Display device and method of controlling the same

• US 10,096,287 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sung, Eun Jin, Baek, Jong In, Moon, Ji Young, Kim, Il Nam, Park, Won Sang, Won, Byeong Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US15/157,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20170110059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/141 the light conveying information used for selecting or modulating the light emitting or modulating element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3275 Details of drivers for data electrodes

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels, an illuminance sensor to measure illuminance, and a display controller which includes a processor a brightness controllers. The processor calculates an external illuminance value with reference to a signal from the illuminance sensor. The brightness controller turns off at least one of the pixels and controls the brightness of the display panel when the calculated external illuminance value is in a first region. The first region may be, for example, in a mesopic region.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of pixels;

an illuminance sensor to measure illuminance; and

a display controller including a processor to calculate an external illuminance value with reference to a signal from the illuminance sensor and a brightness controller to turn off at least one of the pixels and to control brightness of the display panel when the calculated external illuminance value is in a first region, wherein

the brightness controller is to control on and off states of each of the pixels so that a ratio of a number of turned on pixels to a number of all pixels in the display panel is a predetermined value when the external illuminance value is in the first region.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first region is in a mesopic region.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brightness controller is to control the on and off states of each of the pixels when the external illuminance value is in the first region and is to control on and off states of the pixels to reduce the ratio of the number of turned on pixels to the number of all pixels in the display panel as the external illuminance value decreases.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the pixels include first pixels, second pixels, and third pixels to emit light components of different colors, and

a ratio of a number of turned on first pixels to a number of all first pixels in the display panel, a ratio of a number of turned on second pixels to a number of all second pixels in the display panel, and a ratio of a number of turned on third pixels to a number of all third pixels in the display panel are substantially equal.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the pixels include first pixels to emit light components of a first color, second pixels to emit light components of a second color, and third pixels to emit light components of a third color, and

the brightness controller is to perform control so that a ratio of pixels with respect to a color with lowest emission brightness is highest among a ratio of a number of turned on first pixels to a number of all first pixels in the display panel, a ratio of a number of turned on second pixels to a number of all second pixels in the display panel, and a ratio of a number of turned on third pixels to a number of all third pixels in the display panel.

6. The display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first color, the second color, and the third color are respectively red, blue. and green, and wherein a ratio of the number of turned on third pixels to the number of all third pixels in the display panel is highest.

7. A method for controlling a display device, the method comprising:

measuring illuminance using an illuminance sensor;

calculating an external illuminance value with reference to a signal from the illuminance sensor;

determining whether the external illuminance value is in a first region; and

turning off at least one of a plurality of pixels in a display panel to control brightness of the display panel when the external illuminance value is in the first region, wherein

controlling the brightness of the display panel is performed by controlling on and off states of each of the pixels so that a ratio of a number of turned on pixels to a number of all pixels in the display panel is a predetermined value.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first region is in a mesopic region.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein controlling the brightness of the display panel is performed by controlling the on and off states of each of the pixels when the external illuminance value is in the first region and controlling on and off states of each of the pixels to reduce the ratio of the number of turned on pixels to the number of all pixels in the display panel s the external illuminance value decreases.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the pixels include first pixels, second pixels, and third pixels to emit light components of different colors of light, and

a ratio of a number of turned on first pixels to a number of all first pixels in the display panel, a ratio of a number of turned on second pixels to a number of all second pixels in the display panel, and a ratio of a number of turned on third pixels to a number of all third pixels in the display panel are substantially equal.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor to calculate an external illuminance value with reference to a signal from an illuminance sensor; and

a brightness controller to turn off at least one of a plurality of pixels to control brightness of a display when the external illuminance value is in a first region, wherein

the brightness controller is to control on and off states of each of the pixels so that a ratio of a number of turned on pixels to a number of all pixels in the display is a predetermined value when the external illuminance value is in the first region.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first region is in a mesopic region.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the brightness controller is to control the on and off states of each of the pixels when the external illuminance value is in the first region and is to control on and off states of the pixels to reduce the ratio of the number of turned on pixels to the number of all pixels in the display as the external illuminance value decreases.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the pixels include first pixels, second pixels, and third pixels to emit light components of different colors, and

a ratio of a number of turned on first pixels to a number of all first pixels in the display, a ratio of a number of turned on second pixels to a number of all second pixels in the apparatus, and a ratio of a number of turned on third pixels to a number of all third pixels in the display are substantially equal.