PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9820355-B2
Application Number: US-201615055335-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic device with directional ambient light sensor

Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. A directional ambient light sensor may measure the intensity and direction of ambient light. The ambient light sensor may be mounted in alignment with a light sensor window formed in an inactive area of the display. The ambient light sensor may be formed from detectors on a semiconductor substrate. Incident light angle restriction structures may define openings for each detector. Each opening may be configured to allow light with a different range of angle of incidence values to be passed to a respective one of the detectors. The ranges of acceptance angle for adjacent detectors may overlap. A sensor may produce a diffuse light reading by processing ambient light data from a diffuse light detector and a directional light detector. The diffuse and directional light detectors may be formed on a common semiconductor substrate.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device that is exposed to ambient light characterized by a range of angles of incidence, comprising:
 a housing; 
 control circuitry in the housing; and 
 a directional ambient light sensor in the housing with which the control circuitry measures an ambient light intensity versus angle of incidence profile for the ambient light, wherein the directional ambient light sensor comprises a plurality of light detectors with partially overlapping angle of incidence sensitivity profiles. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein each light detector has a peak sensitivity for measuring ambient light at a different angle of incidence. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2  further comprising a display in the housing, wherein the display has an active area and an inactive border and wherein the directional ambient light sensor is mounted under a window region in the inactive border. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device defined in  claim 3  wherein the light detectors include a first set of light detectors that extend along a first dimension and a second set of light detectors that extend along a second dimension that is orthogonal to the first dimension. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 4  wherein the light detectors are formed from a common semiconductor substrate having a surface characterized by a surface normal and wherein incident light angle restriction structures are formed on the surface. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device defined in  claim 5  wherein the incident light angle restriction structures form a plurality of channels each associated with a respective one of the light detectors, each channel being oriented to allow ambient light to pass that has a different respective angle of incidence with respect to the surface normal. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 6  wherein each light detector and associated channel in the incident light angle restriction structures corresponds to a sensor channel with an angular sensitivity profile and wherein the angular sensitivity profile of each channel at least partly overlaps the angular sensitivity profile of an adjacent one of the channels. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  further comprising a display having a surface normal, wherein the light detectors are formed on a common semiconductor substrate and wherein each light detector is configured to measure incident light with a different respective range of angles with respect to the surface normal. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 1  wherein the electronic device includes a display and wherein the control circuitry takes an action at least partly in response to the measured ambient light intensity versus angle of incidence profile and wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of: adjusting brightness for the display, adjusting color for items presented on the display, adjusting texture for items presented on the display, and adjusting shading for items presented on the display. 
     
     
       10. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 control circuitry in the housing; and 
 an ambient light sensor in the housing with which the control circuitry measures ambient light, wherein the ambient light sensor includes a diffuse light ambient light detector that measures diffuse ambient light with a first angle of incidence range and a directional light ambient light detector that measures directional ambient light with a second angle of incidence range that at least partially overlaps the first angle of incidence range. 
 
     
     
       11. The electronic device defined in  claim 10  wherein the second angle of incidence range is smaller than the first angle of incidence range. 
     
     
       12. The electronic device defined in  claim 11  wherein the control circuitry produces a diffuse light reading by processing a diffuse light measurement from the diffuse light ambient light detector and a directional light measurement from the directional ambient light detector. 
     
     
       13. The electronic device defined in  claim 12  wherein the electronic device includes a display and wherein the control circuitry renders electronic content on the display in response to the diffuse light reading. 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the electronic device includes a display and wherein the control circuitry takes an action in response to the diffuse light reading that is selected from the group consisting of: adjusting brightness for the display, adjusting texture for items presented on the display, adjusting color for items presented on the display, and adjusting shading for items presented on the display. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the diffuse light ambient light detector and the directional light ambient light detector are formed from a common semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein the ambient light sensor includes multiple layers of metal with openings that allow light to pass to the diffuse light ambient light detector and the directional light ambient light detector. 
