Let the light sensor automatically adjust backlight? - JASJAR, XDA Exec, MDA Pro General

Hi,
why not automatically adjust the universal's background light by its light sensor? I suppose this must be possible (ok, only in "notebook mode", not in "PDA mode"). Or is the information given by the sensor binary: "dark" / "bright"?
I would highly appreciate if the device's display would shine bright in the sunshine and dimmed at night. I'm not a windows mobile developer, but I believe this feature should be possible.
Best regards,
tomestos

The backlight makes almost no difference at all when the device is in direct sunlight... It would be really nice to have the backlight dim a little in dark surroundings though. As far as I know the light sensor on the phone is only 'dark', 'light', but even that is fairly useful.

Is the sensor in the registry anywhere and can its values be edited? I find it doesnt come on in low ambient light enviroments when it would be usefull.
JAmes

I'm interested in it, too! It's would be beautiful, if the sensor switches between light and dark! But I didn't find s.th. in the registry at all!

I had found s.th in the registry like that: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel\Backlight\AutoSensor
Perhaps it will be helpful for the project

The HP Jornada 928 had such a sensor to control the backlighting, and I found it invaluable - especially in an open top sports car.
However, a manager for their UK support centre told me that they got so many complaints about it (or user problems with it) that they removed it from later/Compaq models.

astage said:
The HP Jornada 928 had such a sensor to control the backlighting, and I found it invaluable - especially in an open top sports car.
However, a manager for their UK support centre told me that they got so many complaints about it (or user problems with it) that they removed it from later/Compaq models.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true... My old HP hx4700 still had this feature. And indeed, it is indispensible. Very handy when checking your stuff in the open air. Only downside is when you have a shadow cast over your PDA (say: a window stile or something). Then it would brighten and darken, depending on whether or not the shadow obscured the sensor or not.
On second thoughts: I can imagine where the support calls were coming from...

Nobody an idea?

Hi everybody,
I want to bump this topic up, cause there are so many possibilities in a usable light sensor.
For example, i have found an alarm clock, that can go to "snooze mode" if it senses, that lamp in its ambience has been turned on.
And so on, and so on...
So how to read out from the Windows kernel the state of the light sensor??
DOMy

Hey, aren't there any developers??
Pease, couldn't we solve the problem of accessing to the lightsensor?
DOMy

Related

app needed to use universal as a night time clock

Hi all.
Dont flame me for this strange request.
My bed side clock is about to die so instead of getting a new one, I am thinking of using my universal as a replacement. My problem is that having the display on even with the backlight set to minimum is too bright for night time use.
With the backlight turned off the display is useless when pitch black so does anyone know of an application I can use that'll allow me to have the backlight on all night whilst charging on a very low setting so that it can be seen in the dark but not light up the whole room.
I assume the built in alarm function will wake me in the morning so dont need to replace that...
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Good luck trusting any Windows Mobile-powered device to wake you up reliably. I thought my Exec was better than my XDA2 but no. It still fails from time to time.
However, if your machine is to be left turned on all night (on charge) then there's a possibility it might be reliable. I'd run it alongside your alarm clock for a while though before trusting it.
I like the idea of the app you request. vijay555 managed to get the screen backlight to respond to settings above the normal control panel range with his VJLumos app - perhaps it can also be set lower using a similar method.
You'll still need a large enough clock display to be readable with blurry eyes at night though.
Incidentally, you can set your Exec to turn the backlight off after (say) 30 seconds of inactivity, but then use the backlight hardware key (next to the volume slider) to turn the screen backlight on again when you need to know the time in the dark.
Just a suggestion
ptravelalarm is an app that displays big clock digits, in landscape mode too. Perhaps worth checking out in conjunction with the backlight hack? oh, and it features loud alarms with volume override too.
Pocketclock is another app but is only 2003 compatible though i kow there is a beta wm5 version available. Not sure when it will be released fully, or if it will support landscape mode (which the beta didn't).
Have a look at 'stoptime'....
And yes it's reliable ! I used it for months for taking my medication (and it's dosing was quite time-dependant !)
jpiek said:
Have a look at 'stoptime'....
And yes it's reliable ! I used it for months for taking my medication (and it's dosing was quite time-dependant !)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are u using this app on a wm5 pda? I checked out the site and it seems to mention 2003 and earlier, plus no updates since 2004?
No, on a WM2003 ...
jpiek said:
No, on a WM2003 ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the thread title it's for use on a Universal, therefore wm5 (unless he's seriously tweaked his roms ). Shame, because it looked interesting...
Here's what I have as my Alarm.....
It is SPB Time v.1.1 which you can find here :
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/time/?en
In the picture below, it is set as BLACK CLOCK and also displays the calendar aside from the time in Digital format.
There a lot of diffeent skins available for free and also you can choose between analog, digital or world clock....
phupton said:
My problem is that having the display on even with the backlight set to minimum is too bright for night time use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seconded. The minimum backlight brightness setting is way too bright. Is there any way to influence this in the registry?
the big clock display looks great with that spb product. Just need a hack to sort out the bright display at night time now.
Its not something I can do but if anyone knows of someone that might be able to help then point me in their direction...
I use the ptravel alarm on a daily basis, as commented above though, the dim setting is still bright enough to light the room. If that can be dimmed further then will be fantastic.
As for relibility, the only time it has failed when on mains was due to finger trouble...
I'd suggest something like that Big-Clock from SPB, if you run the Exec while it's plugged in the backlight will stay lit - all you need is a black background with dark coloured numerals so that the light output isn't that much (on lowest backlight obviously).
You'd ALSO need to turn off the flashing LEDS - I've discovered these are really very bright in a darkened room and very irritating.
Chronos is also very good, only analogue clocks though, although it says it is skinable and I would like it in digital...
Anyone know how to skin Chronos???
http://www.activekitten.com/en/games/detail.php?ID=351
Regards Simon

