US 11,785,176 B1
Ambient light sensor-based localization
Arun Srivatsan Rangaprasad, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Anselm Grundhoefer, Saratoga, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/173,525.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/982,819, filed on Feb. 28, 2020.
Int. Cl. H04N 5/58 (2006.01); G01J 1/42 (2006.01); H04N 23/70 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 5/58 (2013.01) [G01J 1/4204 (2013.01); H04N 23/70 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
at a device having a processor, an ambient light sensor (ALS), and a motion sensor:
acquiring ambient light data from the ALS during movement of the device in a physical environment, the ambient light data corresponding to diffuse light received by the ALS in the physical environment, the physical environment comprising a light source;
acquiring motion data from the motion sensor during the movement of the device;
determining, based on the ambient light data and the motion data, estimates of three-dimensional (3D) locations of the light source with respect to the device during the movement of the device; and
tracking, by the device and based on the ambient light data and the determined estimates of the 3D locations of the light source with respect to the device during the movement of the device, a 3D location of the device in a 3D coordinate system.