Electronic device including display and method for controlling operation of display in electronic device

• US 10,157,591 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Tae-Seon
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US15/291,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20170140732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/08 Mirrors vehicle mirrors involving special optical features B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0456 with a reflective area and a transmissive area combined in one pixel, such as in transflectance pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0633 by amplitude modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for improving the visibility of a display in an electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a mirror configured to project or reflect light, a display panel disposed on a first surface of the mirror, and a controller, according to a mirror mode or a display mode, configured to control so as to output a control signal for adjusting an amount of external light incident on a second surface opposite to a first surface of the mirror.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display configured to;

be exposed to at least one of a first surface of the housing or a second surface opposite to the first surface, and

selectively provide a first mode which reflects or transmits light emitted by at least one external device in a deactivated state, or a second mode which displays a screen in an activated state;

a processor electrically connected to the display; and

a memory electrically connected to the processor,

wherein the memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control to;

transmit, to at least one external device configured to at least one of emit or adjust light radiated to the display, a request for emitting or transmitting a first amount of light by the at least one external device when the display provides the first mode, and

transmit, to the at least one external device, a request for emitting or transmitting a second amount of light by the at least one external device when the display provides the second mode,

wherein the display comprises;

a mirror configured to reflect or transmit light incident on the first surface from the at least one external device, and mirror shapes of external objects, wherein a front surface of the mirror is exposed to the first surface; and

a display panel disposed on or over a surface of the mirror which is opposite to the front surface of the mirror.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

output a control signal for adjusting an amount of light incident on the front surface of the mirror to the at least one external device based on a visibility table configured for each of the first mode and the second mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control to:

determine a user'"'"'s proximity to the display; and

based on the determination, selectively provide the first mode or the second mode.

4. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display configured to;

be exposed to at least one of a first surface of the housing or a second surface opposite to the first surface, and

selectively provide a first mode which reflects or transmits an external light in a deactivated state, or a second mode which displays a screen in an activated state;

at least one light source exposed to an outside of the housing and disposed adjacent to the display so as to face at least a part of the display,

wherein the display comprises;

a mirror configured to reflect or transmit an external light incident on the first surface from the at least one light source, and mirror shapes of external objects, wherein a front surface of the mirror is exposed to the first surface; and

a display panel disposed on or over a surface of the mirror which is opposite to the front surface of the mirror;

a processor electrically connected to the display and the at least one light source; and

a memory electrically connected to the processor,

wherein the memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control to;

emit a first amount of light to the front surface of the mirror by the at least one light source when the display provides the first mode, and

emit a second amount of light to the display by the at least one light source when the display provides the second mode.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to output a control signal for adjusting an amount of light to be emitted by the at least one light source based on a visibility table configured for each of the first mode and the second mode.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

detect light intensity of light emitted by the at least one light source on the surface of the mirror; and

output a control signal for adjusting an amount of light be emitted by the at least one light source based on the detected light intensity.

7. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

for the first mode, control the display panel to be deactivated, and control so that a brightness of the display panel is darker than a brightness outside;

control to activate a partial area of the display panel corresponding to a partial area of the mirror in the first mode state; and

control so as to display a content on the partial area of the display panel.

8. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to, for the second mode, control the display panel to be activated, and control so a brightness of the display panel is brighter than a brightness outside.

9. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to

selectively provide first mode

or the second mode based on situation recognition information collected for a predetermined period.

10. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to selectively provide the first mode or the second mode based on a distance between the display and a user.

11. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

selectively providing a first mode which reflects or transmits light emitted by at least one external device in a deactivated state, or a second mode which displays a screen of a display in an activated state;

transmitting, to at least one external device configured to at least one of emit or adjust light radiated to the display, a request for emitting or transmitting a first amount of light by the at least one external device when the display provides the first mode; and

transmitting, to the at least one external device, a request for emitting or transmitting a second amount of light by the at least one external device when the display provides the second mode,

wherein the display is exposed to at least one of a first surface of the housing or a second surface opposite to the first surface,

wherein the display comprises a mirror configured to reflect or transmit light incident on the first surface from the at least one external device, and mirror shapes of external objects, and

wherein a front surface of the mirror is exposed to the first surface and a display panel disposed on or over a surface of the mirror which is opposite to the front surface of the mirror.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein further comprising:

detecting light intensity of light emitted by at least one light source on the surface of the mirror; and

outputting a control signal for adjusting an amount of light to be emitted by the at least one light source based on the detected light intensity.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the selectively providing the first mode or the second mode comprises:

deactivating the display panel; and

providing the first mode so that a brightness of the display panel is darker than a brightness outside.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the selectively providing the first mode or the second mode comprises:

activating the display panel; and

providing the second mode so that a brightness of the display panel is brighter than a brightness outside.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein further comprising:

activating a partial area of the display panel corresponding to a partial area of the mirror in a state of being switched to the first mode; and

displaying a contents on the partial area of the display panel.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the selectively providing the first mode or the second mode comprises switching to at least one of the first mode or the second mode based on at least one of a distance between the mirror and a user and situation recognition information collected for a predetermined period.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program executed on a computer, wherein, when executed by a processor of an electronic device comprising a mirror and a display panel configured to project or reflect light, the program comprises executable instructions configured to cause the processor to control to:

selectively provide a first mode which reflects or transmits light emitted by at least one external device in a deactivated state, or a second mode which displays a screen of a display in an activated state; and

transmit, to at least one external device configured to at least one of emit or adjust light radiated to the display, a request for emitting or transmitting a first amount of light by the at least one external device when the display provides the first mode; and

transmitting, to the at least one external device, a request for emitting or transmitting a second amount of light by the at least one external device when the display provides the second mode,

wherein the display is exposed to at least one of a first surface of the housing or a second surface opposite to the first surface,

wherein the display comprises a mirror configured to reflect or transmit light incident on the first surface from the at least one external device, and mirror shapes of external objects, and

wherein a front surface of the mirror is exposed to the first surface and a display panel is disposed on or over a surface of the mirror which is opposite to the front surface of the mirror.