IP Library Granted Patent US 9,194,741
Granted Patent B2
US 9,194,741 · App. 14/019,740 · Granted Nov 24, 2015

Device having light intensity measurement in presence of shadows

Inventor: Tennessee Carmel-Veilleux (Kitchener, CA)
Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
G01J1/4228G09G3/00G09G3/20H05B37/02H05B37/0218G05F3/262G09G2320/066G09G2320/0626G09G2320/0693G09G2330/021G09G2360/144
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,194,741
App. No.
14/019,740
Granted
Nov 24, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device and method for detecting lighting conditions to enable brightness control of a display are disclosed. The device includes a display and a first photodiode array to detect light in a visible spectrum and a non-visible spectrum that is incident on the first photodiode array. The device also includes a second photodiode array to detect light in the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the second photodiode array, and a processor to determine the lighting conditions based on a first output of the first photodiode array and a second output of the second photodiode array. The processor adjusts the first output used to determine the lighting conditions based on detecting that the first photodiode array includes a shadowed region, and controls the brightness of the display based on the lighting conditions.

Claims (32)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a first photodiode array configured to detect light in a visible spectrum and a non-visible spectrum that is incident on the first photodiode array;

a second photodiode array configured to detect light in the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the second photodiode array; and

a processor configured to determine lighting conditions and to control brightness of the display based on a first output of the first photodiode array and a second output of the second photodiode array, the processor adjusting the first output used to determine the lighting conditions based on detecting that the first photodiode array includes a shadowed region.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first output is proportional to the light in the visible spectrum and the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the first photodiode array and the second output is proportional to the light in the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the second photodiode array.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor determines a difference between the first output and the second output, the difference being based on a subtraction of the second output from the first output.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the difference is the subtraction of the second output, multiplied by a second factor, from the first output, multiplied by a first factor, the first factor and the second factor being determined based on a calibration.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the processor detects that the first photodiode array includes the shadowed region based on the difference being zero or a negative value.

6. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the processor determines an illuminance in lumens per square meter (lux) based on the difference between the first output and the second output and outputs the illuminance as the lighting conditions unless the processor detects that the first photodiode array includes the shadowed region.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor detects that the first photo diode array includes the shadowed region based on a ratio of the second output to the illuminance exceeding a ratio threshold.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor detects that the first photodiode array includes the shadowed region based additionally on the second output exceeding an output threshold.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor adjusts the first output used to determine the lighting conditions to be a ratio of the second output to an artificial ratio, the artificial ratio being determined based on a calibration.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when processed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method of detecting lighting conditions, the method comprising:

receiving a first output from a first photodiode array that is proportional to light in a visible spectrum and a non-visible spectrum that is incident on the first photodiode array;

receiving a second output from a second photodiode array that is proportional to light in the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the second photodiode array;

determining the lighting conditions based on the first output and the second output; and

adjusting the first output used to determine the lighting conditions based on detecting that the first photodiode array includes a shadowed region.

11. A method of detecting lighting conditions, the method comprising:

detecting, using a first photodiode array, light in a visible spectrum and a non-visible spectrum that is incident on the first photodiode array;

detecting, using a second photodiode array, light in the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the second photodiode array;

determining, using a processor, the lighting conditions based on a first output of the first photodiode array and a second output of the second photodiode array; and

adjusting, using the processor, the first output used to determine the lighting conditions based on detecting that the first photodiode array includes a shadowed region.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first output is proportional to the light in the visible spectrum and the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the first photodiode array and the second output is proportional to the light in the non-visible spectrum that is incident on the second photodiode array.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the processor determining a difference between the first output and the second output, the difference being based on a subtraction of the second output from the first output.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the processor determines the difference as the subtraction of the second output, multiplied by a second factor, from the first output, multiplied by a first factor, the first factor and the second factor being determined based on a factor calibration process.

15. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the processor detecting that the first photodiode array includes the shadowed region based on the difference being zero or a negative value.

16. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the processor determining an illuminance in lumens per square meter (lux) based on the difference between the first output and the second output and outputting the illuminance as the lighting conditions unless the processor detects that the first photodiode array includes the shadowed region.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the processor detecting that the first photo diode array includes the shadowed region based on a ratio of the second output to the illuminance exceeding a ratio threshold.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising the processor detecting that the first photodiode array includes the shadowed region based additionally on the second output exceeding an output threshold.

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the processor adjusting the first output includes the processor setting the first output as a ratio of the second output to an artificial ratio.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising determining the artificial ratio based on a ratio calibration process.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064271/0199 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064104/0103 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2013
From: CARMEL-VEILLEUX, TENNESSEE
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 031171/0977 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150069921A1 · Mar 12, 2015