Patent Application
20090109129
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system displays, and more particularly to a system and method for managing information handling system display illumination.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
As information handling system technology has improved, end users have trended from reliance on desktop systems, which are generally immobile, towards greater reliance on portable systems. Portable information handling systems are built in a portable-sized housing that typically has an integrated power source, such as a rechargeable battery, and an integrated display, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The integrated power source and display allow the end user to use a portable information handling system free from external connections, such as external peripherals and power plugs. Wireless networking further improves the usability of portable information handling systems by allowing end users to remain in communication with other systems, such as by e-mail, instant messaging, chat or other types of applications. As an example, a portable information handling system user who has wireless networking and a “webcam” built into the housing can video conference with others from a variety of locations, such as an office, a home, an airport, a hotel, etc . . . A webcam is typically a digital camera integrated in the rotating lid of a portable information handling system near the display. The webcam takes a video of the area immediately in front of the display.
One difficulty that arises with portable information handling systems is that the image presented from an integrated display tends to vary depending upon the ambient lighting conditions. Ambient lighting conditions vary depending upon the environment in which the portable information handling system is located. For example, ambient light intensity at an outdoors location is often much greater than ambient light intensity in a home or office. In order to automatically adjust a display image for varying ambient light conditions, portable information handling systems sometimes include ambient light sensors. Ambient light sensors interface with a backlight of the integrated display so that the intensity of the backlight is automatically adjusted based upon the intensity of the ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor. Ambient light sensors are typically low cost lux meters that only sense and allow correction for the intensity of ambient light. Other display settings, such as color temperature and contrast, are not typically varied to adjust for varying ambient light conditions.
Therefore a need has arisen for a system and method which more accurately corrects a display image for varying ambient light conditions.
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are provided which substantially reduce the disadvantages and problems associated with previous methods and systems for correcting a display image for varying ambient light conditions. A camera associated with a display captures images, such as for video conferencing. An image captured by the camera is analyzed to determine ambient light characteristics, which are then applied to the display image to compensate for ambient light conditions at the display.
More specifically, a portable information handling system has a display and a webcam integrated in rotationally coupled lid. Processing components of the information handling system interfaced with the camera and display process visual information captured by the webcam and visual information presented by the display. Images captured by the webcam are periodically analyzed to determine ambient light characteristics at the display. For example, a histogram of a captured image is analyzed to determine ambient light intensity and color temperature. The ambient light intensity and color temperature are then applied to adjust illumination at the display, such as brightness, contrast and color settings of the display. Automated display setting adjustments are managed by an ambient light module running on the camera, the display, and or the information handling system.
The present invention provides a number of important technical advantages. One example of an important technical advantage is that a webcam integrated in an information handling system display provides a dual use as an ambient light sensor for the display, thus reducing system cost. Using the webcam as an ambient light sensor provides more accurate ambient light measurements when compared with the typical lux meter used as an ambient light sensor. The webcam also measures ambient light conditions other than just intensity, such as ambient light color temperature, so that the display image is adjusted for ambient color temperature, such as with automated adjustments to display color and contrast settings.
The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.
Compensation of information handling system display settings with ambient light measured by a camera improves management of display illumination. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.
Referring now to
In operation, webcam 12 takes a video image of a user who is looking at display 24, such as in support of a video conference. Display 24 has a variety of settings that change the quality of a visual image presented at display 24. For instance, a brightness setting changes the intensity of the backlight that illuminates display 24. Contrast and color settings change the quality of light that passes through the liquid crystal pixels. Display settings are manually selectable through a user interface, such as an interface presented at display 24. For example, embedded controller 22 interfaces with display 24 to manage selection of brightness, contrast and color settings. The display is controlled according to the settings with the embedded controller, with a scalar or other logic on display 24 or with a combination of logic on information handling system 10 and display 24. Once a user establishes desired settings, an ambient light module 32 may be selected to adjust the settings to compensate for changes in ambient light conditions at display 24. Ambient light module 32 retrieves image information captured by webcam 24 and analyzes the image information to determine ambient light characteristics and applies the detected ambient light characteristics to adjust settings of display 24. The ambient light characteristics include the intensity of ambient light, such as changes of brightness associated with outdoor versus indoor environments, and the color temperature of ambient light, such as changes in “cool” versus “warm” lighting found in different environments, like a home, an office, an airport, etc . . . Ambient light module 32 adjusts brightness, contrast and color settings of display 24 to compensate for changes in the ambient light characteristics.
Referring now to
Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
