System and method for visually indicating actions per minute information using illumination

A computer input device communicable with a computing device and responsive to interaction with a user, the computer input device comprising:

• a housing;
• a set of transducers carried by the housing and configured to generate a set of input device signals in response to user interaction with the set of transducers;
• a set of illumination devices carried by the housing;
• and
• an illumination control unit carried by the housing, the illumination control unit configured to maintain an input device signal count and configured to selectively activate the set of illumination devices based upon the input device signal count during a predetermined time interval;
• wherein the input device signal count is compared to a plurality of predetermined threshold values to determine a set of illumination parameters for selectively activating the set of illumination devices;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined threshold values and the set of illumination parameters is a programmable with a graphical user interface (GUI) on the computing device;
• and
• wherein the set of illumination parameters is downloadable into the computer input device.

A system for providing a visual indication of user proficiency at interacting with an application program, the system comprising:

• a memory in which at least a portion of the application program resides;
• a processing unit coupled to the memory and configured to execute the application program;
• a set of input devices coupled to the processing unit, at least one input device within the set of input devices configured to generate input device signals in response to user interaction with the at least one input device;
• a display device coupled to the processing unit, the display device providing an application program visual user interface that visually displays a set of application program actions concurrent with application program execution;
• an illumination control unit coupled to one from the group of the processing unit and the set of input devices, the illumination control unit configured to maintain an action count corresponding to at least one from the group of a count of input device signals generated during a predetermined time interval and a count of application program actions initiated during application program execution in the predetermined time interval;
• a mapping management unit for comparing the at least one from the group of the count of input device signals and the count of application program actions, to a plurality of predetermined threshold values, the mapping management unit further for associating the comparison with a set of illumination parameters;
• and
• a set of illumination devices for providing a set of illumination signals corresponding to the set of illumination parameters, the set of illumination devices, coupled to one from the group of the processing unit and the set of input devices, and separate from the application program visual user interface provided by the display device;
• a graphical user interface (GUI) for programming at least one of the plurality of predetermined threshold values and the set of illumination parameters;
• wherein the set of illumination parameters is downloadable from the computing into the at least one input device.

An accessory structure for providing performance based illumination signals in response to user input received in response to user interaction with a set of input elements carried by a computer input device that includes a housing, the accessory structure comprising:

• a cover that is coupleable to a portion of the computer input device, the computer input device communicable with a computing device;
• a set of illumination devices carried by the cover;
• and
• an illumination control unit in signal communication with the set of illumination devices, the illumination control unit configured to maintain an input device signal count and configured to selectively activate the set of illumination devices based upon the input device signal count during a predetermined time interval;
• wherein the input device signal count is compared to a plurality of predetermined threshold values to determine a set of illumination parameters for selectively activating the set of illumination devices;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of predetermined threshold values and the set of illumination parameters is programmable with a graphical user interface (GUI) on the computing device:
• and
• wherein the set of illumination parameters is downloadable from the computing device into the computer input device.