Proximity sensor for backlight not working

[davesurfer]

Ever since I got my SP3 my proximity sensor on the Type keyboard didn't work. It doesn't sense my hand over the keyboard I have to press a key or touch the touchpad for the backlight to come on. I know at least one other SP3 that is exhibiting the same issue.

I talked to MS support and the woman there claims that the Type keyboard doesn't support that feature even though it clearly states "Backlit, proximity-sensing keys"on their website: Surface Pro Type Cover - Designed to get work done. She claimed that the proximity-sensing keys meant that you don't have to type as hard on the keyboard because it can sense that you are going to type on it...which doesn't make much sense. She didn't know that the SP2's Type keyboard has this feature. She asked me for the serial number of the SP2 keyboard that I had so she could confirm that it's backlight was also proximity activated. Proximity means, near-by, close to...it doesn't mean touching anything. And the website clearly states it is a feature on the new SP3 keyboard.

So I've requested an escalation and her supervisor will be contacting me tomorrow about it. But I'm sure this is a huge problem with all the keyboards.

Can someone please test their SP3 keyboard for me and tell me whether their proximity sensing works? This might be the start of a big issue that MS has to put out firmware or something for it.

 

[mozman68]

I have no idea what you are talking about... there is no such thing that I am aware of.

Backlight turns off automatically when keyboard is not in use... will go back on as soon as you start typing or touch the touch pad.

 

[davesurfer]

I have no idea what you are talking about... there is no such thing that I am aware of.

Backlight turns off automatically when keyboard is not in use... will go back on as soon as you start typing or touch the touch pad.

You probably have no idea what I'm talking about because you've never owned a Surface Pro 2. The SP2 keyboard, when moving your hand over it without touching it will sense your hand and turn the backlight on. Regardless, on Microsoft's website for the SP3 Type keyboard it advertises one of the specs as "?Backlit, proximity-sensing keys". Can you please explain to me what that means if it doesn't mean the backlight comes on when it senses movement over the keyboard?

Did you go and look at the specs here on Microsoft's office page? Surface Pro Type Cover - Designed to get work done

 

[davesurfer]

Also, Microsoft describes what proximity sensing keys are on their webpage for their Surface Pro 2 Type keyboard: "Proximity-sensing backlit keys know when you’re about to start typing"

Go here: Surface Touch Cover 2

 

[anon(7901790)]

It seems the sensor is in the touch pad. I moved my hands around mine and nothing happened. However, when my passed over the touch pad without touching it. My keyboard lit up. Kinda neat.

 

[davesurfer]

It seems the sensor is in the touch pad. I moved my hands around mine and nothing happened. However, when my passed over the touch pad without touching it. My keyboard lit up. Kinda neat.

Yeah you are right for the Surface Pro 2, my SP2 does that. Are you doing this on a Surface Pro 3 and it lights up? (mine doesn't light up at all no matter where I hover my hand)

 

[jojoe42]

Yeah you are right for the Surface Pro 2, my SP2 does that. Are you doing this on a Surface Pro 3 and it lights up? (mine doesn't light up at all no matter where I hover my hand)

Really? As long as I have the backlight on for my SP2's type cover, when it dims off and I wave my hand over it the lights turn back on. I am kind of annoyed though, for me the backlight used to turn on AUTOMATICALLY when the room went dark

 

[cdf3]

I miss that feature from my Surface Pro 2. I was thinking they removed that feature from the new Type Cover when it wasn't working.
After reading the description on their website, it seems as though the feature is supposed to work, or they added the feature description in error.

 

[davesurfer]

Really? As long as I have the backlight on for my SP2's type cover, when it dims off and I wave my hand over it the lights turn back on. I am kind of annoyed though, for me the backlight used to turn on AUTOMATICALLY when the room went dark

But yours is a Surface Pro 2 right? I'm talking about the backlight not automatically coming on on the SP3. Do you have an SP3 too?

 

[davesurfer]

I miss that feature from my Surface Pro 2. I was thinking they removed that feature from the new Type Cover when it wasn't working.
After reading the description on their website, it seems as though the feature is supposed to work, or they added the feature description in error.

