Apple's future keyboards may employ colored backlight for user feedback

AppleInsider

While color backlit keyboards are common, Apple is researching how to use that color dynamically on individual keys to provide feedback to the user.

Colored backlit keyboard mod on an older MacBook Pro

A new Apple patent application reveals that the company is planning future Mac or iOS onscreen keyboards that could offer backlights as useful feedback devices rather than solely illumination.

"While some conventional keyboards may include internal illumination for keys," writes Apple in US Patent No 10,528,152, "such conventional keyboards typically do not offer the ability to dynamically control lighting schemes, such as color or tone, for each of the keys individually."

Detail from the patent

"To provide improved user experience and increase potential for feedback to a user," it continues, "it would be helpful to have keys of keyboards, or other input devices, with individually controllable variable internal illumination."

The "Mixed input lighting using multiple light sources with switchable operational state" patent details many different types of keyboard or device that could use this functionality, including "desktop or tablet computers, instrument displays, and cell phones."

"Input devices include keys of computer keyboards, contact areas on a contact pad, buttons on instrument control panels, buttons on a computer mouse, and the like," it says. "Rather than having a fixed tone (such as a perceived 'warmth' or 'coolness', and/or a particular color component such as a hue) or color for the light emitted by the internal illumination, user experience can be improved by using variable internal illumination, i.e., internal illumination that can be varied dynamically during operation of the electronic device."

"Still another embodiment takes the form of a method for illuminating a contact surface of an input device," it says, "...measuring, by a light sensor, a property of a light in an environment of the electronic device... generating a combined light [and] transmitting the combined light through the contact surface."

Central to the patent are details of how ambient light can be detected and the backlight adjusted. It also specifies ways of using multiple micro-LED light sources "over a range of intensities."

"Variable internal illumination of keys may provide improved user experience and information output," it explains. "The light sources for the variable illumination of the keys, or other input devices, can be provided from within the keys by light emitting diodes (LEDs). It is especially advantageous if the internal illumination is provided by micro-LEDs (.mu.LEDs)."

Detail from the patent showing steps used in altering keyboard backlights according to the ambient lighting

Apple's patent is credited to two inventors. Paul X Wang was most recently listed as an inventor on parents for an adjustable handheld stylus and a finger-mounted device with fabric.

Co-inventor Liquan Tan's previous work includes three separate patents regarding stylus tips.

Most of the patent application's details about lighting using micro-LEDs cover types of keyboard with physical keys, but it does also refer to "contact areas" on a panel, and the "keypad shown on a display of a cell phone."

aybara

Am I missing something that makes this different than a Razer keyboard with individually backlit keys?  Or the Razer Blade which brings the concept to a laptop?

gordy

Apple only has laptops with backlit keyboards. A full size backlit keyboard peripheral would be nice.

GeorgeBMac

Although it is not clearly defined, when they say "Feedback to the user" I can only think that they mean the color of the key changes as it is struck.

So, is this just an extension of the trend to put out crappy keyboards with almost no feel or travel -- and which only the hunt & peck typists can be happy with?

I was taught that a typist should NOT be looking at the keys but at the screen (output) or at the paper (input) -- which can generate speeds of greater than a word a second. 

It is one of the reasons why I favor my 10 year old ThinkPad -- it is has the best, easiest to use keyboard of any laptop then or since.
For me, I will take feel and travel over any gimmick.

wallym

I wish they would improve the keyboards that they have for actual work, like typing.  My thinkpad's keyboard is great.  It feels like a keyboard.  My mac keyboard, which I have to use for iOS development, is dreadful.

lkrupp

aybara said:

Am I missing something that makes this different than a Razer keyboard with individually backlit keys?  Or the Razer Blade which brings the concept to a laptop?

Yes, you are missing something. Actually read the article. This patent speaks of individual key lighting control, ambient light detection, etc. It’s not just a lighted, color keyboard. That being said it’s just a patent and I can’t imagine Apple going this route for aesthetic reasons. Like all of the big tech companies, Apple gets thousands and thousands of patents granted every year that never see the light of day in a product. 

lkrupp

GeorgeBMac said:

Although it is not clearly defined, when they say "Feedback to the user" I can only think that they mean the color of the key changes as it is struck.

