Dynamic, local screen intensity reduction for ambient light sensors under displays

Abstract

Techniques for dynamic, local screen intensity reduction of ambient light sensors under a display are disclosed. In one aspect, an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or other mobile device, may determine a first ambient light intensity value using an under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen. The apparatus may determine that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold. The apparatus may modify an image being displayed within a first region of the display screen, where the first region of the display screen includes pixels less than all pixels in the display screen and at least pixels of the display screen located above an ambient light sensor under the display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to addressing some of the challenges faced when detecting ambient light using a sub-display ambient light sensor. Background Art

[0002] For mobile phones and other battery-powered mobile devices, the brightness of the display strongly affects its power consumption, that is, a bright display consumes more power than a dim display. For this reason, it is desirable to reduce the display brightness to the minimum level required for the user to see the screen comfortably. For example, in a dark room, the display can be very dim and still be usable, but in bright daylight, the display may need to be very bright. To avoid the user having to constantly adjust the brightness of the display in changing light conditions, mobile phones typically include an ambient light sensor from which the device can determine how bright or dark the environment is, and can automatically adjust the display brightness up or down accordingly.

[0003] The ambient light sensor also provides valuable information to the phone camera circuitry, for example, to determine exposure time, for color correction, for gamma adjustment, etc., for adjusting the intensity (brightness) of the display as needed. In some mobile devices, the ambient light sensor is outside the display, which limits how much of the user-facing surface the display can occupy. Other mobile devices use so-called under-display ambient light sensors, where the term "under" refers to the location of the ambient light sensor below the upward-facing display surface; from the perspective of a user facing the display, the ambient light sensor is behind the display screen. Summary of the invention

[0004] The following presents a simplified summary of the invention related to one or more aspects disclosed herein. Therefore, the following summary of the invention should not be regarded as a broad overview related to all expected aspects, nor should the following summary of the invention be regarded as identifying key or important elements related to all expected aspects or indicating the scope related to any particular aspect. Accordingly, the sole purpose of the following summary of the invention is to present certain concepts related to one or more aspects related to the mechanisms disclosed herein in a simplified form before the detailed embodiments presented below.

[0005] In one aspect, a method for dynamically determining a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; determining that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and modifying an image being displayed within a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes less than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0006] In one aspect, an apparatus includes: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor configured to: determine a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; determine that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and modify an image being displayed within a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes less than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0007] In one aspect, an apparatus includes components for determining a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; components for determining that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and components for modifying an image being displayed within a first region of the display screen, wherein the first region of the display screen includes fewer than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0008] In one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to: determine a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; determine that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and modify an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes less than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0009] Other objects and advantages associated with the various aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The drawings are presented to aid in describing various aspects of the disclosure and are provided solely for purposes of illustration of these aspects and not limitation thereof.

[0011] Figure 1A-Figure 1CA conventional implementation of an ambient light sensor is shown.

[0012] Figure 2A-2F Dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0013] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process 300 for dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process 400 for dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 5 is a flow diagram of an example process 500 associated with dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Techniques for dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor are disclosed. In one aspect, a device such as a cell phone or other mobile device can determine a first ambient light intensity value using an under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen. The device can determine that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold. The device can modify an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes less than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0017] Various aspects of the present disclosure are provided in the following description and related drawings, which are directed to various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects may be designed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, well-known elements of the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted to avoid confusing the relevant details of the present disclosure.

[0018] As used herein, the words "exemplary" and / or "example" mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Likewise, the term "aspects of the disclosure" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the information and signals described below may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the following description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, etc.

[0020] In addition, many aspects are described in terms of a sequence of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein may be performed by a specific circuit (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), by program instructions executed by one or more processors, or a combination of the two. In addition, the sequence of actions described herein may be considered to be fully embodied in any form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a group of corresponding computer instructions stored therein, which, when executed, will cause or instruct the associated processor of the device to perform the functions described herein. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in a variety of different forms, all of which are considered to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of the aspects described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic" that is "configured to" perform the described actions.

