Controlling ambient light as a function of a video signal

• US 7,616,262 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Cole, Richard S., Eves, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak; Victor R
• Application Number:
  US10/515,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,371 Days
• Field of Search: 348/602, 348/460, 348/553, 348/552, 348/739, 463 30- 34
• US Class Current: 348/553
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

A method of providing one or more aspects of an ambient environment comprises receiving a video signal, processing the video signal and controlling ambient light accordingly. A corresponding device and system of devices are described.

Claims

1. A method of providing one or more aspects of an ambient environment comprising receiving a video signal for display on a display device, processing said video signal and controlling ambient light external to said display device accordingly as a function of said video signal, wherein said processing comprises ascertaining the color of the most mobile elements in said video signal, and said ambient light is controlled to display only said color.

2. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising displaying said video signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said processing comprises ascertaining the dominant color in said video signal, and said ambient light is controlled to display said dominant color.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said processing and said controlling occur in real time.

5. A device for providing one or more aspects of an ambient environment external to said device comprising receiving means for receiving a video signal, processing means for processing said video signal and controlling means for controlling ambient light accordingly as a function of said video signal, wherein said function includes detecting a color of the most mobile elements in said video signal, and said ambient light is controlled to display only said color.

6. The device according to claim 5, and further comprising display means for displaying said video signal.

7. A device according to claim 5 or 6, and further comprising light emitting means for emitting said ambient light.

8. A device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said device is a digital television receiver.

9. A system comprising a set of devices for providing one or more aspects of an ambient environment, the system arranged to receive a video signal for display on a display device, to process said signal and to control ambient light external to said devices accordingly as a function of said video signal, wherein said function includes detecting a color of the most mobile elements in said video signal, and said ambient light is controlled to display only said color.

10. The system according to claim 9, said set including a device with display means for displaying said video signal.

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, said set including a device with audio means.

12. The system according to claim 11, said device with audio means further comprising light emitting means for emitting said ambient light.