Backlight and ambient light sensor system

• US 9,955,426 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Herz, Scott M., Yepez, Roberto G., Culbert, Michael F., Forstall, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELNAFIA, SAIFELDIN E
• Application Number:
  US13/227,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• Field of Search: 345 87, 345102, 345204, 345207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods to operate a display device of an electronic device. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a user setting of a display control parameter, and altering, based on the user setting, an effect of an ambient light sensor value (ALS) on control of the display control parameter. Also, according to embodiments of the inventions, a method of operating a display of an electronic device includes receiving a change to one of a display brightness output level and an ambient light sensor output level, and altering, according to the change, a display contrast output level. In some embodiments, a method of operating a proximity sensor of an electronic device includes receiving a light sensor output, and altering, according to the output, an on/off setting of a proximity sensor. Other apparatuses and methods and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Claims

1. A method of operating a display device of an electronic device, the method comprising:

altering a brightness level of a display device over a period of time in response to an output from an ambient light sensor (ALS) over the period of time, the amount of the altering being determined by a weight that is applied to the output from the ALS;

varying the weight in response to a change of a user selected brightness level, wherein the weight is varied according to a relationship between the weight and the user selected brightness level, wherein the output from the ALS is primarily based on light from an external source.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises receiving the change of the user selected brightness level through a user interface setting and wherein the varying of the weight causes a change in the output from the ALS to have a greater change in the brightness level in one range of the user selected brightness level than in another range of the user selected brightness level.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

controlling a backlight of the display device to change the brightness level.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the brightness level is determined by the weight, the output from the ALS, and the user selected brightness level.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the brightness level is proportional to the output from the ALS.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the relationship has a bell curve shape.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the output from the ALS is mainly affected by an amount of light produced external to the display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the weight is varied to have a different linear increasing slope for different user selected brightness.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the weighting causes the ALS value to have less of an effect on brightness at a low end and at a high end of a range of the user selected brightness as compared to a middle of the range of the user selected brightness.

10. A machine readable non-transitory medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method of operating a display device of an electronic device, the method comprising:

altering a brightness level of a display device over a period of time in response to an output from an ambient light sensor (ALS) over the period of time, the amount of the altering being determined by a weight that is applied to the output from the ALS;

varying the weight in response to a change of a user selected brightness level, wherein the weight is varied according to a relationship between the weight and the user selected brightness level, wherein the output from the ALS is primarily based on light from an external source.

11. The medium as in claim 10 wherein the method further comprises receiving the change of the user selected brightness level through a user interface setting and wherein the varying of the weight causes a change in the output from the ALS to have a greater change in the brightness level in one range of the user selected brightness level than in another range of the user selected brightness level.

12. The medium of claim 11 wherein brightness level is determined by the weight, the output from the ALS, and the user selected brightness level.

13. The medium of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises:

controlling a backlight of the display device to change the brightness level.

14. The medium of claim 10 wherein the brightness level is proportional to the output from the ALS.

15. The medium of claim 10 wherein the relationship has a bell curve shape.

16. The medium of claim 10, wherein the output from the ALS is mainly affected by an amount of light produced external to the display.

17. The medium of claim 10 wherein the weight is varied to have a different linear increasing slope for different user selected brightness.

18. The medium of claim 10, wherein the weighting causes the ALS value to have less of an effect on brightness at a low end and at a high end of a range of the user selected brightness as compared to a middle of the range of the user selected brightness.

19. A data processing system comprising:

one or more processing units to alter a brightness level of a display device over a period of time in response to an output from an ambient light sensor (ALS) over the period of time, the amount of the altering being determined by a weight that is applied to the output from the ALS;

the one or more processing units to vary the weight in response to a change of a user selected brightness level, wherein the weight is varied according to a relationship between the weight and the user selected brightness level, wherein the output from the ALS is primarily based on light from an external source.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the change of the user selected brightness level is received through a user interface setting and wherein the varying of the weight causes a change in the output from the ALS to have a greater change in the brightness level in one range of the user selected brightness level than in another range of the user selected brightness level.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the brightness level is determined by the weight, the output from the ALS, and the user selected brightness level.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the relationship has a Gaussian curve shape.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the output from the ALS is mainly affected by an amount of light produced external to the display.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the weight is varied to have a different linear increasing slope for different user selected brightness.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the weighting causes the ALS value to have less of an effect on brightness at a low end and at a high end of a range of the user selected brightness as compared to a middle of the range of the user selected brightness.