System and method for illuminating a component of an electronic device

• US 8,502,473 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Phipps, Darcy, Dobkin, Randall J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US13/032,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 315/185.R, 315/192, 315/291, 315/292, 315/294, 315/297, 315/306, 315/307, 315/308, 315/312
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The disclosure describes a system and method for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device. An embodiment uses brightness evaluation zones and progresses through one or more of the zones to determine whether and when to activate the light for given conditions of ambient light. In doing so, the embodiment sets a current brightness evaluation zone for the device and sets an activation status of the light level to an activation value associated with the current brightness evaluation zone. The embodiment compares an ambient light level for the device to the current brightness evaluation zone. Evaluation loops are provided to test and change the current brightness evaluation zone against the detected ambient light. The light may be a backlight.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device, comprising:

defining a plurality of brightness evaluation zones within a scale of brightness levels for the device;

defining an activation status for the light for each brightness evaluation zone of the plurality of brightness evaluation zones; and

evaluating detected ambient light around the device against a progression of zones in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones until the detected ambient light is in within one zone of the progression of zones, then

if the activation status for the one zone indicates that the light is not to be activated, then deactivating the light;

if the activation status for the light for the one zone indicates that the light is to be activated, then determining whether a further zone of the plurality of zones exists in the progression, and

if the further zone exists then the activation status is set to the activation status of the further zone and the detected ambient light is re-evaluated to determine if it is or is not within the range of further zone, otherwise activating the light.

2. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the progression moves from a first brightness evaluation zone through less bright zones in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones.

3. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of brightness evaluation zones comprises at least two zones.

4. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the light is a backlight for the component; and

the component is a key cap for a key.

5. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

the light for the key cap is controlled separately from a second light for a display for the device.

6. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

one brightness evaluation zone of the plurality of brightness evaluation zones has an upper lux value of between approximately 50 and 300 lux and has an activation status for the light as “

on”

; and

an overlapping brightness evaluation zone to the one brightness evaluation zone in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones has a lower lux value of less than the upper lux value of the one brightness evaluation zone and has an activation status for the light as “

off”

.

7. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

one brightness evaluation zone of the plurality of brightness evaluation zones has an lower lux value of between approximately 30 and 150 lux and has an activation status for the light as “

off”

; and

an overlapping brightness evaluation zone to the one brightness evaluation zone in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones has an upper lux value of more than the lower lux value of the one brightness evaluation zone and has an activation status for the light as “

on”

.

8. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the progression moves from a first brightness evaluation zone through brighter zones in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones.

9. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method is repeated upon detection of a change in the detected ambient light past a threshold or an activation of a light for a display of the device.

10. A method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device, comprising:

for the device setting a current brightness evaluation zone to a first brightness evaluation zone of a plurality of brightness evaluation zones;

setting an activation status of a light level for the light to an activation value associated with the current brightness evaluation zone;

comparing an ambient light level for the device to the brightness range associated with the current brightness evaluation zone;

if the ambient light level is not within the brightness range, then

if a subsequent brightness evaluation zone to the current brightness evaluation zone in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones exists, then changing the current brightness evaluation zone to the subsequent brightness evaluation zone, changing the activation status to a second activation value associated with the subsequent brightness evaluation zone and re-evaluating whether the ambient light level is or is not within the brightness range of the subsequent brightness evaluation zone;

if the subsequent brightness evaluation zone does not exist, then activating the light according to the activation status the current brightness evaluation zone, and

if the ambient light level is within the brightness range, then

if the activation status of the current brightness evaluation zone is to activate the light, then

if the subsequent brightness evaluation zone exists, then changing the current brightness evaluation zone to the subsequent brightness evaluation zone, changing the activation status to the second activation value associated with the subsequent brightness evaluation zone and re-evaluating whether the ambient light level is or is not within the brightness range of the subsequent brightness evaluation zone; and

if the subsequent brightness evaluation zone does not exist, then activating the light according to the activation status of the current brightness evaluation level;

if the activation status of the current brightness evaluation zone is not to activate the light, then deactivating the light.

11. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

the first brightness evaluation zone is the brightest zone in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones; and

the subsequent brightness evaluation zone is a next brightest zone to the first brightness evaluation zone.

12. The method of controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

at least two zones are provided for the plurality of brightness evaluation zones.

13. A system for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device, comprising:

a module providing instructions for a microprocessor for the device to

define a plurality of brightness evaluation zones within a scale of brightness levels for the device;

define an activation status for the light for each brightness evaluation zone of the plurality of brightness evaluation zones; and

evaluate detected ambient light around the device against a progression of zones in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones until the detected ambient light is in within one zone of the progression of zones, then

if the activation status for the one zone indicates that the light is not to be activated, then deactivate the light;

if the activation status for the light for the one zone indicates that the light is to be activated, then determine whether a further zone of the plurality of zones exists in the progression, and

if the further zone exists then set the activation status to the activation status of the further zone and re-evaluate the detected ambient light to determine if it is or is not within the range of further zone, otherwise activate the light.

14. The system for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a light sensor to provide signals for the detected ambient light.

15. The system for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the light is a backlight for the component; and

the component is a key cap for a key.

16. The system for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the light for the key cap is controlled separately from a second light for a display for the device.

17. The system for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 16, wherein:

one brightness evaluation zone of the plurality of brightness evaluation zones has an upper lux value of between approximately 50 and 300 lux and has an activation status for the light as “

on”

; and

an overlapping brightness evaluation zone to the one brightness evaluation zone in the plurality of brightness evaluation zones has a lower lux value of less than the upper lux value of the first brightness evaluation zone and has an activation status for the light as “

off”

.

18. The system for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the module repeats its evaluation upon detection of a change in the ambient light level past a threshold or an activation of a light for a display of the device.

19. The system for controlling a light for a component of an electronic device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the electronic device is a portable electronic device.