So, is this just an extension of the trend to put out crappy keyboards with almost no feel or travel -- and which only the hunt & peck typists can be happy with?

I was taught that a typist should NOT be looking at the keys but at the screen (output) or at the paper (input) -- which can generate speeds of greater than a word a second. 

It is one of the reasons why I favor my 10 year old ThinkPad -- it is has the best, easiest to use keyboard of any laptop then or since.
For me, I will take feel and travel over any gimmick.

This!

cornchip

I'm guessing this has come out of their "Pro Workflow" team and is related to video & audio production where they have color coded keyboard covers to aid in workflow. Only problem is many times these pros prefer to work in low-lit/dark rooms in which it's difficult to see said color coded keyboard cover. wouldn't it be great if you could individually map the color of each key on the keyboard so you could easily see the key you want to tap in a custom, color-coded array? You could eventually probably even just download pre-programmed presets. And since Apple's already experimenting with custom keyboard software in the Touch Bar this doesn't seem like much of a stretch.

VintageAudio

So let me get this straight. Adding color to groups of keys would "...provide improved user experience and increase potential for feedback to a user". OK, I agree, color is a great way to make that enhancement.

So why, after all these years, has the Apple UI gone completely gray? Hell, I would love to have colored icons in the sidebar again.

aybara

lkrupp said:

aybara said:

Am I missing something that makes this different than a Razer keyboard with individually backlit keys?  Or the Razer Blade which brings the concept to a laptop?

Yes, you are missing something. Actually read the article. This patent speaks of individual key lighting control, ambient light detection, etc. It’s not just a lighted, color keyboard. That being said it’s just a patent and I can’t imagine Apple going this route for aesthetic reasons. Like all of the big tech companies, Apple gets thousands and thousands of patents granted every year that never see the light of day in a product. 

While my Razer laptop and keyboard do not adjust automatically to ambient light, I can change the color of each individual key to whatever I like.  I can even change it so the color changes when I press the key.  I can even get it to do a ripple effect across the whole keyboard if I so choose to. It is highly customizable to what the lighting scheme is.  Solid, pulsing, rotating, and on key press.

davgreg

The number one thing I would like from a Mac keyboard would be a fingerprint reader like is used on the laptops. With the T2 chip on the Mac and an compatible embedded security chip on the keyboard, that should not be a security nightmare.

Second would be backlit keys.

Third would be a return to replaceable batteries. I used to use Eneloop rechargeable AA cells that last thousands of cycles and are easily recycled or replaced. If the batteries got low it took like 10 seconds to swap the cells for ones in the charger instead of charging a permanent battery via a USB cable

Fourth would be better keys for those who cannot stand the current design.

Like my Logitech BT illuminated keyboard, only hate the sealed in battery.

libertyandfree

VintageAudio said:

So let me get this straight. Adding color to groups of keys would "...provide improved user experience and increase potential for feedback to a user". OK, I agree, color is a great way to make that enhancement.

So why, after all these years, has the Apple UI gone completely gray? Hell, I would love to have colored icons in the sidebar again.

i agree 1,000%.  Removing color from the GUI was a brain dead decision that has negatively impacted my workflow.  Apple please tell me why this not an option to enable and why it was ever removed.  

StrangeDays

GeorgeBMac said:

Although it is not clearly defined, when they say "Feedback to the user" I can only think that they mean the color of the key changes as it is struck.

So, is this just an extension of the trend to put out crappy keyboards with almost no feel or travel -- and which only the hunt & peck typists can be happy with?

I was taught that a typist should NOT be looking at the keys but at the screen (output) or at the paper (input) -- which can generate speeds of greater than a word a second. 

Yes, there aren’t any touch typists at Apple, despite their legion of IT pros and software devs, and they’re going to force everyone to two-finger hunt & peck. You figured it out. 

  

StrangeDays

wallym said:

I wish they would improve the keyboards that they have for actual work, like typing.  My thinkpad's keyboard is great.  It feels like a keyboard.  My mac keyboard, which I have to use for iOS development, is dreadful.

