Systems and methods for supporting a video call in a dark or low light environment

• US 9,380,194 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Thimmappa, Sheela, Zhang, Ning, Lane, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): KHAN, USMAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/299,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/700, 362/13, 396/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing illumination for a video call in a low-lighting environment. The light source may be a hardware component integrated on the front of a mobile device. The light source may be implemented as one or more lit spaces on the device'"'"'s screen. The intensity of the light from the light source may be based on ambient light levels measured by one or more sensors on the device. When the mobile device receives an incoming video call, the sensors may detect the level of ambient light and activate the light source to illuminate the face of the call recipient if he or she answers the incoming video call. The device may include an interface to allow the user to configure and adjust the intensity, coloring, and lighting pattern of the light during the video call.

Claims

1. A user device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

detect a video call signal,

receive a first measured ambient light level from at least one sensor,

compare the first measured ambient light level with a threshold value that is determined by a user of the user device,

determine that the first measured ambient light level is less than the threshold value based on comparing the first measured ambient light level with the threshold value,

determine, based on determining that the first measured ambient light level is less than the threshold value, that a contact number, specified by the video call signal, matches a number of a contact of one or more contacts in an address list stored on the user device,

determine a custom configuration associated with the contact based on determining that the contact number, specified by the video call signal, matches the number of the contact,

activate, based on the custom configuration associated with the contact, at least one light source to emit light at a first intensity level to illuminate a face of the user, and

facilitate, after activating the at least one light source, a video call for the user based on the video call signal.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the first intensity level is a function of a difference between the first measured ambient light level and the threshold value.

3. The user device of claim 2, wherein the function is at least one of a linear function, a nonlinear function, or a step function.

4. The user device of claim 1,

wherein the processor is further to:

receive, after receiving the first measured ambient light level, a second measured ambient light level from the at least one sensor,

compare the second measured ambient light level with the threshold value, and

signal the at least one light source to adjust the first intensity level to emit the light at a second intensity level, and

wherein the second intensity level is a function of a difference between the second measured ambient light level and the threshold value.

5. The user device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further to:

generate an interface on a screen, of the user device, to enable the user to configure at least one of a color or an intensity level of the light emitted by the at least one light source.

6. The user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

7. The user device of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises a light-emitting element generated on a screen.

8. The user device of claim 1, wherein the video call signal is one of an outgoing signal indicating the user device is attempting to make the video call to another device or an incoming signal indicating the other device is attempting to make the video call to the user device.

9. The user device of claim 1, wherein the custom configuration controls at least one of a color or a direction of the light emitted from the at least one light source.

10. The user device of claim 1, wherein the custom configuration comprises an intensity of the light emitted from the at least one light source.

11. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a user device, a video call signal;

receiving, by the user device, a first measured ambient light level from at least one sensor associated with the user device;

comparing, by the user device, the first measured ambient light level with a threshold value that is set by a user of the user device;

determining, by the user device, that the first measured ambient light level is less than the threshold value based on comparing the first measured ambient light level with the threshold value;

identifying, based on the video call signal and after determining that the first measured ambient light level is less than the threshold value, a contact in an address list associated with the user device;

determining, by the user device, a custom configuration associated with the contact;

activating, by the user device and based on the custom configuration associated with the contact, at least one light source to emit light at a first intensity level to illuminate a face of the user; and

facilitating, by the user device, a video call for the user based on the video call signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first intensity level is a function of a difference between the first measured ambient light level and the threshold value.

13. The user device of claim 12, wherein the function is at least one of a linear function, a nonlinear function, or a step function.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, after receiving the first measured ambient light level, a second measured ambient light level from the at least one sensor,

comparing the second measured ambient light level with the threshold value, and

signaling the at least one light source to adjust the first intensity level to emit the light at a second intensity level,

wherein the second intensity level is a function of a difference between the second measured ambient light level and the threshold value.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating an interface on the user device to enable the user to configure at least one of a color or an intensity level of the light emitted by the at least one light source.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one light source comprises a light-emitting element generated on a screen of the user device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the video call signal is one of an outgoing signal indicating the user device is attempting to make the video call to another device or an incoming signal indicating the other device is attempting to make the video call to the user device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the custom configuration controls at least one of a color, an intensity, or a direction of the light emitted from the at least one light source.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the contact comprises:

determining, after determining that the first measured ambient light level is less than the threshold value, that a contact number, specified by the video call signal, matches a number of the contact, and

identifying the contact based on determining that the contact number matches the number of the contact.