# US 7,071,456 B2 · Camera module with ambient light detection

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- Number: US 7,071,456 B2
- Document ID: US7071456B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/814,072
- Filed: 2004-03-30
- Published: 2005-10-06
- Granted: 2006-07-04
- Earliest claimed: 2004-03-30
- Inventors: Dwight D. Poplin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7071456B2

## CPC

- G09G 3/3406: {Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336)}
- G01J 1/42: using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10)
- G01J 1/4204: {with determination of ambient light (solar light G01J2001/4266)}
- G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
- G06F 1/3271: {Power saving in keyboard}
- G09G 2320/0626: for control of overall brightness
- H04N 5/58: in dependence upon ambient light
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- 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)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

A camera module forms digital images and measures an ambient light level. A device such as a digital camera, a telephone, or a PDA containing the camera module can set lighting levels of I/O systems such as keypads or displays according to the ambient light level to thereby save power or optimize functionality of the I/O systems. A dedicated sensor in the camera module or one or more selected sensors in the imaging array of the camera module can measure the ambient light level.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
a camera module, wherein the camera module comprises an array of pixel sensors;
an I/O system; and
a controller connected to the camera module and the I/O system, wherein the controller sets power consumption of lighting of the I/O system in response to a signal from the camera module indicating an ambient light level, and the signal from the camera module indicates an intensity measured by a selected one of the pixel sensors in the array.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the I/O system comprises a lighted keypad, and the controller sets the lighting of the lighted keypad in response to the signal from the camera module.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the I/O system comprises a display, and the controller sets the lighting of the display in response to the signal from the camera module.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the controller turns off the lighting in response to the signal from the camera module indicating that the ambient light level is high.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the pixel sensors in the array have associated color filters, and the selected one of the pixel sensors has a green color filter.

### Claim 6

A method for operating a device, comprising:
operating a camera module to measure an ambient light level, wherein operating the camera module comprises:
activating a pixel sensor in an imaging array of the camera module, wherein pixel sensors in the array have associated color filters, and the pixel sensor activated has a green filter; and
measuring the ambient light using the pixel sensor activated; and
adjusting power consumption of lighting of an I/O system according to the ambient light level measured by the camera module.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the lighting comprises adjusting the lighting of a lighted keypad according to the ambient light level measured by the camera module.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting the lighting comprises adjusting the lighting of a display according to the ambient level light measured by the camera module.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
operating the camera module to create a digital image; and
displaying the digital image on the display.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising operating the camera module to create a digital image.