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US 12,182,916 B2Granted
Information display using electronic diffusers
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorJoel S. Armstrong-Muntner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of systems and methods for using electronic diffusers to implement message indicators are described. A segment of a diffuser attached to an electronic device is configured to indicate an informational message in response to signals that result in a change to an optical property. A set of information to be displayed using the segment is determined, and a signal is transmitted to the segment to display the information.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- one or more ambient light sensors;
- an adjustable diffuser positioned in a light path of the one or more ambient light sensors, wherein:
- light reaching the one or more ambient light sensors passes through the adjustable diffuser;
- one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser are adjustable via one or more electrical signals;
- and
- adjusting the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser modifies an effective light gathering field of view of the one or more ambient light sensors;
- and one or more processors configured to:
- initiate an ambient light sensing mode;
- determine an adjustment to the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser corresponding to a particular modification of the effective light gathering field of view;
- send one or more electrical signals to the adjustable diffuser, wherein the one or more electrical signals make the determined adjustment to the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser corresponding to the particular modification of the effective light gathering field of view;
- detect light received by the one or more ambient light sensors through the adjustable diffuser with the adjusted one or more optical properties corresponding to the particular modification of the effective light gathering field of view;
- and
- determine one or more metrics of the light received by the one or more ambient light sensors through the adjustable diffuser.
10 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed across one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
- initiate an ambient light sensing mode;
- determine an adjustment to one or more optical properties of an adjustable diffuser,
- wherein:
- the adjustable diffuser is positioned on a light path of one or more ambient light sensors;
- light reaching the one or more ambient light sensors passes through the adjustable diffuser;
- the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser are adjustable via one or more electrical signals;
- adjusting the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser modifies an effective light gathering field of view of the one or more ambient light sensors;
- and
- the determined adjustment of the one or more optical properties corresponds to a particular modification of the effective light gathering field of view of the one or more ambient light sensors;
- send one or more electrical signals to the adjustable diffuser, wherein the one or more electrical signals make the determined adjustment to the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser corresponding to the particular modification of an effective light gathering field of view of the one or more ambient light sensors;
- detect light received by the one or more ambient light sensors through the adjustable diffuser with the adjusted one or more optical properties corresponding to the particular modification of an effective light gathering field of view of the one or more ambient light sensors;
- and
- determine one or more metrics of the light received by the one or more ambient light sensors through the adjustable diffuser.
10 more elements
A method, comprising:
- initiating an ambient light sensing mode;
- determining an adjustment to one or more optical properties of an adjustable diffuser, wherein:
- the adjustable diffuser is positioned on a light path of one or more ambient light sensors;
- light reaching the one or more ambient light sensors passes through the adjustable diffuser;
- the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser are adjustable via one or more electrical signals;
- adjusting the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser modifies an effective light gathering field of view of the one or more ambient light sensors;
- and
- the determined adjustment to the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser corresponds to a particular modification of the effective light gathering field of view;
- sending one or more electrical signals to the adjustable diffuser, wherein the one or more electrical signals make the determined adjustment to the one or more optical properties of the adjustable diffuser corresponding to a particular modification of the effective light gathering field of view;
- detecting light received by the one or more ambient light sensors through the adjustable diffuser with the adjusted one or more optical properties corresponding to the particular modification of the effective light gathering field of view;
- and
- determining one or more metrics of the light received by the one or more ambient light sensors through the adjustable diffuser.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.