Method and apparatus for adjusting the brightness of a display device

• US 20060077214A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tatung Company
• Original Assignee: Tatung Company
• Inventors: Yuan, Shin-Chieh, Chao, Tse-I, Tsou, Ching-Mei
• Application Number:
  US11/010,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20060077214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method and system for adjusting the brightness of a display device. Using a light detection unit detects the current environmental brightness thereby generates a first reference value and a second reference value. a brightness degree is obtained according to a conversion formula by using the first reference value and the second reference value as parameters. A comparison is performed to compare the obtained brightness degree with a first predetermined value and a second predetermined value to determine the brightness degree and the predetermined value. If the brightness is greater than the first reference value, smaller than the second reference value, or between the first reference value and the second reference value, a warning light device will be activated to inform the user. a backlight module automatically adjusts the brightness device according to the brightness degree thereby lets the brightness device correspond to the current environment and the user'"'"'s requirement.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the brightness of a display device, comprising the steps of:

(A) generating a first reference value by a light detection unit;

(B) generating a second reference value by the light detection unit;

(C) generating a brightness degree according to the first reference value and the second reference value;

(D) displaying a first warning light by a brightness warning device if the brightness degree is greater than a first predetermined value, and then jumping to step (G);

(E) displaying a second warning light by the brightness warning device if the brightness degree is smaller than a second predetermined value, and then jumping to step (G), wherein the second predetermined value is smaller than the first predetermined value;

(F) displaying a third warning light by the brightness warning device if the brightness degree is between the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value, and then jump to step (H);

(G) adjusting the brightness of the display device by a backlight unit according to the intensity of the brightness degree; and

(H) ending the execution.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is selected from a tablet PC, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a laptop.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light detection unit is coupled to the surface of the display device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first reference value is selected from an infrared light value.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second reference value is selected from a visible light value and an infrared light value.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brightness degree is a lux value of visible light.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined value is 750 lux.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second predetermined value is 300 lux.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (G) further comprises the steps of:

(G1) determining if the difference between the brightness degree and a predetermined value is greater than a threshold, adjusting the predetermined value according to an adjustment value corresponding to the brightness degree and storing as an updated predetermined value; and

(G2) adjusting the brightness of the display device according to the intensity of the predetermined value.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein if the brightness degree is greater than the predetermined value and the difference between the brightness degree and the predetermined value is greater than the threshold, step (G1) adjusts the predetermined value by adding the adjustment value to the predetermined value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a variation range of the brightness degree is divided into at least one section each corresponding to a unique adjustment value.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the variation range of the brightness degree is between 0 and 255.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the variation range of the brightness degree is divided into four sections each adjustment value respectively corresponding to 1, 2, 3, and 4.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein if the brightness degree is smaller than the predetermined value and the difference between the brightness degree and the predetermined value is greater than the threshold, step (G1) adjusting the predetermined value by subtracting the adjustment value from the predetermined value.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a variation range of the brightness degree is divided into at least one section each corresponding to a unique adjustment value.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the variation range of the brightness degree is between 0 and 255.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the variation range of the brightness degree is divided into four sections each adjustment value respectively corresponding to 1, 2, 3, and 4.

18. An apparatus for adjusting the brightness of a display device, comprising:

a backlight unit for controlling the brightness of a backlight panel of the display device;

a light detection unit for detecting a reference value of a current environmental brightness of the display device;

an embedded control IC for calculating the reference value detected by the light detection unit to obtain a reference degree, and generating a control signal for controlling the backlight unit; and

a brightness warning device comprising at least three warning lights for displaying one of the warning lights according to the control signal from the embedded control IC in order to indicate the current environmental brightness of the display device.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the brightness warning device comprises a first warning light, a second warning light, and a third warning light;

the first warning light is displayed if the brightness degree is greater than a first predetermined value;

the second warning light is displayed if the brightness degree is smaller than a second predetermined value;

the third warning light is displayed if the brightness degree is between the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value.