Electronic device and operating method of controlling brightness of light source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11317034-B2
Application number	US-201916511476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2019
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device for controlling a brightness of a light source and an operating method of the electronic device are provided. According to the electronic device and the operating method, an image including an ambient environment of a light source is captured, information of an exposure of the captured image is obtained, information about a brightness of the ambient environment of the light source is determined based on the information about the exposure, and a brightness of the light source is controlled based on the determined information about the brightness of the ambient environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a brightness of a light source by an electronic device, the method comprising:
capturing an image including an ambient environment of the light source;
obtaining information about an exposure of the captured image;
determining a brightness value of the ambient environment of the light source based on the information about the exposure and at least one luminance value of the captured image; and
controlling the brightness of the light source based on the determined brightness value of the ambient environment,
wherein the light source includes a display of the electronic device
wherein the controlling of the brightness of the light source comprises controlling the brightness of the light source based on data obtained by training based on a record of adjusting, by a user, the brightness of the light source.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information about the exposure of the captured image comprises at least one of an aperture value, an ISO sensitivity, or a shutter speed of the image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the brightness of the light source comprises:
in case the light source is operating in a power save mode, identifying at least one light source present in the ambient environment of the light source; and
controlling a brightness of the at least one identified light source such that the brightness of the ambient environment of the light source becomes dark.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling of the brightness of the light source comprises:
obtaining the at least one luminance value included in the captured image; and
controlling the brightness of the light source based on the at least one luminance value and the information about the brightness of the ambient environment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein data of the captured image is stored in a camera buffer of the electronic device, used in determining the brightness value of the ambient environment of the light source and then deleted from the camera buffer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying at least one light source that is controllable by the electronic device from among at least one light source present in the ambient environment of the light source as the brightness of the light source is controlled; and
controlling a brightness of the at least one identified light source based on a result of controlling the brightness of the light source.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling a brightness of an external light source based on the determined brightness value of the ambient environment and an operating state of the electronic device.

8. An electronic device comprising:
a display;
a camera;
a memory storing one or more instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to:
control the camera to capture an image including an ambient environment of the display,
obtain information about an exposure of the captured image,
determine a brightness value of the ambient environment of the display based on the information about the exposure and a luminance value of the captured image, and
control a brightness of the display based on the determined brightness value of the ambient environment,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to control a brightness of the display based on data obtained by training based on a record of adjusting, by a user, the brightness of the display.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the information about the exposure comprises at least one of an aperture value, an ISO sensitivity, or a shutter speed of the image.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to:
identify at least one light source present in the ambient environment of the display when the display operates in a power save mode; and
control a brightness of the at least one identified light source such that the brightness of the ambient environment of the display becomes dark.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to:
obtain at least one luminance value included in the captured image; and
control a brightness of the display based on the obtained at least one luminance value and the information about the brightness of the ambient environment.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein data of the captured image is stored in a camera buffer of the electronic device and used in determining the brightness value of the ambient environment of the display and then deleted from the camera buffer.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to:
identify at least one light source that is controllable by the electronic device from among at least one light source present in the ambient environment of the light source as the brightness of the display is controlled; and
control a brightness of the at least one identified light source based on a result of controlling the brightness of the display.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein, in case a trigger event is generated, the electronic device determines the brightness value of the ambient environment of the display.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the trigger event includes at least one of detection of a change in acceleration, activation of the electronic device, a change of an ambient environment, or a request from an external device.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the change in the ambient environment is activated by change in weather or by moving the electronic device from outdoors to indoors or vice-versa.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having an executable program recorded thereon, wherein the program, when executed by a computer, instructs the computer to perform:
capturing an image including an ambient environment of a light source;
obtaining information about an exposure of the captured image;
determining a brightness value of the ambient environment of the light source based on the information about the exposure and a luminance value of the captured image; and
controlling the brightness of the light source based on the determined brightness value of the ambient environment,
wherein the light source includes a display of an electronic device, and
wherein the controlling of the brightness of the light source comprises controlling the brightness of the light source based on data obtained by training based on a record of adjusting, by a user, the brightness of the light source.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Rathour Sunil
• Goyal Nitesh
• Jadav Pranav
• Agarwal Ankit
• Thakur Avinash

Classifications

• H04N23/74 Primary

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B47/1975

  Gesture control · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title