I’ve been using an Apple Magic keyboard for development for years and love it. The opposite of dreadful. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. 

fastasleep

aybara said:

lkrupp said:

aybara said:

Am I missing something that makes this different than a Razer keyboard with individually backlit keys?  Or the Razer Blade which brings the concept to a laptop?

Yes, you are missing something. Actually read the article. This patent speaks of individual key lighting control, ambient light detection, etc. It’s not just a lighted, color keyboard. That being said it’s just a patent and I can’t imagine Apple going this route for aesthetic reasons. Like all of the big tech companies, Apple gets thousands and thousands of patents granted every year that never see the light of day in a product. 

While my Razer laptop and keyboard do not adjust automatically to ambient light, I can change the color of each individual key to whatever I like.  I can even change it so the color changes when I press the key.  I can even get it to do a ripple effect across the whole keyboard if I so choose to. It is highly customizable to what the lighting scheme is.  Solid, pulsing, rotating, and on key press.

Wow, that sounds really useful. 

kevin kee

aybara said:

Am I missing something that makes this different than a Razer keyboard with individually backlit keys?  Or the Razer Blade which brings the concept to a laptop?

Does it have individually controllable variable internal illumination based on ambient light? If not, then yes this is different.

JesusHSmith

I think we're all being thrown by the image at the top of the article. This could be genuinely good for pros, particularly FCPX editors and the like where keys are grouped by function. You can currently buy overlays, and even software specific keyboards, for these types of things. Having it software driven could make it even more customisable. I think this is a great idea.

dewme

davgreg said:

The number one thing I would like from a Mac keyboard would be a fingerprint reader like is used on the laptops. With the T2 chip on the Mac and an compatible embedded security chip on the keyboard, that should not be a security nightmare.

Second would be backlit keys.

Third would be a return to replaceable batteries. I used to use Eneloop rechargeable AA cells that last thousands of cycles and are easily recycled or replaced. If the batteries got low it took like 10 seconds to swap the cells for ones in the charger instead of charging a permanent battery via a USB cable

Fourth would be better keys for those who cannot stand the current design.

Like my Logitech BT illuminated keyboard, only hate the sealed in battery.

Exactly. I actually don't mind the standard Mac wired aluminum keyboard at all and would be more than happy if Apple simply put out a version with white backlit keys. I've been searching for something as close to this as I can get but I always get scared off by too many grim 1-star Amazon reviews. Once the 1-star reviews get above 10% (for what sound like legitimate functional or quality issues) I'm hesitant to pull the trigger.

I guess I'm officially an old fart because the entire RGB lighting thing for any computer component is completely lost on me. Yeah, Apple is talking about using color as a contextual aid rather than just eye candy (or eye poop if you don't "get" RGB) but ... the picture shown in this article is pretty hurl worthy. I'm eager to see some examples of how color would actually be used on a keyboard as an aid to user experience, other than the trivial case of drawing attention to embedded functions of multi-function keys, e.g., an embedded numeric keypad.

DuhSesame

Patent Panic Disorder:

I'll judge every patent they've put like the end product.

GeorgeBMac

StrangeDays said:

wallym said:

I wish they would improve the keyboards that they have for actual work, like typing.  My thinkpad's keyboard is great.  It feels like a keyboard.  My mac keyboard, which I have to use for iOS development, is dreadful.

I’ve been using an Apple Magic keyboard for development for years and love it. The opposite of dreadful. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. 

When I was coding I mostly used the hunt & peck technique. 

But when I actually type -- like a proposal or report - I touch type.

A good keyboard with travel and feel supports both.

DuhSesame

StrangeDays said:

GeorgeBMac said:

Although it is not clearly defined, when they say "Feedback to the user" I can only think that they mean the color of the key changes as it is struck.

So, is this just an extension of the trend to put out crappy keyboards with almost no feel or travel -- and which only the hunt & peck typists can be happy with?

I was taught that a typist should NOT be looking at the keys but at the screen (output) or at the paper (input) -- which can generate speeds of greater than a word a second. 

Yes, there aren’t any touch typists at Apple, despite their legion of IT pros and software devs, and they’re going to force everyone to two-finger hunt & peck. You figured it out. 

  

He always figured it out.

P R U F E S S I U N A L I S M