Wearable Display Brightness Control via Physiological Sensor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable electronic devices face challenges in efficiently adjusting display brightness levels without dedicated ambient light sensors, leading to potential battery life issues and user discomfort due to constant maximum brightness settings.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a physiological metric sensor system with a light source and detector on the backside of the device to generate ambient light data, which is used to adjust the display brightness levels by canceling out ambient light from reflected signals, allowing for intelligent brightness adjustments between indoor and outdoor modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the display brightness is maintained at maximum level, then the display visibility is improved, but the power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic brightness adjustment by using the physiological metric sensor (originally designed for heart rate monitoring) to detect ambient light conditions. The sensor continuously monitors reflected light from the user's skin and processes this data to determine ambient light levels, enabling the display brightness to adapt dynamically to changing environmental conditions rather than remaining static at maximum level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent repurposes the physiological metric sensor system, originally designed solely for health monitoring, to perform dual functions: continuing to monitor physiological metrics while simultaneously detecting ambient light conditions. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a dedicated ambient light sensor, reducing device complexity while enabling adaptive brightness control to optimize power consumption.
2Measurement precision
If a dedicated ambient light sensor is added, then the ambient light detection accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the physiological metric sensor multi-functional by utilizing its light detection capability for both physiological monitoring and ambient light sensing. The sensor measures reflected light from the user's skin for physiological metrics, and the same reflected light data is processed to determine ambient light conditions, allowing one sensor to perform multiple functions without adding device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the ambient light detection function with the existing physiological metric sensing system. By merging these functions into a single sensor platform, the patent avoids the complexity of adding a separate dedicated ambient light sensor while still achieving the capability to detect and respond to ambient light conditions.
3Ease of operation
If the display brightness is kept at maximum level, then the user comfort in varying light conditions is improved, but the battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the physiological metric sensor continuously monitors ambient light conditions and feeds this information back to the display control system. Based on this feedback, the display brightness is automatically adjusted to appropriate levels for current environmental conditions, ensuring user comfort across varying light conditions while optimizing power consumption to extend battery life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic adaptation of display brightness to changing ambient conditions through continuous monitoring by the physiological metric sensor. The system automatically adjusts brightness levels in real-time based on detected ambient light, maintaining user comfort during both indoor and outdoor use without requiring manual intervention, while simultaneously conserving battery power through intelligent brightness management.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables power savings and extended battery life by dynamically adjusting display brightness based on ambient conditions without the need for a dedicated ambient light sensor, improving user experience and reducing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a light source configured to direct light into tissue of a user when the user is wearing the wearable computing device and a light detector configured to detect light from the light source that reflects back from the user
Implementation Method 2
generate a physiological metric based at least in part on the first light detector signal and the second light detector signal
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable computing device includes an electronic display with a configurable brightness level setting, a physiological metric sensor system including a light source configured to direct light into tissue of a user wearing the wearable computing device and a light detector configured to detect light from the light source that reflects back from the user. The device may further include control circuitry configured to activate the light source during a first period, generate a first light detector signal indicating a first amount of light detected by the light detector during the first period, deactivate the light source during a second period, generate a second light detector signal indicating a second amount of light detected by the light detector during the second period, generate a physiological metric based at least in part on the first light detector signal and the second light detector signal, and modify the configurable brightness level setting based on the second light detector signal.