Ambient light sensing technique

• US 8,860,653 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mahowald, Peter H., Barnhoefer, Ulrich T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/873,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 349 61- 97
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0242 Compensation of deficiencies in the appearance of colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0653 Controlling or limiting the speed of brightness adjustment of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• 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: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A method for controlling characteristics of an electronic device based on ambient light levels is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving light at an ambient light sensor of a device and measuring components, such as color components, of the visible light. The component levels may be weighted differently by factors that vary based on the intensity of the light received by the ambient light sensor. Also, the brightness level of a light source in the device or color output of the device may be controlled based on the weighted component levels. Additional methods, systems, and devices relating to control of an electronic device based on sensed ambient light are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display including a first backlight;

a keyboard illuminated by a second backlight; and

an ambient light sensor configured to detect ambient light levels and to operate in accordance with a spectral response function that varies based on the detected ambient light levels such that the spectral response function comprises a first peak response of the ambient light sensor that occurs at a first wavelength for a first ambient light level and a second peak response that occurs at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength for a second ambient light level lower than the first ambient light level;

wherein the brightness of the first and second backlights is controlled based on output from the ambient light sensor and on the variation of the spectral response function of the ambient light sensor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein variation of the spectral response function of the ambient light sensor in response to changing ambient light levels approximates variation in the spectral response function of a human eye in response to the changing ambient light levels.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first ambient light level is greater than three candelas per square meter and the second ambient light level is less than three candelas per square meter.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the second ambient light level is less than three one-hundredths of a candela per square meter.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured such that colors output via the display are varied based on the variation of the spectral response function of the ambient light sensor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to detect color content of ambient light via the ambient light sensor and to vary colors output via the display based on the detected color content.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the spectral response function comprises a first spectral response function and a second spectral response function, and wherein the first spectral response function is associated with a photopic luminance range and the second spectral response function is associated with a scotopic luminance range.

8. A method comprising:

receiving light at an ambient light sensor;

measuring intensity levels of different components of the received light;

generating a first set of weighted measured intensity levels of the different components using the measured intensity levels and a first set of weighting factors, wherein the first set of weighting factors is associated with a photopic luminance range;

calculating a first luminance of the first set of weighted measured intensity levels; and

controlling the brightness level of a light source based on the first luminance when the first luminance is above an upper threshold value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the intensity levels of the different components of the received light comprises measuring the intensity levels of different color components of the received light, and wherein generating the first set of weighted measured intensity levels of the different components includes generating the first set of weighted measured intensity levels of the different color components.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the different color components include red, green, and blue color components, wherein the first set of weighting factors comprise a first set of red, green, and blue weighting factors associated with the photopic luminance range.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising generating a second set of weighted measured intensity levels of the different components using the measured intensity levels and a second set of weighting factors when the first luminance value is below a lower threshold value, wherein the second set of weighting factors is associated with a scotopic luminance range;

calculating a second luminance of the second set of weighted measured intensity levels; and

controlling the brightness level of the light source based on the second luminance when the first luminance is below the lower threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising generating a third set of weighted measured intensity levels of the different components using the measured intensity levels and a third set of weighting factors when the first luminance value is equal to or exceeds the lower threshold value and does not exceed the upper threshold, wherein the third set of weighting factors is associated with a mesopic luminance range;

calculating a third luminance of the third set of weighted measured intensity levels; and

controlling the brightness level of the light source based on the third luminance when the first luminance is equal to or exceeds the lower threshold value and does not exceed the upper threshold.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of weighted measured intensity levels is generated based on an additional set of red, green, and blue weighting factors upon detection that the first luminance is above the upper threshold value.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the intensity levels of the different components of the received light includes measuring the intensity levels of white light received by the ambient light sensor and of red and infrared light received by the ambient light sensor.

15. A system comprising:

a display panel;

an ambient light sensor configured to receive ambient light and to operate in accordance with a spectral response function that varies based on the received ambient light such that a first peak response of the ambient light sensor occurs at a first wavelength for a first ambient light level and a second peak response occurs at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength for a second ambient light level lower than the first ambient light level; and

a processor configured to provide image data to be displayed by the display panel;

wherein the system is configured to alter color output of the display panel based on at least one characteristic of the received ambient light, wherein the at least one characteristic of the received ambient light comprises a variation of the spectral response function of the ambient light sensor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the display panel includes red pixels, green pixels, and blue pixels.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one characteristic of the received ambient light includes a measured ambient light luminance level, and the system is configured to increase a red color component of the image data to be displayed by the display panel based on detection that the measured ambient light luminance level is below a luminance threshold.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the system is configured to gradually increase the red color component of the image data to be displayed by the display panel over a time period of at least thirty seconds when the measured ambient light luminance level is below the luminance threshold.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one characteristic of the received ambient light includes a measured ambient light luminance level, and the system is configured to decrease a blue color component of the image data to be displayed by the display panel when the measured ambient light luminance level is below a luminance threshold.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one characteristic of the received ambient light includes a measured ambient light luminance level, and the system is configured to increase or decrease a green color component of the image data to be displayed by the display panel when the measured ambient light luminance level is below a luminance threshold.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one characteristic of the received ambient light includes color content of the received ambient light.