Luminance control of automotive displays using an ambient light sensor
First Claim
1. A method for maintaining visibility of a display in a vehicle'"'"'s cockpit when the vehicle'"'"'s headlights are turned on during daytime lighting conditions, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining a status of a lighting switch indicating a vehicle'"'"'s headlight status detecting an ambient light level;
determining lighting conditions based on said detected ambient light level;
logically selecting a brightness level to be commanded to said display based on said vehicle'"'"'s headlight status, said detected ambient light level, and said determined lighting conditions;
overriding an automatic nighttime luminance control of said display; and
applying said selected brightness level to said display increasing said brightness level of said display to an appropriate daytime brightness level for maintaining visibility of said display particularly during periods of daytime lighting conditions when said vehicle'"'"'s headlights are active.
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to the system and the method of the present invention, a display'"'"'s visibility is maintained depending on lighting conditions that are sensed by an ambient light sensor (16). Logic (10) is applied to the output of the light sensor (16) and in conjunction with a headlight status indicator (14) to determine whether daytime (D) or nighttime (N) lighting condition exists and to determine a brightness level (18) to be commanded to the display. The logic (10) of the present invention maintains a visible display even in situations where a vehicle'"'"'s headlights are active during daylight lighting conditions.
25 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for maintaining visibility of a display in a vehicle'"'"'s cockpit when the vehicle'"'"'s headlights are turned on during daytime lighting conditions, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining a status of a lighting switch indicating a vehicle'"'"'s headlight status detecting an ambient light level;
determining lighting conditions based on said detected ambient light level;
logically selecting a brightness level to be commanded to said display based on said vehicle'"'"'s headlight status, said detected ambient light level, and said determined lighting conditions;
overriding an automatic nighttime luminance control of said display; and
applying said selected brightness level to said display increasing said brightness level of said display to an appropriate daytime brightness level for maintaining visibility of said display particularly during periods of daytime lighting conditions when said vehicle'"'"'s headlights are active. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for maintaining visibility of a display in a vehicle'"'"'s cockpit when the vehicle'"'"'s headlights are turned on during daytime lighting conditions and an automatic nighttime luminance control is activated, said system comprising:
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an ambient light sensor having an output;
a switch having an output that indicates a status of the vehicle'"'"'s headlights; and
an algorithm using said ambient light sensor output and said headlight status to logically determine a brightness level to be commanded to the display by overriding the automatic nighttime luminance control and increasing a brightness level of the display to said logically determined brightness level. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification