Abstract: Techniques are described for portable computing devices and other apparatus that include an ambient light sensor. The techniques can be particularly advantageous for situations in which the ambient light sensor is disposed behind a display screen of a host device such that ambient light detected by the sensor passes through the light emitting display before being detected by the sensor.

Abstract: A method for estimating ambient light at a display screen of a device. The method comprises determining one or more expected colour values of display screen output light, detecting light with a sensor positioned behind the display screen, determining one or more colour values of the detected light, determining a difference between the one or more expected colour values of the display screen output light and the one or more colour values of the detected light, and, from the determined difference, estimating a first portion of the detected light corresponding to the display screen output light and a second portion of the detected light corresponding to ambient light.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a display screen, an ambient light sensor disposed behind the display screen, and an electronic control unit. An integration time of the ambient light sensor is unsynchronized to a frame rate of the display screen. The electronic control unit is operable to control a brightness of the display screen based on a duty cycle of a PWM blanking signal, wherein at least one OFF time of the PWM blanking signal occurs fully within a first integration period of the ambient light sensor, and wherein at least one other integration period ON time of the PWM blanking signal occurs fully during an ON time of the PWM blanking signal. The electronic control unit is further operable to acquire samples of an output of the ambient light sensor, to identify a highest value and a lowest value from among a consecutive group of the samples, and to estimate a magnitude of an ambient light signal based at least in part on the highest value and the lowest value.

Abstract: A method for estimating ambient light at a display screen of a device. The method comprises determining one or more expected colour values of display screen output light, detecting light with a sensor positioned behind the display screen, determining one or more colour values of the detected light, determining a difference between the one or more expected colour values of the display screen output light and the one or more colour values of the detected light, and, from the determined difference, estimating a first portion of the detected light corresponding to the display screen output light and a second portion of the detected light corresponding to ambient light.

Abstract: Techniques are described for portable computing devices and other apparatus that include an ambient light sensor. The techniques can be particularly advantageous for situations in which the ambient light sensor is disposed behind a display screen of a host device such that ambient light detected by the sensor passes through the light emitting display before being detected by the sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a display screen, an ambient light sensor disposed behind the display screen, and an electronic control unit. An integration time of the ambient light sensor is unsynchronized to a frame rate of the display screen. The electronic control unit is operable to control a brightness of the display screen based on a duty cycle of a PWM blanking signal, wherein at least one OFF time of the PWM blanking signal occurs fully within a first integration period of the ambient light sensor, and wherein at least one other integration period ON time of the PWM blanking signal occurs fully during an ON time of the PWM blanking signal. The electronic control unit is further operable to acquire samples of an output of the ambient light sensor, to identify a highest value and a lowest value from among a consecutive group of the samples, and to estimate a magnitude of an ambient light signal based at least in part on the highest value and the lowest value.

Abstract: The disclosure describes techniques that can be useful for situations in which an ambient light sensor is disposed behind a display screen of a host device such that ambient light detected by the sensor passes through the light emitting display before being detected by the sensor.

Abstract: A wireless parameter-sensing node in a network thereof, the parameter-sensing node includes: sensors to sample values of parameters, respectively; a memory; a collection engine configured to: selectively collect data representing at least some of the sampled values, respectively; and store the collected data in the memory; an omega engine configured to: retrieve selected portions of the collected data from the memory; and send the selected portions to a remote host; wherein at least one of the collection, the storage, the retrieval and the sending are performable according to one or more reconfigurable collection-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable storage-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria and one or more reconfigurable reporting-control criteria, respectively, stored in the memory. The parameter-sensing node and the remote host relate, e.g., as a taskee-client and a taskor-server, respectively.

Abstract: Discretely-mobile parameter-sensing nodes, such as mobile phones, may be connected to a remote host. Each of the nodes is capable of sensing parametric values that are internal, and ambient to the node. The values may relate to atypical movement of a group of users, such as warfighters, that are associated with the nodes. Upon analysis of the atypical movement, the status (e.g., health) of a user associated with a node involved in such movement can be ascertained.

Abstract: A wireless parameter-sensing node in a network thereof, the parameter-sensing node includes: sensors to sample values of parameters, respectively; a memory; a collection engine configured to: selectively collect data representing at least some of the sampled values, respectively; and store the collected data in the memory; an omega engine configured to: retrieve selected portions of the collected data from the memory; and send the selected portions to a remote host; wherein at least one of the collection, the storage, the retrieval and the sending are performable according to one or more reconfigurable collection-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable storage-control criteria, one or more reconfigurable retrieval-control criteria and one or more reconfigurable reporting-control criteria, respectively, stored in the memory. The parameter-sensing node and the remote host relate, e.g., as a taskee-client and a taskor-server, respectively.

Abstract: A method (of operating a remote host in a network of discretely-mobile wireless parameter-sensing nodes (e.g., mobile phones), each node including sensors for sampling values of parameters that are at least one of internal to and ambient to the node, respectively, and circuitry to collect data representing the sampled values, respectively, and send the same to a remote host) includes: receiving the collected data from the discretely-mobile nodes, respectively; organizing the collected data into groups according to proximity of the corresponding nodes, respectively; determining group-specific ranges regarded as typical based on the collected data corresponding to the groups, respectively; recognizing, within the groups, respectively, if there are one or more nodes exhibiting atypical collected data; and adaptively instructing, within the groups, respectively, at least one of the nodes to execute one or more tasks that are responsive to the determination of atypical collected data.

Abstract: A method (of operating a mobile parameter-sensing node (e.g., a mobile phone) connectable wirelessly to a remote host (e.g., a base station or NIB)) includes: sampling values of parameters that are internal to and/or ambient to the node; selectively collecting data representing the sampled values according to a first subject list (defining which ones amongst the parameters will have data representative thereof collected) and/or a first frequencies-of-collection list (of collection frequencies at which the data are to be collected); analyzing, locally to the node, the collected data in terms of alarm criteria; and selectively collecting data according to a second subject list and/or a second frequencies-of-collection list when one or more of the alarm criteria are satisfied, the second subject list and the second frequencies-of-collection list being more inclusive than the first subject list and the second frequencies-of-collection list.