Patent Publication Number: US-11658465-B1

Title: Mobile device including laser-pumped phosphor light source

Description:
This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/865,904, filed Jun. 24, 2019, titled “Mobile Device Including Laser-Pumped Phosphor Light Source”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     This disclosure relates generally to light source modules, including, without limitation, light source modules that include at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     For small devices, including devices which include one or more miniature cameras, it is common to include a flash, also referred to herein as a light source module, which illuminates at least a portion of a scene located within a field of view (FOV) of the camera. The field of view of a camera may be referred to herein as a “scene”. Such cameras and light source modules can be included in a larger electronic device, including a mobile electronic device, which can include a mobile telephone, smartphone, notebook, etc. 
     The light source module, which can include a camera “flash” module can emit light which illuminates a space external to the light source module and can include the camera field of view, thereby illuminating subjects within the camera field of view for images of said subjects captured by the camera. 
     In some cases, the light source module included in a small device includes a light source which includes one or more illumination elements, such as a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode, or a combination thereof. LEDs can emit light within the visible spectrum. This light may be various colors dependent on the semiconductor material properties such as InGaN emitting blue light and GaAs emitting red light. This light may also be generated through a phosphor conversion of higher energy light into lower energy light or over a broad spectrum generating an emission of white light. This method is commonly referred to as downconversion or phosphor converted white light. Phosphor converted white light may also be generated from higher energy laser diodes, such as laser diodes operating with a near ultraviolet (UV) or blue pump wavelength. 
     SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Some embodiments provide a mobile device which includes a camera and a light source module embedded in the mobile device. The light source module includes one or more light sources, including at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source. The laser-pumped phosphor light source includes a photoluminescent phosphor and a laser diode to generate laser light within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor. Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor to the laser light results in emission of visible light within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor. 
     Some embodiments provide a light source module for a camera. The light source module includes a laser-pumped phosphor light source and one or more LED light sources. The laser-pumped phosphor light source includes a photoluminescent phosphor and a laser diode to generate laser light within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor. Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor to the laser light results in emission of visible light within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor. The one or more LED light sources are configured to generate LED light according to respective LED emission spectrums. 
     Some embodiments provide a method performed by a mobile device. The method includes activating a light source module embedded in the mobile device. The light source module includes a laser-pumped phosphor light source of a plurality of light sources. The laser-pumped phosphor light source includes a photoluminescent phosphor and a laser diode, in which the laser diode is configured to generate laser light within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor. The method includes determining, based on ambient light information captured by a sensor associated with a camera embedded in the mobile device, whether the laser-pumped phosphor light source is to be utilized for illumination. Responsive to determining that the laser-pumped phosphor light source is to be utilized for illumination, the method further includes causing the laser diode to generate the laser light to pump the photoluminescent phosphor. Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor to the laser light results in emission of visible light within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1 A  illustrates a mobile device that includes a camera and an embedded light source module which includes one or more light sources, including at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  1 B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of a first example design for the laser-pumped phosphor light source of  FIG.  1 A , according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  1 C  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a second example design for the laser-pumped phosphor light source of  FIG.  1 A , according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  2 A  illustrates a top view of an example of a design for an array that includes a laser-pumped phosphor light source and multiple LEDs, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  2 B  illustrates a top view of a light source module corresponding to the array depicted in  FIG.  2 A , including optics associated with the laser-pumped phosphor light source and optics associated with the multiple LEDs, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  2 C  depicts a side view of a portion of the light source module depicted in  FIG.  2 B  to illustrate overlap of LED emission areas with a laser-pumped phosphor emission area for color rendering, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  3    depicts a side view of selected portions of an example of a design for a laser-pumped phosphor light source of a light source module, including a laser diode that generates laser light in the UV spectrum to pump a photoluminescent phosphor along with associated safety features to prevent UV leakage, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  4    depicts a flow chart for controlling a light source module for a camera, according to some embodiments. 
         FIGS.  5 A-C  depict various cross-sectional views of a laser-pumped phosphor light source that includes a laser diode and a plurality of optical elements, in which laser light generated by the laser diode is steerable for pumping a particular region of a photoluminescent phosphor associated with a particular optical element of the plurality of optical elements, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  6    illustrates an example of a first optical element associated with a first field-of-view (FOV) design for a laser flash module (referred to herein as a “wide FOV design”), according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  7    illustrates an example of a second optical element associated with a second FOV design for a laser flash module (referred to herein as a “one-hundred-degree FOV design”), according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  8    illustrates an example of a third optical element associated with a FOV visual field indicator (VFI) design for a laser flash module (referred to herein as a “wide FOV VFI design”) to enable illumination of edges of a corresponding FOV for a camera, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  9    illustrates an example of a fourth optical element associated with a spot light design for a laser flash module (referred to herein as a “spot light” design), according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  10    is a flow diagram illustrating a method performed by a mobile device having a light source module that includes a laser-pumped phosphor light source of a plurality of light sources, according to some embodiments. 
         FIGS.  11 A- 11 C  illustrate a portable multifunction device with an embedded light source module that includes at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  12    illustrates an example computer system, according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     This specification includes references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment.” The appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner consistent with this disclosure. 
     “Comprising.” This term is open-ended. As used in the appended claims, this term does not foreclose additional structure or steps. Consider a claim that recites: “An apparatus comprising one or more processor units . . . .” Such a claim does not foreclose the apparatus from including additional components (e.g., a network interface unit, graphics circuitry, etc.). 
     “Configured To.” Various units, circuits, or other components may be described or claimed as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is used to connote structure by indicating that the units/circuits/components include structure (e.g., circuitry) that performs those task or tasks during operation. As such, the unit/circuit/component can be said to be configured to perform the task even when the specified unit/circuit/component is not currently operational (e.g., is not on). The units/circuits/components used with the “configured to” language include hardware for example, circuits, memory storing program instructions executable to implement the operation, etc. Reciting that a unit/circuit/component is “configured to” perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, for that unit/circuit/component. Additionally, “configured to” can include generic structure (e.g., generic circuitry) that is manipulated by software and/or firmware (e.g., an FPGA or a general-purpose processor executing software) to operate in manner that is capable of performing the task(s) at issue. “Configure to” may also include adapting a manufacturing process (e.g., a semiconductor fabrication facility) to fabricate devices (e.g., integrated circuits) that are adapted to implement or perform one or more tasks. 
     “First,” “Second,” etc. As used herein, these terms are used as labels for nouns that they precede, and do not imply any type of ordering (e.g., spatial, temporal, logical, etc.). For example, a buffer circuit may be described herein as performing write operations for “first” and “second” values. The terms “first” and “second” do not necessarily imply that the first value must be written before the second value. 
     “Based On.” As used herein, this term is used to describe one or more factors that affect a determination. This term does not foreclose additional factors that may affect a determination. That is, a determination may be solely based on those factors or based, at least in part, on those factors. Consider the phrase “determine A based on B.” While in this case, B is a factor that affects the determination of A, such a phrase does not foreclose the determination of A from also being based on C. In other instances, A may be determined based solely on B. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Introduction 
     The present disclosure describes a light source module for a camera, where the light source module includes at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source. As used herein, the term “laser-pumped phosphor light source” refers to a light source (also referred to as “an illumination element”) that includes at least a laser light source (e.g., a laser diode) and a photoluminescent phosphor. The laser diode of the laser-pumped phosphor light source is configured to generate laser light within a first wavelength range. The laser light represents higher energy light that may be utilized to generate light within the visible spectrum through a phosphor conversion of the higher energy light into lower energy light or over a broad spectrum generating an emission of white light. In the present disclosure, the laser light within the first wavelength range includes an excitation wavelength associated with a particular photoluminescent phosphor, which excites (also referred to herein as “pumps”) the particular photoluminescent phosphor. Exposure of the particular photoluminescent phosphor to the laser light results in emission of visible light within a second wavelength range according to a particular laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the particular photoluminescent phosphor. According to some embodiments, the laser light is within the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum (also referred to herein as “UV light”), which may be advantageous to prevent speckle (interference patterns) associated with lasers that pump in the near-UV or blue wavelength ranges. 
     In various embodiments, the light source module may include one or more additional light sources. In a particular embodiment, the additional light source(s) may include one or more LED light sources that generate LED light according to respective LED emission spectrums. Illustrative, non-limiting examples of such LED light sources include an InGaN-type LED for emitting blue light or a GaAs-type LED for emitting red light, among numerous other alternatives. In some embodiments, both the laser-pumped phosphor light source and the LED light source(s) could be employed to enable the light source module to be used as a flashlight or compact photographic flash module in a mobile device, such as in a digital still camera, in a mobile phone, or in other devices containing compact camera modules. 
     In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to have multiple LEDs or laser diodes of multiple colors to improve color rendering or to be able to tune the light by varying the ratio of brightness between multiple color light sources. In some other embodiments, it may be beneficial to have a laser-pumped phosphor light source as one light source and other light sources within the same light source module such as one or more LEDs working together to generate a tunable color. In some cases, the laser-pumped phosphor light source may represent a main source of white light, and the individual LEDs could be used as another color to add other shades of white light or other color to produce tunable light. 
     Optics may be used to collimate or otherwise direct the visible light emitted by the photoluminescent phosphor of the laser-pumped phosphor light source and/or the LED light from the LEDs. In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to direct the visible light and the LED light over the same spatial area or separately depending on the requirements for a particular photographic application. In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to scan a beam of light from a laser light source and/or a beam of light from an LED light source over a spatial area. In a particular embodiment, this light may be steered with an actuator to tilt or translate the light source or optics. The beam could be a shape like a line, square, circle, or other shape. 
