EFFECTING A DEVICE POWER STATE TRANSITION RELATED TO AMBIENT LIGHTING DIFFERENTIALS
A method and system for transitioning between power states for a computing device based on ambient lighting level brightness differentials. The method comprises receiving, via the first and second ambient lighting sensors, a first and a second ambient lighting levels at respective ones of a first surface and a second surface of the computing device, determining a brightness differential between the first and second ambient lighting levels, and transitioning a power state of the computing device to an alternate power state if the brightness differential exceeds a predetermined threshold differential amount.
1 . A method executed in a processor of a computing device, the computing device further including a first and a second ambient lighting brightness sensors and a memory storing instructions, the method comprising:
receiving, via the first and second ambient lighting sensors, a first and a second ambient lighting levels from respective ones of a first surface and a second surface of the computing device;
determining a brightness differential between the first and second ambient lighting levels; and
transitioning a power state of the computing device to an alternate power state if the brightness differential exceeds a predetermined threshold differential amount.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first surface comprises one of a device front housing surface within which a display screen is disposed and a rear housing surface oppositely located the front housing surface.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the second surface comprises a housing surface oppositely disposed the one of the device front housing surface within which a display screen is disposed and the rear housing surface oppositely located the front housing surface.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one of the first and second surfaces comprises an edge surface of the computing device.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined threshold differential amount comprises at least a 50 percent difference in the ambient lighting brightness levels of the first and second surfaces.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the device is transitioned to a lower power sleep state.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the device is transitioned to a power-off state.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second ambient lighting brightness sensors is one of a light emitting diode, a photo-resistor and a phototransistor component in optical communication with one of a display screen, a front housing and a rear housing of the computing device.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second ambient lighting brightness sensors comprises an optical window of an on-device camera lens.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second ambient lighting brightness levels is sensed by an electroluminescent panel in optical communication with a display screen of the computing device.
11 . A computing device comprising:
a memory that stores a set of instructions;
a first and second ambient lighting brightness sensors; and
a processor that access the instructions in memory, the processor further configured to:
receive, via the first and second ambient lighting sensors, a first and a second ambient lighting levels from respective ones of a first surface and a second surface of the computing device;
determine a brightness differential between the first and second ambient lighting levels; and
transition a power state of the computing device to an alternate power state if the brightness differential exceeds a predetermined threshold differential amount.
12 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the first surface comprises one of a device front housing surface within which a display screen is disposed and a rear housing surface oppositely located the front housing surface.
13 . The computing device of claim 12 wherein the second surface comprises a housing surface oppositely disposed the one of the device front housing surface within which a display screen is disposed and the rear housing surface oppositely located the front housing surface.
14 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the one of the first and second surfaces comprises an edge surface of the computing device.
15 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the predetermined threshold differential amount comprises at least a 50 percent difference in the ambient lighting brightness levels of the first and second surfaces.
16 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the device is transitioned to a lower power sleep state.
17 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the device is transitioned to a power-off state.
18 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first and second ambient lighting brightness sensors is one of a light emitting diode, a photo-resistor and a phototransistor component in optical communication with one of a display screen, a front housing and a rear housing of the computing device.
19 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first and second ambient lighting brightness sensors comprises an optical window of an on-device camera lens.
20 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein at least one of the first and second ambient lighting brightness levels is sensed by an electroluminescent panel in optical communication with a display screen of the computing device.