[0021] For cell phones and other battery-powered mobile devices, the brightness of the display strongly affects its power consumption, i.e., a bright display consumes more power than a dim display. For this reason, it is desirable to reduce the display brightness to the minimum level required for the user to see the screen comfortably. For example, in a dark room, the display can be very dim and still be usable, but in bright daylight, the display may need to be very bright. To avoid the user having to constantly adjust the brightness of the display in changing light conditions, cell phones typically include an ambient light sensor from which the device can determine how bright or dark the environment is and can automatically adjust the display brightness up or down accordingly. The ambient light sensor also provides valuable information to the cell phone camera circuitry, such as to determine exposure time, for color correction, for gamma adjustment, etc., for adjusting the intensity (brightness) of the display as needed.

[0022] Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1C A conventional implementation of an ambient light sensor is shown. Figure 1AA mobile device 100 is shown with a display screen 102 and an ambient light sensor 104 outside the display area. This limits how much of the user-facing surface the display screen 102 can occupy. In this type of mobile device 100, the display screen 102 does not cover the entire user-facing surface, but is instead limited by at least one non-display border that contains the ambient light sensor, e.g., a horizontal strip above the display screen 102. Figure 1B A mobile device 106 is shown that also has an ambient light sensor outside of the display screen 102. In this design, the display 102 has a notch 108 that houses the ambient light sensor 104. Notably, the notch 108 is a non-display area. Figure 1C A mobile device 110 is shown that uses a so-called under-display ambient light sensor 112, where the term "under" refers to the location of the ambient light sensor below the upward-facing display surface; from the perspective of a user facing the display, the under-display ambient light sensor 112 is behind the display screen 102. The use of the under-display ambient light sensor 112 allows the display screen 102 to cover portions of the user-facing surface that would otherwise be non-display area.

[0023] One problem with under-display ambient light sensors is that they can also detect some light from the display itself. When ambient light levels are high, the additional light from the display is negligible compared to the ambient light, and therefore does not contribute much to the ambient light level reported by the ambient light sensor. However, when ambient light levels are low, the light from the display can have an excessively large effect on the ambient light level reported by the ambient light sensor.

[0024] To this end, under-display ambient light sensors require complex runtime calibration to compensate for the light emitted by the display pixels. This typically includes runtime capture and analysis of the pixel content of the display frame at runtime, and runtime calibration of the ambient light sensor to compensate for the effect of the display pixels. However, even with this runtime calibration, the display pixels still have a huge effect on the ambient light sensor in different scenarios. For example, runtime calibration of ambient light color sensing or color temperature sensing is very challenging compared to simple brightness sensors, and calibrating color sensors in very dark environments is extremely difficult, both due to light from the display itself.

[0025] Accordingly, techniques for dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor are presented herein. To reduce the effect that display pixels may have on the under-display ambient light sensor under low ambient light conditions, the ambient light level is continuously monitored, and when the ambient light level drops below a certain threshold, an area of ​​the display above the under-display ambient light sensor is modified, i.e., pixels in that area are reduced in intensity, set to display black, or turned off completely. If the ambient light level exceeds that (or another) threshold, the pixels in the area above the under-display ambient light sensor are fully or partially restored to their default values, i.e., the intensities of those display pixels are restored to their unmodified values.

[0026] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F Dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2A-2F In each of the embodiments, mobile device 200 includes a display 202 and a sub-display ambient light sensor 204, which may also be referred to herein as "ambient light sensor 204," "light sensor 240," or simply "sensor 204." Display 202 includes an area 206 "above" sub-display ambient light sensor 204. Mobile device 200 includes one or more processors 208 and a memory 210 coupled to processor 208. At least a portion of memory 210 may be a display memory that is coupled to display 202 and may operate as a display buffer (e.g., containing image values ​​for each pixel of display 202). For clarity, processor 208 and memory 210 are only described in detail. Figure 2A shown inside.

[0027] Figure 2A An embodiment is shown in which region 206 is a rounded rectangle that is slightly larger than sensor 204, which is centered within region 206. The exact shape of region 206 may depend on the exact shape of sensor 204, but generally includes at least the area of ​​display 202 that has pixels that, if illuminated, may generate light that may be picked up by sensor 204. In some aspects, this may include only the pixels directly above sensor 204. In some aspects, this may include not only those pixels previously mentioned, but also additional pixels at some predetermined distance from the outer perimeter of sensor 204. In some aspects, this predetermined distance from the outer perimeter of sensor 204 is defined so that region 206 includes all pixels that may generate light that may be picked up by sensor 204. In some aspects, this predetermined distance may be dynamically calculated based on the current brightness of pixels near the outer perimeter of sensor 204, the current ambient light value, and other factors.

[0028] Figure 2BA scenario is shown where the brightness of the ambient light detected by the sensor 204 is below the ambient light threshold T. In this scenario, the region 206 is darkened to reduce the amount of light from the pixels of the display 202 within the region 206 that may be detected by the sensor 204. In some aspects, the pixels within the region 206 are completely turned off. In some aspects, the pixels within the region 206 are set to display black. In some aspects, the pixels within the region 206 are darkened, for example, by a percentage of the brightness value if they were not darkened, relative to the brightness of the rest of the display 202.

[0029] Figure 2C 2 shows a scenario in which the brightness of the ambient light detected by the sensor 204 is not below an ambient light threshold T (or above a different ambient light threshold T', which may be different from T, e.g., to provide hysteresis). In this scenario, the region 206 is not darkened relative to the rest of the display 202, e.g., by remaining unmodified or by restoring to its unmodified state if it was previously modified, e.g. Figure 2B shown.

[0030] For example, in one embodiment, the display 202 may have a global brightness value B that is a baseline brightness value for all pixels, where the value of an individual pixel is a combination of the baseline brightness value and the brightness value of the individual pixel according to the image being displayed. In this approach, the value of B may be set based on the brightness of the ambient light detected by the sensor 204. Figure 2B In the example shown, the baseline value (referred to herein as R) for region 206 can be set to zero or to some fraction of the baseline value B, such as 50% of B, 10% of B, etc. In some aspects, the amount of reduction can be inversely proportional to the ambient light measurement, e.g., the lower the ambient light value, the greater the reduction in brightness within region 206. Figure 2C In the example shown, the value of R may be set equal to the value of B, or otherwise the region 206 may be set or restored to have no Figure 2B The brightness of the case when modified is shown in the.

[0031] In some aspects, each time the value of R (or the brightness of region 206) is modified, either to lower it relative to the rest of display 202 or to restore it to its pre-modified value, another ambient light measurement can be taken and the process can repeat.

[0032] For example, if area 206 is not dimmed, as Figure 2C As shown, and the ambient light value is below the threshold, then in some aspects, the brightness of the display 202 is set based on the ambient light value, and then as shown Figure 2BThe brightness of region 206 is shown to be reduced, another ambient light value measurement is taken, and the new ambient light value is used to adjust the brightness of display 202 except for region 206. Alternatively, in some aspects, when the ambient light value is below the threshold, the brightness of display 202 is not set at that time; instead, the brightness of display 202 is not adjusted until after the brightness of region 206 is reduced, another ambient light value measurement is taken, and the new ambient light value is used to adjust the brightness of display 202 except for region 206.

[0033] Likewise, if area 206 is darkened, as Figure 2B As shown, and the ambient light value is not below the threshold, the brightness of region 206 can be restored to its unmodified state, such as Figure 2C In some aspects, the previously measured value of ambient light is assumed to still be correct, and another ambient light measurement need not be taken. Alternatively, in some aspects, another ambient light measurement is taken anyway, and the brightness of the entire display 202 including the region 206 is updated based on the latest ambient light measurement value.

[0034] In some aspects, the brightness of the entire display 202, including region 206, is continuously adjusted based on the most recent ambient light measurement, and the brightness of region 206 is modified by a separate process that dims the brightness of region 206 when the ambient light measurement is below a threshold and restores the brightness of region 206 to its unmodified state when the ambient light measurement is not below the threshold.

[0035] In some aspects, two ambient light thresholds are used to provide some hysteresis for the process of modifying the brightness of region 206. For example, if the ambient light value is below a first threshold T1, region 206 may be dimmed, and if the ambient light value is above a second threshold T2, region 206 may be restored, where T1 < T2. In some aspects, the ambient light thresholds may be statically supplied or preconfigured. In some aspects, the ambient light thresholds may be adjustable at runtime.

[0036] Figure 2D An embodiment is shown in which the under-display ambient light sensor 204 and its corresponding area 206 are located in the corner of the display 202 rather than being located in the center at the top of the display 202 . Figure 2D It is shown that the sensor 204 may be located anywhere within the area of ​​the display 202 at a point.

[0037] Figure 2EAn embodiment is shown where region 206 is larger than the minimum area required to reduce the display light that can be picked up by sensor 204. This may be done for aesthetic reasons, e.g., displaying a notch centered from left to right rather than an off-center notch, or for practical reasons, e.g., to allow additional information to be displayed in the blacked out region, such as Figure 2F shown.

[0038] Figure 2F An embodiment is shown in which region 206 is integrated with or used for regions having other purposes. Figure 2F In the example shown, area 206 is also used to provide notification of an incoming call, but this example is illustrative and not limiting. Figure 2F This shows the point that the size of region 206 may be dynamic and may be resized as needed.

[0039] In some aspects, the size, shape, or other characteristics of the dimmed area 206 can be controlled by the OS and can have characteristics controlled by the user interface (UI) theme of the application. In some aspects, the change of the area 206 from modified (e.g., dimmed or blacked) to unmodified can be based on a transition effect, such as a fade in and fade out, a pull-down and its inversion, a wipe transition, etc. In some aspects, when the area 206 is dimmed, the OS or application controlling the content displayed can adjust the content of the display to accommodate the area 206, for example, by relocating the visual features from the area 206 to some other location within the display 202. It is worth noting that the technology disclosed herein can also be applied to multiple under-display ambient light sensors 204.

[0040] The described techniques include, but are not limited to, the following advantages. When the ambient light is very low or there is no ambient light, the accuracy of the ambient light sensor 204 under the display will be greatly improved. As a result, the brightness of the display 202 will be more accurately set for the ambient light conditions; photos and videos taken by the camera on the device will have more accurate ambient light readings, which will result in higher picture quality. In contrast to conventional methods in which the ambient light sensor must be continuously recalibrated to compensate for the current pixel intensity above the ambient light sensor, for example, the techniques described herein eliminate the need to continuously perform such calibration when the area 206 is blackened. Implementation of the technology can be relatively simple, for example, by setting the pixel values ​​within the area 206 to zero, which can be performed by a simple masking operation.

[0041] Figure 3FIG. 0 is a flow chart showing a process 300 for dynamic, local screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The steps of the process 300 may be performed by, for example, a mobile phone, other mobile device 200, or any type of device having a display 202 and an under-display ambient light sensor 204 and having a portion of the display 202 defined as a region 206. For illustrative purposes only and not by way of limitation, the measured ambient light value is referred to as “A”, the baseline brightness of the display in the region other than this region is referred to as “B”, and the baseline brightness of this region is referred to as “R”.

[0042] As Figure 3 shown, the process 300 may include, at block 302, determining an ambient light value A. In some aspects, this value may be determined by one or more under-display ambient light sensors 204.

[0043] As Figure 3 shown, the process 300 may further include, at block 304, setting a display brightness B based on the value of A. In some aspects, this calculation may be performed by one or more processors operating on the contents of a memory such as a display buffer. In some aspects, the value of A is used to define a baseline brightness B for all pixels of the display, where the individual brightness of each pixel is also modified by the image being displayed. In some aspects, the value of A is used to individually calculate the brightness of each pixel in the image being displayed. For illustrative purposes only, the process 300 assumes the use of a baseline brightness value B, but the present disclosure also contemplates other embodiments that do not use the baseline value B.

[0044] As Figure 3 shown, the process 300 may further include, at block 306, determining whether A is greater than a first ambient light value threshold T1. In some aspects, this calculation may be performed by a processor operating on the contents of a display memory or by a dedicated circuit associated with the ambient light sensor.

[0045] As Figure 3 shown, if A is greater than T1, the process 300 may include, at block 308, setting the brightness of the region based on the baseline value B. That is, if the region has previously been modified (e.g., darkened or dimmed) such that the brightness of the region is less than the brightness of the remainder of the display (e.g., R < B), block 308 removes the previous modification such that the brightness of the region R is made consistent with the brightness of the remainder of the display B (e.g., R = B).

[0046] As Figure 3As shown, if A is not greater than T1, the area of the display over the ambient light sensor under the display should be modified (e.g., blackened or dimmed); thus, process 300 may include, at block 310, determining whether the area has been modified (e.g., R < B). At Figure 3 In the example shown, if the area has been modified, no further modification is needed and the process repeats starting from block 302. However, if the area is not currently modified, at block 312, the brightness of the area is reduced, e.g., dimmed or completely blackened, and the process repeats starting from block 302.

[0047] Figure 4 FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing process 400 for dynamic, local screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The steps of process 400 may be performed, for example, by a mobile phone, other mobile device 200, or any type of device having a display 202 and an under-display ambient light sensor 204 and having a portion of the display 202 defined as area 206. For purposes of illustration only and not limitation, the measured ambient light value is referred to as “A”.

[0048] As Figure 4 shown, process 400 includes two independent decision loops. In the first loop, the ambient light value A is continuously monitored (block 402), and the brightness of all pixels in the display (including the area) is set based on the value of A (block 404). In the second loop, the value of A is continuously checked to see if it has dropped below a threshold T1 (block 406). If A is less than T1, the area must be modified (e.g., the pixels should be blanked or dimmed). Thus, at block 408, the process determines whether the area has been modified: if so, the process repeats starting from block 406; if not, the area is modified (block 410) before looping from block 406. If, at block 406, A is not less than T1, the area should be restored to its unmodified value. Thus, at block 412, the process determines whether the area is currently modified: if not, the process loops from block 406; if so, before looping from block 406, the modification is reversed or undone (block 414).

[0049] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that Figure 3 and Figure 4 the specific process steps shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 represent alternative implementations of the same purpose, i.e., modifying the area of the display over the under-display ambient light sensor such that the under-display ambient light sensor readings are not affected by the light that would otherwise emanate from the pixels of the display within that area and contaminate the ambient light reading. Accordingly, Figure 3 and Figure 4The method shown in is illustrative and not limiting. The present disclosure contemplates other embodiments that similarly modify a portion of the display above the ambient light sensor to avoid or reduce contamination of the ambient light reading by light originally emitted by the display pixels.

[0050] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example process 500 associated with dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for an under-display ambient light sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by a device (eg, mobile device 200). In some implementations, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by other devices or groups of devices separate from or including the device. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 5 One or more process blocks may be performed by one or more components of an apparatus, such as one or more processors 208 or memory 210 of mobile device 200, any or all of which may be means for performing the operations of process 500.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, process 500 may include determining a first ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen (block 510). Means for performing the operations of block 510 may include processor 208, memory 210, or sensor 204 of mobile device 200. For example, mobile device 200 may determine the first ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located at 204.

[0052] Also like Figure 5 As shown in , process 500 may include determining that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold (block 520). Means for performing the operations of block 510 may include processor 208, memory 210, or sensor 204 of mobile device 200. For example, mobile device 200 may use processor 208 to determine that the first ambient light intensity value is below the first ambient light intensity threshold.

[0053] Also like Figure 5 As shown in , process 500 may include modifying an image being displayed in a first area of ​​a display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes less than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above an ambient light sensor under the display (block 530). The means for performing the operations of block 510 may include the processor 208, the memory 210, or the sensor 204 of the mobile device 200. For example, the processor 208 of the mobile device 200 may modify the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen by modifying the contents of a display buffer located in the memory 210.

[0054] In some aspects, modifying an image being displayed in a first region of a display screen based on the first ambient light intensity value includes reducing brightness of pixels in the first region, changing a color of pixels in the first region to black, or turning off pixels in the first region.

[0055] In some aspects, reducing the brightness of the pixels in the first region includes setting the brightness of the pixels to a zero value, or reducing the brightness of the pixels by a percentage.

[0056] In some aspects, process 500 also includes determining a second ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen, and using the second ambient light intensity value to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the second ambient light intensity value via image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof.

[0057] In some aspects, process 500 also includes determining a third ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen, determining that the third ambient light intensity value is above a second ambient light intensity threshold, and reversing or canceling the modification made to the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen.

[0058] In some aspects, reversing or canceling modifications made to an image being displayed in a first region of a display screen includes restoring the brightness of pixels in the first region to their unmodified state, changing the color of pixels in the first region from black to an unmodified color, or turning on pixels in the first region.

[0059] In some aspects, process 500 also includes determining a fourth ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen, and using the fourth ambient light intensity value to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the fourth ambient light intensity value via image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof.

[0060] In some aspects, the value of the first ambient light intensity threshold and the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold are the same value.

[0061] In some aspects, the value of the first ambient light intensity threshold is less than the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold.

[0062] In some aspects, the first area of ​​the display screen also includes pixels within a predetermined distance from an outer boundary of an ambient light sensor under the display.

[0063] In some aspects, the size, shape, or area of ​​the first region of the display screen is dynamically adjusted by an operating system or an application.