     Thus, the present disclosure relates to a light source module for a camera, such as a light source module embedded in a mobile device. As described further herein, various types of light sources could be employed in a light source module which may be used as a flashlight or compact photographic flash module in a digital still camera, a mobile phone, or other devices containing compact camera modules. Such a light source module may either work simultaneously, sequentially, or separately to illuminate a flat field area with light for the purpose of a photographic flash for a mobile phone or other device. In some embodiments of the light source module of the present disclosure, a combination of visible light emitted by the photoluminescent phosphor of the laser-pumped phosphor light source and LED light can be used to generate tunable white or other colored light. 
     Various potential benefits may be associated with an illumination system that includes a laser light source. As a first example, a laser light source provides better efficiency when high current is applied and bright scene illumination is desired. As a second example, the spatial and angular extent of a laser beam is typically smaller than light emitted by an LED, which enables smaller optic and/or higher illuminance uniformity compared to an LED-based flash module. As a third example, a laser light source may provide features not available using an LED light source, such as larger illumination field-of-view (FOV) or visual field indicator (VFI). 
     According to some embodiments, a single element freeform lens can be designed with a laser light source for each application. Alternatively, multiple optics can be designed with one laser light source, and steering capabilities enable pumping of different spatial locations of the photoluminescent phosphor associated with different optics. 
     Example Mobile Device Including Laser-Pumped Phosphor Light Source 
     In some embodiments, a light source module may be embedded in a mobile device and may provide light to illuminate a scene to be captured by a camera or video recorder of the mobile device. For example,  FIG.  1 A  illustrates a mobile device  100  with a camera  102 , a sensor  104 , and an embedded light source module  106 . In some embodiments, the sensor  104  may be a light sensor that can detect ambient lighting conditions. In some embodiments, the sensor  104  may also detect subjects in a scene and distances from the mobile device  100  to detected subjects. A controller (e.g., the controller  405  described further herein with respect to  FIG.  4   ) may use information from the camera  102 , the sensor  104 , and (optionally) user inputs to the mobile device  100  to control light emitted from one or more light sources of the light source module  106 , with the one or more light sources including at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 . In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG.  1 A , the light source module  106  further includes additional light sources, including four LED light sources  112 A-D that are arranged to form an array (as illustrated and further described herein with respect to  FIGS.  2 A-C ). 
       FIG.  1 B  depicts a cross-sectional view of a selected portion of the light source module  106  of  FIG.  1 A , corresponding to one embodiment of a design for the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 . A combination of a laser diode  120  and a photoluminescent phosphor  124  may form the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  (e.g., for incorporation into the light source module  106  depicted in  FIG.  1 A ). The laser diode  120  is configured to generate laser light  122  within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  to the laser light  122  in transmission results in emission of visible light  126  within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG.  1 B , the phosphor light conversion occurs primarily within the volume of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  and the visible light  126  transmitting through the photoluminescent phosphor  124  then reaches the optical element(s)  128 . 
       FIG.  1 C  depicts a cross-sectional view of a selected portion of the light module  106  of  FIG.  1 A , corresponding to an alternative embodiment of a design for the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG.  1 C , exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  to the laser light  122  in reflection results in emission of visible light  126  within the second wavelength range according to the laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG.  1 C , the phosphor light conversion occurs primarily at the surface of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  and the visible light  126  reflecting off this surface then reaches the optical element(s)  128 . 
     The photoluminescent phosphor  124  may correspond to a variety of materials having various excitation wavelengths. Additionally, the laser diode  120  may correspond to a variety of lasers designed to generate a beam of laser light within a particular wavelength range that includes a particular excitation wavelength associated with a selected photoluminescent phosphor. As described further herein, there may be advantages associated with the laser light  122  being within the UV spectrum, including no speckle and high color quality (compared to other lasers that operate in the near-UV or blue wavelengths). As described further herein with respect to  FIG.  3   , a variety of photoluminescent phosphor materials have excitation wavelengths within the UV spectrum, and a corresponding laser diode may be selected that is capable of generating UV laser light to pump a selected photoluminescent phosphor material. 
     With respect to module integration, a light source module containing a laser-pumped phosphor light source (e.g., the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  depicted in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C) may include a substrate  130  or printed circuit board containing the laser diode  120 . One purpose of the substrate  130  is to electrically connect to the laser diode  120  but also to provide a thermal dissipation path  140  (identified as “Thermal Dissipation Path( 1 )”) for excess heat generated by the laser diode  120 . As illustrated in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C, the photoluminescent phosphor  124  is to be mechanically separated from the laser diode  120 . The separation enables dissipation of heat from the laser diode  120  via the thermal dissipation path  140  and enables dissipation of heat from the photoluminescent phosphor  124  via a different thermal dissipation path  142  (identified as “Thermal Dissipation Path( 2 )”). In the embodiment depicted in  FIG.  1 B , the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  may be enclosed within a housing  132 , and the housing  132  may be utilized as the thermal dissipation path  142  to remove excess heat from the photoluminescent phosphor  124 .  FIG.  1 C  illustrates an embodiment in which one thermal dissipation path  140  corresponds to one region of the substrate  130  adjacent to the laser diode  120 , and the other thermal dissipation path  142  corresponds to a different region of the substrate  130  adjacent to the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . 
       FIGS.  1 B / 1 C further illustrate that one or more optical elements  128  may be placed over the laser diode  120  and the photoluminescent phosphor  124  and attached to the substrate  130  (e.g., via enclosure within the housing  132 ). One purpose of the optical element(s)  128  would be to shape the light output of the light source module  106 . With respect to light steering, while not shown in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C, a direction control component may shift a spatial orientation of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  with respect to the optical element(s)  128  to provide light directionality, according to some embodiments. The shift of the spatial orientation may enable steering of the visible light  126  toward the optical element(s)  128 . The photoluminescent phosphor  124  could be combined with a mirror or other reflective surface to augment this steer-ability, according to some embodiments. 
     Example Light Source Module Including Laser-Pumped Phosphor Light Source 
       FIG.  2 A  illustrates a top view of an example of a design for an array  200  that includes the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  and multiple additional light sources, according to some embodiments. In the illustrative, non-limiting example depicted in  FIG.  2 A , the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  including the underlying laser diode  120  (as shown in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C) is illustrated. The optical element(s)  128  associated with the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  (as shown in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C) are omitted from view in  FIG.  2 A  but included in the top view depicted in  FIG.  2 B . 
     The laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  represents a first light source that forms a central element (e.g., with a four-sided square/rectangular shape) of the array  200 , with multiple LEDs positioned adjacent to the central element. In the embodiment depicted in  FIG.  2 A , four LEDs are positioned adjacent to the central element, including a first LED  202 A positioned adjacent to a left side of the central element (from the top-view perspective), a second LED  202 B positioned adjacent to a right side of the central element, a third LED  202 C positioned adjacent to a top side of the central element, and a fourth LED  202 D positioned adjacent to a bottom side of the central element. It will be appreciated that the example arrangement depicted in the array  200  of  FIG.  2 A  is for illustrative purposes only. Alternative array designs may include an alternative number and/or type of light sources, an alternative positioning of the various light sources, an alternative shape for the various light sources, or various combinations thereof. 
     The multiple LEDs  202 A-D of the array  200  may be configured to generate LED light according to respective LED emission spectrums. To illustrate, the first LED  202 A may be configured to generate LED light within a third wavelength range (that is different from the first wavelength range associated with the laser light  122  and the second wavelength range associated with the visible light  126 , as described with respect to  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C) according to a first LED emission spectrum. The second LED  202 B may be configured to generate LED light within a fourth wavelength range according to a second LED emission spectrum. The third LED  202 C may be configured to generate LED light within a fifth wavelength range according to a third LED emission spectrum. The fourth LED  202 D may be configured to generate LED light within a sixth wavelength range according to a fourth LED emission spectrum. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the visible light emitted according to the laser-pumped emission spectrum (e.g., the visible light  126  in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C) and the LED light generated according to the respective LED emission spectrums may be utilized to generate tunable white or other colored light. 
       FIG.  2 B  illustrates a top view of a light source module  206  corresponding to the array  200  depicted in  FIG.  2 A , including the optics associated with the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  and optics associated with the LEDs  202 A-D, according to some embodiments. In a particular embodiment, the light source module  206  depicted in  FIG.  2 B  may correspond to the light source module  106  depicted in  FIG.  1 A . 
     The top view of  FIG.  2 B  illustrates the optical element(s)  128  associated with the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  (as depicted in the cross-sectional view of  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C). The optical element(s)  128  may be used to collimate or otherwise direct the visible light  126  emitted from the photoluminescent phosphor  124  of the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 .  FIG.  2 B  further illustrates that optics  204 A-D may be associated with each of the LEDs  202 A-D of the array  200  to form LED light sources  212 A-D. The optics  204 A-D may be used to collimate or otherwise direct the LED light from the LEDs  202 A-D.  FIG.  2 B  illustrates that first optics  204 A are added to the first LED  202 A of the array  200  depicted in  FIG.  2 A , second optics  204 B are added to the second LED  202 B of the array  200 , third optics  204 C are added to the third LED  202 C of the array  200 , and fourth optics  204 D are added to the fourth LED  202 D of the array  200 . The particular optics selected for addition to the individual LEDs  202 A-D of the array  200  may depend on various factors, including a particular type of LED. As illustrative, non-limiting examples, the first LED  202 A may correspond to an InGaN-type LED for emitting blue light, while the second LED  202 B may correspond to a GaAs-type LED for emitting red light. In this case, the first optics  204 A may be selected to collimate or otherwise direct the blue light from the first LED  202 A, while the second optics  204 B may be selected to collimate or otherwise direct the red light from the second LED  202 B. In some cases, the first optics  204 A selected for the first LED  202 A may be the same as the second optics  204 B selected for the second LED  202 B. In other cases, the first optics  204 A selected for the first LED  202 A may be different from the second optics  204 B selected for the second LED  202 B. A similar optics selection process may be performed for optics  204 C associated with the third LED  202 C and the optics  204 D associated with the fourth LED  202 D of the array  200 . 
