Using camera image light intensity to control system state

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus provide the ability to control a system state of/in an image viewing application using a camera/portable viewing device. An image is acquired from the device and converted to gray scale values. The gray scale values are averaged to determine an average light intensity. A determination is made regarding whether the average light intensity is below a threshold value. If the average light intensity is below the threshold value, the system state of the image viewing application is toggled. If the average light intensity is not below the threshold value, a second image is acquired from the device and the process is repeated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for controlling a system state in an image viewing application, comprising:
 acquiring an image from a camera.   converting the image to gray scale values;   averaging the gray scale values to determine an average light intensity;   determining whether the average light intensity is below a threshold value;   if the average light intensity is below the threshold value, toggling the system state of the image viewing application; and   if the average light intensity is not below the threshold value, acquiring a second image from the camera and repeating the above steps.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the camera is part of a cellular phone. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising placing the camera into a virtual reality viewing mechanism, wherein:
 a screen of the camera is used to display a virtual reality view;   an opening of the virtual reality viewing mechanism is positioned over a lens of the camera; and   the screen and physical buttons of the camera are not accessible for touching.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating the acquiring, converting, averaging, determining, and toggling/acquiring steps at a regularly defined interval. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the averaging the gray scale values to determine the average light intensity comprises:
 averaging individual values of all pixels in the image.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the averaging the gray scale values to determine the average light intensity comprises:
 averaging individual values of regularly spaced pixels.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein when the average light intensity is below the threshold value, concluding that incoming light to the camera has been blocked. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining the incoming light to the camera has been blocked in a sequence; and   performing an action based on the sequence, wherein different sequences correspond to the performing of different actions.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the average light intensity is below a threshold value comprises:
 determining a second average light intensity of a prior image acquired from the camera.   comparing the average light intensity to the second average light intensity to determine a change value;   determining whether the change value exceeds a change threshold; and   determining that the threshold value is below the threshold value when the change value exceeds the change threshold.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the toggling the system state further comprises performing an action in executing software based on the toggling. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for controlling a system state in an image viewing application using a portable viewing device comprising:
 (a) a portable viewing device comprising an image acquiring component and a processor that executes software; and   (b) the software:
 (i) acquiring an image using the image acquiring component; 
 (ii) converting the image to gray scale values; 
 (iii) averaging the gray scale values to determine an average light intensity; 
 (iv) determining whether the average light intensity is below a threshold value; 
 (v) if the average light intensity is below the threshold value, toggling the system state in the image viewing application; and 
 (vi) if the average light intensity is not below the threshold value, acquiring a second image from the portable viewing device and repeating the above steps. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the portable viewing device comprises a cellular phone. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a virtual reality viewing mechanism into which the portable viewing device is inserted, wherein:
 a screen of the portable viewing device is used to display a virtual reality view;   an opening of the virtual reality viewing mechanism is positioned over a lens of the image acquiring component; and   the screen and physical buttons of the portable viewing device are not accessible for touching.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the software repeats the acquiring, converting, averaging, determining, and toggling/acquiring steps at a regularly defined interval. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the averaging the gray scale values to determine the average light intensity comprises:
 averaging individual values of all pixels in the image.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the averaging the gray scale values to determine the average light intensity comprises:
 averaging individual values of regularly spaced pixels.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein when the average light intensity is below the threshold value, concluding that incoming light to the image acquiring device has been blocked. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the software:
 determines the incoming light to the image acquiring device has been blocked in a sequence; and   performs an action based on the sequence, wherein different sequences correspond to the performing of different actions.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the determining whether the average light intensity is below a threshold value comprises:
 determining a second average light intensity of a prior image acquired from the image acquiring device.   comparing the average light intensity to the second average light intensity to determine a change value;   determining whether the change value exceeds a change threshold; and   determining that the threshold value is below the threshold value when the change value exceeds the change threshold.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the toggling the system state of the portable viewing device further comprises performing an action in executing software based on the toggling.