Patent Description:
An electronic device may set a luminance of a screen displayed on a display to deal with external environment. For example, the electronic device may control the luminance of the screen by measuring an external illuminance. The electronic device may include an illuminance sensor that acquires a brightness value to measure the external illuminance. The illuminance sensor may be disposed in the front surface of the electronic device. The electronic device may acquire a brightness value of a space in front of the electronic device through the illuminance sensor. The electronic device may measure the external illuminance based on the obtained brightness value and control the luminance of the screen according to the external illuminance.

Recently, bezels, which are edge regions of the electronic device, are minimized and the display is disposed substantially over the entire front of the electronic device. In this case, it may not be easy to arrange a separate illuminance sensor on the front surface of the electronic device. The electronic device may measure an external illuminance using a camera sensor disposed in front surface of the electronic device without a separate illuminance sensor and control a luminance of a screen according to the measured external illuminance.

When the electronic device uses the camera sensor to measure the external illuminance, a large amount of current may flow in the camera sensor during an interval for measuring the external illuminance. In addition, when the camera sensor is continuously used to measure the external illuminance, the battery consumption of the electronic device may increase.

Electronic devices as such are know from the art and for example disclosed in document <CIT>. The document discloses a camera including a memory which includes an inner table and a brightness adjusting procedure. The brightness adjusting procedure is used for adjusting a brightness of a monitor. The inner table is used for storing a brightness of environments and the corresponding brightness of the monitor. The brightness adjusting procedure includes a parameter enacting module, a photograph capturing module, a environment brightness computing module, a comparing module, a brightness searching module and a brightness adjusting module. By using the brightness of environment corresponding to a sensed scene or a photograph, a corresponding brightness of the monitor is found.

Also, when the illuminance sensor is disposed under the display screen, the external illuminance value obtained from the illuminance sensor is affected by the brightness of the screen. Especially, when the external illuminance value is below the specified illuminance value, the influence by the brightness of the screen increases, and it would be difficult to measure the external illuminance value exactly.

Embodiments of the disclosure address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an example aspect of the disclosure is to provide a method and apparatus applying the method to reduce the battery consumption of an electronic device when measuring the external illuminance and measure the external illuminance accurately when using the light illuminance sensor disposed under the display screen.

According to aspects of the present disclosure an electronic device as claimed in the appended claims is provided.

In accordance with another example aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device includes a housing, a display viewable via a front surface of the housing to display a screen, a camera including a camera sensor disposed in an area of the front surface of the housing other than an area in which the display is disposed to measure an external illuminance of a space that the front surface of the housing faces, an illuminance sensor disposed under the display and configured to measure the external illuminance, a processor operationally connected to the display, the camera, and the illuminance sensor, and a memory operationally connected to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to control the electronic device to: detect turn-on event of the display, turn on the illuminance sensor when the display is turned on, obtain the external illuminance through the illuminance sensor during specified period, determine whether the external illuminance sensor is below specified first illuminance value, turn-on the camera sensor based on the external illuminance sensor being below the first illuminance value, acquire an exposure time and a brightness value from preview image information acquired by the camera sensor, compensate the external illuminance using the exposure time and/or the brightness value, and control a luminance of the display based on the compensated external illuminance.

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:.

In the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

Hereinafter, various example embodiments of the disclosure may be described with reference to accompanying drawings. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives on the various example embodiments described herein can be variously made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

<FIG> is a block diagram <NUM> illustrating the camera module <NUM> according to various embodiments. Referring to <FIG>, the camera module <NUM> may include a lens assembly <NUM>, a flash <NUM>, an image sensor <NUM>, an image stabilizer <NUM>, memory <NUM> (e.g., buffer memory), and/or an image signal processor <NUM>. The lens assembly <NUM> may collect light emitted or reflected from an object whose image is to be taken. The lens assembly <NUM> may include one or more lenses. According to an embodiment, the camera module <NUM> may include a plurality of lens assemblies <NUM>. In such a case, the camera module <NUM> may form, for example, a dual camera, a <NUM>-degree camera, or a spherical camera. Some of the plurality of lens assemblies <NUM> may have the same lens attribute (e.g., view angle, focal length, auto-focusing, f number, or optical zoom), or at least one lens assembly may have one or more lens attributes different from those of another lens assembly. The lens assembly <NUM> may include, for example, a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens.

The flash <NUM> may emit light that is used to reinforce light reflected from an object. According to an embodiment, the flash <NUM> may include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) (e.g., a red-green-blue (RGB) LED, a white LED, an infrared (IR) LED, or an ultraviolet (UV) LED) or a xenon lamp. The image sensor <NUM> may obtain an image corresponding to an object by converting light emitted or reflected from the object and transmitted via the lens assembly <NUM> into an electrical signal. According to an embodiment, the image sensor <NUM> may include one selected from image sensors having different attributes, such as a RGB sensor, a black-and-white (BW) sensor, an IR sensor, or a UV sensor, a plurality of image sensors having the same attribute, or a plurality of image sensors having different attributes. Each image sensor included in the image sensor <NUM> may be implemented using, for example, a charged coupled device (CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

The image stabilizer <NUM> may move the image sensor <NUM> or at least one lens included in the lens assembly <NUM> in a particular direction, or control an operational attribute (e.g., adjust the read-out timing) of the image sensor <NUM> in response to the movement of the camera module <NUM> or the electronic device <NUM> including the camera module <NUM>. This allows compensating for at least part of a negative effect (e.g., image blurring) by the movement on an image being captured. According to an embodiment, the image stabilizer <NUM> may sense such a movement by the camera module <NUM> or the electronic device <NUM> using a gyro sensor (not shown) or an acceleration sensor (not shown) disposed inside or outside the camera module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the image stabilizer <NUM> may be implemented, for example, as an optical image stabilizer.

The memory <NUM> may store, at least temporarily, at least part of an image obtained via the image sensor <NUM> for a subsequent image processing task. For example, if image capturing is delayed due to shutter lag or multiple images are quickly captured, a raw image obtained (e.g., a Bayer-patterned image, a high-resolution image) may be stored in the memory <NUM>, and its corresponding copy image (e.g., a low-resolution image) may be previewed via the display device <NUM>. Thereafter, if a specified condition is met (e.g., by a user's input or system command), at least part of the raw image stored in the memory <NUM> may be obtained and processed, for example, by the image signal processor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the memory <NUM> may be configured as at least part of the memory <NUM> or as a separate memory that is operated independently from the memory <NUM>.

The image signal processor <NUM> may perform one or more image processing with respect to an image obtained via the image sensor <NUM> or an image stored in the memory <NUM>. The one or more image processing may include, for example, depth map generation, three-dimensional (3D) modeling, panorama generation, feature point extraction, image synthesizing, or image compensation (e.g., noise reduction, resolution adjustment, brightness adjustment, blurring, sharpening, or softening). Additionally, or alternatively, the image signal processor <NUM> may perform control (e.g., exposure time control or read-out timing control) with respect to at least one (e.g., the image sensor <NUM>) of the components included in the camera module <NUM>. An image processed by the image signal processor <NUM> may be stored back in the memory <NUM> for further processing, or may be provided to an external component (e.g., the memory <NUM>, the display device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM>, or the server <NUM>) outside the camera module <NUM>. According to an embodiment, the image signal processor <NUM> may be configured as at least part of the processor <NUM>, or as a separate processor that is operated independently from the processor <NUM>. If the image signal processor <NUM> is configured as a separate processor from the processor <NUM>, at least one image processed by the image signal processor <NUM> may be displayed, by the processor <NUM>, via the display device <NUM> as it is or after being further processed.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may include a plurality of camera modules <NUM> having different attributes or functions. In such a case, at least one of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> may form, for example, a wide-angle camera and at least another of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> may form a telephoto camera. Similarly, at least one of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> may form, for example, a front camera and at least another of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> may form a rear camera.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example electronic device <NUM>, including, for example, a housing <NUM>, a display <NUM> (e.g., the display device <NUM> of <FIG>), and a camera sensor <NUM> (e.g., the image sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment. <FIG> is a diagram illustrating the housing <NUM>, the display <NUM>, and the camera sensor <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM> according to another embodiment.

In an example embodiment, the housing <NUM> may define an outline or a contour of the electronic device <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may include a first surface or front surface of the electronic device <NUM>, a second surface or rear surface facing in the direction opposite to the first surface, and a side surface surrounding a space between the front surface and the rear surface. The first surface of the housing <NUM> may include a front plate which is at least partially substantially transparent. The front plate may include a substantially square rim or bezel that forms the first surface of the housing <NUM>. For example, the front plate that forms the front surface of the housing <NUM> may be a glass plate or a polymer plate that includes various coating layers. The second surface of the housing <NUM> may be defined by the rear plate which may be substantially opaque. For example, the rear plate defining the rear surface of the housing <NUM> may include, for example, and without limitation, coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), a combination of at least two thereof, or the like. The side surface of the housing <NUM> may be provided by a side bezel structure or side member coupled with the front plate and the rear plate and including metal and/or polymer. In some embodiments, the rear plate and side bezel structures of the housing <NUM> may be integrally formed and include the same material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum).

In an example embodiment, the display <NUM> may be exposed to (e.g., viewable via) the front surface of the housing <NUM> to display a screen. The display <NUM> may be viewable through a substantial portion of the front plate. For example, at least a portion of the display <NUM> may be viewable through the front plate forming the first surface and a portion of the side surface. The display <NUM> may display a screen to the outside of the electronic device <NUM> to provide visual information to the user. For example, and without limitation, the display <NUM> may display a screen associated with information related to an operation state of an application (e.g., the application <NUM> of <FIG>) performed by the electronic device <NUM>, information acquired using a communication module (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>) by the electronic device <NUM> and/or information processed by the application <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>, etc..

In an example embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, at least some of the corners of the display <NUM> may be have a shape different from a quadrangle in the form of the front plate. A portion of the front plate disposed in the border region of the display <NUM> may have a thickness different from that of the remaining regions. For example, when a portion of the front plate disposed in the border region of the display <NUM> may be thicker than the remaining regions, the portion of the front plate forming the portion may be formed in the form of at least one notch <NUM>. The notch <NUM> may be formed at an upper end of the terminal, such as the upper center, left side, or right side of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the camera module <NUM> including the camera sensor <NUM> may be disposed in the notch <NUM>. As another example, the notch <NUM> may have a shape including only the camera sensor <NUM>. In this case, at least a part of the camera module <NUM> may be hidden behind the display <NUM>. In an example embodiment, as illustrated in <FIG>, the camera sensor <NUM> may be disposed in an area of the front surface of the housing <NUM> other than an area in which the display <NUM> is disposed. For example, the camera sensor <NUM> may be disposed in the notch of the front plate. In another embodiment, the camera sensor <NUM> may be disposed in at least a portion of the display <NUM> as shown, for example, in <FIG>. For example, at least one hole may be formed in the display <NUM> to enable the camera sensor <NUM> to receive light through the front. For example, the hole may be disposed at one edge of the display <NUM>. The camera module <NUM> may be disposed on the rear surface of the display <NUM>, and the camera sensor <NUM> may be viewed externally through the hole on the display <NUM>.

In an example embodiment, a plurality of camera modules <NUM> and/or a plurality of camera sensors <NUM> may be provided. In this case, at least one camera sensor <NUM> included in at least one camera module <NUM> of the plurality of camera modules <NUM> and/or camera sensors <NUM> may be used for illuminance measurement.

In an example embodiment, the camera sensor <NUM> may measure external illuminance of a space that the front side of the housing <NUM> faces. For example, the external illuminance may be a value representing a brightness of an environment recognized in a direction in which the front plate faces.

In an example embodiment of the disclosure, the camera sensor <NUM> may detect external light incident at an angle falling within a specified angle range toward the electronic device <NUM> in the front direction of the housing <NUM> and measure an external illuminance. For example, the camera sensor <NUM> may acquire preview image information and measure the external illuminance. The preview image information may refer, for example, to information of a camera image acquired for the purpose of displaying the external environment recognized by the camera sensor <NUM> on the display <NUM>. For example, the preview image information may refer, for example, to initial information of a preview image acquired by the camera sensor <NUM> and transferred to the processor <NUM> therein to be prepared for display on the display <NUM> before actually being displayed on a screen. The preview image displayed on the display <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM> may be generated and output based on accumulated preview image information. For example, the preview image information may be internal information of the electronic device <NUM> which the user is not able to actually recognize, and may be distinguished from the preview image output to the display <NUM>. An image signal processor (e.g., the image signal processor <NUM> of <FIG>) included in the camera module <NUM> may analyze the preview image information acquired by the camera sensor <NUM> and acquire parameters necessary for measuring an external illuminance.