       FIG.  2 C  depicts a side view of a portion of the light source module  206  depicted in  FIG.  2 B  to illustrate overlap of LED emission areas with a laser-pumped phosphor emission area for color rendering, according to some embodiments.  FIG.  2 C  illustrates an emission area  230  associated with the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 , a first LED emission area  232  associated with the first LED  202 A of the array  200 , and a second LED emission area  234  associated with the second LED  202 B of the array  100 . While not shown in the side view of  FIG.  2 C , a third LED emission area may be associated with the third LED  202 C of the array  200 , and fourth LED emission area may be associated with the fourth LED  202 D of the array  200 . It will be appreciated that the emission area  230  associated with the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  may partially overlap with the LED emission areas associated with the third LED  202 C and the fourth LED  202 D. In some embodiments, the partial overlap of the various emission areas may be utilized for color rendering for illumination systems depending on the spectral content of the source. While  FIG.  2 C  illustrates an example in which the emission areas  230 - 234  partially overlap, some embodiments may have optics in which the emission areas of the individual light sources fully overlap or even extend beyond the laser source, and may not necessarily partially overlap. 
     Color rendering for illumination systems depends on the spectral content of the source. An ideal light source would be one that contains equal relative power of all wavelengths of the visible spectrum. In photographic applications, it may be beneficial to have a light source like a photographic flash module that can match the spectrum of the ambient light in the scene being photographed. Various light sources may have different spectral content. To match the spectral content of various light sources, multiple light sources may be utilized. For cost, complexity or efficiency reasons, it may be preferable to use a mixture of LEDs and laser diodes.  FIGS.  2 A- 2 C  illustrate an example of such a mixture of LEDs and laser diodes. 
     UV Laser-Pumped Phosphor Light Source Example 
       FIG.  3    depicts a side view  300  of a portion of an example design for a laser-pumped phosphor light source (e.g., the laser-pumped light source  110  depicted in  FIGS.  1 A- 1 C  and  FIGS.  2 A- 2 C ) in which the laser diode  120  emits laser light  122  within the UV spectrum, along with associated safety features to prevent UV leakage, according to some embodiments. 
     As described further herein with respect to  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C, a combination of the laser diode  120  and the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may form the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  (e.g., for incorporation into the light source module  106  depicted in  FIG.  1 A ). In  FIG.  3   , the laser diode  120  is configured to generate laser light  122  within the UV spectrum for pumping the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  to the laser light  122  within the UV spectrum results in emission of the visible light  126  according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . 
     As described further herein, the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may correspond to a variety of materials having various excitation wavelengths within the UV spectrum. Additionally, the laser diode  120  may correspond to a variety of lasers designed to generate a beam of UV light that includes a particular UV excitation wavelength associated with a selected photoluminescent phosphor. As described further herein, a combination of a particular laser diode and a particular photoluminescent phosphor may be selected to cause emission of the visible light  126  according to a particular laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the selected photoluminescent phosphor. 
     In some embodiments, the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may include a strontium aluminate (SRA) material that is activated with at least one dopant. For example, the at least one dopant may include a rare earth element, such as europium (Eu), dysprosium (Dy), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the SRA material may include SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu,Dy or Sr 4 Al 14 O 25 :Eu,Dy. For these example SRA materials, an excitation wavelength may be within a range of 350 nm to 370 nm. In this case, the laser diode  120  may be selected that is capable of generating the laser light  122  within this UV light range. 
     In some embodiments, the SRA material may include a cerium (Ce) and manganese (Mn) doped strontium aluminate (Ce,Mn:SrAl 12 O 19 ). For this example SRA material, an excitation wavelength may be within a range of 250 nm to 260 nm. In this case, the laser diode  120  may be selected that is capable of generating the laser light  122  within this UV light range. 
     In some embodiments, the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may include a europium (Eu) and manganese (Mn) doped barium magnesium aluminate (BaMgAl 10 O 17 :Eu,Mn). For this example material, an excitation wavelength may be less than 200 nm. In this case, the laser diode  120  may be selected that is capable of generating the laser light  122  within this UV light range. 
     It will be appreciated that the various examples of photoluminescent phosphors with excitation wavelengths within the UV spectrum are for illustrative purposes only and that numerous other types and/or combination of phosphors may be utilized. 
     Laser-pumped phosphor light sources used in the automotive industry rely on efficient blue lasers operating at about 450 nm (in the visible spectrum). Most of the blue energy in these sources comes directly from laser light that is not absorbed by the phosphor. Because it is monochromatic, speckle resulting from interference will be visible in the camera&#39;s blue channel as fine grain noise. Additionally, color reproduction is inaccurate because of weak emission at blue and blue-green wavelengths other than the pump wavelength. Materials whose spectral reflectances vary across these wavelengths are difficult to distinguish. 
     By contrast, in the present disclosure, such problems may be alleviated by pumping in the UV spectrum instead of the visible spectrum. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a laser operating at a wavelength of 400 nm or less may be used to pump the phosphor with UV laser light. In this case, most of the laser light is absorbed and most of the blue energy comes from phosphor emission. An advantage associated with this approach is that there is no speckle, and the color quality is high. A disadvantage is that there is some loss in efficiency because of the larger difference of wavelength between the pump and the phosphor emission. 
     UV lasers are invisible, yet they can cause cornea damage. Because they are intrinsically more dangerous than visible lasers, extra safety measures may be appropriate.  FIG.  3    depicts an example of a proposed safety scheme, according to one embodiment. First, a layer  350  (identified as “UV Reflector Layer” in  FIG.  3   ) which passes the visible light  126  but which reflects the laser light  122  within the UV spectrum may be deposited on a top surface of the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . This arrangement may increase the conversion efficiency while decreasing direct UV emission. Second, a layer  352  of material that fluoresces under UV illumination (but not visible), identified as “Fluorescent Safety Layer” in  FIG.  3   , may be deposited under a cover window  356 . Leaking UV, caused for example by a cracked phosphor or a damaged reflector layer, would excite fluorescence in this layer  352 , which could trigger a fluorescent detector  354  to shut down the laser diode  120 . The components beneath the cover window  356  may be hermetically sealed, according to some embodiments. In  FIG.  3   , the optics (see e.g., the optical element(s)  128  in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C) associated with the laser diode  120  are omitted from view. In some embodiments, the optics may be positioned above the cover window  356 . 
     Control Methods 
       FIG.  4    is a flowchart for controlling a light source module for a camera, according to some embodiments. In a particular embodiment, the flowchart depicted in  FIG.  4    may be representative of a process for controlling the light source module  106  for the camera  102  of the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1   . Additionally, as illustrated and further described herein with respect to  FIGS.  5 A-C , the flowchart depicted in  FIG.  4    may be representative of a particular embodiment of a process for steering laser light toward different regions of a photoluminescent phosphor associated with different optical elements in cases where the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  includes multiple optical elements associated with a single laser light source. In some cases, one region may have a first phosphor characteristic, while another region may have a second phosphor characteristic that is different from the first phosphor characteristic. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates that a sensor associated with a camera  402 , such as sensor  404 , detects a condition of a scene to be illuminated by a light source module, such as light source module  406 . In some embodiments, the light source module  406  of  FIG.  4    may correspond to the light source module  106  of the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A , the camera  402  of  FIG.  4    may correspond to the camera  102  of the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A , and the sensor  404  of  FIG.  4    may correspond to the sensor  104  of the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A . 
     The sensor  404  communicates with a controller  405 , and the controller  405  determines one or more light sources of the light source module  406  to illuminate based on program instructions and the one or more signals from the sensor  404 . The sensor  404  may be a lighting detector or other type of sensor that measures lighting conditions of a scene for the camera  402 . In some embodiments, the controller  405  may be implemented in hardware or in software. In some embodiments, the controller  405  may be implemented by one or more processors and memory of a mobile device (e.g., the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A ).  FIG.  4    illustrates that the controller  405  may receive feedback from a fluorescent detector  407  (which may correspond to the fluorescent detector  354  depicted in  FIG.  3   ). The fluorescent detector  407  may provide feedback to the controller  405 , including an indication of whether it is safe to turn on the laser diode(s)  420  or to provide an active shutoff to the controller  405  if UV light leakage is detected. This could be either feedback to the controller  405  (as depicted in  FIG.  4   ) or like a “fuse” that is electrically connected in series to the laser diode(s)  420 . 
     A light source module may comprise a single light source (e.g., a single laser-pumped phosphor light source, as described further herein) or may comprise any number of light sources (of the same light source type or different light source types). In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG.  4   , the light source module  406  includes one or more laser light sources (e.g., a laser diode  420 ) and multiple LEDs (e.g., LEDs  402 A-N). As described further herein, a laser-pumped phosphor light source  410  (or multiple laser-pumped phosphor light sources) includes the laser diode(s)  420  and photoluminescent phosphor(s)  424 . The laser diode  420  is configured to generate laser light within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  424 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  424  to the laser light results in emission of visible light within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  424 . To illustrate, referring to the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  depicted in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C, the laser diode  120  generates the laser light  122  to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124 , resulting in emission of the visible light  126 .  FIG.  3    illustrates that, in some embodiments, the laser light  122  generated by the laser diode  120  may include UV light to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124 , resulting in emission of the visible light  126 . As described further herein, in some cases, utilizing UV light to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may be advantageous to avoid speckle (interference patterns) associated with other types of laser-pumped phosphor light sources, such as automotive headlights that rely on efficient blue lasers operating at about 450 nm (in the visible spectrum). 
     In a particular embodiment, the light sources of the light source module  406  of  FIG.  4    may be arranged to form an array, such as the array  200  depicted in  FIG.  2 A . In this case, the laser-pumped phosphor light source  410  may correspond to the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 , and the multiple LEDs  402 A-N may correspond to the first LED  202 A, the second LED  202 B, the third LED  202 C, and the fourth LED  202 D. As shown in  FIG.  2 B , the addition of optics  204 A-D to the LEDs  202 A-D form the LED light sources  212 A-D. 
     In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG.  4   , the light source module  406  further includes one or more direction control elements  414 . In a particular steering orientation, the direction control element(s)  414  may be configured to direct the laser light generated by the laser diode(s)  420  toward a particular region  425  of the photoluminescent phosphor  424  associated with a particular optical element of one or more optical elements  428  of the light source module  406 . Additionally, the light source module  406  depicted in  FIG.  4    further includes one or more mirrors  416  to enable steering of the laser light toward the particular region  425  of the photoluminescent phosphor  424  associated with the particular optical element of the one or more optical elements  428 . It will be appreciated that the laser light may be steered using the one or more direction control elements  414 , one or more actuators (not shown), the one or more mirrors  416 , or a combination thereof (among other alternatives). As illustrated and described further herein,  FIGS.  5 A- 5 C  depict an example of a combination of direction control element(s)  514  and mirror(s)  516  to enable redirection of the laser light  122  generated by the laser diode  120  toward different regions  520 - 524  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  associated with different optical elements  128 A-N. 
     The controller  405  may control individual light sources independent of other light sources of the light source module  406 . To illustrate, in some cases, the controller  405  may instruct the laser diode  420  to illuminate but not instruct the LEDs  402 A-N to illuminate (e.g., for a particular laser flash module design, such as “spot light design”). In other cases, the controller  405  may instruct the laser diode  420  to illuminate and also instruct one or more of the LEDs  402 A-N to illuminate. For example, the LEDs  402 A-N may be configured to generate LED light according to respective LED emission spectrums. Accordingly, the visible light emitted by the photoluminescent phosphor  424  and the LED light generated by the one or more illuminated LEDs may be utilized to generate tunable white or other colored light. 
     Example Laser Light Steering Design 
       FIGS.  5 A- 5 C  depict cross-sectional views of a particular embodiment of the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  that includes a plurality of optical elements  128 A-N associated with the laser diode  120 , according to some embodiments. In the embodiments depicted in  FIGS.  5 A- 5 C , in a particular steering orientation, one or more direction control elements  514  and one or more mirrors  516  may enable steering of the laser light  122  generated by the laser diode  120  for pumping a particular region of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  associated with a particular optical element of the plurality of optical elements  128 A-N. In the example depicted in  FIGS.  5 A- 5 C , a first region  520  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  is associated with a first optical element  128 A, a second region  522  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  is associated with a second optical element  128 B, and an Nth region  524  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  is associated with an Nth optical element  128 N. In some cases, each of the regions  520 - 524  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may have the same phosphor characteristic. In other cases, different regions of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may have different phosphor characteristics. 
     Referring to  FIG.  5 A , a first cross-sectional view of the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  illustrates that the laser diode  120  and a first optical element  128 A may be aligned such that the laser light  122  is directed to a first region  520  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  associated with the first optical element  128 A without steering of the laser light  122 . In this case, the one or more direction control elements  514  are positioned in a non-steering orientation. The first region  520  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may have a particular phosphor characteristic. 
     The laser light  122  is within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124  within the first region  520 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  within the first region  520  to the laser light  122  results in emission of visible light  126  within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 .  FIG.  5 A  illustrates that the visible light  126  is emitted toward the first optical element  128 A for a laser associated with a particular design for a laser flash module. As illustrated and further described herein with respect to  FIGS.  6 - 9   , different optical elements may be associated with different designs for a laser flash module, such as: a wide field-of-view (FOV) design (see  FIG.  6   ); a one-hundred-degree FOV design (see  FIG.  7   ); a wide FOV visual field indicator (VFI) design (see  FIG.  8   ); or a spot light design (see  FIG.  9   ). In some cases, the first optical element  128 A may correspond to one of the optical elements  602 - 902  depicted in  FIGS.  6 - 9   . 
     Referring to  FIG.  5 B , a second cross-sectional view of the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  illustrates the direction control element(s)  514  in a first steering orientation. In the first steering orientation, the direction control element(s)  514  direct the laser light  122  toward a mirror  516  which is oriented to direct the laser light  122  toward a second region  522  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  associated with a second optical element  128 B of the plurality of optical elements  128 A-N. In some cases, the second region  522  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may have a phosphor characteristic that is the same as the phosphor characteristic associated with the first region  520  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . In other cases, the second region  522  may have a phosphor characteristic that is different from the phosphor characteristic associated with the first region  520 . 
     The laser light  122  is within a first wavelength to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124  within the second region  522 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  within the first region  522  to the laser light  122  results in emission of visible light  126  within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 .  FIG.  5 B  illustrates that the visible light  126  is emitted toward the second optical element  128 B associated with a particular design for a laser flash module. As illustrated and further described herein with respect to  FIGS.  6 - 9   , different optical elements may be associated with different designs for a laser flash module, such as: a wide field-of-view (FOV) design (see  FIG.  6   ); a one-hundred-degree FOV design (see  FIG.  7   ); a wide FOV visual field indicator (VFI) design (see  FIG.  8   ); or a spot light design (see  FIG.  9   ). In some cases, the second optical element  128 B may correspond to one of the optical elements  602 - 902  depicted in  FIGS.  6 - 9   . 
     Referring to  FIG.  5 C , a third cross-sectional view of the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  illustrates the direction control element(s)  514  in a second steering orientation. In the second steering orientation, the direction control element(s)  514  direct the laser light  122  toward another mirror  516  (identified as “Mirror(N)” in  FIG.  5 C ) which is oriented to direct the laser light  122  toward an Nth region  524  (identified as “Region(N)” in  FIG.  5 C ) of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  associated with an Nth optical element  128 N of the plurality of optical elements  128 A-N. In some cases, the Nth region  524  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may have a phosphor characteristic that is the same as the phosphor characteristic associated with the first region  520  and the second region  522  of the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . In other cases, the Nth region  524  may have a phosphor characteristic that is different from the phosphor characteristic associated with the first region  520  and/or the phosphor characteristic associated with the second region  522 . 
     The laser light  122  is within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124  within the Nth region  524 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  within the Nth region  524  to the laser light  122  results in emission of visible light  126  within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 .  FIG.  5 C  illustrates that the visible light  126  is emitted toward the Nth optical element  128 N associated with a particular design for a laser flash module. As illustrated and further described herein with respect to  FIGS.  6 - 9   , different optical elements may be associated with different designs for a laser flash module, such as: a wide field-of-view (FOV) design (see  FIG.  6   ); a one-hundred-degree FOV design (see  FIG.  7   ); a wide FOV visual field indicator (VFI) design (see  FIG.  8   ); or a spot light design (see  FIG.  9   ). In some cases, the Nth optical element  128 N may correspond to one of the optical elements  602 - 902  depicted in  FIGS.  6 - 9   . 
     Thus,  FIGS.  5 A to  5 C  illustrate a particular embodiment of a laser-pumped phosphor light source including a single laser diode and multiple optical elements. One or more directional control elements may enable beam steering of laser light emitted from the laser diode. In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG.  5 A , no beam steering results in the beam of laser light being directed toward a first region of a photoluminescent phosphor associated with a first optical element. In  FIG.  5 A , the laser light pumps the photoluminescent phosphor in the first region, resulting in emission of visible light toward the first optical element. In the particular embodiments depicted in  FIGS.  5 B and  5 C , the direction control element(s) are utilized for beam steering of the laser light.  FIG.  5 B  depicts one example of beam steering, in which the beam of laser light is steered toward a particular mirror, which reflects the laser light toward a different region of the photoluminescent phosphor associated with a second optical element, resulting in emission of visible light toward the second optical element.  FIG.  5 C  depicts another example of beam steering, in which a mirror is utilized to re-direct a steered beam of laser light toward a region of the photoluminescent phosphor associated with a second optical element, resulting in emission of visible light toward the second optical element. 
     Optics Design Examples 
       FIGS.  6 - 9    illustrate various optical elements that may be designed for a particular laser flash module design, such as a wide field-of-view (FOV) design (see  FIG.  6   ); a one-hundred-degree FOV design (see  FIG.  7   ); a wide FOV visual field indicator (VFI) design (see  FIG.  8   ); or a laser flash module having a spot light design (see  FIG.  9   ).  FIGS.  6  and  7    indicate light intensity collected at some position relative to the center position of the emitted light area. Light uniformity is defined as how light intensity tends to spatially change across LED or laser emission area, such as how light intensity changes within a camera field of view (FOV). Certain regions of interest (ROI) may be selected within the camera FOV to quantify light emission uniformity which can then be expressed as a function of light intensities of particular regions of interest. In  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the region of interest (ROI) is near the edge of the flash module FOV. In  FIG.  6   , the intensity of light at this edge area of interest is 70% of the light intensity found at the center ROI of the FOV. Hence, the uniformity is 70% of that of the center. In  FIG.  7   , the intensity of light at this edge area of interest is 92% of the light intensity found at the center ROI of the FOV. Hence, the uniformity is 92% of that of the center. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates a first design example for an optic  602  for a laser flash module, referred to herein as a “Wide FOV” design  600 . Highly uniform illuminance distribution supports a 75 degree diagonal camera FOV, where light uniformity=70%. Haze risk results from objects placed close to the flash module and reflecting light directly into the camera. Thick protective cases or user fingers may result in haze in the image. As such, an emission pattern that minimizes light at high angles is preferable. The design  600  depicted in  FIG.  6    minimizes light emitted at very high angles of incidence and thus will have lower haze risk for camera. In a particular embodiment, the size of the optic  602  is about 2.6×2.7×1.2 mm. The view at the top left of  FIG.  6    is a side view designed to illustrate that the optic  602  may be separated from the photoluminescent phosphor  124  by an air gap of about 200 μm, according to one embodiment. In a particular embodiment, the source diameter for the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may be about 400 μm. 
       FIG.  7    illustrates a second design example for an optic  702  for a laser flash module, referred to herein as a “100° DFOV” design  700 . Uniform illumination distribution supports a 100 degree diagonal camera FOV to support augmented reality (AR) applications, with a light uniformity=92%; a Wide FOV; and a 100° FOV. In a particular embodiment, the size of the optic  702  is about 5.6×5.6×0.7 mm. While not shown in  FIG.  7   , the optic  702  may be separated from the photoluminescent phosphor  124  (see the example depicted in  FIG.  6   ) by an air gap of about 200 μm, according to one embodiment. In a particular embodiment, the source diameter for the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may be about 400 μm. 
       FIG.  8    illustrates a third design example for an optic  802  for a laser flash module, referred to herein as a “Wide FOV Visual Field Indicator (“VFI”)” design  800 . In this design, the VFI may enable the user to identify the edge of the supported camera&#39;s FOV by illuminating the edges of the camera FOV (identified as “Illuminated Edges” in  FIG.  8   ). In a particular embodiment, the size of the optic  802  is about 2.4×2.4×1.2 mm. While not shown in  FIG.  8   , the optic  802  may be separated from the photoluminescent phosphor  124  (see the example depicted in  FIG.  6   ) by an air gap of about 200 μm, according to one embodiment. In a particular embodiment, the source diameter for the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may be about 400 μm. 
       FIG.  9    illustrates a fourth design example for an optic  902  for a laser flash module, referred to herein as a “Spot Light” design  900 . In this design, focused light may be utilized for a long-range flashlight (spotlight) or for high illuminance in portrait mode. A “portrait” mode may utilize a telephoto lens, which has a smaller field-of-view. As such, it is beneficial to focus the light emitted by the flash module into that smaller region (higher illuminance means longer range and/or shorter exposure time, which reduces motion blur). In a particular embodiment, the size of the optic  902  is about 1.5×1.5×0.8 mm. While not shown in  FIG.  9   , the optic  902  may be separated from the photoluminescent phosphor  124  (see the example depicted in  FIG.  6   ) by an air gap of about 200 μm, according to one embodiment. In a particular embodiment, the source diameter for the photoluminescent phosphor  124  may be about 400 μm. 
     Another potential application of the system of the present disclosure would be to utilize the laser source for focal assistance, rather than as an illumination source. In low light situations, a white light illumination module utilizing a laser source can be used to illuminate a camera&#39;s field of view to provide focus assistance. It may illuminate a portion of the field of view or the entire field of view to provide the focus assistance. In this embodiment, the white light illumination module would be used to find an area of contrast in a scene, which could then be used for focusing. 
     Yet another potential application of the system of the present disclosure would be a visual field indicator. A visual field indicator generated by a laser source and associated optics would project a shape of light against a surface. This shape could be a square, circular, rectangular, or other shape. The visual field indicator would match the associated camera&#39;s field of view, which could inform a user where the camera field of view is without looking at a viewfinder. This would be beneficial in group photo situations to align subjects and the photographer within the field of view. It would also be beneficial to provide a focus target for the camera in situations of low light and contrast. A focus target could be a shape that would provide a high contrast surface to aid the camera in focusing. One example is shown in the third design example depicted in  FIG.  8   . 
     Example Method Performed by a Mobile Device 
     Referring to  FIG.  10   , a particular embodiment of a method performed by a mobile device is illustrated and generally designated  1000 . In some cases, the mobile device may correspond to the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A . 
     At  1002 , the method includes activating a light source module embedded in a mobile device. The light source module includes a laser-pumped phosphor light source of a plurality of light sources. For example, referring to  FIG.  1 A , mobile device  100  may activate the light source module  106  embedded in the mobile device  100 , where the light source module  106  includes the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 . In the particular embodiment depicted in  FIG.  1 A , the light source module  106  includes additional light sources, including multiple LED light sources  112 A-D. As illustrated in the examples of  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C, the laser-pumped light source  110  includes the photoluminescent phosphor  124  and the laser diode  120 . The laser diode  120  is configured to generate laser light  122  within a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  to the laser light  122  results in emission of visible light  126  within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . 
     At  1004 , the method includes determining, based on ambient light information captured by a sensor associated with a camera embedded in the mobile device, whether the laser-pumped phosphor light source is to be utilized for illumination. For example, referring to  FIG.  1 A , the sensor  104  embedded in the mobile device  100  may be configured to capture ambient light information for the camera  102  embedded in the mobile device  100 . A controller associated with the mobile device  100  of  FIG.  1 A  (such as the controller  405  described herein with respect to  FIG.  4   ) may be configured to determine whether the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  is to be utilized for illumination based on the ambient light information. 
     Responsive to determining, at  1004 , that the laser-pumped phosphor light source is to be utilized for illumination, the method includes causing a laser diode to generate laser light within a first wavelength range to pump a photoluminescent phosphor of the laser-pumped phosphor light source, at  1006 . For example, a controller associated with the mobile device  100  of  FIG.  1 A  (e.g., the controller  405  described herein with respect to  FIG.  4   ) may cause the laser diode  120  to generate the laser light  122  to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124 , as illustrated in  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C. In some cases, as described further herein with respect to  FIG.  3   , the laser light  122  may correspond to UV light. In some cases, both the laser diode  120  and one or more other light sources (e.g., LED light sources) may be utilized for illumination. 
     At  1008 , the method includes exposing the photoluminescent phosphor to the laser light, resulting in emission of visible light within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor. For example, referring to  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C, exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  to the laser light  122  results in emission of the visible light  126  within a second wavelength range according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 .  FIG.  10    illustrates a particular embodiment in which, when the laser-pumped phosphor light source is to be utilized for illumination, the method  1000  further includes performing one or more operations to reduce speckle amplitude in an image captured by the camera (e.g., when the laser light  122  is not UV light), at  1010 . Direct monochromatic emission from the laser may cause speckle (interference patterns) to appear on illuminated surfaces. Because the speckle pattern results from interference of light travelling along different paths, motion can be used to average it out. To illustrate, the speckle reduction operations may include utilizing one or more actuators to re-position the camera image sensor, camera lens, or a combination thereof. Several frames could be captured at different actuator positions, then re-registered and combined, with the speckle amplitude reduced in the resulting image. 
     Responsive to determining, at  1004 , that the laser-pumped phosphor light source is not to be utilized for illumination based on the ambient light information captured by the sensor, the method includes utilizing one or more other light sources of the plurality of light sources for illumination, at  1012 . For example, a controller associated with the mobile device  100  of  FIG.  1 A  (e.g., the controller  405  described herein with respect to  FIG.  4   ) may select one or more of the LED light sources  112 A-D of the light source module  106  of the mobile device  100  of  FIG.  1 A  for illumination. 
     Multifunction Device Examples 
     Embodiments of electronic devices in which embodiments of light source modules, camera modules, etc. as described herein may be used, user interfaces for such devices, and associated processes for using such devices are described. As noted above, in some embodiments, light source modules, camera modules, etc. can be included in a mobile computing device which can include a camera device. In some embodiments, the device is a portable communications device, such as a mobile telephone, that also contains other functions, such as PDA and/or music player functions. Other portable electronic devices, such as laptops, cell phones, pad devices, or tablet computers with touch-sensitive surfaces (e.g., touch screen displays and/or touch pads), may also be used. It should also be understood that, in some embodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but is a desktop computer with a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch screen display and/or a touch pad). In some embodiments, the device is a gaming computer with orientation sensors (e.g., orientation sensors in a gaming controller). In other embodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but is a camera device. 
     In the discussion that follows, an electronic device that includes a display and a touch-sensitive surface is described. It should be understood, however, that the electronic device may include one or more other physical user-interface devices, such as a physical keyboard, a mouse and/or a joystick. 
     The device typically supports a variety of applications, such as one or more of the following: a drawing application, a presentation application, a word processing application, a website creation application, a disk authoring application, a spreadsheet application, a gaming application, a telephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a workout support application, a photo management application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera application, a web browsing application, a digital music player application, and/or a digital video player application. 
     The various applications that may be executed on the device may use one or more common physical user-interface devices, such as the touch-sensitive surface. One or more functions of the touch-sensitive surface as well as corresponding information displayed on the device may be adjusted and/or varied from one application to the next and/or within a respective application. In this way, a common physical architecture (such as the touch-sensitive surface) of the device may support the variety of applications with user interfaces that are intuitive and transparent to the user. 
     Attention is now directed toward embodiments of portable devices with cameras.  FIG.  11 B  is a block diagram illustrating portable multifunction device  1100  with camera  1170  in accordance with some embodiments. The camera  1170 , which is sometimes called an “optical sensor” for convenience, may also be known as or called an optical sensor system.  FIG.  11 B  further illustrates sensor  1164  and embedded light source module  1175 . In addition, multifunction device  1100  includes optical sensor  1164  illustrated in  FIG.  11 A  on an opposite side of multifunction device  1100  from camera  1170 . 
     In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the device  1100  of  FIGS.  11 A-C  may correspond to a mobile device that may be utilized to perform various methods described further herein, such as the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A . For example, the camera  1170  of the device  1100  depicted in  FIG.  11 B  may correspond to the camera  102  of the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A . As another example, the camera sensor  1164  of the device  1100  depicted in  FIG.  11 B  may correspond to the sensor  104  of the mobile device  100  depicted in  FIG.  1 A . As yet another example, the embedded light source module  1175  of the device  1100  depicted in  FIG.  11 B  may correspond to the light source module  106  depicted in  FIG.  1 A . 