     
     
       17. An electronic device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a display in the housing; 
 an ambient light sensor that measures ambient light, wherein the ambient light sensor comprises:
 a semiconductor substrate in which a plurality of light detectors are formed; and 
 incident light angle restriction structures on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the incident light angle restriction structures have openings, each opening accepting ambient light over a different respective range of incident light angles, each opening being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of light detectors, and the range of incident light angles accepted by one of the openings being at least partially overlapping with the range of incident light angles accepted by another one of the openings. 
 
 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 17  wherein the display has an active area bordered by an inactive area and has a window region in the inactive area that is aligned with the ambient light sensor. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 18  wherein the light detectors include a first set of light detectors arranged along a first axis and a second set of light detectors arranged along a second axis that is not parallel to the first axis. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 18  wherein each of the light detectors measures incident light over a respective range of incident light angles and wherein the range of incident light angles measured by each light detector partially overlaps the range of incident light angles for an adjacent one of the light detector. 
     
     
       21. The electronic device defined in  claim 20  wherein the incident light angle restriction structures include patterned metal layers with holes that form the openings.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/148,302, filed Apr. 16, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to light sensors for electronic devices. 
     Electronic devices such as laptop computers, cellular telephones, and other equipment are sometimes provided with light sensors. For example, ambient light sensors may be incorporated into a device to provide the device with information on current lighting conditions. Ambient light readings may be used in controlling the device. If, for example bright daylight conditions are detected, an electronic device may increase display brightness to compensate. 
     Ambient light sensors can sometimes produce erroneous readings. For example, it may not be possible for an ambient light sensor to discriminate between bright outdoor conditions and low-intensity directional indoor lighting. This may lead to inappropriate adjustments in screen brightness. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved sensors for electronic device such as improved ambient light sensors. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with a display mounted in a housing. A directional ambient light sensor may be mounted in the housing to make ambient light measurements. The directional ambient light sensor may, for example, measure the intensity and direction of incident ambient light to produce an intensity versus angle of incidence profile. 
     The ambient light sensor may be mounted in alignment with a light sensor window formed in an inactive area of the display. The ambient light sensor may be formed from detectors on a semiconductor substrate. Incident light angle restriction structures that are formed on the substrate may be used to define openings for each detector. Each opening may be configured to allow light with a different range of angle of incidence values to be passed to a respective one of the detectors. In this way, each detector may measure light that is directed towards the sensor from a different angle. The ranges of angles of incidence that are covered by adjacent detectors may overlap, thereby enhancing accuracy when processing data from the directional ambient light sensor to produce an intensity versus angle of incidence profile. 
     A directional ambient light sensor may have a pair of light detectors. A first of the light detectors may be a diffuse light ambient light detector that measures the presence of diffuse ambient light. A second of the light detectors may be a directional light ambient light detector that measures the presence of directional light. This type of directional ambient light sensor may produce a diffuse light reading by processing ambient light data from the diffuse light detector and the directional light detector. The diffuse and directional light detectors may be formed on a common semiconductor substrate. 
     Data from a directional ambient light sensor may be used in making adjustments to display brightness, may be used in adjusting shading, texture, and other visual effects for items being presented on a display, or may be used by an electronic device to take other suitable action. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device having a light sensor in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of an electronic device display within which an ambient light sensor has been mounted in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative light sensor that is being exposed to different types of ambient lighting conditions in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative light sensor mounted under a ring-shaped sensor window accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative light sensor with directional measurement capabilities in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a graph in which sensor response has been plotted as a function of incident light angle for a multi-channel ambient light sensor in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a graph in which an illustrative measured light intensity has been plotted as a function of incident light angle in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of an illustrative light sensor having directional measurement capabilities in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative light sensor with an element that measures diffuse light and an element that measures on-axis directional light in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a graph in which the sensitivities of the diffuse light measurement element and on-axis directional light element of  FIG. 9  have been plotted as a function of incident light angle in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a graph in which an illustrative angle-dependent light sensor correction factor has been plotted as a function of incident light angle in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a flow chart of illustrative steps involved in operating an electronic device with a directional light sensor in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with one or more light sensors is shown in  FIG. 1 . Electronic device  10  may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , electronic device  10  may have control circuitry  16 . Control circuitry  16  may include storage and processing circuitry for supporting the operation of device  10 . The storage and processing circuitry may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry  16  may be used to control the operation of device  10 . The processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, application specific integrated circuits, etc. 