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> illustrating an example method of acquiring an external illuminance using the camera sensor <NUM> in the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> or the processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG> controlling the electronic device) may detect a turn-on event of a display (e.g., the display <NUM> of <FIG>) in operation <NUM>. Herein, where it is described in the disclosure that a processor performs a specified function, it will be understood that this description also includes the processor controlling the electronic device and/or components thereof to perform the function, and is not limited to the processor itself directly performing the specified function(s). The turn-on event of the display <NUM> may include, for example, and without limitation, a power-on, a key input during standby, an event reception through a communication module (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>), a periodic notification, or the like. For example, when the electronic device <NUM> is turned on, the display <NUM> may be turned on to display a booting screen of the electronic device <NUM>. As another example, when a key input or a touch input is received by the electronic device <NUM> in a state in which the electronic device <NUM> is turned on but the display <NUM> is turned off (e.g., in a standby state), a wake-up in which the display <NUM> is turned on may be performed. The wake-up may be performed when the electronic device <NUM> receives an input from a user through the display <NUM> or an input device of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the input device <NUM> of <FIG>), when information and/or an event is acquired from the outside through the communication module <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>, or when a proximity of the electronic device <NUM> to another object is changed or an angle the electronic device <NUM> to the ground is changed. As another example, the turn-on event of the display <NUM> may occur to notify schedules stored in the memory of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the memory <NUM> of <FIG>) or schedules stored in an application (e.g., the application <NUM> of <FIG>). It will be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the foregoing examples.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> to acquire an external illuminance using the camera sensor (e.g., the camera sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) when the display <NUM> is turned on. In the case of using the camera sensor <NUM>, when the camera sensor <NUM> is turned off or in a sleep (or inactive) state, it may be difficult to identify a brightness of surroundings and therefore, the camera sensor <NUM> may be configured to identify a brightness of the surroundings by turning on the camera sensor <NUM> when the display <NUM> is turned on.

In an example embodiment, it is possible to turn on the camera sensor <NUM> by turning on the camera module (e.g., the camera module <NUM> of <FIG>). For example, an illuminance of the outside may be measured through the camera sensor <NUM> by turning on the camera module <NUM>. As another example, the processor <NUM> may selectively turn on and/or turn off the camera sensor <NUM> alone.

In an example embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may acquire preview image information for a specified time through the camera sensor <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may maintain the turned-on state of the camera sensor <NUM> for the specified time and acquire an exposure time and a brightness value in an acquisition interval after an enable interval. For example, the processor <NUM> may acquire the exposure time and the brightness value necessary for calculating the external illuminance for the specified time from the preview image information acquired using the camera sensor <NUM> to identify a change in the external illuminance. The camera sensor <NUM> may transmit the exposure time and the brightness value to the processor <NUM> without capturing and/or storing the preview image information.

According to an embodiment, the enable interval may, for example, be an interval for preparation to acquire the preview image information is performed after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on.

In an example embodiment, the acquisition interval may, for example, be an interval for which the camera sensor <NUM> is able to acquire information related to the external illuminance from the image after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on. The camera sensor <NUM> may acquire and analyze the exposure time and the brightness value through the preview image information for the time set as the acquisition interval.

In an example embodiment, the exposure time may be a time for which the camera sensor <NUM> is exposed to external light. The exposure time may be an exposure value (EV). The exposure time may be set, for example, by a shutter speed of the camera module <NUM>. When the camera module <NUM> acquires the preview image information in a space with a low external illuminance, the exposure time may increase. When the camera module <NUM> acquires the preview image information in a space with a high external illuminance, the preview image information may be sufficiently acquired even with a short exposure time, thereby reducing the exposure time. The exposure time may be adjusted by the camera module <NUM>. The resolving power of the camera module <NUM> may be better when the exposure time is used than that of a case using an aperture sensitivity of the camera module <NUM> or a sensitivity of the image sensor <NUM>. The resolving power may, for example, be a numerical value indicating the ability to accurately distinguish external illumination.

In an example embodiment, the brightness value may be a value related to ambient brightness information acquired by an image sensor of the camera module <NUM> (e.g., the image sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) and then calculated, for example, according to an internal algorithm. The brightness value may be a BV (brightness value).

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may acquire the exposure time and/or the brightness value from the preview image information using the camera sensor <NUM> when the display <NUM> is turned on. When the display <NUM> is turned on, the processor <NUM> may measure an external illuminance and control a brightness of the display <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may turn off the camera sensor <NUM> in operation <NUM>. The camera sensor <NUM> may be turned off after performing an operation necessary to acquire the external illuminance. For example, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> at specified periods. When the camera sensor <NUM> repeatedly performs turn-on and turn-off operations at each specified period, power consumption of the camera sensor <NUM> may be reduced compared to a case in which the camera sensor <NUM> continuously maintains a turned-on state. According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may variably determine a specified period for turning on the camera sensor <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may adjust the specified period based on the acquired external illuminance, as described in greater detail below with reference to <FIG>.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may acquire an external illuminance by processing an exposure time and a brightness value. The processor <NUM> may calculate the external illuminance by selectively using the exposure time and/or the brightness value according to a luminance of the preview image information.

According to another embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may simultaneously perform operations <NUM> and <NUM> after operation <NUM>. According to another embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may turn off the camera sensor <NUM> and simultaneously process an exposure time and a brightness value to acquire an external illuminance.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may control a luminance of the display <NUM> according to the measured external illuminance in operation <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may decrease the luminance of a screen to minimize and/or reduce the glare of a user due to the brightness of a screen of the display <NUM> in low illuminance environment. The processor <NUM> may increase a luminance of the screen such that the user may recognize contents displayed on the display <NUM> in high illuminance environment. For example, the processor <NUM> may change the luminance of the screen to be proportional to the measured external illuminance.

<FIG> is a graph <NUM> illustrating a relationship of current with time, which is consumed by the camera module <NUM> according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may turn on the camera module <NUM> and/or the camera sensor <NUM> to measure the external illuminance through the camera sensor <NUM>.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> at specified periods. The camera sensor <NUM> may be turned on at a first time point at which a first period starts and/or at a second time point at which a second period starts. The camera sensor <NUM> may be turned off in the middle of the first period and then turned on again at the second time point. For example, the first period and the second period may be substantially identical to each other. As another example, the first period and the second period may be different from each other according to the state of the electronic device <NUM> or the surrounding environment. As another example, the first period or the second period may be changed according to the state of the electronic device <NUM> or the surrounding environment.

In an example embodiment, a time interval in which the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on may correspond to an enable interval and/or an acquisition interval. The enable interval may be an interval in which the camera sensor <NUM> prepares to acquire preview image information after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on. The acquisition interval may be an interval in which the camera sensor <NUM> acquires preview image information and acquires an exposure time and a brightness value from the preview image information.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may allow the camera module <NUM> to perform a release operation for switching the camera sensor <NUM> into a standby state for a predetermined interval after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned off. For example, a time interval in which the camera module <NUM> performs the release operation may be referred to as a release interval.

