LUMINANCE CONTROL FOR A DISPLAY

• US 20080122821A1
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ek, Martin, Nilsson, Rene
• Application Number:
  US11/614,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20080122821A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0233 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/32 adapted for automatic variation of the measured or reference value regulation of light intensity G05D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/20 visible in viewfinder
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00835 Detecting external or ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00912 Arrangements for controlling a still picture apparatus or components thereof not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable device may include at least one image recording device having a first light sensitive unit configured to record an image and detect first light conditions related to the portable device; a display to render the recorded image; and an illumination device to illuminate the display, wherein the illumination device is configured to control an illumination of the display based on the detected first light conditions.

Claims

1. A portable device comprising;

at least one image recording device having a first light sensitive unit configured to record an image and detect first light conditions related to the portable device;

a display to render the recorded image; and

an illumination device to illuminate the display, wherein the illumination device is configured to control an illumination of the display based on the detected first light conditions.

2. The portable device in claim 1, wherein the at least one image recording device is disposed on a same side of the portable device as the display.

3. The portable device in claim 1, further comprising:

a second image recording device having a second light sensitive unit configured to detect second light conditions related to the portable device, wherein the second image recording device is disposed on a different side of the portable device than the display.

4. The portable device in claim 3, further comprising:

a displaceable translucent light scattering unit configured to at least partially cover the second image recording device.

5. The portable device in claim 3, wherein the illumination device is configured to control the illumination of the display based on the detected second light conditions.

6. The portable device in claim 5, wherein the second image recording device is configured to operatively detect the second light conditions when the first image recording device detects a complex light condition.

7. The portable device in claim 1, wherein the first light sensitive unit is configured to determine an average amount of the light detected by the light sensitive unit.

8. The portable device in claim 1, wherein the first light sensitive unit includes a sub-area that is configured to operatively detect the first light conditions.

9. The portable recording device in claim 1, wherein the first light sensitive unit of includes a plurality of spatially separated sub-areas that are arranged to operatively detect the first light conditions.

10. The portable device in claim 9, wherein at least one of said sub-areas comprises a predetermined number of pixels.

11. The portable device in claim 1, wherein the portable device is a portable communication device.

12. The portable device in claim 11, wherein the portable communication device is a cell phone.

19. The method in claim 1, wherein the detecting the first ambient lighting includes determining an average of the first ambient lighting.

20. The method in any of the claim 1, wherein the detecting the first ambient lighting includes using a sub-area in the light sensor to detect the first ambient lighting.

21. The method in claim 1, wherein the detecting the first ambient lighting includes using a plurality of spatially separated sub-areas in the light sensor detect the first ambient lighting.

22. The method in claim 21, wherein the using the spatially separated sub-areas includes using one or several sub-areas comprising a predetermined number of pixels.

13. A method of controlling luminance in a portable device that includes at least one camera unit having a light sensor and a display having an illumination device, the method comprising:

detecting, a first camera unit, first ambient lighting;

controlling, by the illumination device, illumination of the display based on the detected first ambient lighting.

14. The method in claim 13, wherein the detecting the first ambient lighting comprises detecting an amount of light proximate the display.

15. The method in claim 14, further comprising:

detecting, by a second camera unit, second ambient lighting at a side of the portable device opposing the display.

16. The method in claim 15, wherein detecting the second ambient lighting comprises receiving light at the second camera unit via a translucent light scattering unit.

17. The method in claim 15, further comprising:

controlling, by the illumination device, the illumination of the display based on the detected second ambient lighting.

18. The method in claim 16, wherein the detecting the second ambient light occurs when said first camera unit detects a complex light condition.

23. The method in claim 13, wherein the portable device comprises a portable communication device.

24. The method in claim 23, wherein the portable communication device comprises a cell phone.

25. A computer-readable storage medium executable in a portable device that includes at least one camera unit having a light sensor and a display having an illuminator, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions to;

detect the lighting conditions proximate the portable device by the at least one camera unit; and

control illumination of the display by the illuminator based on the detected lighting conditions.

26. A portable device comprising;

means for recording an image and detecting an amount of light at the portable device;

means for rendering the recorded image; and

means for illuminating the rendered recorded image based on the amount of light.