     Input-output circuitry in device  10  such as input-output devices  12  may be used to allow data to be supplied to device  10  and to allow data to be provided from device  10  to external devices. Input-output devices  12  may include buttons, joysticks, scrolling wheels, touch pads, key pads, keyboards, microphones, speakers, tone generators, vibrators, cameras, light-emitting diodes and other status indicators, data ports, etc. A user can control the operation of device  10  by supplying commands through input-output devices  12  and may receive status information and other output from device  10  using the output resources of input-output devices  12 . 
     Input-output devices  12  may include one or more displays such as display  14 . Display  14  may be a touch screen display that includes a touch sensor for gathering touch input from a user or display  14  may be insensitive to touch. A touch sensor for display  14  may be based on an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, acoustic touch sensor structures, resistive touch components, force-based touch sensor structures, a light-based touch sensor, or other suitable touch sensor arrangements. 
     Input-output devices  12  may also include sensors  18 . Sensors  18  may include an ambient light sensor and other sensors (e.g., a capacitive proximity sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer, a force sensor, a touch sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a compass, a microphone or other sound sensor, or other sensors). An ambient light sensor may have the ability to measure the direction of incoming light (i.e., sensors  18  may include a directional ambient light sensor that can measure light intensity as a function of angle of incidence). If desired a directional ambient light sensor may be used to discriminate between diffuse lighting conditions and non-diffuse lighting conditions (e.g., situations in which device  10  is being illuminated by a spot light source). Information on the quality of ambient light can be used in controlling display brightness (e.g., display brightness can be increased when it is determined that a spot light source is reflecting off of the surface of display  14  towards a viewer and/or can be decreased when it is determined that glare is reflected away from a user), can be used in adjusting shading, texture, or other on-screen effects for objects on display  14 , can be used in otherwise rendering electronic content on display  14  (e.g., adjusting the way in which electronic content such as text, graphics, animation, video, images, and other content is displayed), or can be used in controlling other device functions during the operation of device  10 . If desired, information from other sensors (e.g., an orientation sensor, a camera, etc.) may be used in combination with information from the ambient light sensor (e.g., to determine how device  10  is oriented relative to the viewer, etc.). 
     A perspective view of a portion of an illustrative electronic device is shown in  FIG. 2 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , device  10  includes a display such as display  14  mounted in housing  22 . Housing  22 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Housing  22  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  22  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     Display  14  may be protected using a display cover layer such as a layer of transparent glass, clear plastic, sapphire, or other clear layer. Openings may be formed in the display cover layer. For example, an opening may be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate a button, a speaker port, or other components. Openings may be formed in housing  22  to form communications ports (e.g., an audio jack port, a digital data port, etc.), to form openings for buttons, etc. 