In an example embodiment, a first enable interval may start at a time point (e.g., a first time point) at which the first period starts, for example, a time point at which the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on, and a second enable interval may start at a time point (e.g., a second time point) at which the second period starts. The lengths of the first and second enable intervals may, for example, and without limitation, be about <NUM> seconds or more and about <NUM> seconds or less. However, the length of the interval may be set differently depending on the camera's electrical specifications, design, or operation method and is not limited to the examples set forth above.

According to an embodiment, a first acquisition interval may begin when the first enable interval ends in the first period, and a second acquisition interval may begin when the second enable interval ends in the second period. The length of the first and second acquisition intervals may be about <NUM> seconds or more and about <NUM> seconds or less.

In an example embodiment, the length of the acquisition interval may be substantially equal to any one frame included in a specified time. When the preview image information is recognized during at least one frame interval among a plurality of frames included in the specified time, an exposure time and a brightness value for a specified time may be acquired. In order to reduce power consumed by the camera module, the acquisition of the exposure time and brightness value using the camera sensor may be performed for substantially the same time as one frame interval (e.g., about <NUM>/<NUM> seconds when there are <NUM> frames per second). The processor <NUM> may set a turn-on period of the camera sensor <NUM> according to a situation or according to the capability supported by the camera sensor <NUM>. For example, when the camera sensor <NUM> is able to acquire <NUM> frames of image information per second, the processor <NUM> may set the period to <NUM>/<NUM> seconds. For another example, when the camera sensor <NUM> is able to acquire N frames of image information per second, the processor <NUM> may set the period to <NUM>/N seconds. This may be to allow the camera sensor <NUM> to repeatedly perform the periodic operation by minimizing the power for acquiring the preview image information once.

In an example embodiment, a first current I1 may be supplied to the camera sensor <NUM> in the acquisition interval. For example, the first current I1 may be a current used by the camera module <NUM> and/or the camera sensor <NUM> to perform an operation for acquiring preview image information and acquiring the exposure time and the brightness value from the preview image information. In the enable interval, a second current I2 lower than the first current I1 may flow. The second current I2 may be a current used by the camera sensor <NUM> to be turned on to perform preparation for acquiring the preview image information. The flow of current may refer, for example, to current being consumed in the camera module <NUM> and/or the camera sensor <NUM>. The current consumption in the camera module <NUM> and/or the camera sensor <NUM> may refer, for example, to the camera module <NUM> and/or the camera sensor <NUM> consuming power.

In an example embodiment, when the camera sensor <NUM> periodically operates to acquire the exposure time and the brightness value, it may be important to perform control to keep power for a single operation to a minimum. The processor <NUM> may process the exposure time and/or the brightness value in real time to prevent and/or reduce a likelihood of the camera module <NUM> capturing a preview image or storing a preview image in the memory <NUM> to consume power separately.

In an example embodiment, the image signal processor <NUM> may transmit the exposure time and the brightness value to the application <NUM> in real time when acquiring the exposure time and the brightness value from one frame through a separate interface called the callback internally designed for the purpose of image quality improvement. The image signal processor <NUM> may not need to separately capture and/or store the preview image information. The processor <NUM> may receive and use the exposure time and the brightness value transmitted to the application <NUM> that processes the preview image information. When the processor <NUM> acquires the exposure time and the brightness value of the preview image information directly from the application <NUM>, the current consumed by the camera module <NUM> may be saved. According to an embodiment, the image signal processor <NUM> may transmit the exposure time and the brightness value to the processor <NUM>.

In an example embodiment, the camera sensor <NUM> may be turned off after the acquisition interval ends. A third current I3 may flow in the camera sensor <NUM> and/or the camera module <NUM> during the release interval.

<FIG> is a graph <NUM> illustrating an example parameter used to measure an external illuminance according to luminance of preview image information according to an embodiment.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may, for example, and without limitation, measure an external illuminance using an exposure time when the luminance of the preview image information is less than or equal to a first luminance, measure the external illuminance using the brightness value when the luminance of the preview image information exceeds a first luminance, and measure the external illuminance using the exposure time and then using the brightness value when the luminance of the preview image information is less than or equal to a second luminance lower than the first luminance.

In an example embodiment, the first luminance may be a luminance that distinguishes a luminance of the preview image information in indoor environment and a luminance of the preview image information in outdoor environment. The processor <NUM> may determine that the camera sensor <NUM> is affected by illumination when the luminance of the preview image information is lower than the first luminance, and determine that the camera sensor <NUM> is affected by sunlight when the luminance of the preview image information is higher than the first luminance. For example, the first luminance may be about <NUM> lux.

In an example embodiment, the second luminance may be a luminance that distinguishes general environment in which a light source exists and a low-illuminance environment in which a light source does not exist, such as a dark room or night environment. The processor <NUM> may determine that the camera sensor <NUM> is in the general environment when the luminance of the preview image information is higher than the second luminance, and determine that the camera sensor <NUM> is in the low-illuminance environment when the luminance of the preview image information is lower than the second luminance. For example, the second luminance may be about <NUM> lux, but is not limited thereto.

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> illustrating an example method of periodically measuring an illuminance using the camera sensor <NUM> in the electronic device <NUM> according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> or the processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>) may determine whether an event in which a display (e.g., the display <NUM> of <FIG>) is turned off occurs. A luminance of a screen may need to be controlled only when the display <NUM> is turned on. Therefore, measuring an external illuminance using a camera sensor (e.g., the camera sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) may be meaningful only when the display <NUM> is turned on. The processor <NUM> may terminate an operation of measuring an illuminance when an event in which the display <NUM> is turned off occurs ("Yes" in operation <NUM>). The processor <NUM> may proceed to operation <NUM> when the display <NUM> is turned on because there is no event in which the display <NUM> is turned off. According to an embodiment, as described with reference to operation <NUM> of <FIG>, the processor <NUM> may perform operation <NUM> after the turn-on of the display <NUM> is detected. For example, the processor <NUM> may perform operation <NUM> of <FIG> in a state in which the display <NUM> is turned on. For example, operation <NUM> of <FIG> may include operation <NUM>, operation <NUM>, and operation <NUM> of <FIG>. For example, the processor <NUM> may perform operations <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> to adjust a luminance of the display <NUM>.

The processor <NUM> according to an embodiment may determine whether a specified period has arrived in operation <NUM>. The specified period may, for example, be a period during which the camera sensor <NUM> needs to acquire preview image information to measure an external illuminance and apply the measured external illuminance to luminance control of the display <NUM>. For example, when the luminance control of the display <NUM> takes about <NUM> seconds to <NUM> seconds after the measurement of the external illuminance in a stationary indoor environment, the specified period may be set to about <NUM> seconds. As another example, when the luminance control of the display <NUM> takes about <NUM> second to <NUM> seconds after the measurement of the external illuminance in a moving situation or outdoor environment, the specified period may be set to about <NUM> seconds. However, it will be understood that the foregoing time periods are merely examples, and that the disclosure is not limited thereto.