[0064] In some aspects, modifying the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen further includes displaying additional information with the first area.

[0065] In some aspects, modifying the image being displayed within the first area of ​​the display screen includes performing a transition effect from an unmodified state to a modified state or from a modified state to an unmodified state.

[0066] In some aspects, process 500 also includes adjusting the user interface element in response to modifying the image being displayed within the first area of ​​the display screen.

[0067] Process 500 may include additional implementations, such as any single implementation or any combination of implementations described below and / or in combination with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein. Figure 5 An example block diagram of process 500 is shown, but in some implementations, process 500 may include more Figure 5 Additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks may be those depicted. Additionally or alternatively, two or more blocks of process 500 may be performed in parallel.

[0068] In the above specific embodiments, it can be seen that different features are combined together in the examples. This disclosure should not be understood as an intention that the example clauses have more features than those explicitly mentioned in each clause. On the contrary, various aspects of the present disclosure may include features that are less than all the features of the disclosed single example clauses. Thus, the following clauses should be considered to be incorporated into the specification, where each clause itself can be used as a single example. Although each subordinate clause can be referenced in a clause to a specific combination with one of the other clauses, the various aspects of the subordinate clause are not limited to the specific combination. It should be understood that other example clauses may also include a combination of various aspects of the subordinate clause with the subject matter of any other subordinate clause or independent clause, or any feature with other subordinate and independent clauses. The various aspects disclosed herein explicitly include these combinations, unless it is explicitly expressed or can be easily inferred that there is no intention to make a specific combination (for example, contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as both an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor). In addition, it is also intended that various aspects of the clause can be included in any other independent clause, even if the clause is not directly subordinate to the independent clause.

[0069] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0070] Item 1. A method for dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction for a under-display ambient light sensor, the method comprising: determining a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; determining that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and modifying an image being displayed within a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes fewer than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0071] Clause 2. A method according to clause 1, wherein modifying the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen based on the first ambient light intensity value includes reducing the brightness of pixels in the first area, changing the color of pixels in the first area to black, or turning off pixels in the first area.

[0072] Clause 3. The method of clause 2, wherein reducing the brightness of the pixels in the first region comprises setting the brightness of the pixels to a zero value, or reducing the brightness of the pixels by a percentage.

[0073] Clause 4. The method according to any one of clauses 1 to 3 further includes: determining a second ambient light intensity value using an under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; and using the second ambient light intensity value to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the second ambient light intensity value through image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof.

[0074] Clause 5. The method according to any one of clauses 1 to 4 also includes: determining a third ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; determining that the third ambient light intensity value is greater than a second ambient light intensity threshold; and reversing or canceling modifications made to the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen.

[0075] Clause 6. A method according to clause 5, wherein reversing or canceling modifications made to an image being displayed in a first area of ​​a display screen comprises restoring the brightness of pixels in the first area to their unmodified state, changing the color of pixels in the first area from black to an unmodified color, or turning on pixels in the first area.

[0076] Clause 7. The method according to any one of clauses 5 to 6 also includes: determining a fourth ambient light intensity value using an under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; and using the fourth ambient light intensity value to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the fourth ambient light intensity value through image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof.

[0077] Clause 8. The method of any one of Clauses 5 to 7, wherein the value of the first ambient light intensity threshold and the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold are the same value.

[0078] Clause 9. The method of any one of Clauses 5 to 8, wherein the value of the first ambient light intensity threshold is less than the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold.

[0079] Clause 10. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen further comprises pixels within a predetermined distance from an outer boundary of an ambient light sensor under the display.

[0080] Clause 11. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the size, shape, or area of ​​the first region of the display screen is dynamically adjusted by an operating system or an application.

[0081] Clause 12. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 11, wherein modifying the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen further comprises displaying additional information with the first area.

[0082] Clause 13. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 12, wherein modifying the image being displayed in the first region of the display screen comprises performing a transition effect from an unmodified state to a modified state or from a modified state to an unmodified state.

[0083] Clause 14. The method of any of Clauses 1 to 13, further comprising adjusting a user interface element in response to modifying an image being displayed within the first region of the display screen.

[0084] Item 15. A device comprising: a memory; at least one transceiver; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, the at least one processor configured to: determine a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; determine that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and modify an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes less than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0085] Item 16. An apparatus according to Item 15, wherein, in order to modify an image being displayed in a first area of ​​a display screen based on a first ambient light intensity value, the at least one processor is configured to reduce the brightness of pixels in the first area, change the color of pixels in the first area to black, or turn off pixels in the first area.