     Display  14  may include an array of display pixels formed from liquid crystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic pixels, an array of plasma pixels, an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels or other light-emitting diodes, an array of electrowetting pixels, or pixels based on other display technologies. The array of pixels of display  14  forms an active area AA. Active area AA is used to display images for a user of device  10 . Active area AA may be rectangular or may have other suitable shapes. Inactive border area IA may run along one or more edges of active area AA. Inactive border area IA may contain circuits, signal lines, and other structures that do not emit light for forming images. To hide inactive circuitry and other components in border area IA from view by a user of device  10 , the underside of the outermost layer of display  14  (e.g., the display cover layer or other display layer) may be coated with an opaque masking material such as a layer of black ink. Optical components (e.g., a camera, a light-based proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, status indicator light-emitting diodes, camera flash light-emitting diodes, etc.) may be mounted under inactive border area IA. One or more openings (sometimes referred to as windows) may be formed in the opaque masking layer of IA to accommodate the optical components. For example, a light component window such as an ambient light sensor window may be formed in a peripheral portion of display  14  such as region  20  in inactive border area IA. Ambient light from the exterior of device  10  may be measured by an ambient light sensor in device  10  after passing through region  20  and the display cover layer. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of display  14  of  FIG. 2  taken along line  24  and viewed in direction  25  of  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , light sensor  26  may be mounted in alignment with window  20 . Light sensor  26  may be an ambient light sensor that is used in measuring ambient light from diffuse and directional (non-diffuse) light sources. In the example of  FIG. 3 , light source  44  is a diffuse light source that produces diffuse ambient light  42 . Display cover layer  30  has an outer surface such as surface  34 . Surface normal n is perpendicular to surface  34 . Directional light source  38 A produces directional light  40 A. Light  40 A is oriented at an angle of incidence AN of 0° with respect to surface normal n. Illustrative directional light source  38 B produces directional light  40 B that has an angle of incidence AN of about 50° with respect to surface normal n. In general, device  10  and display  14  may be illuminated by ambient light from one or more diffuse light sources and/or one or more directional light sources. The example of  FIG. 3  is merely illustrative. 
     Window  20  may be formed from an opening in opaque masking layer  28  on inner surface  32  of display cover layer  30  in inactive area IA. Layer  30  may be formed from glass, plastic, ceramic, sapphire, or other transparent materials and may be a part of display  14  or a separate protective layer that covers active display structures. The opening associated with window  20  may be filled with window material  36 . Window material  36  may be material that is transparent to some or all of the visible light spectrum. For example, window material  36  may be filled from a clear or translucent polymer or other transparent material. Window material  36  may, if desired, include diffuser material and/or material that forms a Fresnel lens or other light directing features that help guide diffuse light  42  and directional light  40 A and  40 B to light sensor  26 . 
     If desired, window  20  may have the shape of a ring. For example, window  20  may be formed from a circular ring-shaped opening in opaque masking layer  28 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Window material  36  may include translucent material that helps scatter ambient light into ambient light sensor  26 . Ambient light sensor  26  may be mounted under central circular opaque masking layer portion  28 ′. With this type of arrangement, some ambient light rays such as light ray  52 A that would have been directly incident on sensor  26  will be blocked. Other light rays such as light rays  52 B may be scattered or otherwise redirected so that they reach sensor  26 . An arrangement of the type shown in  FIG. 4  may be used to help make sensor  26  sensitive to the presence of diffuse light and prevents oversensitivity to the presence or absence of on-axis directional light. 
     Ambient light sensor  26  may be a directional ambient light sensor that has the ability to identify the angle of incidence AN of incoming light rays. Incident light directionality information may be used alone or in combination with other sensor data in controlling the brightness of display  14 , in adjusting the shading (shadow shading) of items presented on the display and adjusting other effects on display  14  (e.g., to shade icons in correspondence with the direction of ambient light on display  14  so that the shaded icons have shadow features associated with a user&#39;s ambient environment), to adjust the texture of items presented on the display (e.g., so that items appear to have a texture appropriate for the current lighting conditions), in adjusting the color of items presented on display  14 , in determining how device  10  is being used (e.g., whether display  14  is indoors or outdoors, etc.), or in performing other functions involved in operating device  10 . 
