Ambient light sensing device and method, and interactive device using same
AssigneePixart Imaging Incorporation
InventorChuan-Hsin Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an ambient light sensing device which receives at least one visible light image sensed by an image sensor. The ambient light sensing device includes an image sampling unit and an analyzing unit. The image sampling unit divides the visible light image into plural image blocks, extracts at least one sample data in each image block, and generates a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points. The analyzing unit analyzes the comparison data and generates an output analysis signal accordingly.
Claims21
An ambient light sensing device for receiving at least one visible light image sensed by an image sensor installed within a portable electronic device, wherein the image sensor provides both a photo taking or video recording function and an ambient light sensing function, whereby the photo taking or video recording function and the ambient light sensing function generate separated results, wherein the photo taking or video recording function records an image or a video for a user to see, and the ambient light sensing function senses ambient light condition for electronic processing to generate a corresponding action, so that the generated separated results are expressed to the user in separate and different forms, one form being a form of an image or a video and another form being an action which is different from the image or video, the ambient light sensing device comprising:
- an image sampling unit, for
- obtaining the at least one visible light image from the image sensor,
- dividing the visible light image into a plurality of image blocks,
- extracting at least one sample data in each image block, and
- comparing the sample data extracted at different time points of the same image block to generate a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points;
- and
- an analyzing unit, for analyzing the comparison data and generating an output analysis signal accordingly, wherein the output analysis signal includes an ambient brightness signal representing a sensing result of ambient light brightness, the ambient brightness signal being provided to the portable electronic device to be processed by the portable electronic device for generating ambient brightness information such that the portable electronic device is not equipped with a dedicated sensor which is only for sensing ambient light,
- wherein the sample data includes at least one green sub-pixel data, and the image sampling unit generates the comparison data according to the green sub-pixel data whereby the ambient brightness signal which is a separated result from the photo taking or video recording function is obtained solely according to the green sub-pixel data.
An interactive device, comprising:
- an image sensor, for providing a photo taking or video recording function for the interactive device, and also for providing an ambient light sensing function to generate an image according to ambient light, whereby the photo taking or video recording function and the ambient light sensing function generate separated results, wherein the photo taking or video recording function records an image or a video for a user to see, and the ambient light sensing function senses ambient light condition for electronic processing to generate a corresponding action, so that the generated separated results are expressed to the user in separate and different forms, one form being a form of an image or a video and another form being an action which is different from the image or video;
- and
- an ambient light sensing device, for
- obtaining the image from the image sensor,
- dividing the image into a plurality of image blocks,
- extracting at least one sample data in the image,
- generating a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points, and
- analyzing the comparison data to generate an output analysis signal accordingly, wherein the output analysis signal includes an ambient brightness signal representing a sensing result of ambient light brightness, the ambient brightness signal being provided to the interactive device to be processed by the interactive device for generating ambient brightness information such that the interactive device is not equipped with a dedicated sensor which is only for sensing ambient light,
- wherein the interactive device is a portable electronic device;
- wherein the sample data includes at least one green sub-pixel data, and the comparison data is generated according to the green sub-pixel data whereby the ambient brightness signal which is a separated result from the photo taking or video recording function is obtained solely according to the green sub-pixel data.
A method of sensing ambient light, comprising:
- obtaining an image according to ambient light by an image sensor provided in an interactive device, the image sensor being configured to provide a photo taking or video recording function for an interactive device, and also to provide an ambient light sensing function to generate the image according to ambient light, whereby the photo taking or video recording function and the ambient light sensing function generate separated results, wherein the photo taking or video recording function records an image or a video for a user to see, and the ambient light sensing function senses ambient light condition for electronic processing to generate a corresponding action, so that the generated separated results are expressed to the user in separate and different forms, one form being a form of an image or a video and another form being an action which is different from the image or video;
- obtaining the image from the image sensor;
- dividing the image into a plurality of image blocks;
- extracting at least one sample data in the image;
- comparing the sample data extracted at different time points of the same image block to generate a comparison data according to a difference between the sample data extracted at different time points;
- and
- analyzing the comparison data to generate an output analysis signal accordingly, wherein the output analysis signal includes an ambient brightness signal representing a sensing result of ambient light brightness, the ambient brightness signal being provided to the interactive device to be processed by the interactive device for generating ambient brightness information such that the interactive device is not equipped with a dedicated sensor which is only for sensing ambient light,
- wherein the interactive device is a portable electronic device;
- wherein the sample data includes at least one green sub-pixel data, and the comparison data is generated according to the green sub-pixel data whereby the ambient brightness signal which is a separated result from the photo taking or video recording function is obtained solely according to the green sub-pixel data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.