Electronic devices with automatic brightness adjustment and the method thereof

• US 8,319,804 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kuo, Jen-Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTCHER, BRIAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/826,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 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: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A electronic device and method regulates a display brightness of the electronic device. The electronic device can create relationships between the external environment brightness of the electronic device and the brightness of the display of the electronic device. Furthermore, the electronic device can regulate the brightness of the display, according to user'"'"'s expression due to the former regulation. The operations of creating relationships and regulating the brightness can be expediently implemented, and faults of the operations can be avoided, by utilizing the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device with an automatic brightness adjustment feature, the device comprising:

a display unit;

a storage unit;

a light sensor to detect variation of environmental light intensity surrounding the electronic device;

an image capture unit to capture at least one image of a region of at least one pupil of an eye of a user positioned in front of the electronic device, and execute a deep color filter to process the captured image when the user wears sun glasses;

an analysis module to detect the region of the pupil from the captured image by performing a skin-color algorithm, and detect whether a diameter of the pupil from the captured image is different compared to a prior calculated diameter of the pupil saved in the storage unit;

an adjustment module to adjust brightness of the display unit in response to the detected variation of environmental light intensity and the detected difference of diameter of the at least one pupil; and

at least one processor to execute the analysis module and the adjustment module.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit is a resistive touch screen or a capacitive touch screen.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjustment module further provides a user interface for the user to predefine a threshold value of the brightness adjustment.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the brightness adjustment is appropriate if the detected difference is smaller than a predefined threshold.

5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the adjustment module is further operable to adjust brightness of the display unit if the brightness adjustment is not appropriate.

6. A method for automatically adjusting a brightness of an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a variation of environmental light intensity;

performing a brightness adjustment of a display unit of the electronic device in response to the detected variation of environmental light intensity;

capturing at least one image of a region of at least one pupil of an eye of a user positioned in front of the electronic device using an image capture unit of the electronic device;

executing a deep color filter to process the captured image when the user wears sun glasses;

detecting the region of the pupil from the captured image by performing a skin-color algorithm;

detecting whether a diameter of the pupil from the captured image is different compared to a prior calculated diameter of the pupil saved in a storage unit of the electronic device; and

adjusting brightness of the display unit in response to the detected difference of diameter of the at least one pupil.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the display unit is a resistive touch screen or a capacitive touch screen.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

providing a user interface for the user to predefine a threshold value of the brightness adjustment.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the brightness adjustment is appropriate if the detected difference is smaller than a predefined threshold.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting the brightness of the display unit if the brightness adjustment is not appropriate.

11. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for automatically adjusting a brightness of an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a variation of environmental light intensity;

performing a brightness adjustment of a display unit of the electronic device in response to the detected variation of environmental light intensity;

capturing at least one image of a region of at least one pupil of an eye of a user positioned in front of the electronic device using an image capture unit of the electronic device;

executing a deep color filter to process the captured image when the user wears sun glasses;

detecting the region of the pupil from the captured image by performing a skin-color algorithm;

detecting whether a diameter of the pupil from the captured image is different compared to a prior calculated diameter of the pupil saved in a storage unit of the electronic device; and

adjusting brightness of the display unit in response to the detected difference of diameter of the at least one pupil.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the display unit is a resistive touch screen or a capacitive touch screen.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprising:

providing a user interface for the user to predefine a threshold value of the brightness adjustment.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the brightness adjustment is appropriate if the detected difference is smaller than a predefined threshold.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprising:

adjusting the brightness of the display unit if the brightness adjustment is not appropriate.