     A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative directional ambient light sensor is shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , ambient light sensor  26  may be formed from a semiconductor substrate such as substrate  60  (e.g., a silicon substrate, etc.). An array of light sensors such as light detectors  62  may be formed on the surface of substrate  60 . Detectors  62  may be phototransistors, photodiodes, or other photodetectors capable of detecting incoming light  64 . In the example of  FIG. 5 , there are five light detectors  62 - 1 ,  62 - 2 ,  62 - 3 ,  62 - 4 , and  62 - 5  and the light detectors are organized in a linear array (extending from left to right along the surface of substrate  60  in the orientation of  FIG. 5 ). This is merely illustrative. There may be two or more light detectors  62 , three or more light detectors  62 , five or more light detectors  62 , seven or more light detectors  62 ,  2 - 10  light detectors  62 ,  5 - 20  light detectors  62 , or other suitable number of light detectors  62 . Light detectors may be organized in a linear array, in a two dimensional array, in a cross-pattern (i.e., a pattern in which two linear arrays are aligned at right angles to each other), a circle, or other suitable pattern. 
     Incident light angle restriction structures  66  may be formed on top of substrate  60  and light detectors  62 . Structures  66  may be formed from opaque layers (e.g., layers of black photoresist, layers of metal, or other light blocking materials) and/or transparent layers (e.g., clear polymer layers, etc.). If desired, structures  66  may be used to form a lens array in which each lens accepts light coming from a different direction. In the example of  FIG. 5 , structures  66  include supporting material  68  (e.g., clear polymer) and embedded patterned metal layers  72 . Patterned metal layers  72  contain openings (e.g., rectangular holes, circular holes, or openings with other outlines). The openings are aligned to form openings such as channels  70  with different angular orientations with respect to surface normal n (a vector that is perpendicular to upper surface  74  of the layers of sensor  26  such as structures  66  and the surface of substrate  60 ). Each channel terminates at a respective one of light detectors  62 . This allows each light detector  62  to serve as a separate channel in sensor  26 . 
     Each channel is associated with incoming light of a different angular orientation (i.e., a different range of angles of incidence). For example, the light channel that is associated with light sensor  62 - 1  allows light sensor  62 - 1  to detect light such as incident light ray  64 - 1  that is oriented at angle AN 1  with respect to surface normal n. A channel  70  that is oriented along a different path allows light sensor  62 - 2  to detect light such as incident light ray  64 - 2  that is oriented at angle AN 2  with respect to surface normal n. Light  64 - 3  that is incident at angle AN 3  (e.g., 0°) with respect to surface normal n is allowed to pass to light detector  62 - 3 , etc. As this example demonstrates, each channel of directional ambient light sensor  26  of  FIG. 5  detects light that is oriented with a different angle with respect to light sensor  26 . This information can be processed to produce an intensity versus angle of incidence curve for ambient light. 
     The angular sensitivity profiles of each channel of directional ambient light sensor  26  may overlap (i.e., the edges of the ranges of angles of incidence covered by adjacent sensors may overlap), as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     As illustrated by the detector sensitivity curves of  FIG. 6 , sensor  26  may have a number of independent channels, each of which has a corresponding response (curves  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 , and  92 ) that varies as a function of incident light angle. In the example of  FIG. 6 , sensor  26  has seven channels each of which exhibits a peak in sensitivity S at a different respective angle AN with respect to surface normal n. Directional sensors with more channels or fewer channels and/or channels that detect light at different angles may also be used. Because the sensitivity curves of the light detectors  62  in light sensor  26  overlap with each other (i.e., because each sensor channel has a slightly shifted angle-dependent sensitivity), the ability for accurate intensity angular profile information to be extracted from the sensor data may be enhanced. An illustrative extracted intensity profile (curve  94 ) is shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     Intensity profiles such as illustrative intensity profile  94  of  FIG. 7  (e.g., intensity versus angle curves for incident light) may be extracted by processing data from each of the overlapping channels of sensor  26 . The intensity profile data can be used by device  10  to determine the direction from which incoming light is illuminating device  10  and will quantify how directive (narrow or wide) the light is. 
