Light sensor and processor incorporating historical readings

• US 7,297,929 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Cernasov, Andrei, De La Vega, Fernando R., Porawski, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US11/375,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20070215794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/214.AL, 250/214.R, 250/214.P, 250/214.D, 250/214.1, 250/208.1, 340/539.26, 340/541, 340/555, 340/556, 340/557, 356/619, 356/620, 356/219, 356/221, 356/222, 396/98, 396/108, 396/323, 396/335
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0422 using light concentrators, collectors or condensers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0437 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators, spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1446 in a repetitive configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02019 for devices characterised by at least one potential jump barrier or surface barrier

Abstract

A sensor includes a light detector for dividing light in an environment into optical zones and detecting light from the optical zones. The sensor also includes a processor coupled to the light detector; and a memory coupled to the processor for storing the detected light as historic light readings.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a light detector for dividing light in an environment into optical zones and detecting light from the optical zones;

a processor coupled to the light detector, wherein the processor is configured to determine spatial and temporal characteristics of the detected light, including a rate of change of an illumination level in the optical zones over time; and

a memory coupled to the processor for storing the spatial and temporal characteristics of the detected light and the rate of change of the illumination level in the optical zones over time as historic light readings.

2. The detector of claim 1, wherein the light sensor comprises:

a wide angle optic for capturing the light at wide angles in the environment; and

a multi-element light detector positioned adjacent to the wide angle optic for detecting the light in the optical zones.

3. The detector of claim 2, wherein the wide angle optic comprises:

a wide angle refractive optic for capturing the light at wide angles in the environment and for focusing the light on the multi-element light detector.

4. The detector of claim 2, wherein the wide angle optic comprises:

a prismatic reflector for capturing the light at wide angles in the environment; and

a lens positioned adjacent to the prismatic reflector for focusing the on the multi-element light detector.

5. The detector of claim 2, wherein the wide angle optic comprises:

a parabolic reflector for capturing the light at wide angles in the environment; and

a lens positioned adjacent to the parabolic reflector for focusing the light on the multi-element light detector.

6. The detector of claim 1, wherein the light detector comprises:

narrow angle optics arranged to capture the light at wide angles in the environment; and

narrow angle light detector positioned adjacent to the narrow angle optics for detecting the light in the optical zones.

7. The detector of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

logic for retrieving the historic light readings from the memory; and

logic for determining a luminosity of a light source based on a model of eye behavior and on the historic ambient light readings.

8. The detector of claim 7, wherein the processor further comprises:

logic for producing a display light source control signal based on the determined luminosity.

9. The detector of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

logic for determining spatial characteristics of the light in the optical zones; and

logic for producing a display light source control signal based on the determined spatial characteristics.

10. The detector of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

logic for determining temporal characteristics of the light in the optical zones; and

logic for producing a display light source control signal based on the determined temporal characteristics.

17. The detector of claim 7, wherein the model of eye behavior includes Ricco'"'"'s law, Bloch'"'"'s law, Weber'"'"'s law, Broca-Sulzer effect, Ferry-Porter Law, and Brucke-Bartley Effect.

11. A method for detecting light, comprising:

detecting light from an environment by dividing the light into optical zones;

determining spatial and temporal characteristics of the detected light, including a rate of change of an illumination level in the optical zones over time;

storing the spatial and temporal characteristics of the detected light and the rate of change of the illumination level in the optical zones over time as historic light readings for the optical zones; and

determining a luminosity of a light source based on the historic light readings.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

producing a display light source control signal based on the determined luminosity.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the luminosity of the light source, comprises:

determining the luminosity of the light source by applying the historic light readings to an eye behavior model.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the eye behavior model includes Ricco'"'"'s law, Bloch'"'"'s law, Weber'"'"'s law, Broca-Sulzer effect, Ferry-Porter Law, and Brucke-Bartley Effect.

14. A sensor comprising:

means for dividing an ambient environment into optical zones;

means for detecting light from the optical zones positioned adjacent to the dividing means;

means for processing the detected light coupled to the detecting means;

means for storing the detected light as historic light readings coupled to the processing means;

means for retrieving the historic light readings from the storing means; and

means for determining a luminosity of a light source based on a model of eye behavior and on the historic light readings.

15. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the processing means further comprises:

means for determining spatial characteristics of the detected light; and

means for determining a luminosity of a light source based on the spatial characteristics.

16. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the processing means further comprises:

means for determining temporal characteristics of the detected light; and

means for determining a luminosity of a light source based on the temporal characteristics.

19. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the model of eye behavior includes Ricco'"'"'s law, Bloch'"'"'s law, Weber'"'"'s law, Broca-Sulzer effect, Ferry-Porter Law, and Brucke-Bartley Effect.

20. The detector of claim 16, wherein the luminosity of the light source is used to determine a driving signal of a display device.

21. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the luminosity of the light source is used to determine a driving signal of a display device.