[0086] Clause 17. The apparatus of clause 16, wherein, to reduce the brightness of the pixels in the first region, the at least one processor is configured to set the brightness of the pixels to a zero value, or to reduce the brightness of the pixels by a percentage.

[0087] Clause 18. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 15 to 17, wherein at least one processor is further configured to: determine a second ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; and use the second ambient light intensity value to set the brightness of an image being displayed based on the second ambient light intensity value through image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof.

[0088] Clause 19. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 15 to 18, wherein at least one processor is further configured to: determine a third ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; determine that the third ambient light intensity value is greater than a second ambient light intensity threshold; and reverse or cancel modifications made to an image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen.

[0089] Clause 20. An apparatus according to clause 19, wherein, in order to reverse or cancel modifications made to an image being displayed in a first area of ​​a display screen, the at least one processor is configured to restore the brightness of pixels in the first area to their unmodified state, change the color of pixels in the first area from black to an unmodified color, or turn on pixels in the first area.

[0090] Clause 21. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 19 to 20, wherein at least one processor is further configured to: determine a fourth ambient light intensity value using an under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; and use the fourth ambient light intensity value to set the brightness of an image being displayed based on the fourth ambient light intensity value through image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof.

[0091] Clause 22. The apparatus of any of Clauses 19 to 21, wherein the value of the first ambient light intensity threshold and the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold are the same value.

[0092] Clause 23. The apparatus of any one of clauses 19 to 22, the method of any one of clauses 19 to 22, wherein the value of the first ambient light intensity threshold is less than the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold.

[0093] Clause 24. The apparatus of any one of Clauses 15 to 23, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen further comprises pixels within a predetermined distance from an outer boundary of an ambient light sensor under the display.

[0094] Clause 25. The apparatus of any one of clauses 15 to 24, wherein the size, shape or area of ​​the first region of the display screen is dynamically adjusted by an operating system or an application.

[0095] Clause 26. The apparatus of any one of clauses 15 to 25, wherein, to modify an image being displayed in the first region of the display screen, the at least one processor is configured to display additional information using the first region.

[0096] Clause 27. An apparatus according to any one of clauses 15 to 26, wherein, in order to modify an image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen, the at least one processor is configured to perform a transition effect from an unmodified state to a modified state or from a modified state to an unmodified state.

[0097] Clause 28. The apparatus of any of Clauses 15 to 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the user interface element in response to modifying an image being displayed within the first region of the display screen.

[0098] Item 29. A device comprising: a component for determining a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; a component for determining that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and a component for modifying an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes less than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0099] Item 30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to: determine a first ambient light intensity value using a under-display ambient light sensor located below a display screen; determine that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and modify an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes fewer than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above the under-display ambient light sensor.

[0100] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and bits that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0101] In addition, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic steps described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above with respect to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware or software depends on specific applications and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0102] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0103] The methods, sequences and / or algorithms described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of the two. The software module may reside in a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An example storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., UE). Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may reside in a user terminal as discrete components.

[0104] In one or more example aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, these functions may be stored on or sent via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that facilitates the transfer of computer programs from one place to another. Storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. As an example and not a limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that may be used to carry or store desired program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a computer. Similarly, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if software is sent from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the definition of the medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0105] Although the foregoing disclosure shows the illustrative aspects of the present disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made to this article without departing from the scope of the present disclosure defined by the appended claims. The functions, steps and / or actions of the method claims according to the various aspects of the present disclosure described herein do not need to be performed in any particular order. In addition, although the elements of the present disclosure may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural number is also considered unless explicitly stated to be limited to the singular.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic, localized screen intensity reduction of an ambient light sensor under a display, the method comprising: determining a first ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; determining that the first ambient light intensity value is lower than a first ambient light intensity threshold; as well as Modifying an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes fewer than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above an ambient light sensor below the display.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Modifying the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen based on the first ambient light intensity value includes reducing the brightness of pixels in the first area, changing the color of pixels in the first area to black, or turning off pixels in the first area.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Reducing the brightness of the pixels in the first area includes setting the brightness of the pixels to a zero value, or reducing the brightness of the pixels by a percentage.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a second ambient light intensity value using the under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; as well as The second ambient light intensity value is used by image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the second ambient light intensity value.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining a third ambient light intensity value using the under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; Determining that the third ambient light intensity value is greater than a second ambient light intensity threshold; as well as Reversing or canceling modifications made to the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: Reversing or canceling the modifications made to the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen includes restoring the brightness of the pixels in the first area to its unmodified state, changing the color of the pixels in the first area from black to an unmodified color, or turning on the pixels in the first area.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: determining a fourth ambient light intensity value using the under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; as well as The fourth ambient light intensity value is used by image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the fourth ambient light intensity value.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The value of the first ambient light intensity threshold and the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold are the same value.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The value of the first ambient light intensity threshold is smaller than the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first area of ​​the display screen also includes pixels within a predetermined distance from an outer boundary of the ambient light sensor under the display.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The size, shape or area of ​​the first region of the display screen is dynamically adjusted by an operating system or an application.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Modifying the image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen also includes displaying additional information with the first area.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Modifying the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen includes performing a transition effect from an unmodified state to a modified state or from the modified state to the unmodified state.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a user interface element in response to modifying the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen.

