AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS

• US 20170263192A1
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Luna, Joaquin F., VanBlon, Russell Speight, Li, Scott Wentao, Kapinos, Robert James
• Granted Patent: US 10,783,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

One embodiment provides a method including: capturing, using a camera on a device, at least one image of a user viewing a display of the device; and adjusting, using a processor, a brightness setting of the display from a first setting to a second setting based on the at least one image. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

capturing, using a camera on a device, at least one image of a user viewing a display of the device; and

adjusting, using a processor, a brightness setting of the display from a first setting to a second setting based on the at least one image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing comprises changing the frequency that the at least one image is captured.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing comprises actively transmitting light from the device and receiving reflections therefrom.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the at least one image to determine a size of a pupil of the user; and

comparing the pupil size to a reference, wherein each reference is associated with a predetermined brightness setting.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

capturing a second image of the pupil after capturing the at least one image;

using the second image to determine a size of the pupil; and

comparing the pupil size of the at least one image and the pupil size of the second image.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining the brightness of the display at the first setting if the change in pupil size between the at least one image and the second image is less than a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining the brightness of the display at the first setting if the change in pupil size between the at least one image and the second image produces a brightness adjustment that is less than a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the pupil size is determined from a pupil dimension.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the at least one image of the pupil when light data associated with an ambient light sensor (ALS) is received.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein an output of the ALS is used to adjust the brightness setting.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a camera;

a processor;

a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to;

capture, using the camera, at least one image of a user viewing a display of the device; and

adjust a brightness setting of the display from a first setting to a second setting based on the at least one image.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the instructions that are executable by the processor to capture comprise instructions that change the frequency that the at least one image is captured.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the instructions that are executable by the processor to capture comprise instructions that actively transmit light from the device and receive reflections therefrom.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions that are executable by the processor to use the at least one image to determine a size of a pupil of the user; and

instructions that are executable by the processor to compare the pupil size to a reference, wherein each reference is associated with a predetermined brightness setting.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, further comprising:

instructions that are executable by the processor to capture a second image of the pupil after capturing the at least one image;

instructions that are executable by the processor to use the second image to determine a size of the pupil; and

instructions that are executable by the processor to compare the pupil size of the at least one image and the pupil size of the second image.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising instructions that are executable by the processor to maintain the brightness of the display at the first setting if the change in pupil size between the at least one image and the second image is less than a predetermined threshold.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, further comprising instructions that are executable by the processor to maintain the brightness of the display at the first setting if the change in pupil size between the at least one image and the second image produces a brightness adjustment that is less than a predetermined threshold.

18. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the pupil size is determined from a pupil dimension.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising instructions that are executable by the processor to capture the at least one image of the pupil when light data associated with an ambient light sensor (ALS) is received, wherein an output of the ALS is used to adjust the brightness setting.

20. A product, comprising:

a storage device that stores code executable by a processor, the code comprising;

code that captures, using a camera on a device, at least one image of a user viewing a display of the device; and

code that adjusts, using a processor, a brightness setting of the display from a first setting to a second setting based on the at least one image.