Backlight and ambient light sensor system

• US 9,513,739 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Herz, Scott M., Yepez, Roberto G., Forstall, Scott, Coffman, Patrick L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELNAFIA, SAIFELDIN E
• Application Number:
  US14/203,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20140192002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• 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: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods to operate a display device of an electronic device. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a user setting or input of a display control parameter, and causing or altering, based on the user setting or input, an effect of an ambient light sensor value (ALS) on control of the display control parameter. The user input may be an unlock of a touch screen input capability of the display device, and a wake of the display device from inactivity dim. 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 brightness or contrast output level. Other apparatuses and methods and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Claims

1. A method of operating a device which includes a display having a touch screen input device, the method comprising:

operating the display, while the touch screen input device receives one or more inputs, at a brightness level controlled by an ambient light sensor (ALS) that takes measurements of ambient light around the device;

determining that the device has become inactive;

entering an inactivity dim state in response to determining that the device has become inactive, wherein during the inactivity dim state (1) the display is operated at a dim brightness level and a first plurality of different ambient light levels do not effect control of the brightness level of the display and (2) the touch screen input device does not accept inputs until after a wake input which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state;

receiving the wake input which is one or more touches on the touch screen input device, wherein the touch screen input device is a multi-touch input device;

adjusting the brightness level of the display in response to receiving the wake input which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state, wherein the brightness level is adjusted with the ALS such that a second plurality of different ambient light levels measured by the ALS do effect control of the brightness level after receiving the wake input;

wherein the adjusting of the brightness level of the display in response to receiving the wake input, which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state, comprises;

receiving, after exiting the inactivity dim state, an ALS value;

if the ALS value is greater than a wake threshold, automatically causing, based on the ALS value, a first increase in the brightness level of the display;

if the ALS value is less than the wake threshold, automatically causing a second increase in the brightness level of the display; and

wherein the first increase is greater than the second increase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the device has become inactive is based on a first time period of inactivity of the device and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, after the wake input, that the device has been inactive for a second time period and in response causing the device to enter a locked state, the second time period being after the first time period.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first time period and the second time period are determined by one or more timers.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the device enters the inactivity dim state again after the wake input and before entering the locked state at the end of the second time period.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the ALS measurements produce ALS values that are weighted by a weight derived from a function that varies the weight based upon a user selected brightness level.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the ALS values are averaged over time.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the ALS produces a series of ALS values and the method further comprises:

comparing the ALS values to one or more thresholds.

8. A machine readable non-transitory medium storing instructions which when executed cause a method of operating a device which includes a display having a touch screen input device, the method comprising:

operating the display, while the touch screen input device receives one or more inputs, at a brightness level controlled by an ambient light sensor (ALS) that takes measurements of ambient light around the device;

determining that the device has become inactive;

entering an inactivity dim state in response to determining that the device has become inactive, wherein during the inactivity dim state (1) the display is operated at a dim brightness level and a first plurality of different ambient light levels do not effect control of the brightness level of the display and (2) the touch screen input device does not accept inputs until after a wake input which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state;

receiving the wake input which is one or more touches on the touch screen input device, wherein the touch screen input device is a multi-touch input device;

adjusting the brightness level of the display in response to receiving the wake input which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state, wherein the brightness level is adjusted with the ALS such that a second plurality of different ambient light levels measured by the ALS do effect control of the brightness level after receiving the wake input;

wherein the adjusting of the brightness level of the display in response to receiving the wake input, which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state, comprises;

receiving, after exiting the inactivity dim state, an ALS value;

if the ALS value is greater than a wake threshold, automatically causing, based on the ALS value, a first increase in the brightness level of the display;

if the ALS value is less than the wake threshold, automatically causing a second increase in the brightness level of the display; and

wherein the first increase is greater than the second increase.

9. The medium of claim 8 wherein determining the device has become inactive is based on a first time period of inactivity of the device and wherein the method further comprises:

determining, after the wake input, that the device has been inactive for a second time period and in response causing the device to enter a locked state, the second time period being after the first time period.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the first time period and the second time period are determined by one or more timers.

11. The medium of claim 10 wherein the device enters the inactivity dim state again after the wake input and before entering the locked state at the end of the second time period.

12. The medium of claim 9 wherein the ALS measurements produce ALS values that are weighted by a weight derived from a function that varies the weight based upon a user selected brightness level.

13. The medium of claim 12 wherein the ALS values are averaged over time.

14. The medium of claim 9 wherein the ALS produces a series of ALS values and the method further comprises:

comparing the ALS values to one or more thresholds.

15. A device comprising:

a display;

an ambient light sensor (ALS);

a touch screen input device which is a multi-touch input device;

a memory;

a processing system coupled to the display and to the ALS and to the touch screen input device and to the memory, the memory storing instructions which configure the processing system to;

operate the display, while the touch screen input device receives one or more inputs, at a brightness level controlled by an ambient light sensor (ALS) that takes measurements of ambient light around the device;

determine that the device has become inactive;

enter an inactivity dim state in response to determining that the device has become inactive, wherein during the inactivity dim state (1) the display is operated at a dim brightness level and a first plurality of different ambient light levels do not effect control of the brightness level of the display and the (2) touch screen input device does not accept inputs until after a wake input which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state;

receive the wake input which is one or more touches on the touch screen input device, wherein the touch screen input device is a multi-touch input device;

adjust the brightness level of the display in response to receiving the wake input which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state, wherein the brightness level is adjusted with the ALS such that a second plurality of different ambient light levels measured by the ALS do effect control of the brightness level after receiving the wake input;

wherein the processing system is configured to adjust the brightness level of the display in response to receiving the wake input, which causes the device to exit the inactivity dim state, by;

receiving, after exiting the inactivity dim state, an ALS value;

if the ALS value is greater than a wake threshold, automatically causing, based on the ALS value, a first increase in the brightness level of the display;

if the ALS value is less than the wake threshold, automatically causing a second increase in the brightness level of the display; and

wherein the first increase is greater than the second increase.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein determining the device has become inactive is based on a first time period of inactivity of the device and wherein the processing system is further configured:

to determine, after the wake input, that the device has been inactive for a second time period and in response causing the device to enter a locked state, the second time period being after the first time period.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the first time period and the second time period are determined by one or more timers.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the device enters the inactivity dim state again after the wake input and before entering the locked state at the end of the second time period.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein the ALS measurements produce ALS values that are weighted by a weight derived from a function that varies the weight based upon a user selected brightness level.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the ALS values are averaged over time.

21. The device of claim 16 wherein the ALS produces a series of ALS values and the processing system is further configured to:

compare the ALS values to one or more thresholds.