In an example embodiment, when the camera module <NUM> is kept in a turned-on state, an operating current for operating the camera module <NUM> may increase. Accordingly, the consumption of a battery (e.g., the battery <NUM> of <FIG>) may increase. When the camera module <NUM> is not used, when the camera module <NUM> is turned off and temporarily turned on at each specified period, the operating current may decrease because the camera module <NUM> does not operate continuously.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may change a specified period so as for the camera sensor <NUM> to acquire an exposure time and a brightness value (e.g., the turn-on period of the camera sensor <NUM>) according to an external environment. When the processor <NUM> turns on the camera sensor <NUM> and increases the specified period for measuring the external illuminance, power consumption of the camera sensor <NUM> may be reduced. When the processor <NUM> turns on the camera sensor <NUM> and shortens the specified period for measuring the external illuminance, the camera sensor <NUM> may quickly detect a change in the external illuminance.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may change the specified period according to a surrounding environment. The processor <NUM> may detect surrounding environment of the electronic device <NUM> using the communication module <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may determine whether the surrounding environment is an indoor environment or an outdoor environment using a reception state of a global positioning system (GPS). According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the surrounding environment is an indoor environment, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> and increase a specified period for measuring an external illuminance to reduce power consumption of the camera sensor <NUM>. According to an embodiment, when it is determined that the surrounding environment is an outdoor environment, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> and decrease a specified period for measuring the external illuminance to enable the camera sensor <NUM> to quickly detect a change in the external illuminance. According to another embodiment, the processor <NUM> may reversely set indoor and/or outdoor operating periods. For example, after the outdoor environment is determined and the luminance of the display is adjusted brightly, even when moving to a room with a bright screen, it is determined that the possibility of inconvenience to the user due to the bright screen is not high and the operation period may be maintained.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may change the designated period according to the time information. The processor <NUM> may receive and/or be provided with time information indicating a time at a location where the electronic device <NUM> is currently located using the communication module <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may receive the standard time information (Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)) using the communication module <NUM>, receive a current position through GPS and determine whether a time point at which the electronic device <NUM> is operating is daytime or nighttime. When the time point at the current position according to the time information is daytime, the processor <NUM> may decrease the specified period to enable the camera sensor <NUM> to quickly detect a change in the external illuminance. The processor <NUM> may reduce the power consumption of the camera sensor <NUM> by increasing the specified period when the time point at the current location according to the time information is nighttime.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may change a specified period according to whether the electronic device <NUM> moves and/or rotates. The processor <NUM> may detect whether the electronic device moves and/or rotates using an acceleration sensor and/or a gyro sensor included in a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module <NUM> of <FIG>). The processor <NUM> may receive information related to the movement and/or rotation of the electronic device <NUM>. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when the electronic device <NUM> moves and/or rotates, the processor <NUM> may decrease the specified period to enable the camera sensor <NUM> to quickly detect a change in an external illuminance. According to an embodiment, when the electronic device <NUM> maintains a fixed state at a predetermined position, the processor <NUM> may increase the designated period to reduce power consumption of the camera sensor <NUM>.

In an example embodiment, when the measured external illuminance remains substantially the same a predetermined number of times or more and a position of the electronic device <NUM> is fixed, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> and increase a specified period for measuring the external illuminance. When the external illuminance measured by the camera sensor <NUM> at the specified period is kept substantially the same a predetermined number of times or more, and the position of the electronic device <NUM> is fixed, the processor <NUM> may determine that the external illuminance remains substantially the same. When the processor <NUM> determines that the external illuminance remains substantially the same, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> and increase the specified period for measuring the external illuminance to reduce the power consumption of the camera sensor <NUM>.

Referring back to <FIG>, according to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera module <NUM> and turn on the camera sensor <NUM> based on a result of the determination. For example, the processor <NUM> may turn on the camera module <NUM> and measure an external illuminance through the camera sensor <NUM>. In another example, the processor <NUM> may turn on only the camera sensor <NUM>.

In operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may acquire an exposure time and a brightness value from preview image information acquired using the camera sensor <NUM> while the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on. The acquisition interval may be an interval in which the camera sensor <NUM> may acquire information related to external illumination from the image after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on. In an example embodiment, an image signal processor (e.g., the image signal processor <NUM> of <FIG>) of the camera module <NUM> may acquire the exposure time and the brightness value from the preview image information. According to an embodiment, the image signal processor <NUM> may transmit the exposure time and brightness value to an application (e.g., the application <NUM> of <FIG>) through an interface. According to another embodiment, the image signal processor <NUM> may transmit the exposure time and brightness value to the processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may measure an external illuminance using the exposure time and/or the brightness value in operation <NUM>. The exposure time may be advantageous to acquire a uniform illuminance value regardless of location of a light source in indoor lighting environment or low-illuminance environment. The brightness value may be advantageous to resolve an illuminance value of a bright image. It may be advantageous to resolve the illuminance value by processing the brightness value and the exposure time value together according to a situation, and optimal resolving power may be achieved in the case of considering both the actual exposure time value and the brightness value in the low-illuminance environment.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may acquire an illuminance value of a preview image using the exposure time in indoor environment in which the preview image has a general illuminance. The processor <NUM> may improve the resolving power in bright environment using the brightness value in outdoor environment in which the preview image has a high illuminance. The processor <NUM> may identify the exposure time and further identify the brightness value to further secure the resolving power of brightness in night environment in which the preview image has a low illuminance.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may control a luminance of the display <NUM> according to a measured external illuminance in operation <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may decrease the luminance of the display <NUM> to minimize and/or reduce the glare of a user due to the brightness of the screen of the display <NUM> in low-illuminance environment. The processor <NUM> may increase the luminance of the display <NUM> such that the user may recognize contents displayed on the display <NUM> in high-illuminance environment. For example, the processor <NUM> may change the luminance of the display <NUM> to be proportional to the measured external illuminance.

<FIG> and <FIG> are diagrams <NUM> and <NUM> illustrating example methods in which the electronic device <NUM> applies different gain values to edge regions and center regions <NUM> and <NUM> of preview image information acquired using the camera sensor <NUM> according to various embodiments.

