AMBIENT LIGHT SENSING DEVICE AND METHOD, AND INTERACTIVE DEVICE USING SAME

• US 20180136740A1
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Chuan-Hsin
• Granted Patent: US 11,402,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/60 relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model

Abstract

The invention provides an ambient light sensing device which receives at least one visible light image sensed by an image sensor. The ambient light sensing device includes an image sampling unit and an analyzing unit. The image sampling unit divides the visible light image into plural image blocks, extracts at least one sample data in each image block, and generates a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points. The analyzing unit analyzes the comparison data and generates an output analysis signal accordingly.

Claims

1. An ambient light sensing device for receiving at least one visible light image sensed by an image sensor installed within a portable electronic device, wherein the image sensor provides both a photo taking or video recording function and an ambient light sensing function, the ambient light sensing device comprising:

an image sampling unit, for

obtaining the at least one visible light image from the image sensor, wherein each of the at least one visible light image is one undivided image frame when the image sampling unit obtains the at least one visible light image from the image sensor,

dividing the visible light image into a plurality of image blocks according to a predetermined arrangement of sizes and locations of the plurality of image blocks, wherein each image block includes a plurality of pixel units and is located at a different location in the visible light image,

extracting at least one sample data in each image block, and

comparing the sample data extracted at different time points of the same image block at the same location to generate a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points; and

an analyzing unit, for analyzing the comparison data and generating an output analysis signal accordingly, wherein the output analysis signal includes an ambient brightness signal representing a sensing result of ambient light brightness.

2. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the visible light image is divided into the plurality of image blocks of a uniform size or of sizes in proportion to one another.

3. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sample data includes at least one green sub-pixel data, and the image sampling unit generates the comparison data according to the green sub-pixel data.

4. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sample data is generated according to brightness.

5. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the visible light image includes a plurality of pixel data and each pixel data includes a plurality of sub-pixel data, and the sample data is generated according to brightness, color temperature, contrast, image pattern, a number or shape of a group of pixels having a predefined color or meeting a predefined condition, or a number or shape of a group of sub-pixels having a predefined color or meeting a predefined condition.

6. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the ambient light sensing device is disposed in an interactive device and the analyzing unit generates the output analysis signal according to the comparison data and a status of the interactive device.

7. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the output analysis signal further includes one or more of the followings:

a flip signal indicating whether the portable electronic device equipped with the ambient light sensing device flips or not, a proximity signal indicating whether an object is nearby the portable electronic device, a gesture signal, a device motion signal, and a device shaking signal.

22. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the image blocks are of two or more different sizes.

23. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the image blocks have different sizes wherein the sizes of the image blocks are proportional to the radial locations of the image blocks.

28. The ambient light sensing device of claim 1, wherein the sample data is a center value, an average value, a gravity value, or a highest value of an image block.

8. An interactive device, comprising:

an image sensor, for providing a photo taking or video recording function for the interactive device, and also for providing an ambient light sensing function to generate an image according to ambient light; and

an ambient light sensing device, for

obtaining the image from the image sensor, wherein the image is one undivided image frame when the ambient light sensing device obtains the image from the image sensor,

dividing the image into a plurality of image blocks according to a predetermined arrangement of sizes and locations of the plurality of image blocks, wherein each image block includes a plurality of pixel units and is located at a different location in the image,

extracting at least one sample data in the image,

generating a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points, and

analyzing the comparison data to generate an output analysis signal accordingly, wherein the output analysis signal includes an ambient brightness signal representing a sensing result of ambient light brightness,

wherein the interactive device is a portable electronic device.

10. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the image includes a plurality of pixel data and each pixel data includes a plurality of sub-pixel data, and the sample data is generated according to brightness, color temperature, contrast, image pattern, a number or shape of a group of pixels having a predefined color or meeting a predefined condition, or a number or shape of a group of sub-pixels having a predefined color or meeting a predefined condition.

12. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of pixels and each pixel includes a plurality of sub-pixels for sensing a visible light image, and wherein the sample data includes at least one sub-pixel data.

13. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the ambient light sensing device generates the output analysis signal according to the comparison data and a status of the interactive device.

14. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the output analysis signal further includes one or more of the followings:

a flip signal indicating whether the interactive device equipped with the ambient light sensing device flips or not, a proximity signal indicating whether an object is nearby the interactive device, a gesture signal, a device motion signal, and a device shaking signal.

21. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the image sensor is not a dedicated sensor only for sensing ambient light.

24. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the image blocks are of two or more different sizes.

25. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the image blocks have different sizes wherein the sizes of the image blocks are proportional to the radial locations of the image blocks.

29. The interactive device of claim 8, wherein the sample data is a center value, an average value, a gravity value, or a highest value of an image block.

9. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

15. A method of sensing ambient light, comprising:

obtaining an image according to ambient light by an image sensor provided in an interactive device, the image sensor being configured to provide a photo taking or video recording function for an interactive device, and also to provide an ambient light sensing function to generate the image according to ambient light;

obtaining the image from the image sensor wherein the image is one undivided image frame;

dividing the image into a plurality of image blocks according to a predetermined arrangement of the sizes and locations of the plurality of image blocks, wherein each image block includes a plurality of pixel units and is located at a different location in the visible light image;

extracting at least one sample data in the image;

comparing the sample data extracted at different time points of the same image block at the same location to generate a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points; and

analyzing the comparison data to generate an output analysis signal accordingly, wherein the output analysis signal includes an ambient brightness signal representing a sensing result of ambient light brightness,

wherein the interactive device is a portable electronic device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the image includes a plurality of pixel data and each pixel data includes a plurality of sub-pixel data, and the sample data is generated according to brightness, color temperature, contrast, image pattern, a number or shape of a group of pixels having a predefined color or meeting a predefined condition, or a number or shape of a group of sub-pixels having a predefined color or meeting a predefined condition.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of analyzing the comparison data to generate an output analysis signal includes:

generating the output analysis signal according to the comparison data and a status of the interactive device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the output analysis signal further includes one or more of the followings:

a flip signal indicating whether the interactive device equipped with the ambient light sensing device flips or not, a proximity signal indicating whether an object is nearby the interactive device, a gesture signal, a device motion signal, and a device shaking signal.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

performing a function of the interactive device according to the output analysis signal.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the image blocks are of two or more different sizes.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the image blocks have different sizes wherein the sizes of the image blocks are proportional to the radial locations of the image blocks.

30. The method of claim 15, wherein the sample data is a center value, an average value, a gravity value, or a highest value of an image block.

16. (canceled)