     A mathematical inversion algorithm may be used to produce intensity profile  94  from incoming light measured using an array of light detectors  62  with partially overlapping sensitivity profiles of the type shown in  FIG. 6 . Consider, as an example, a scenario in which light sensor  26  has seven channels. Each channel has a main receiving direction and adjacent channels have partially overlapping receiving directions, as illustrated by the sensitivity curves of  FIG. 6 . The response of this type of directional ambient light sensor may be described using equation 1:
 
b=Ax  (1)
 
     In equation 1, b represents the ambient light readings from the 7 channels, incoming light has an intensity profile x, and A represents the response functions for all 7 channels of sensor  26 . The variable b is a 7×1 array (in this example). In an illustrative configuration in which x covers an angular range from −60 to +60 degrees from surface normal n with a two degree resolution, x is a 60×1 array. Response function matrix A is a 7×60 array representing the response functions of the angular light detectors in sensor  26 . 
     The entries in matrix A are determined by making calibration measurements on sensor  26 . The values of b are gathered by making readings from all 7 channels in the sensor. Intensity profile x can be calculated from A and b. 
     The calculation of x from A and b is, in general, an ill-posed problem because the number of unknowns that is to be calculated is greater than the number of knowns. Control circuitry  12  may solve for x using a matrix inversion technique suitable for ill-posed problems. With one illustrative arrangement, the pseudo-inverse method may be used. With another suitable arrangement Tikhonov regularization may be used. With yet another suitable arrangement, an optimization algorithm may be used to minimize the difference between Ax and b (e.g., using a sequential least squares programming technique or other optimization technique). Using techniques such as these or other inversion techniques, light intensity profile  94  may be determined to a higher angular resolution than the width of the response functions of each channel. For example, an angular resolution of 5 degrees may be achieved where each channel has an angular range of greater than 10° or greater than 20° (as examples). 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , light sensor  26  may, if desired, be formed from a pair of orthogonal linear arrays of light detectors  62 . One set of light detectors  62  may extend in a line along horizontal dimension X and another set of light detectors  62  may extend along perpendicular dimension Y. The set of light detectors  62  that extend along dimension X may measure how much incoming light is angled along the X dimension and the set of light detectors  62  that extends along the Y dimension may measure incoming light orientation with respect to the Y dimension. 
     If desired, ambient light sensor  26  may have channels that are sensitive to different amounts of angular light spread but which may (as an example) be oriented in the same direction. For example, ambient light sensor  26  may have a sensor with a wide angular acceptance characteristic that is used for measuring diffuse light and a sensor with a narrow angular acceptance characteristic that is used for measuring directional light. In general, there may be one or more of the wider angular acceptance detectors and one or more of the narrower angular acceptance detectors. The detectors may be oriented in different directions and/or some or all of the wide angle and narrow angle detectors may be oriented in the same direction(s). 
     With one illustrative configuration, which is sometimes described herein as an example, ambient light sensor has first and second light detectors. The first light detector measures diffuse light and the second light detector measures directional light. This type of configuration is shown in  FIG. 9 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , directional light sensor  26  may have a first light detector such as light detector  62 A and a second light detector such as light detector  62 B. Light detectors  62 A and  62 B may be solid state light detectors that are formed from a common semiconductor substrate such as substrate  60  or may be formed from separate semiconductor die. Incident light angle restriction structures  66 B may be formed on substrate  60  in alignment with detector  62 B. Structures  66 A (on detector  62 A) and  66 B (on detector  62 B may be formed from lenses, opaque materials such as patterned metal layers  72  or other opaque materials, transparent materials (e.g., transparent material  68 ), or other structures that define light passage openings such as channels  70 . Each of channels  70  allows light of a predefined angular spread and predefined orientation to be passed to a corresponding light detector. For example, the diffuse and narrow angle of incidence detectors of  FIG. 9  may have channels  70  with an orientation parallel to surface normal n so that the direction of peak sensitivity is the same for each channel. 