According to an embodiment, the preview image information acquired by the camera sensor <NUM> may have first regions <NUM> and <NUM> which may, for example, be regions having a high external illuminance and second regions <NUM> and <NUM> which may, for example, be regions having a low external illuminance. For example, when the first region <NUM> includes the whole center region <NUM> in preview image information as illustrated in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may determine that the preview image information has an external illuminance higher than an actual external illuminance. In another example, when the second region <NUM> occupies most of the center region <NUM> in the preview image information, as shown in <FIG>, the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may determine that the preview image information has a low external illuminance lower than the actual external illuminance. Even when the average external illuminance of the preview image information <NUM> of <FIG> and the average external illuminance of the preview image information <NUM> of <FIG> are substantially equal to each other, the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the processor <NUM>) may be determine that an average external illuminance of the preview image information <NUM> is higher than the average external illuminance of the preview image information <NUM> of <FIG>.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may apply a first gain value to an exposure time and a brightness value acquired in the edge region of the preview image information acquired by the camera sensor <NUM>, and apply a second gain value to an exposure time and a brightness value acquired in the center region <NUM> or <NUM> of the preview image information. As the second gain value, a value smaller than the first gain value may be applied. For example, it is possible to reduce the influence of the exposure time and the brightness value acquired in the central region <NUM> or <NUM> of the preview image information by applying a filter to the center region <NUM> or <NUM> of the preview image information when an external illuminance is calculated, The processor <NUM> may prevent and/or avoid the camera sensor <NUM> from distorting and calculating the average external illuminance by giving a weight to the center region <NUM> or <NUM>.

In an embodiment, when a small gain value is applied to the exposure time and the brightness value acquired in the center region <NUM> or <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may reduce variations according to positions of a light source using an algorithm for calculating an external illuminance using the exposure time and brightness value acquired from the preview image information. To reduce variations according to the positions of the light sources, the processor <NUM> may decrease application ratios of an exposure time and a brightness value in the center region <NUM> or <NUM> of the preview image information acquired by the camera sensor <NUM> and use an exposure time and a brightness value in the edge region of the preview image information acquired by the camera sensor <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> illustrating an example method by which the electronic device <NUM> acquires external illuminance using the camera sensor <NUM> and displays a display screen with a screen luminance of a defined value according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, a processor (e.g., the processor <NUM> of <FIG>) may receive an event for turning on a display (e.g., the display <NUM> of <FIG>) in operation <NUM>. For example, the electronic device <NUM> may be turned on by turning on a power supply of the electronic device <NUM>. As another example, the electronic device <NUM> may be in a state in which an event of turning on the display <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM> may have been received through reception of an input of a user or information from the outside. However, it will be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may start turning on the display <NUM>. For example, the display <NUM> may start an operation at the minimum brightness. The display <NUM> may wait in a state of being able to receive an external illuminance from the camera module <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may perform a camera on sequence for acquiring an external illuminance in operation <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may allow a camera sensor (e.g., the camera sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) to be turned on by turning on a camera module (e.g., the camera module <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may maintain a camera operation for a predetermined time in operation <NUM>. The camera sensor <NUM> may be turned on and may enter the acquisition interval after passing through an enable interval. The processor <NUM> may be configured such that the camera sensor <NUM> maintains an acquisition interval for a certain time. The camera sensor <NUM> may acquire an exposure time and a brightness value from the preview image information in the acquisition interval. The acquisition interval may be the same time as at least one frame. For example, when there are <NUM> frames in one second, the processor <NUM> may set the camera sensor <NUM> to maintain the acquisition interval for about <NUM> seconds, substantially about <NUM>/<NUM> seconds, considering a time within an error range.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may perform an off sequence in which the camera module <NUM> stops a camera operation and switches to a standby state. The camera sensor <NUM> may return to the standby state or be turned off after the acquisition interval. The camera sensor <NUM> may reduce a current consumed by the camera module <NUM> by maintaining the standby state or the turned-off state except for the acquisition interval. After the acquisition interval in which both the camera module <NUM> and the camera sensor <NUM> are turned on, the camera sensor <NUM> may be turned off in the release interval and the camera module <NUM> may consume only a small amount of current (e.g., the third current I3) to perform a release operation for switching the camera sensor <NUM> to a standby state during a certain interval after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned off.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may acquire an external illuminance by analyzing stored values. For example, the stored values may be the exposure time and the brightness value. The processor <NUM> may calculate the external illuminance by selectively analyzing the exposure time and the brightness value.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device <NUM> may increase a luminance of a screen based on the acquired external illuminance in operation <NUM>. For example, after the display <NUM> is turned on in operation <NUM>, the display <NUM> may start an operation at the minimum brightness level. The luminance value of a screen displayed by the display <NUM> may be defined according to the external illuminance value. The luminance of the screen displayed on the display <NUM> may gradually increase until a defined luminance value is reached. For example, the processor <NUM> may gradually increase the luminance of the screen such that a screen displayed by the display <NUM> reaches the brightness of the screen defined by the external illuminance value from initially the minimum perceived brightness with which the user is able to identify a turned-on state.

As another example, the display <NUM> may start with a default value after starting to be turned on in operation <NUM>. The default value is not limited to the minimum perceived brightness or the minimum luminance, and may be a specified luminance value or a luminance value with which is set immediately before the display <NUM> is operated and turned off. In this case, it is possible to increase or decrease the luminance of the display <NUM> to change the luminance value of the display <NUM> to the brightness of the screen defined by the external illuminance value. As another example, it is possible to determine the brightness of the display <NUM> and turn on the display <NUM> with a defined luminance value after operation <NUM> of measuring and/or acquiring the external illuminance is performed. In this case, operation <NUM> may be performed after performing operations <NUM> and <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the electronic device <NUM> may display a screen of the display with a screen luminance having a defined value. When the luminance of the screen displayed on the display <NUM> reaches the brightness of the screen defined by the set external illuminance value, the processor <NUM> may determine that the luminance control of the screen is completed. The processor <NUM> may repeatedly perform operations <NUM> to <NUM> at a specified period while the display <NUM> is kept in the turned-on state. The processor <NUM> may additionally adjust the luminance of the display <NUM> based on the external illuminance newly acquired by performing operations <NUM> to <NUM>.

<FIG> is a diagram illustrating an example electronic device <NUM> including a housing <NUM>, a display <NUM> (e.g., the display device <NUM> of <FIG>), a camera sensor <NUM> (e.g., the image sensor <NUM> of <FIG>), a speaker <NUM> (e.g. the sound output device <NUM> of <FIG>), and an illuminance sensor <NUM> (e.g. the sensor module <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment. The housing <NUM>, the display <NUM>, and the camera sensor <NUM> according to an embodiment of <FIG> is substantially identical or similar to the housing <NUM>, the display <NUM>, and the camera sensor <NUM> according to an embodiment of <FIG> and <FIG>, and thus a repeated description of these elements may not be repeated here.

In an example embodiment, the speaker <NUM> may be disposed at the front side of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the speaker <NUM> may be disposed at the upper central part of the front side of the electronic device <NUM>. The speaker <NUM> may output sound. For example, the speaker <NUM> may output voice of the speaker when the electronic device <NUM> receives incoming call. As another example, the speaker <NUM> may output sound generated by the electronic device <NUM> when an application (e.g., the application <NUM> of <FIG>) is executed and/or operated. However, it will be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto.