15. An apparatus comprising: Display screen; Ambient light sensor under the display; Memory; as well as at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, the display screen, and the under-display ambient light sensor, the at least one processor being configured to: Determine a first ambient light intensity value using the under-display ambient light sensor; determining that the first ambient light intensity value is below a first ambient light intensity threshold; and Modifying an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes fewer than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above an ambient light sensor below the display.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein: In order to modify the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen based on the first ambient light intensity value, the at least one processor is configured to reduce the brightness of pixels in the first area, change the color of pixels in the first area to black, or turn off pixels in the first area.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein: To reduce the brightness of the pixels in the first area, the at least one processor is configured to set the brightness of the pixels to a zero value, or to reduce the brightness of the pixels by a percentage.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: determining a second ambient light intensity value using the under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; as well as The second ambient light intensity value is used by image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the second ambient light intensity value.

19. The device according to claim 15, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to: determining a third ambient light intensity value using the under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; determining that the third ambient light intensity value is greater than a second ambient light intensity threshold; and Reversing or canceling modifications made to the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein In order to reverse or cancel the modifications made to the image being displayed in the first area of ​​the display screen, the at least one processor is configured to restore the brightness of the pixels in the first area to its unmodified state, change the color of the pixels in the first area from black to an unmodified color, or turn on the pixels in the first area.

21. The device according to claim 19, wherein The at least one processor is further configured to: determining a fourth ambient light intensity value using the under-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; as well as The fourth ambient light intensity value is used by image capture hardware and / or software or a combination thereof to set the brightness of the image being displayed based on the fourth ambient light intensity value.

22. The device according to claim 19, wherein The value of the first ambient light intensity threshold and the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold are the same value.

23. The device according to claim 19, wherein: The value of the first ambient light intensity threshold is smaller than the value of the second ambient light intensity threshold.

24. The device according to claim 15, wherein: The first area of ​​the display screen also includes pixels within a predetermined distance from an outer boundary of the ambient light sensor under the display.

25. The device according to claim 15, wherein: The size, shape or area of ​​the first region of the display screen is dynamically adjusted by an operating system or an application.

26. The device according to claim 15, wherein: To modify the image being displayed within a first area of ​​the display screen, the at least one processor is configured to display additional information using the first area.

27. The device according to claim 15, wherein: To modify the image being displayed within the first area of ​​the display screen, the at least one processor is configured to perform a transition effect from an unmodified state to a modified state or from the modified state to the unmodified state.

28. The device according to claim 15, wherein: The at least one processor is further configured to adjust a user interface element in response to modifying the image being displayed within the first area of ​​the display screen.

29. An apparatus comprising: means for determining a first ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; means for determining that the first ambient light intensity value is lower than a first ambient light intensity threshold; as well as Means for modifying an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes fewer than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above an ambient light sensor below the display.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to: determining a first ambient light intensity value using a sub-display ambient light sensor located below the display screen; determining that the first ambient light intensity value is lower than a first ambient light intensity threshold; as well as Modifying an image being displayed in a first area of ​​the display screen, wherein the first area of ​​the display screen includes fewer than all pixels in the display screen and includes at least pixels of the display screen located above an ambient light sensor below the display.

Images