You mean the automatic ambient brightness control, when a room goes dark or the proximity sensing?

 

[mozman68]

You probably have no idea what I'm talking about because you've never owned a Surface Pro 2. The SP2 keyboard, when moving your hand over it without touching it will sense your hand and turn the backlight on. Regardless, on Microsoft's website for the SP3 Type keyboard it advertises one of the specs as "•Backlit, proximity-sensing keys". Can you please explain to me what that means if it doesn't mean the backlight comes on when it senses movement over the keyboard?

Did you go and look at the specs here on Microsoft's office page? Surface Pro Type Cover - Designed to get work done

I stand corrected... which is probably why I said I had no idea what you were talking about and wasn't aware of any such feature...:winktongue:

...but also because mine doesn't sense anything unless I touch it. Could it be a power sucking feature that comes turned off?

I'm actually fine with just touching the pad to start up mine.

 

[gatormike77]

Mine is the same. No proximity feature like I enjoy with my S2. I thought my keyboard was defective but maybe not. Too bad as I really like that feature.

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[davesurfer]

I stand corrected... which is probably why I said I had no idea what you were talking about and wasn't aware of any such feature...:winktongue:

...but also because mine doesn't sense anything unless I touch it. Could it be a power sucking feature that comes turned off?

I'm actually fine with just touching the pad to start up mine.

Possibly they did turn the feature off because of power drain issues, but it would've been nice to be warned that it was or given the opportunity to turn it on again. I do lots of work at night with only the screen as a light. It's nice not to have to press a key to see what you're pressing or to have to move the touchpad. Not a massive huge deal, but it's a step back in features from the SP2 right? And to have it as one of the sparsely few listed features on Microsoft's website and then finding out it's NOT a feature or it was removed kinda sucks. Tough when one gets used to something and then it gets taken away on a supposedly more advanced "better" model.

 

[davesurfer]

Mine is the same. No proximity feature like I enjoy with my S2. I thought my keyboard was defective but maybe not. Too bad as I really like that feature.

Posted via the WPC App for Android!

Too bad eh? It is a listed feature for the SP3 Type keyboard, so it's confusing why it's not working on everyone's keyboards.

 

[mozman68]

Too bad eh? It is a listed feature for the SP3 Type keyboard, so it's confusing why it's not working on everyone's keyboards.

I would guess it isn't working because it isn't there. Probably pulled as a feature in this version and the marketing folks missed it.

 

[anon(7901790)]

Yeah you are right for the Surface Pro 2, my SP2 does that. Are you doing this on a Surface Pro 3 and it lights up? (mine doesn't light up at all no matter where I hover my hand)

I have a SP3. You have to have your hand pretty close to the touchpad.

 

[cdf3]

You mean the automatic ambient brightness control, when a room goes dark or the proximity sensing?

After 15 seconds or so, the keyboard backlighting will go dim. When I move my hands toward the keyboard on my Surface Pro 2, the backlighting will come back on. The only way the backlighting comes back on my Surface Pro 3 keyboard, is if I touch an actual key on the keyboard, or touch the trackpad.

 

[ttxzee]

almost went to my MS store to get a replacement since i thought mine sensors are faulty. guess now we don't really know if they are suppose to turn on like the Type Cover 2s or not....

 

[mundyb]

Anybody have an answer for this one? I am sitting here now, in the dark, typing, blindly, because no backlight will come on. I am more than positive I can remember it coming on when I got it a few days ago, but now nothing. Faulty keyboard, or software update? Is there a setting somewhere to toggle it? I checked but couldn't find anything.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[LinT]

I just tested mine. The ONLY way the backlight comes on is when I actually touch the keyboard or track pad. I couldn't get any type of "proximity" to turn it on. I definitely don't have a problem with it functioning like this, its very simple to just swipe on the touch pad if I need it to turn on.

So if after you re-attached the keyboard, it still doesn't work... you've probably got a faulty keyboard.