     With reference to  FIG.  11 B , the device  1100  may perform various methods described herein, including but not limited to the method depicted in the flow chart  1000  of  FIG.  10   . In this example method, the device  1100  may activate the embedded light source module  1175 . As previously described herein, the embedded light source module  1175  includes at least a laser-pumped phosphor light source, such as the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110 . As further illustrated in the examples of  FIGS.  1 B / 1 C, the laser-pumped phosphor light source  110  includes the photoluminescent phosphor  124  and the laser diode  120  to generate the laser light  122  (which may include UV light, as described further herein with respect to  FIG.  3   ). The laser light  122  includes a first wavelength range to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . Exposure of the photoluminescent phosphor  124  to the laser light results in emission of the visible light  126  according to a laser-pumped emission spectrum associated with the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . The embedded light source module  1175  may include one or more additional light sources, such as the multiple LED light sources  112 A-D depicted in  FIG.  1 A . The LED light sources  112 A-D are configured to generate LED light according to respective LED emission spectrums. In some cases, the device  1100  may utilize the visible light  126  emitted according to the laser-pumped emission spectrum and the LED light generated according to the respective LED emission spectrums to generate tunable white or other colored light. 
     With reference to the method described with respect to  FIG.  10   , the device  1100  may determine, based on ambient light information captured by the sensor  1164  associated with the camera  1170 , whether the laser-pumped phosphor light source of the embedded light source module  1175  is to be utilized for illumination. In some cases, the ambient light information may indicate that the laser-pumped phosphor light source is to be utilized for illumination. In other cases, the ambient light information may indicate that one or more other light sources, such as one or more LEDs, are to be utilized for illumination. When the laser-pumped phosphor light source is to be utilized for illumination, the device  1100  may cause the laser diode  120  to generate the laser light  122  to pump the photoluminescent phosphor  124 . Pumping the photoluminescent phosphor  124  results in emission of the visible light  126 . 
     Referring to  FIG.  11 C , device  1100  may include memory  1102  (which may include one or more computer readable storage mediums), memory controller  172 , one or more processing units (CPU&#39;s)  1120 , peripherals interface  1118 , RF circuitry  1108 , audio circuitry  1110 , speaker  1111 , touch-sensitive display system  1112 , microphone  1113 , input/output (I/O) subsystem  1106 , other input or control devices  1116 , and external port  1124 . Device  1100  may include one or more optical sensors  1164 . These components may communicate over one or more communication buses or signal lines  1103 . 
     It should be appreciated that device  1100  is only one example of a portable multifunction device, and that device  1100  may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine two or more components, or may have a different configuration or arrangement of the components. The various components shown in  FIG.  11 C  may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits. 
     Memory  1102  may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. Access to memory  1102  by other components of device  1100 , such as CPU  1120  and the peripherals interface  1118 , may be controlled by memory controller  1122 . 
     Peripherals interface  1118  can be used to couple input and output peripherals of the device to CPU  1120  and memory  1102 . The one or more processors  1120  run or execute various software programs and/or sets of instructions stored in memory  1102  to perform various functions for device  1100  and to process data. 
     In some embodiments, peripherals interface  1118 , CPU  1120 , and memory controller  1122  may be implemented on a single chip, such as chip  1104 . In some other embodiments, they may be implemented on separate chips. 
     RF (radio frequency) circuitry  1108  receives and sends RF signals, also called electromagnetic signals. RF circuitry  1108  converts electrical signals to/from electromagnetic signals and communicates with communications networks and other communications devices via the electromagnetic signals. RF circuitry  1108  may include well-known circuitry for performing these functions, including but not limited to an antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory, and so forth. RF circuitry  1108  may communicate with networks, such as the Internet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranet and/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network (MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The wireless communication may use any of a variety of communications standards, protocols and technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol for e-mail (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP) and/or post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), Instant Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service (SMS), or any other suitable communication protocol, including communication protocols not yet developed as of the filing date of this document. 
     Audio circuitry  1110 , speaker  1111 , and microphone  1113  provide an audio interface between a user and device  1100 . Audio circuitry  1110  receives audio data from peripherals interface  1118 , converts the audio data to an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to speaker  1111 . Speaker  1111  converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves. Audio circuitry  1110  also receives electrical signals converted by microphone  1113  from sound waves. Audio circuitry  1110  converts the electrical signal to audio data and transmits the audio data to peripherals interface  1118  for processing. Audio data may be retrieved from and/or transmitted to memory  102  and/or RF circuitry  1108  by peripherals interface  1118 . In some embodiments, audio circuitry  1110  also includes a headset jack (e.g.,  1112 ,  FIG.  11 A-B ). The headset jack provides an interface between audio circuitry  1110  and removable audio input/output peripherals, such as output-only headphones or a headset with both output (e.g., a headphone for one or both ears) and input (e.g., a microphone). 
     I/O subsystem  1106  couples input/output peripherals on device  1100 , such as touch screen  1112  and other input control devices  1116 , to peripherals interface  1118 . I/O subsystem  1106  may include display controller  1156  and one or more input controllers  1160  for other input or control devices. The one or more input controllers  1116  receive/send electrical signals from/to other input or control devices  1116 . The other input control devices  1116  may include physical buttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.), dials, slider switches, joysticks, click wheels, and so forth. In some alternative embodiments, input controller(s)  1160  may be coupled to any (or none) of the following: a keyboard, infrared port, USB port, and a pointer device such as a mouse. The one or more buttons (e.g.,  1108 ,  FIG.  11 A-B ) may include an up/down button for volume control of speaker  1111  and/or microphone  1113 . The one or more buttons may include a push button (e.g.,  1106 ,  FIG.  11 A-B ). 
     Touch-sensitive display  1112  provides an input interface and an output interface between the device and a user. Display controller  1156  receives and/or sends electrical signals from/to touch screen  1112 . Touch screen  1112  displays visual output to the user. The visual output may include graphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof (collectively termed “graphics”). In some embodiments, some or all of the visual output may correspond to user-interface objects. 
     Touch screen  1112  has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor or set of sensors that accepts input from the user based on haptic and/or tactile contact. Touch screen  1112  and display controller  1156  (along with any associated modules and/or sets of instructions in memory  1102 ) detect contact (and any movement or breaking of the contact) on touch screen  1112  and converts the detected contact into interaction with user-interface objects (e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages or images) that are displayed on touch screen  1112 . In an example embodiment, a point of contact between touch screen  1112  and the user corresponds to a finger of the user. 
     Touch screen  1112  may use LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology, or LED (light emitting diode) technology, although other display technologies may be used in other embodiments. Touch screen  1112  and display controller  1156  may detect contact and any movement or breaking thereof using any of a variety of touch sensing technologies now known or later developed, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with touch screen  1112 . In an example embodiment, projected mutual capacitance sensing technology may be used. 
     Touch screen  1112  may have a video resolution in excess of 100 dots per inch (dpi). In some embodiments, the touch screen has a video resolution of approximately 160 dpi. The user may make contact with touch screen  1112  using any suitable object or appendage, such as a stylus, a finger, and so forth. In some embodiments, the user interface is designed to work primarily with finger-based contacts and gestures, which can be less precise than stylus-based input due to the larger area of contact of a finger on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the device translates the rough finger-based input into a precise pointer/cursor position or command for performing the actions desired by the user. 
     In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, device  1100  may include a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivating particular functions. In some embodiments, the touchpad is a touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, does not display visual output. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from touch screen  1112  or an extension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen. 
     Device  1100  also includes power system  1162  for powering the various components. Power system  1162  may include a power management system, one or more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current (AC)), a recharging system, a power failure detection circuit, a power converter or inverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)) and any other components associated with the generation, management and distribution of power in portable devices. 
     Device  1100  may also include one or more optical sensors or cameras  1164 .  FIG.  11 C  shows an optical sensor coupled to optical sensor controller  1158  in I/O subsystem  1106 . Optical sensor  1164  may include charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistors. Optical sensor  1164  receives light from the environment, projected through one or more lens, and converts the light to data representing an image. In conjunction with imaging module  1143  (also called a camera module), optical sensor  1164  may capture still images or video. In some embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the back of device  1100 , opposite touch screen display  1112  on the front of the device, so that the touch screen display may be used as a viewfinder for still and/or video image acquisition. In some embodiments, another optical sensor is located on the front of the device so that the user&#39;s image may be obtained for videoconferencing while the user views the other videoconference participants on the touch screen display. 
     Device  1100  may also include one or more proximity sensors  1166 .  FIG.  11 C  shows proximity sensor  1166  coupled to peripherals interface  1118 . Alternatively, proximity sensor  1166  may be coupled to input controller  1160  in I/O subsystem  1106 . In some embodiments, the proximity sensor turns off and disables touch screen  1112  when the multifunction device is placed near the user&#39;s ear (e.g., when the user is making a phone call). 
     Device  1100  includes one or more orientation sensors  1168 . In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors include one or more accelerometers (e.g., one or more linear accelerometers and/or one or more rotational accelerometers). In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors include one or more gyroscopes. In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors include one or more magnetometers. In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors include one or more of global positioning system (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and/or other global navigation system receivers. The GPS, GLONASS, and/or other global navigation system receivers may be used for obtaining information concerning the location and orientation (e.g., portrait or landscape) of device  1100 . In some embodiments, the one or more orientation sensors include any combination of orientation/rotation sensors.  FIG.  11 C  shows the one or more orientation sensors  1168  coupled to peripherals interface  1118 . Alternatively, the one or more orientation sensors  1168  may be coupled to an input controller  1160  in I/O subsystem  1106 . In some embodiments, information is displayed on the touch screen display in a portrait view or a landscape view based on an analysis of data received from the one or more orientation sensors. 
     In some embodiments, the software components stored in memory  1102  include operating system  1126 , communication module (or set of instructions)  1128 , contact/motion module (or set of instructions)  1130 , graphics module (or set of instructions)  1132 , text input module (or set of instructions)  1134 , Global Positioning System (GPS) module (or set of instructions)  1135 , and applications (or sets of instructions)  1136 . Furthermore, in some embodiments memory  1102  stores device/global internal state  1157 . Device/global internal state  1157  includes one or more of: active application state, indicating which applications, if any, are currently active; display state, indicating what applications, views or other information occupy various regions of touch screen display  1112 ; sensor state, including information obtained from the device&#39;s various sensors and input control devices  1116 ; and location information concerning the device&#39;s location and/or attitude. 
