Systems and methods for automated brightness control in response to one user input

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10296045-B2
Application number	US-201715678863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2017
Priority date	Aug 16, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

An electronic reading device can include an adjustable RGBW front light and an ambient light sensor. Additionally, the electronic reading device can include circuitry configured to receive a signal from the ambient light sensor corresponding to a detected ambient light level, automatically display a default brightness level based on the detected ambient light level, determine if the brightness level is manually adjusted, automatically adjust the relative brightness based on the manually adjusted brightness level when the ambient light level changes, and update preferred relative settings to correspond to the manual adjustment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
an ambient light sensor; and
circuitry configured to
store a plurality of default brightness settings corresponding to a plurality of levels of ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor;
receive a signal from the ambient light sensor corresponding to a first detected ambient light level;
automatically display a first default brightness level based on the first detected ambient light level and the stored plurality of default brightness settings,
determine if the first default brightness level is manually adjusted,
determine, based on an output of the ambient light sensor, that the first ambient light level has changed to second ambient light level,
automatically display a second brightness level based on the second ambient light level, wherein the second brightness level is a second default brightness level corresponding to the second ambient light level modified based on the manual adjustment of the first default brightness level, and
update the stored default brightness settings to correspond to the manual adjustment.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to
determine if a manually adjusted brightness level is lower than an available amount of ambient light, and
automatically match the brightness level to a minimum of 5% brightness level.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to
determine if the detected amount of ambient light corresponds to a change in ambient light greater than a predetermined amount,
average a plurality of samples from the ambient light sensor,
determine if the sudden change in ambient light is an increase or a decrease in ambient light level,
automatically increase the brightness level at a first predetermined rate of change when the sudden change in ambient light is an increase in ambient light level, and
automatically decrease the brightness level at a second predetermined rate of change when the sudden change in ambient light is a decrease in ambient light level.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein first predetermined rate of change is 10% of the brightness level per second.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the second predetermined rate of change is 10% of the brightness level per minute.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein an adjustable RGBW front light disposed in the device is automatically turned off when the ambient light level is at 100%.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to
determine if a manually adjusted brightness level is below 5%; while the ambient light level is below 5%, and
update the manually adjusted brightness level to be the minimum brightness level when the brightness level is manually adjusted below 5%.

8. The device of claim 2 , wherein the brightness level is capped at a brightness cap for screen color temperatures below a predetermined threshold value any time of day.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein a brightness range remains full (0%-100%) until a midpoint between 6400K and 1500K wherein when the screen color temperature is shifted below the midpoint, the brightness cap (max %) decreases at a predetermined rate so any screen color temperature less than the midpoint has a brightness range from 0% to max %.

10. A method for electronic reading device automated brightness control, comprising:
storing a plurality of default brightness settings corresponding to a plurality of levels of ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor;
receiving, via processing circuitry, a signal from an ambient light sensor of an electronic reading device corresponding to a first detected ambient light level;
automatically displaying, via the processing circuitry, a first default brightness level based on the first detected ambient light level and the stored plurality of default brightness settings;
determining, via the processing circuitry, if the first default brightness level is manually adjusted;
determining, based on an output of the ambient light sensor, that the first ambient light level has changed to a second ambient light level;
automatically displaying a second brightness level based on the second ambient light level, wherein the second brightness level is a second default brightness level corresponding to the second ambient light level modified based on the manual adjustment of the first default brightness level; and
updating, via the processing circuitry, the stored default brightness settings to correspond to the manual adjustment.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining if a manually adjusted brightness level is lower than an available amount of ambient light; and
automatically matching the brightness level to a minimum of 5% brightness level.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining if the detected amount of ambient light corresponds to a change in ambient light greater than a predetermined amount;
averaging a plurality of samples from the ambient light sensor;
determining if the sudden change in ambient light is an increase or a decrease in ambient light level;
automatically increasing the brightness level at a first predetermined rate of change when the sudden change in ambient light is an increase in ambient light level; and
automatically decreasing the brightness level at a second predetermined rate of change when the sudden change in ambient light is a decrease in ambient light level.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein first predetermined rate of change is 10% of the brightness level per second.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second predetermined rate of change is 10% of the brightness level per minute.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein an adjustable RGBW front light disposed in the electronic reading device is automatically turned off when the ambient light level is at 100%.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
determine if a manually adjusted brightness level is below 5% while the ambient light level is below 5%, and
update the manually adjusted brightness level to be the minimum brightness level when the brightness level is manually adjusted below 5%.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the brightness level is capped at a brightness cap for screen color temperatures below a predetermined threshold value any time of day.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein a brightness range remains full (0%-100%) until a midpoint between 6400K and 1500K wherein when the screen color temperature is shifted below the midpoint, the brightness cap (max %) decreases at a predetermined rate so any screen color temperature less than the midpoint has a brightness range from 0% to max %.

19. Anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
storing a plurality of default brightness settings corresponding to a plurality of levels of ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor;
receiving a signal from an ambient light sensor corresponding to a first detected ambient light level;
automatically displaying a first default brightness level based on the first detected ambient light level and the stored plurality of default brightness settings;
determining if the first default brightness level is manually adjusted;
determine, based on an output of the ambient light sensor, that the first ambient light level has changed to a second ambient light level;

Assignees

• Rakuten Kobo Inc

Inventors

• Hunter Trevor
• Clements Matt
• Talusan George
• Mcdougall Paul
• Chaban William
• Xu Zheng
• Li Steve
• Ng Thow Hing Jeffrey

Classifications

• H05B45/24

  using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules · CPC title

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B47/16

  by timing means · CPC title

• H05B45/20

  Controlling the colour of the light · CPC title

• G09G5/10

  Intensity circuits · CPC title