Electronic display with environmental adaptation of display characteristics based on location

• US 10,593,255 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc.
• Inventors: Schuch, John, Dunn, William, De Laet, Rick, Safstrom, Dan, Presley, Harry, Wasinger, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US15/239,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20160358538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0238 Improving the black level
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/064 by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0673 for control of gamma adjustment, e.g. selecting another gamma curve
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2096 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/30 Control of display attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments herein provide an electronic display with a display controller in electrical connection with the electronic display and adapted to direct the electronic display to operate per nighttime instructions if the present time is between sunrise and sunset, without accepting any input from an ambient light sensor, and direct the electronic display to operate per daytime instructions if the present time is between sunset and sunrise, without accepting any input from an ambient light sensor. The nighttime instructions may include a first setting for gamma while the daytime instructions may include a second setting for gamma. Sunrise and sunset transition periods can be calculated using Artificial Ambient Sensor Data (AAS), with further settings for gamma chosen based on the AAS data.

Claims

1. An electronic display assembly comprising:

an electronic display;

a backlight positioned behind the electronic display such that the electronic display is adapted to be directly backlit by the backlight; and

a display controller in electrical connection with the electronic display and adapted to;

direct the electronic display to operate per nighttime instructions if a present time is between sunset and sunrise, without accepting any input from an ambient light sensor, and

direct the electronic display to operate per daytime instructions if the present time is between sunrise and sunset, without accepting any input from an ambient light sensor;

wherein the nighttime instructions include a desired gamma setting for the display during low ambient light conditions;

wherein the daytime instructions include a desired gamma setting for the display during high ambient light conditions;

wherein the display controller is further adapted to automatically adjust the desired gamma setting; and

wherein gamma refers to a mathematic exponent in a power function S^γ

that is adapted to transform scaling of gray levels in a displayed image, where S represents a normalized value of an image signal.

2. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the nighttime instructions include a desired black level for the display during low ambient light conditions; and

the daytime instructions include a desired black level for the display during high ambient light conditions.

3. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the display controller determines the sunrise and sunset times for each day.

4. The electronic display assembly of claim 3 wherein:

the display controller determines the sunrise and sunset times for each day by calculating a sunrise equation.

5. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the display controller is further adapted to determine whether the present time is during a sunset or sunrise transition period and

calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS) for sunset, if during the sunset transition period,

calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS) for sunrise, if during the sunrise transition period, and

direct the display to operate based on the AAS data;

wherein the AAS data, depending on time of day, takes into account;

data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment;

the sunrise transition period; and

the sunset transition period.

6. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the display controller is further adapted to calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS);

determine a desired gamma based on the AAS data; and

drive the electronic display using the desired gamma;

wherein the AAS data, depending on time of day, takes into account;

data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment;

the sunrise transition period; and

the sunset transition period.

7. The electronic display assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the display controller is further adapted to determine local weather information;

calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS) based on the local weather information;

determine a desired gamma based on the AAS data; and

drive the electronic display using the desired gamma;

wherein the AAS data, depending on time of day, takes into account;

data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment;

data that approximates amount of cloud cover;

the sunrise transition period; and

the sunset transition period.

8. An electronic display assembly comprising:

an electronic display; and

a display controller in electrical connection with the electronic display and adapted to;

determine sunset and sunrise times for each day, including a sunset transition period and a sunrise transition period,

determine if a present time is during the sunrise transition, daytime, the sunset transition, or nighttime,

calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS) for sunrise and determine a desired gamma based on the AAS data if the present time is during the sunrise transition period,

determine a desired daytime gamma if the present time is daytime,

calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS) for sunset and determine a desired gamma based on the AAS data if the present time is during the sunset transition period,

determine a desired nighttime gamma if the present time is nighttime, and

drive the electronic display at the desired gamma;

wherein gamma refers to a mathematic exponent in a power function S^γ

that is adapted to transform scaling of gray levels in a displayed image, where S represents a normalized value of an image signal; and

wherein the AAS data, depending on time of day, takes into account;

data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment;

the sunrise transition period; and

the sunset transition period.

9. The electronic display assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the AAS data approximates an amount of ambient light that is present in an environment.

10. The electronic display assembly of claim 9 wherein:

the desired gamma is determined by comparing the AAS data to a predetermined relationship between ambient light in an environment and a corresponding value for gamma.

11. The electronic display assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the desired gamma is determined by approximating an amount of ambient light present in an environment.

12. The electronic display assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the display controller is further adapted to determine a black level offset for the desired gamma.

13. The electronic display assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the display controller is further adapted to determine a black level offset based on the AAS data.

14. The electronic display assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the display controller is further adapted to determine a percentage of cloud cover.

15. An electronic display assembly comprising:

an electronic display;

a backlight positioned behind the electronic display such that the electronic display is adapted to be directly backlit by the backlight;

a GPS device; and

a display controller in electrical connection with the electronic display and the GPS device and adapted to;

determine location data for the electronic display through the GPS device,

determine sunrise and sunset times for a given day,

direct the electronic display to utilize a first gamma setting if a present time is between sunrise and sunset, and

direct the electronic display to utilize a second gamma setting if the present time is between sunset and sunrise;

wherein gamma refers to a mathematic exponent in a power function S^γ

that is adapted to transform scaling of gray levels in a displayed image, where S represents a normalized value of an image signal.

16. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the display controller does not use data from an ambient light sensor to operate the electronic display.

17. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the display controller determines the sunrise and sunset times based on longitude and latitude coordinates of the electronic display.

18. The electronic display assembly of claim 17 wherein:

the display controller determines the sunrise and sunset times by calculating a sunrise equation.

19. The electronic display assembly of claim 15 wherein:

the display controller is further adapted to determine whether the present time is during a sunset or sunrise transition period and

calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS) for sunset, if during the sunset transition period,

calculate artificial ambient sensor data (AAS) for sunrise, if during the sunrise transition period, and

determine a gamma setting for the electronic display based on the AAS data.