     In the illustrative arrangement of  FIG. 9 , structures  66 B define a light passage opening  70  with a relatively narrow angle of acceptance such as angle of acceptance B so detector  62 B is able to measure incoming light  102  in a relatively narrow range of angles. Structures  66 A define a light passage opening with a relatively wide angle of acceptance such as angle of acceptance A so that detector  62 A is able to measure incoming light  100  from a relatively wide range of angles. If desired, opening  70  in structures  66 A may be formed from ring-shaped openings in metal layers  78 . With this type of configuration, a central opaque metal structure (or a central opaque portion of opaque layer  28  such as portion  28 ′ of  FIG. 4 ) may block on-axis light for detector  62 B, thereby enhancing the ability of detector  62 B to respond to diffuse light (rather than non-diffuse light). Using arrangements such as these, detector  62 A may produce a signal that is responsive to the presence of diffuse light  100  and detector  62 B may produce a signal that is responsive to the presence of directional light  102 . 
     Device  10  can use readings from the sensor channel associated with detector  62 B (channel B) and the sensor channel associated with detector  62 A (channel A) to determine whether incident light is diffuse or directional in nature. For example, device  10  can compute the ratio R=(Channel A−Channel B)/(Channel A), where the diffuse channel reading (Channel A) is obtained from detector  62 A and the directional channel reading (Channel B) is obtained from detector  62 B. The ratio R can be used as a diffusivity parameter that indicates the degree to which ambient light is diffuse or not diffuse. When R is high, device  10  can take actions appropriate for diffuse lighting conditions. When R is low, device  10  can take actions appropriate for directional (non-diffuse) lighting conditions. 
     Raw readings of ratio R from ambient light readings for sensor  26  of  FIG. 9  may be calibrated using a calibration curve of the type shown in  FIG. 11 . The calibration curve of  FIG. 11  compensates for deviations in sensor response for a sensor of the type shown in  FIG. 9  from the ideal expected response of an on-axis ambient light sensor. A look-up table or other system may be used to store the values of correction factor CF for various values of the raw measured version of R (Rmeas). For a given value of Rmeas, a corresponding corrected value of R (Rcor) may be computed by multiplying Rmeas by CF. If desired, the uncorrected value of R or values of R that are adjusted using other schemes may also be used by device  10 . The calibration curve of  FIG. 11  is merely illustrative. 
     A flow chart of illustrative steps involved in using information from a directional ambient light sensor to operate device  10  is shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     At step  150 , ambient light sensor data may be gathered from the ambient light sensor by control circuitry  16 . The ambient light sensor from which the data is gathered may be a light sensor such as light sensor  26  of  FIG. 5  that has an array of light detectors  62  that extend along a single axis, may be a light sensor such as light sensor  26  of  FIG. 8  or other directional light sensor that has a two-dimensional array of light detectors  62  for detecting incident light directions with respect to two different axes (X and Y), may be an ambient light sensor such as light sensor  26  of  FIG. 9  that supplies an output signal (e.g., ratio R) indicative of the degree to which ambient light in the vicinity of device  10  is diffuse (i.e., a diffuse light reading), or may be any other suitable directional ambient light sensor. 
     At step  152 , the sensor data from sensor  26  is processed by control circuitry  16  (e.g., to apply a correction factor such as correction factor CF, to compute diffusivity value R, to determine an incident light intensity versus angle profile of the type shown by curve  94  of  FIG. 7 , or to otherwise produce directional ambient light data. 
     At step  154 , device  10  may use control circuitry  16  to take a suitable action such as adjusting a display brightness setting for display  14 , adjusting the appearance of items displayed on display  14  (e.g., icon shading and texture, shading and texture for other items on display  14 , etc.), taking other actions to adjust the operation of device  10 , etc. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20160226
Publication Date: 20171114
Grant Date: 20171114
Priority Date: 20150416
Inventors: JIA ZHANG
CORRADINI GIOVANNI
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G01J1/0242", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B47/11", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B47/11", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0242", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0266", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4228", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/0266", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01J1/4228", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H05B37/0218", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02B20/46", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02B20/40", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02B20/40", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 57130086