# US 12,010,432 B2 · Electronic device and method for detecting flickering light source in electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,432 B2 - Document ID: US12010432B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/868,135 - Filed: 2022-07-19 - Published: 2023-01-26 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-19 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jeongho Cho; Jongah Kim; Heewoong Yoon; Kihyuk Lee; Donghan Lee; Gwangho Choi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010432B2 ## CPC - G09G 3/3225: using an active matrix - H04N 23/745: Detection of flicker frequency or suppression of flicker wherein the flicker is caused by illumination, e.g. due to fluorescent tube illumination or pulsed LED illumination - G06F 1/16: Constructional details or arrangements - G06F 1/3218: of display devices - G06F 21/30: Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals - G09G 3/34: by control of light from an independent source - H05B 47/11: by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light - G09G 2300/0452: Details of colour pixel setup, e.g. pixel composed of a red, a blue and two green components - G09G 2320/0209: Crosstalk reduction, i.e. to reduce direct or indirect influences of signals directed to a certain pixel of the displayed image on other pixels of said image, inclusive of influences affecting pixels in different frames or fields or sub-images which constitute a same image, e.g. left and right images of a stereoscopic display - G09G 2320/0233: Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen - G09G 2360/144: the light being ambient light - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract According to an embodiment, an electronic device may include an illuminance sensor including a first modulator obtaining a first signal for first illuminance values during a first integration time and a second modulator obtaining a second signal for second illuminance values during a second integration time, and a processor. The processor may be configured to calculate the first illuminance values and the second illuminance values based on the first and second signals, determine that an ambient light source is a flickering light source based on the second illuminance values, if obtaining display parameter information associated with an image output through the display, compensate for the first illuminance values based on the display parameter information and adjust a brightness value of the display based on the compensated first illuminance values, and if failing to obtain the display parameter information, adjust the brightness value of the display based on the second illuminance values. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising, a housing including a front surface and a rear surface facing in a direction opposite to the front surface, a display included in the housing and visually exposed through a portion of the front surface, an illuminance sensor including a first modulator obtaining a first signal for first illuminance values during a first integration time and a second modulator obtaining a second signal for second illuminance values during a second integration time and disposed between the display and the rear surface to overlap an area of the display when viewed from above the front surface, the first modulator and the second modulator operating at least partially simultaneously, and a processor positioned in the housing and operatively connected with the display, wherein the processor is configured to: calculate the first illuminance values based on the first signal obtained through the first modulator, calculate the second illuminance values based on the second signal obtained through the second modulator, determine that an ambient light source is a flickering light source based on the second illuminance values, if obtaining display parameter information associated with an image output through the display, compensate for the first illuminance values based on the display parameter information and adjust a brightness value of the display based on the compensated first illuminance values, and if failing to obtain the display parameter information, adjust the brightness value of the display based on the second illuminance values. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust brightness of the display based on the first illuminance values, if the processor determines that the ambient light source is not the flickering light source based on the second illuminance values. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the illuminance sensor includes a photodiode, and wherein the first modulator and the second modulator are connected to the photodiode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the first illuminance values while adjusting the first integration time of the first modulator according to a display-on time period of the display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the second illuminance values while maintaining the second integration time of the second modulator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second integration time of the second modulator is set to be shorter than a display-off time period of the display. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the ambient light source is the flickering light source, if a first condition and a second condition are met based on the second illuminance values. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to: set a sampling number corresponding to a duty cycle of the display, detect maximum illuminance values in sets of the second illuminance values corresponding to the sampling number, and if detecting a difference between the detected maximum illuminance values, determine that the first condition is met. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to: calculate a standard deviation for sets of the second illuminance values corresponding to a display-on interval of the display, and if the calculated standard deviation differs from a threshold, determine that the second condition is met. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, if determining that the ambient light source is the flickering light source, calculate an average value for the second illuminance values and adjust the brightness value of the display based on the calculated average value. ### Claim 11 A method for detecting a flickering light source surrounding an electronic device, the method comprising: calculating first illuminance values based on a first signal obtained from a first modulator included in an illuminance sensor during a first integration time; calculating second illuminance values based on a second signal obtained from a second modulator included in the illuminance sensor during a second integration time; determining that an ambient light source is the flickering light source based on the second illuminance values; when obtaining display parameter information associated with an image output through a display of the electronic device, compensating for the first illuminance values based on the display parameter information and adjusting a brightness value of the display based on the compensated first illuminance values; and when failing to obtain the display parameter information, adjusting the brightness value of the display based on the second illuminance values, wherein the first modulator and the second modulator operate at least partially simultaneously. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting brightness of the display based on the first illuminance values, when determining that the ambient light source is not the flickering light source based on the second illuminance values. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the illuminance sensor is disposed under at least a partial area of the display. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating the first illuminance values while adjusting the first integration time of the first modulator according to a display-on time period of the display. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating the second illuminance values while maintaining the second integration time of the second modulator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the second integration time of the second modulator is set to be shorter than a display-off time period of the display. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising determining that the ambient light source is the flickering light source, when a first condition and a second condition are met based on the second illuminance values. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising, setting a sampling number corresponding to a duty cycle of the display; detecting maximum illuminance values in sets of the second illuminance values corresponding to the sampling number; and when detecting a difference between the detected maximum illuminance values, determining that the first condition is met. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising, calculating a standard deviation for sets of the second illuminance values corresponding to a display-on interval of the display; and when the calculated standard deviation differs from a threshold, determining that the second condition is met. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising, calculating an average value for the second illuminance values, when determining that the ambient light source is the flickering light source; and adjusting the brightness value of the display based on the calculated average value.