Ambient light sensing using a color sensor

An ambient light sensor (ALS) system is described. The ALS system includes a polychromatic color sensor, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital processor. The polychromatic color sensor generates a plurality of analog signals from a corresponding plurality of color channels based on a detected ambient light signal. The ADC is coupled to the polychromatic color sensor. The ADC converts the plurality of analog signals to a plurality of digital signals. The digital processor is coupled to the ADC. The digital processor generates a processed light signal. The processed light signal describes a characteristic of the detected ambient light signal. Embodiments of the ALS system provide a more comprehensive characterization of the ambient light, and facilitate control of a device based on the characterization of the ambient light.