     Operating system  1126  (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks) includes various software components and/or drivers for controlling and managing general system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control, power management, etc.) and facilitates communication between various hardware and software components. 
     Communication module  1128  facilitates communication with other devices over one or more external ports  1124  and also includes various software components for handling data received by RF circuitry  1108  and/or external port  1124 . External port  1124  (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly to other devices or indirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.). 
     Contact/motion module  1130  may detect contact with touch screen  1112  (in conjunction with display controller  1156 ) and other touch sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical click wheel). Contact/motion module  1130  includes various software components for performing various operations related to detection of contact, such as determining if contact has occurred (e.g., detecting a finger-down event), determining if there is movement of the contact and tracking the movement across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., detecting one or more finger-dragging events), and determining if the contact has ceased (e.g., detecting a finger-up event or a break in contact). Contact/motion module  1130  receives contact data from the touch-sensitive surface. Determining movement of the point of contact, which is represented by a series of contact data, may include determining speed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude and direction), and/or an acceleration (a change in magnitude and/or direction) of the point of contact. These operations may be applied to single contacts (e.g., one finger contacts) or to multiple simultaneous contacts (e.g., “multitouch”/multiple finger contacts). In some embodiments, contact/motion module  1130  and display controller  1156  detect contact on a touchpad. 
     Contact/motion module  1130  may detect a gesture input by a user. Different gestures on the touch-sensitive surface have different contact patterns. Thus, a gesture may be detected by detecting a particular contact pattern. For example, detecting a finger tap gesture includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detecting a finger-up (lift off) event at the same position (or substantially the same position) as the finger-down event (e.g., at the position of an icon). As another example, detecting a finger swipe gesture on the touch-sensitive surface includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detecting one or more finger-dragging events, and subsequently followed by detecting a finger-up (lift off) event. 
     Graphics module  1132  includes various known software components for rendering and displaying graphics on touch screen  1112  or other display, including components for changing the intensity of graphics that are displayed. As used herein, the term “graphics” includes any object that can be displayed to a user, including without limitation text, web pages, icons (such as user-interface objects including soft keys), digital images, videos, animations and the like. 
     In some embodiments, graphics module  1132  stores data representing graphics to be used. Each graphic may be assigned a corresponding code. Graphics module  1132  receives, from applications etc., one or more codes specifying graphics to be displayed along with, if necessary, coordinate data and other graphic property data, and then generates screen image data to output to display controller  1156 . 
     Text input module  1134 , which may be a component of graphics module  1132 , provides soft keyboards for entering text in various applications (e.g., contacts  1137 , e-mail  1140 , IM  1141 , browser  1147 , and any other application that needs text input). 
     GPS module  1135  determines the location of the device and provides this information for use in various applications (e.g., to telephone  1138  for use in location-based dialing, to camera module  1143  as picture/video metadata, and to applications that provide location-based services such as weather widgets, local yellow page widgets, and map/navigation widgets). 
     Applications  1136  may include the following modules (or sets of instructions), or a subset or superset thereof:
         contacts module  1137  (sometimes called an address book or contact list);   telephone module  1138 ;   video conferencing module  1139 ;   e-mail client module  1140 ;   instant messaging (IM) module  1141 ;   workout support module  1142 ;   camera module  1143  for still and/or video images;   image management module  1144 ;   browser module  1147 ;   calendar module  1148 ;   widget modules  1149 , which may include one or more of: weather widget  1149 - 1 , stocks widget  1149 - 2 , calculator widget  1149 - 3 , alarm clock widget  1149 - 4 , dictionary widget  1149 - 5 , and other widgets obtained by the user, as well as user-created widgets  1149 - 6 ;   widget creator module  1150  for making user-created widgets  1149 - 6 ;   search module  1151 ;   video and music player module  1152 , which may be made up of a video player   module and a music player module;   notes module  1153 ;   map module  1154 ; and/or   online video module  1155 .       

     Examples of other applications  1136  that may be stored in memory  1102  include other word processing applications, other image editing applications, drawing applications, presentation applications, JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management, voice recognition, and voice replication. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and text input module  1134 , contacts module  1137  may be used to manage an address book or contact list (e.g., stored in application internal state  1192  of contacts module  1137  in memory  1102 ), including: adding name(s) to the address book; deleting name(s) from the address book; associating telephone number(s), e-mail address(es), physical address(es) or other information with a name; associating an image with a name; categorizing and sorting names; providing telephone numbers or e-mail addresses to initiate and/or facilitate communications by telephone  1138 , video conference  1139 , e-mail  1140 , or IM  1141 ; and so forth. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , audio circuitry  1110 , speaker  1111 , microphone  1113 , touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and text input module  1134 , telephone module  1138  may be used to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to a telephone number, access one or more telephone numbers in address book  1137 , modify a telephone number that has been entered, dial a respective telephone number, conduct a conversation and disconnect or hang up when the conversation is completed. As noted above, the wireless communication may use any of a variety of communications standards, protocols and technologies. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , audio circuitry  1110 , speaker  1111 , microphone  1113 , touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , optical sensor  1164 , optical sensor controller  1158 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , text input module  1134 , contact list  1137 , and telephone module  1138 , videoconferencing module  1139  includes executable instructions to initiate, conduct, and terminate a video conference between a user and one or more other participants in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and text input module  1134 , e-mail client module  1140  includes executable instructions to create, send, receive, and manage e-mail in response to user instructions. In conjunction with image management module  1144 , e-mail client module  1140  makes it very easy to create and send e-mails with still or video images taken with camera module  1143 . 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and text input module  1134 , the instant messaging module  1141  includes executable instructions to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to an instant message, to modify previously entered characters, to transmit a respective instant message (for example, using a Short Message Service (SMS) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol for telephony-based instant messages or using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS for Internet-based instant messages), to receive instant messages and to view received instant messages. In some embodiments, transmitted and/or received instant messages may include graphics, photos, audio files, video files and/or other attachments as are supported in a MMS and/or an Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS). As used herein, “instant messaging” refers to both telephony-based messages (e.g., messages sent using SMS or MMS) and Internet-based messages (e.g., messages sent using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS). 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , text input module  1134 , GPS module  1135 , map module  1154 , and music player module  1146 , workout support module  1142  includes executable instructions to create workouts (e.g., with time, distance, and/or calorie burning goals); communicate with workout sensors (sports devices); receive workout sensor data; calibrate sensors used to monitor a workout; select and play music for a workout; and display, store and transmit workout data. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , optical sensor(s)  1164 , optical sensor controller  1158 , embedded light source module  1175 , sensor  1176 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and image management module  1144 , camera module  1143  includes executable instructions to capture still images or video (including a video stream) and store them into memory  1102 , modify characteristics of a still image or video, or delete a still image or video from memory  1102 . 
     In conjunction with touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , text input module  1134 , embedded light source module  1175 , sensor  1176 , and camera module  1143 , image management module  1144  includes executable instructions to arrange, modify (e.g., edit), or otherwise manipulate, label, delete, present (e.g., in a digital slide show or album), and store still and/or video images. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and text input module  1134 , browser module  1147  includes executable instructions to browse the Internet in accordance with user instructions, including searching, linking to, receiving, and displaying web pages or portions thereof, as well as attachments and other files linked to web pages. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , text input module  1134 , e-mail client module  1140 , and browser module  1147 , calendar module  1148  includes executable instructions to create, display, modify, and store calendars and data associated with calendars (e.g., calendar entries, to do lists, etc.) in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , text input module  1134 , and browser module  1147 , widget modules  1149  are mini-applications that may be downloaded and used by a user (e.g., weather widget  1149 - 1 , stocks widget  1149 - 2 , calculator widget  1149 - 3 , alarm clock widget  1149 - 4 , and dictionary widget  1149 - 5 ) or created by the user (e.g., user-created widget  1149 - 6 ). In some embodiments, a widget includes an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) file, a CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) file, and a JavaScript file. In some embodiments, a widget includes an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file and a JavaScript file (e.g., Yahoo! Widgets). 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , text input module  1134 , and browser module  1147 , the widget creator module  1150  may be used by a user to create widgets (e.g., turning a user-specified portion of a web page into a widget). 
     In conjunction with touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and text input module  1134 , search module  1151  includes executable instructions to search for text, music, sound, image, video, and/or other files in memory  1102  that match one or more search criteria (e.g., one or more user-specified search terms) in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , audio circuitry  1110 , speaker  1111 , RF circuitry  1108 , and browser module  1147 , video and music player module  1152  includes executable instructions that allow the user to download and play back recorded music and other sound files stored in one or more file formats, such as MP3 or AAC files, and executable instructions to display, present or otherwise play back videos (e.g., on touch screen  1112  or on an external, connected display via external port  1124 ). In some embodiments, device  1100  may include the functionality of an MP3 player. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  1112 , display controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , and text input module  1134 , notes module  1153  includes executable instructions to create and manage notes, to do lists, and the like in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with RF circuitry  1108 , touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , text input module  1134 , GPS module  1135 , and browser module  1147 , map module  1154  may be used to receive, display, modify, and store maps and data associated with maps (e.g., driving directions; data on stores and other points of interest at or near a particular location; and other location-based data) in accordance with user instructions. 
     In conjunction with touch screen  1112 , display system controller  1156 , contact module  1130 , graphics module  1132 , audio circuitry  1110 , speaker  1111 , RF circuitry  1108 , text input module  1134 , e-mail client module  1140 , and browser module  1147 , online video module  1155  includes instructions that allow the user to access, browse, receive (e.g., by streaming and/or download), play back (e.g., on the touch screen or on an external, connected display via external port  1124 ), send an e-mail with a link to a particular online video, and otherwise manage online videos in one or more file formats, such as H.264. In some embodiments, instant messaging module  1141 , rather than e-mail client module  1140 , is used to send a link to a particular online video. 