In an example embodiment, the illuminance sensor <NUM> may measure an external illuminance. The illuminance sensor <NUM> may transmit the measured external illuminance to the processor (e.g. the processor <NUM> of <FIG>). The illuminance sensor <NUM> may be disposed under the display <NUM>. The illuminance sensor <NUM> may be disposed toward to front side of the electronic device <NUM>. The illuminance sensor <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to the speaker <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>. For example, the illuminance sensor <NUM> may be disposed adjacent to a left side the speaker <NUM> and/or a right side the speaker <NUM>. In this case, when a user of the electronic device <NUM> places ears near the speaker <NUM>, the illuminance sensor <NUM> may detect that the external illuminance is changed below specified external illuminance. The illuminance sensor <NUM> may transmit the changed external illuminance to the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may turn-off the display based on the changed external illuminance. However, the disclosure is not limited to this scenario, and the illuminance sensor <NUM> may be disposed at the lower central part of the front side of the electronic device <NUM> and/or may be disposed at any region in the display <NUM>. As another example, the illuminance sensor <NUM> may be disposed as separate module at the outside of the display <NUM> and/or the back side of the electronic device <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an example method of acquiring an external illuminance using an illuminance sensor (e.g., the illuminance sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) and controlling a brightness of a display (e.g., the display <NUM> of <FIG>) with an compensated external luminance using a camera sensor (e.g., the camera sensor <NUM> of <FIG>) in an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device <NUM> of <FIG>) according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the processor (e.g., the processor <NUM>) of <FIG>) of the electronic device <NUM> may detect the turn-on event of the display <NUM> in operation <NUM>. The turn-on event of the display <NUM> may include, for example, and without limitation, a power-on, a key input during standby, an event reception through a communication module (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>), or a periodic notification. For example, when the electronic device <NUM> is turned on, the display <NUM> may be turned on to display a booting screen of the electronic device <NUM>. As another example, when a key input or a touch input is received by the electronic device <NUM> in a state in which the electronic device <NUM> is turned on but the display <NUM> is turned off (e.g., in a standby state), a wake-up in which the display <NUM> is turned on may be performed. The wake-up may be performed when the electronic device <NUM> receives an input from a user through the display <NUM> or an input device of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the input device <NUM> of <FIG>), when information and/or an event is acquired from the outside through the communication module <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM>, or when a proximity of the electronic device <NUM> to another object is changed or an angle the electronic device <NUM> to the ground is changed. As another example, the turn-on event of the display <NUM> may occur to notify schedules stored in the memory of the electronic device <NUM> (e.g., the memory <NUM> of <FIG>) or schedules stored in an application (e.g., the application <NUM> of <FIG>).

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may turn on the illuminance sensor <NUM> to obtain the external illuminance using the illuminance sensor <NUM> when the display <NUM> is turned on in operation <NUM>. When using the illuminance sensor <NUM>, the processor <NUM> cannot identify ambient brightness if the illuminance sensor <NUM> is turned off, is in the sleep state, or is in the inactive state. The processor <NUM> may be configured to turn on the illuminance sensor <NUM> to identify the ambient brightness when the display <NUM> is turned on.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may turn on the illuminance sensor <NUM> by turning on a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module <NUM> of <FIG>). For example, the processor <NUM> may turn on the sensor module <NUM> and measure the external illuminance through the illuminance sensor <NUM>. As another example, the processor <NUM> may selectively turn on and/or turn off only the illuminance sensor <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may measure the external illuminance for a specified time using the illuminance sensor <NUM> in operation <NUM>. For example, the processor <NUM> may turn on the illuminance sensor <NUM> for a specified time and obtain the exposure time of the illuminance sensor <NUM> at the acquisition interval after the enable interval and the brightness value of the external environment. For example, the processor <NUM> may obtain the external illuminance for a specified time using the illuminance sensor <NUM> to identify the change of the external illuminance. The illuminance sensor <NUM> may transmit the external illuminance to the processor <NUM> without saving the external illuminance at a memory (e.g., the memory <NUM> of <FIG>).

In an example embodiment, the enable interval may be an interval for preparation to acquire the external illuminance after the illuminance sensor <NUM> is turned on.

In an example embodiment, the acquisition interval may be an interval for which the illuminance sensor <NUM> is able to acquire information related to the external illuminance from the image after the illuminance sensor <NUM> is turned on. The camera sensor <NUM> may acquire and analyze the exposure time and the external brightness value for the time set as the acquisition interval.

In an example embodiment, the exposure time may be a time for which the illuminance sensor <NUM> is exposed to external light. The brightness value may be a value related to ambient brightness information acquired by the illuminance sensor <NUM> and calculated according to an internal algorithm.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may measure the external illuminance when the display <NUM> is turned on. The processor <NUM> may obtain the exposure time and/or the external brightness value when the display <NUM> is turned on.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may determine whether the external illuminance is below the specified first illuminance value in operation <NUM>. The first illuminance value is the threshold value the illuminance sensor <NUM> determines as low illuminance environment. The first illuminance value may, for example, be the external illuminance value at the dark environment like night, twilight, and/or evening. The first illuminance value may, for example, be the external illuminance value at the dark inside space. For example, the first illuminance value may be about 100lux, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. When the external illuminance is below the first illuminance value the external illuminance measured in the illuminance sensor <NUM> is affected by the brightness of the screen of the display <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may proceed to operation <NUM> to compensate the external illuminance to a more accurate value when the external illuminance measured in the illuminance sensor <NUM> is below the first illuminance value.

In an example embodiment, the processor <NUM> may maintain the camera sensor <NUM> in a turn off state when the external illuminance exceeds the first illuminance value. When the external illuminance exceeds the first illuminance value, the external illuminance measured at the illuminance sensor <NUM> may have reliability higher than the specified reliability. When the external illuminance exceeds the first illuminance value, by turning off the camera sensor <NUM>, the consumption power of the camera sensor <NUM> may be decreased.