Automatic screen brightness using camera or Light meter

it is possible ?
I'm using the KAISER, when in a building i set the brightness to low becuase it has a very bright screen and it's just a waste of battery
But when i go outside i can't see a thing, need to set it to high again
And then i just forget to set it to low again
is it possible to make it be automatic ?
(bright outside - high brightness, dark outside - low brightness)
Thanks !
p.s.
does the KAISER have a light sensor like the Universal's keyboard light sensor ?
if so, is it possible to use that ?
ah man i hear you. when my sister got her blackberry pearl, and i saw it automatically change brightness, i was jealous. aha. unfortunately, the sensor is hardware thing.
i'm not sure about the kaiser but i know the hermes has a keyboard light sensor, but it's on the keyboard, and only says whether to turn on the keyboard backlight or not. not too useful, i'd think.
Hermes and Kaiser have front cameras...
but camera is a no-no for battery
Even once a minute, or on power-on?
Well, maybe yes.
I nice Solution would be a Button you press it, and the Brightness gets configurated automaticly: perfect for battery because you do this only on need!
And there could be a standart brightness reseted after having standby on
I dont know how to use the Camera in VB.Net someone knows?
I was thinking more in the direction of the front camera and the timer ....but bettery above all .... if it is possible it would be awsome !
the buton pressing idea is (forgive me) pointless ... if i wanted to press a button i might as well press the on screen button i already have ! (spb mobile shell)
thanks for the idea though !
it's great to see so many people taking interest, hope it will stick !
SPB software is my solution. You can map your jog dialer for brightness. I use that for volume, so I use touch screen to slide my brightness.
http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en
look at the screenshot or demo. Map the brightness as botton4 is a option because brightness is a program link for you to set what ever button as you wish.
blah, i have an at&t 8525, so i forgot about the front facing camera. my current solution is to set the backlight to reasonable indoor setting, and i have VJLumos mapped to my Button5 press&hold. so whenever i go outside, I run VJLumos, and when I get back inside, I run VJLumos again (which turns it off) and it automatically goes back to the previous backlight setting.

Automatic Light Adjustment

I've just bought a Touch 3G and as far as I can tell the Auto setting for the Backlight doesn't seem to do anything. As my last phone (P3300) didn't have this, what should I be expecting to happen? I've tried putting a finger over what I think is the sensor (right hand "LED", beside speaker) and nothing changes.
Thanks, W.
Did you set Auto adjust backlight in system menu?
Imho it is a really subtle effect. You can see it a bit when holding the light sensor (right to the speaker) to a bright light source. The display then gets a little bit brighter.
If you would like to increase the effect or customize the stepping, try g-light ( http://www.ageye.de/index.php?s=glight/about ), it lets you set specific values for each reported value from the sensor, and set the polling interval
Jade auto adjust is poor
I had the diamond prior to purchasing the jade. The diamond auto light adjust was very noticeable compared to the jade. In fact I didn't think the Jade even had a light sensor until one of the other users pointed it out.
After a little research I found this thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=450318
I used it on my Jade and it works great. One of my problems with the diamond was the fact that the light would not automatically dim enough in low light conditions.
Thanks for the link. Now using G-Light which works pretty well. Not perfect as its sometimes a bit erratic but certainly makes better use of the light-sensor than HTC!