     Each of the above identified modules and applications correspond to a set of executable instructions for performing one or more functions described above and the methods described in this application (e.g., the computer-implemented methods and other information processing methods described herein). These modules (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory  1102  may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, memory  1102  may store additional modules and data structures not described above. 
     In some embodiments, device  1100  is a device where operation of a predefined set of functions on the device is performed exclusively through a touch screen and/or a touchpad. By using a touch screen and/or a touchpad as the primary input control device for operation of device  1100 , the number of physical input control devices (such as push buttons, dials, and the like) on device  1100  may be reduced. 
     The predefined set of functions that may be performed exclusively through a touch screen and/or a touchpad include navigation between user interfaces. In some embodiments, the touchpad, when touched by the user, navigates device  1100  to a main, home, or root menu from any user interface that may be displayed on device  1100 . In such embodiments, the touchpad may be referred to as a “menu button.” In some other embodiments, the menu button may be a physical push button or other physical input control device instead of a touchpad. 
       FIG.  11 A-B  illustrates a portable multifunction device  1100  having a touch screen  1112  in accordance with some embodiments. The touch screen may display one or more graphics within a user interface (UI). In this embodiment, as well as others described below, a user may select one or more of the graphics by making a gesture on the graphics, for example, with one or more fingers  1102  (not drawn to scale in the Figure) or one or more styluses  1103  (not drawn to scale in the figure). 
     Device  1100  may also include one or more physical buttons, such as “home” or menu button  1104 . As described previously, menu button  1104  may be used to navigate to any application  1136  in a set of applications that may be executed on device  1100 . Alternatively, in some embodiments, the menu button is implemented as a soft key in a graphics user interface (GUI) displayed on touch screen  1112 . 
     In one embodiment, device  1100  includes touch screen  1112 , menu button  1104 , push button  1106  for powering the device on/off and locking the device, volume adjustment button(s)  1108 , Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card slot  1110 , head set jack  1112 , and docking/charging external port  1124 . Push button  1106  may be used to turn the power on/off on the device by depressing the button and holding the button in the depressed state for a predefined time interval; to lock the device by depressing the button and releasing the button before the predefined time interval has elapsed; and/or to unlock the device or initiate an unlock process. In an alternative embodiment, device  1100  also may accept verbal input for activation or deactivation of some functions through microphone  1113 . 
     It should be noted that, although many of the examples herein are given with reference to optical sensor/camera  1164  (on the front of a device), a rear-facing camera or optical sensor that is pointed opposite from the display may be used instead of or in addition to an optical sensor/camera  1164  on the front of a device. 
     Example Computer System 
       FIG.  12    illustrates an example computer system  1200  that may be configured to include or execute any or all of the embodiments described above. In different embodiments, computer system  1200  may be any of various types of devices, including, but not limited to, a personal computer system, desktop computer, laptop, notebook, tablet, slate, pad, or netbook computer, cell phone, smartphone, PDA, portable media device, mainframe computer system, handheld computer, workstation, network computer, a camera or video camera, a set top box, a mobile device, a consumer device, video game console, handheld video game device, application server, storage device, a television, a video recording device, a peripheral device such as a switch, modem, router, or in general any type of computing or electronic device. 
     Various embodiments of a light source module (e.g., the light source module  110 ) or a light source module controller (e.g., the controller  405  of  FIG.  4   ) as described herein, may be executed in one or more computer systems  1200 , which may interact with various other devices. Note that any component, action, or functionality described above with respect to  FIGS.  1 A through  10    may be implemented on one or more computers configured as computer system  1200  of  FIG.  12   , according to various embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, computer system  1200  includes one or more processors  1210  coupled to a system memory  1220  via an input/output (I/O) interface  1230 . Computer system  1200  further includes a network interface  1240  coupled to I/O interface  1230 , and one or more input/output devices  1250 , such as cursor control device  1260 , keyboard  1270 , and display(s)  1280 . In some cases, it is contemplated that embodiments may be implemented using a single instance of computer system  1200 , while in other embodiments multiple such systems, or multiple nodes making up computer system  1200 , may be configured to host different portions or instances of embodiments. For example, in one embodiment some elements may be implemented via one or more nodes of computer system  1200  that are distinct from those nodes implementing other elements. 
     In various embodiments, computer system  1200  may be a uniprocessor system including one processor  1210 , or a multiprocessor system including several processors  1210  (e.g., two, four, eight, or another suitable number). Processors  1210  may be any suitable processor capable of executing instructions. For example, in various embodiments processors  1210  may be general-purpose or embedded processors implementing any of a variety of instruction set architectures (ISAs), such as the x8 18, PowerPC, SPARC, or MIPS ISAs, or any other suitable ISA. In multiprocessor systems, each of processors  1210  may commonly, but not necessarily, implement the same ISA. 
     System memory  1220  may be configured to store control program instructions  1222  and/or control data accessible by processor  1210 . In various embodiments, system memory  1220  may be implemented using any suitable memory technology, such as static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), nonvolatile/Flash-type memory, or any other type of memory. In the illustrated embodiment, program instructions  1222  may be configured to implement a control application incorporating any of the functionality described above. Additionally, existing control data of memory  1220  may include any of the information or data structures described above. In some embodiments, program instructions and/or data may be received, sent or stored upon different types of computer-accessible media or on similar media separate from system memory  1220  or computer system  1200 . While computer system  1200  is described as implementing the functionality of functional blocks of previous Figures, any of the functionality described herein may be implemented via such a computer system. 
     In one embodiment, I/O interface  1230  may be configured to coordinate I/O traffic between processor  1210 , system memory  1220 , and any peripheral devices in the device, including network interface  1240  or other peripheral interfaces, such as input/output devices  1250 . In some embodiments, I/O interface  1230  may perform any necessary protocol, timing or other data transformations to convert data signals from one component (e.g., system memory  1220 ) into a format suitable for use by another component (e.g., processor  1210 ). In some embodiments, I/O interface  1230  may include support for devices attached through various types of peripheral buses, such as a variant of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus standard or the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, for example. In some embodiments, the function of I/O interface  1230  may be split into two or more separate components, such as a north bridge and a south bridge, for example. Also, in some embodiments some or all of the functionality of I/O interface  1230 , such as an interface to system memory  1220 , may be incorporated directly into processor  1210 . 
     Network interface  1240  may be configured to allow data to be exchanged between computer system  1200  and other devices attached to a network  1285  (e.g., carrier or agent devices) or between nodes of computer system  1200 . Network  1285  may in various embodiments include one or more networks including but not limited to Local Area Networks (LANs) (e.g., an Ethernet or corporate network), Wide Area Networks (WANs) (e.g., the Internet), wireless data networks, some other electronic data network, or some combination thereof. In various embodiments, network interface  1240  may support communication via wired or wireless general data networks, such as any suitable type of Ethernet network, for example; via telecommunications/telephony networks such as analog voice networks or digital fiber communications networks; via storage area networks such as Fibre Channel SANs, or via any other suitable type of network and/or protocol. 
     Input/output devices  1250  may, in some embodiments, include one or more display terminals, keyboards, keypads, touchpads, scanning devices, voice or optical recognition devices, or any other devices suitable for entering or accessing data by one or more computer systems  1200 . Multiple input/output devices  1250  may be present in computer system  1200  or may be distributed on various nodes of computer system  1200 . In some embodiments, similar input/output devices may be separate from computer system  1200  and may interact with one or more nodes of computer system  1200  through a wired or wireless connection, such as over network interface  1240 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  12   , memory  1220  may include program instructions  1222 , which may be processor-executable to implement any element or action described above. In one embodiment, the program instructions may implement the methods described above. In other embodiments, different elements and data may be included. Note that data may include any data or information described above. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that computer system  1200  is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the scope of embodiments. In particular, the computer system and devices may include any combination of hardware or software that can perform the indicated functions, including computers, network devices, Internet appliances, PDAs, wireless phones, pagers, etc. Computer system  1200  may also be connected to other devices that are not illustrated, or instead may operate as a stand-alone system. In addition, the functionality provided by the illustrated components may in some embodiments be combined in fewer components or distributed in additional components. Similarly, in some embodiments, the functionality of some of the illustrated components may not be provided and/or other additional functionality may be available. 
     Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that, while various items are illustrated as being stored in memory or on storage while being used, these items or portions of them may be transferred between memory and other storage devices for purposes of memory management and data integrity. Alternatively, in other embodiments some or all of the software components may execute in memory on another device and communicate with the illustrated computer system via inter-computer communication. Some or all of the system components or data structures may also be stored (e.g., as instructions or structured data) on a computer-accessible medium or a portable article to be read by an appropriate drive, various examples of which are described above. In some embodiments, instructions stored on a computer-accessible medium separate from computer system  1200  may be transmitted to computer system  1200  via transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, conveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wireless link. Various embodiments may further include receiving, sending or storing instructions and/or data implemented in accordance with the foregoing description upon a computer-accessible medium. Generally speaking, a computer-accessible medium may include a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium or memory medium such as magnetic or optical media, e.g., disk or DVD/CD-ROM, volatile or non-volatile media such as RAM (e.g. SDRAM, DDR, RDRAM, SRAM, etc.), ROM, etc. In some embodiments, a computer-accessible medium may include transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, conveyed via a communication medium such as network and/or a wireless link. 
     The methods described herein may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof, in different embodiments. In addition, the order of the blocks of the methods may be changed, and various elements may be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. Various modifications and changes may be made as would be obvious to a person skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The various embodiments described herein are meant to be illustrative and not limiting. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. Accordingly, plural instances may be provided for components described herein as a single instance. Boundaries between various components, operations and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in the context of specific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within the scope of claims that follow. Finally, structures and functionality presented as discrete components in the example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of embodiments as defined in the claims that follow.