According to an embodiment, in operation <NUM>, the processor <NUM> may compensate an external illuminance by turning on the camera sensor <NUM> and processing an exposure time and a brightness value. In an environment where the external illuminance is below the first illuminance value, the external illuminance measured by the illuminance sensor may be affected by the brightness of the screen of the display <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may turn on the camera sensor <NUM> and obtain the exposure time and the brightness value at the acquisition interval after the enable interval. The camera sensor <NUM> can transmit the exposure time and the brightness value to the processor <NUM>. The enable interval may be an interval for preparation to acquire the preview image information is performed after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on. The acquisition interval may be an interval for which the camera sensor <NUM> is able to acquire information related to the external illuminance from the image after the camera sensor <NUM> is turned on. The camera sensor <NUM> may obtain and analyze the exposure time and the brightness value through the preview image information during period determined as the acquisition interval. The processor <NUM> may compensate the external illuminance to a more accurate value using the camera sensor <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the processor <NUM> may control a luminance of the display <NUM> according to the compensated external illuminance in operation <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may decrease the luminance of a screen to minimize and/or reduce the glare of a user due to the brightness of a screen of the display <NUM> in low illuminance environment. The processor <NUM> may increase a luminance of the screen such that the user may recognize contents displayed on the display <NUM> in high illuminance environment. For example, the processor <NUM> may change the luminance of the screen to be proportional to the measured external illuminance.

According to various example embodiments, the electronic device may include the housing, the display viewable via a front surface of the housing to display a screen, the camera sensor disposed in at least a portion of the front surface of the housing configured to measure an external illuminance of a space where the front surface of the housing faces, the processor operationally connected to the display and the camera sensor, and the memory operationally connected to the processor, and the memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to control the electronic device to: detect an turn-on event of the display, turn on the camera sensor to acquire the external illuminance using the camera sensor based on the display being turned on, acquire preview image information for a specified time through the camera sensor, turn off the camera sensor, acquire the external illuminance using an exposure time and a brightness value, and control a luminance of the display based on the external illuminance.

In an example embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to control the electronic device to acquire the exposure time and the brightness value from the preview image information at each specified period when the display has been turned on.

For example, the specified time may be substantially equal to any one frame included in the specified period.

In an example embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to control the electronic device to acquire the external illuminance using the exposure time based on luminance of the preview image information being lower than or equal to a first luminance, acquire the external illuminance using the brightness value based on the luminance of the preview image information exceeding the first luminance, and acquire the external illuminance using the exposure time and the brightness value based on the luminance of the preview image information being lower than or equal to a second luminance, the second luminance being lower than the first luminance.

In an example embodiment, the electronic device may further include a communication circuit (e.g., the communication module <NUM> of <FIG>), and the instructions cause the processor to control the electronic device to change the specified period based on the surrounding environment (e.g., current time information).

In an example embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to control the electronic device to change the specified period based on whether the electronic device moves or rotates or changes a position at which the electronic device is located.

In an example embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to control the electronic device to increase the specified period based on the measured external illuminance being the same a predetermined number of times or more and based on a position of the electronic device being fixed.

In an example embodiment, the instructions cause the processor to control the electronic device to apply a first gain value to the exposure time and the brightness value acquired in an edge region of the preview image information acquired by the camera sensor, and apply a second gain value to the exposure time and the brightness value acquired in a center region (e.g., the center region <NUM> of <FIG> or the center region <NUM> of <FIG>) of the preview image information, and the second gain value has a value less than the first gain value.

According to various example embodiments, a method of measuring an external illuminance using the camera sensor in the electronic device includes detecting a turn-on event of a display, turning on the camera sensor to acquire the external illuminance using the camera sensor based on the display being turned on, acquiring preview image information for a specified time through the camera sensor, turning off the camera sensor, acquiring the external illuminance using an exposure time and a brightness value based on the acquired preview image information, and controlling a luminance of the display based on the external illuminance.

According to various example embodiments, the electronic device may include a housing, a display viewable via a front surface of the housing to display a screen, a camera including a camera sensor disposed in at least a portion of the front surface of the housing and configured to measure an external illuminance of a space in a direction that the front surface of the housing faces, a processor operationally connected to the display and the camera, and a memory operationally connected to the processor, and the memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to control the electronic device to: determine whether the display is turned on, turn on the camera sensor at at least one specified period based on a result of determination, acquire an exposure time and a brightness value from preview image information acquired by the camera sensor during an acquisition interval defined based on a number of frames based on the display being turned on, measure the external illuminance using the exposure time and/or the brightness value, and control a luminance of a screen based on the measured external illuminance.

The electronic device according to various example embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic devices may include, for example, and without limitation, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, a home appliance, or the like.

It is to be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to, with or without the term "operatively" or "communicatively", as "coupled with," "coupled to," "connected with," or "connected to" another element (e.g., a second element), the element may be coupled with the other element directly (e.g., wiredly), wirelessly, or via a third element.

Wherein, the "non-transitory" storage medium is a tangible device, and may not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), but this term does not differentiate between where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

According to various example embodiments of the disclosure, it is possible to reduce the consumption of the battery of the electronic device to measure the external illuminance using the camera sensor by decreasing a time during which the camera sensor is turned on.

According to various example embodiments of the disclosure, it is possible to reduce battery consumption and to deal with a change in the external environment by measuring the external illuminance using a camera sensor for a periodic and short time.

According to various example embodiments of the disclosure, based on the illuminance sensor being disposed under the display measuring the external illuminance and the external illuminance value being influenced by the brightness of the screen of the display, the external illuminance value is compensated to accurately determine the external illuminance using camera sensor.

In addition, various effects may be provided that are directly or indirectly understood through the disclosure.

Claim 1:
An electronic device (<NUM>) comprising:
a housing (<NUM>);
a display (<NUM>, <NUM>) viewable via a front surface of the housing (<NUM>) and configured to display a screen;
a camera including a camera sensor (<NUM>, <NUM>) disposed in at least a portion of the front surface of the housing (<NUM>) and configured to acquire information related to external illuminance from an image acquired by the camera sensor;
an illuminance sensor (<NUM>) disposed under the display (<NUM>, <NUM>) and configured to measure the external illuminance;
a processor (<NUM>) operationally connected to the display (<NUM>, <NUM>), the camera, and the illuminance sensor (<NUM>); and
a memory (<NUM>) operationally connected to the processor (<NUM>), wherein the memory (<NUM>) is configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor (<NUM>) to control the electronic device (<NUM>) to:
detect a turn-on event of the display (<NUM>, <NUM>),
turn on the illuminance sensor (<NUM>) when the display (<NUM>, <NUM>) is turned on,
obtain the external illuminance through the illuminance sensor (<NUM>) for a specified period,
determine whether the external illuminance is less than a specified first illuminance value,
turn-on the camera sensor (<NUM>, <NUM>) based on the external illuminance being less than said specified first illuminance value,
acquire an exposure time and a brightness value from preview image information acquired by the camera sensor (<NUM>, <NUM>) in an acquisition interval,
compensate the external illuminance using the acquired exposure time and/or the brightness value when the external illuminance is less than said specified first illuminance value, and
control a luminance of the display (<NUM>, <NUM>) according to the compensated external illuminance.