IP Library Granted Patent US 7,960,682
Granted Patent B2
US 7,960,682 · App. 12/002,120 · Granted Jun 14, 2011

Display device control based on integrated ambient light detection and lighting source characteristics

Assignee: Apple Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,960,682
App. No.
12/002,120
Granted
Jun 14, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for a display device including one or more methods for modifying the display brightness by automatically adapting to ambient lighting conditions.

Claims (30)

1. A method for controlling a display device comprising:

illuminating the display device by emitting light from a light emitting diode (“LED”) for a first period of time;

monitoring the emitted light for a delay period after the first period of time;

determining if the emitted light has decreased to a predetermined threshold;

in response to determining that the emitted light has decreased to the predetermined threshold, generating a signal with the LED associated with an amount of ambient light present during a second period of time after the delay period; and

controlling the emitting of light from the LED based on the signal during a third period of time after the second period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling comprises:

adjusting a duration of time in which power is applied to the LED.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling comprises:

adjusting an amount of power applied to the LED.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delay period is determined based on at least one illumination decay characteristic of the LED.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one illumination decay characteristic is based on at least one of a physical property of the LED, an age of the LED, an amount of power applied to the LED during the first period of time, duration of the first period of time, and an ambient temperature.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one illumination delay characteristic is based at least in part on a duration of time in which power is applied to the LED during a previous cycle.

7. A system comprising:

a display;

a light emitting diode (“LED”) operable to:

emit light to illuminate the display during a first period of time; and

a processor operable to:

monitor the emitted light during a delay period after the first period of time;

determine if the emitted light has decreased to a predetermined threshold;

in response to determining that the emitted light has decreased to the predetermined threshold, configure the LED to generate a signal associated with an amount of ambient light present during a second period time after the delay period; and

control the emitting of the light by the LED based on the generated signal.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the first period of time corresponds to a duty-cycle-on period associated with a pulse width modulated signal; and

the delay period and the second period of time correspond to a duty-cycle-off period associated with the pulse width modulated signal.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further operable to control the duration of at least one of the duty-cycle-on period and the duty-cycle-off period based on the generated signal.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the delay period is determined based on at least one illumination decay characteristic of the LED.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one illumination decay characteristic is based at least in part on the duty-cycle-on period and the duty-cycle-off period.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one illumination decay characteristic is based at least in part on a duty-cycle-on period and a duty-cycle-off period of a previous cycle.

13. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of LEDs, and wherein the processor is further operable to provide power to a subset of the LED's based on the generated signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2007
From: GARDNER, JR., BRYSON
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 020298/0563 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090152445A1 · Jun 18, 2009