[smokingfrog]

[Myrddin]

Another silly patent. The LED displays on my 1980 vintage HeathKit H-8 could satisfy the broad description of this patent. An iPod is my first and last Apple purchase. They are becoming patent jackasses.

[Myrddin]

Those front panel indicators are 7-segment LED plus discrete LEDs. Brightness is modulated under control of the software as is information content. Do it wrong and you can burn the LEDs with too much current.

[roadcat]

I’ve built little 3-wheeled robots back in the 1970s that would scoot around and avoid walls. I threw a bunch of colored LEDs I had laying around onto it, to signify different directions it was taking. Should have patented it.

However, the Apple patent probably goes much further than just on and off. Ever watch the heartbeat fading in and out of Apple Mac indicator lights when they are in sleep mode? Mesmerizing.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Ping.