Techniques for adaptive brightness control of a display

• US 8,537,174 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Capener, Christopher L
• Primary Examiner(s): Perromat, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US12/574,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/589
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• 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 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

Techniques for adaptive brightness control of a display are described. A apparatus may comprise a display and a display control module communicatively coupled to the display. The display control module may be arranged to modify brightness levels for the display based on ambient light level measurements and changes in pupil size of a human eye. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

measuring ambient light levels for a mobile computing device;

determining a target pupil size based on the ambient light level measurements;

comparing a target pupil size with a current pupil size;

selecting a pupil size response curve based on a comparison of a target pupil size and a current pupil size;

determining a target pupil size from a selected pupil size response curve;

converting a target pupil size determined from a selected pupil size response curve to one or more display brightness control values; and

modifying brightness levels for the display of the mobile computing device based on one or more brightness control values and a timed ramp, wherein the time ramp is to provide a transition to a brightness level.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a first pupil size response curve when a target pupil size is smaller than a current pupil size, the first pupil size response curve representing changes in pupil size over time in response to changes in ambient light levels from lower luminance to higher luminance.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a second pupil size response curve when a target pupil size is larger than a current pupil size, the second pupil size response curve representing changes in pupil size over time in response to changes in ambient light levels from higher luminance to lower luminance.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program instructions that when executed enable a computing system to:

measure ambient light levels for a mobile computing device;

determine a target pupil size based on the ambient light level measurements;

compare a target pupil size with a current pupil size;

select a pupil size response curve based on a comparison of a target pupil size and a current pupil size;

determine a target pupil size from a selected pupil size response curve;

convert a target pupil size determined from a selected pupil size response curve to one or more display brightness control values; and

modify brightness levels for the display of the mobile computing device based on one or more brightness control values and a timed ramp, wherein the time ramp is to provide a transition to a brightness level.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, comprising executable computer program instructions that when executed enable the computing system to determine a first target pupil size based on the ambient light level measurements, compare the target pupil size with a current pupil size, select a pupil size response curve based on the comparison, determine a second target pupil size from the selected pupil size response curve, and convert the second target pupil size determined from a selected pupil size response curve to one or more display brightness control values.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, comprising executable computer program instructions that when executed enable the computing system to select a first pupil size response curve when a target pupil size is smaller than a current pupil size, the first pupil size response curve representing changes in pupil size over time in response to changes in ambient light levels from lower luminance to higher luminance.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, comprising executable computer program instructions that when executed enable the computing system to select a second pupil size response curve when a target pupil size is larger than a current pupil size, the second pupil size response curve representing changes in pupil size over time in response to changes in ambient light levels from higher luminance to lower luminance.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

a luminance module operative to;

determine a target pupil size based on the ambient light level measurements;

compare a target pupil size with a current pupil size;

select a pupil size response curve based on a comparison of a target pupil size and a current pupil size;

determine a target pupil size from a selected pupil size response curve;

convert a target pupil size determined from a selected pupil size response curve to one or more display brightness control values; and

a display control module communicatively coupled to the display, the display control module operative to modify brightness levels for the display of the mobile computing device based on one or more brightness control values and a timed ramp, wherein the time ramp is to provide a transition to a brightness level.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the display control module comprising an ambient light sensor operative to measure ambient light levels within a defined field.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, the display control module comprising the luminance module operative to determine a first target pupil size based on the ambient light level measurements, compare the target pupil size with a current pupil size, select a pupil size response curve based on the comparison, determine a second target pupil size from the selected pupil size response curve, and convert the second target pupil size determined from a selected pupil size response curve to one or more display brightness control values.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, the display control module comprising the luminance module operative to select a first pupil size response curve when a target pupil size is smaller than a current pupil size, the first pupil size response curve representing changes in pupil size over time in response to changes in ambient light levels from lower luminance to higher luminance.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, the display control module comprising the luminance module operative to select a second pupil size response curve when a target pupil size is larger than a current pupil size, the second pupil size response curve representing changes in pupil size over time in response to changes in ambient light levels from higher luminance to lower luminance.