DATA DISPLAY ADAPTED FOR BRIGHT AMBIENT LIGHT

• US 20130069924A1
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: ROBINSON, James Alexander, PURDY, Michael Lorne, BROGA, Antanas Matthew, PARSOTAM, Nikesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/207
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0673 for control of gamma adjustment, e.g. selecting another gamma curve
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/028 Circuits for converting colour display signals into monochrome display signals

Abstract

Systems and method to generate more readable modified images that are presented on electronic displays in bright ambient light, such as direct sunlight. Images normally presented in lower ambient light are modified to generate modified images that have higher contrast and that contain less information. For example, modified images contain pixels that are either “on” or “off” and may be inverted to present a black on white background image on the display. Some information, such as text fields or icons, is removed from the modified image to increase readability in bright ambient light. A backlight level of the display is also able to be increased in bright ambient light.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an image on an electronic device, the method comprising:

performing the following with a processor;

receiving an ambient light level indicator;

determining that the ambient light level indicator is in a first range;

displaying, in response to determining that the ambient light level indicator is in the first range, a first image comprising a first presentation of data of a first data set;

determining that the ambient light level indicator is in a second range;

generating, based upon the first image, a modified image, the modified image comprising a modified presentation, the modified presentation presenting a subset of the first data set that contains less data than the first data set; and

displaying, in response to determining that the ambient light level indicator is in the second range, the modified image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the modified image comprises defining the modified image to represent at least some pixels in the first image as respective bi-level pixels, each bi-level pixel being one of a bright pixel and a dark pixel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the modified image comprises defining an enlarged presentation of at least a portion of the subset of the first data set for the modified presentation within the modified image, the enlarged presentation appearing larger than a presentation of the subset of the first data set that is presented in the first presentation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the modified image comprises defining pixels in the modified image as grayscale pixels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the modified image comprises defining color component pixels in the modified presentation to have fewer possible brightness levels relative to corresponding pixels in the first presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the modified image comprises defining pixels in the modified image by increasing brightness levels of each pixel within the first image that is above a defined level, and decreasing brightness levels of each pixel within the first image that is below the defined level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the modified image comprises generating the modified presentation by increasing a gamma value of at least some pixels in the modified image relative to gamma values of corresponding pixels in the first image.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the ambient light level indicator is within a third range, the third range associated with ambient light levels that are higher than are associated with the first range; and

increasing, in response to determining that the ambient light level indicator is within the third range, an emitted light intensity of a display presenting the modified image.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that the ambient light level indicator is within a fourth range, the fourth range associated with ambient light levels that are higher than are associated with the first range,

wherein the generating the modified image comprises inverting, in response to determining that the ambient light level indicator is within the fourth range, pixels in the first image, the inverting comprising;

defining pixels in the first image with brightness levels below a defined level as respective bright pixels; and

defining pixels in the first image with brightness levels above the defined level as respective dark pixels.

10. An image generation processor, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an ambient light level indicator;

determine that the ambient light level indicator is in a first range;

display, in response to a determination that that the ambient light level indicator is in the first range, a first image comprising a first presentation of data of a first data set;

determine that the ambient light level indicator is in a second range; and

generate, based upon the first image, a modified image, the modified image comprising a modified presentation, the modified presentation presenting a subset of the first data set that contains less data than the first data set; and

display, in response to a determination that the ambient light level indicator is in the second range, the modified image.

11. The image generation processor of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified image by, at least in part, defining the modified image to represent at least some pixels in the first image as respective bi-level pixels, each bi-level pixel being one of a bright pixel and a dark pixel.

12. The image generation processor of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified image by, at least in part, defining an enlarged presentation of at least a portion of the subset of the first data set for the modified presentation within the modified image, the enlarged presentation appearing larger than a presentation of the subset of the first data set that is presented in the first presentation.

13. The image generation processor of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified image by, at least in part, defining pixels in the modified image as grayscale pixels.

14. The image generation processor of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified image by, at least in part, defining color component pixels in the modified presentation to have fewer possible brightness levels relative to corresponding pixels in the first presentation.

15. The image generation processor of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified image by, at least in part, defining pixels in the modified image by increasing brightness levels of each pixel within the first image that is above a defined level, and decreasing brightness levels of each pixel within the first image that is below a defined level.

16. The image generation processor of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified image by, at least in part, generating the modified presentation by increasing a gamma value of at least some pixels in the modified image relative to gamma values of corresponding pixels in the first image.

17. The image generation processor of claim 10, the processor further configured to:

determine that the ambient light level indicator is within a third range, the third range associated with ambient light levels that are higher than are associated with the first range; and

increase, in response to a determination that the ambient light level indicator is within the third range, an emitted light intensity of a display presenting the modified image.

18. The image generation processor of claim 17, the processor further configured to:

determine that the ambient light level indicator is within a fourth range, the fourth range associated with ambient light levels that are higher than are associated with the first range,

wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified image by, at least in part, inverting, in response to a determination that the ambient light level indicator is within the fourth range, pixels in the first image, the processor further configured to;

define pixels in the first image with brightness levels below a defined level as respective bright pixels; and

define pixels in the first image with brightness levels above the defined level as respective dark pixels.

19. An ambient light compensated display circuit, comprising:

an ambient light level detector configured to detect ambient light level and produce an ambient light level indicator;

a processor, communicatively coupled to the ambient light level indicator, the processor configured to;

receive the ambient light level indicator;

determine that the ambient light level indicator is in a first range;

display, in response to a determination that that the ambient light level indicator is in the first range, a first image comprising a first presentation of data of a first data set;

determine that the ambient light level indicator is in a second range; and

generate, based upon the first image, a modified image, the modified image comprising a modified presentation, the modified presentation presenting a subset of the first data set that contains less data than the first data set; and

display, in response to a determination that the ambient light level indicator is in the second range, the modified image; and

a display configured to present the modified image.