of an area being obfuscated; determining a current output schema displayed on a set of visual output elements; determining a current visual output area defining a boundary of the current output schema; determining a location of the obfuscation area; determining a location of the current visual output area; determining an amount of overlap between the obfuscation area and the current visual output area based on their corresponding determined locations; and in response to the amount of overlap being greater than an overlap threshold value: reconfiguring the current output schema to be displayed on a different set of visual output elements.