[APP] Smartbacklight v0.01 (Proof of Concept)

This app was designed to improve upon the backlight management capabilities of the Omnia (*May* also work on HTC models). Currently the "auto backlight" function on the Omnia i910 is too sensitive, and ends up cranking the backlight up even in low-light situations where it isn't needed. This results in wasted battery power.
Mode 1 (Hi-Low Manual) - If the current light level meets or exceeds the set threshold, the backlight will be set to 12 (maximum). If the current light level falls below the threshold, the backlight will be set to 1 (minimum).
Mode 2 (Manual / Auto) - Same as above, but if the light meets or exceeds the threshold, the backlight will be set to auto. If the light level falls below the threshold, the backlight is set to manual (whatever value is currently set for manual backlight will be used).
The Threshold setting has 4 marks -- dark, dim, normal and bright. These are pretty subjective, but "bright" has been working pretty well for me in bright light.
Status shows the currently active mode, the approximate light level in lumens and the current brightness (dark, dim, normal, bright), which is essentially just a translation of lumen level.
The UI and installation process is crap. This is not meant to be anything close to a finished product -- just a proof of concept to see if this interests anyone and solves the problem. Backlight management will continue if the app is minimized. Shutting down the app will cease backlight management.
This was developed on an Omnia i910 using Adryn's 6.5 / 2.0 CF03. It should work on any flavor of Omnia i910. It may work on HTC models as well, though I haven't been able to test.
Installation: Unzip the attachment. Copy the two files to any spot on your Omnia. Launch Smartbacklight.exe.
Please let me know how this works for people. So far it seems to be doing a decent job of saving my battery and eyesight in and out of sunlight.
I proposed something like this over at modaco a while back but didnt (and still dont) Have the knowlage of prgramming for mobiles required to do anything about it of course this was back when the supid screen wouldnt auto rotate if you force dimmed the screen (lower than the lowest setting) the backlight on the omnia is quite frustrating to say the least It really makes you envy the AMOLED display on the omnia2 but then again iphone zelots will even envy that
Ill give it a spin myself but i reccomend you bring this project over to omnia.modaco.com or samsung-omnia.org you will probbly get a better response.
Ps sorry have to go no time to fix spelling or puncuate
A very useful app for Omnia. The concept is definitely smart. Please continue the project. The current UI is not that bad, just need a little more work on settings.
can we have a screenshot ?
How is this different from LUMOS?
Nagrom Nniuq said:
How is this different from LUMOS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does LUMOS support the Omnia?
normally yes
Interesting. Didn't get that from the readme.
- supports HTC Raphael, Diamond, Blackstone and Topaz
- should support Rhodium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll pull it down and take a peek.
"Can't find PInvoke DLL HTCUtil.dll"

Proximity problem

Hello,
I have bought myself a diamond touch 2, and i directly flashed it to Dutty's R6 rom because i like it much better and i made up my mind about it even before i bought it.
Now i seem to have a problem, and i don't know what would be the problem; either the device or the rom?
Proximity doesn't work; setting automatic backlight dimms the screen to a low-light level. Holding a flashlight above it doesn't make any difference.
Also, when making a call, the display keeps being illuminated the whole time, no matter if i hold it to my ear or not.
Does someone recognize this problem?
Cheerz
Exca said:
Hello,
I have bought myself a diamond touch 2, and i directly flashed it to Dutty's R6 rom because i like it much better and i made up my mind about it even before i bought it.
Now i seem to have a problem, and i don't know what would be the problem; either the device or the rom?
Proximity doesn't work; setting automatic backlight dimms the screen to a low-light level. Holding a flashlight above it doesn't make any difference.
Also, when making a call, the display keeps being illuminated the whole time, no matter if i hold it to my ear or not.
Does someone recognize this problem?
Cheerz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Settings\System\Power\Backlight\ Turn off Auto adjust.
If i turn off auto adjust i can indeed set full brightness, but that's not the point. I want the auto-dimming and proximity sensor to work, so when i hold the piece next to my ear it locks and turns off the screen...
If I turn on auto-adjust, it doesn't respond on any lightchange or action; it just dimms the screen to about 40% and keeps it there.. either a bug or a hardware fault with my unit?
Not sure that it ever worked perfect out of the box.
Have you tried tweaking the settings with TD2 Tools?
How do you mean tools? As far as i know i can only find one box to turn auto adjust on.. you have the same configuration, does it work for you?
EDIT: I installed the app "LumosWizard". Now the phone's backlight adjusts depending on the light the sensor receives. The sensor works well as the values go up when putting a flashlight on it.
However, i wonder why this doesn't work with just auto-adjust on, that's what the HTC Auto-Backlight should do right? Also, with this app, the backlight doesn't go out when no light is reveived (auto-lock when putting into pants, or turned off backlight when calling...) ?
This is what i'm looking for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xakUmz1zwc
=> i don't think this is achieved by an additional application, but is just standard HTC service doing this because of putting on the auto-adjust...
There is NO proximity sensor on Touch DIAMOND II. Only light sensor. Use Touch_InCall_Screen_Tweak instead. This program use G-sensor and block the screen when your phone is in vertical position.
m72m72 said:
There is NO proximity sensor on Touch DIAMOND II. Only light sensor. Use Touch_InCall_Screen_Tweak instead. This program use G-sensor and block the screen when your phone is in vertical position.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, installed and works good!
Still wondering though why i need a 3rd app like LumosWizard to make the lightsensor work, as htc's autoadjust apparently doesn't
I did find this .cab called Glight and it works great on my TD2
More about it here:
http://www.ageye.de/index.php?s=glight/about

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