Apple has been granted a patent for a variable internal illumination color system, according to Patently Apple. Such a system could be used in keyboards and other devices.
Apple’s granted patent covers devices, systems and methods that implement variable internal illumination of input devices of electronic equipment. Input devices include keys of computer keyboards, contact areas on a contact pad (trackpad), buttons on instrument control panels, buttons on a computer mouse, and the like. 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.
Check It Out: Apple Wins Patent for Variable Illumination System for Keyboards
I seem to remember Apple acquiring a company that made e-ink keyboards with dynamically assignable key labels. That is something I’d still like to see.
Wow that invention isn’t non-obvious at all is it? ;-p
Though Apple keyboards have supported ambient light sensing and adjustment for years, and RGB gaming keyboards support customized color and brightness for each key, maybe the invention (such as it is) is per-key sensors and non-uniform ambient light adjustment. Still it seems like a fairly obvious refinement of existing technology.