Advanced power management for computer displays

• US 20060101293A1
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chandley, Adrian, Nicholson, Clark D., Schoppa, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Described is a method and system for power management of mobile computer displays, in which areas of the screen are selectively controlled to consume less power than other areas. For example, a foreground window having focus may receive normal brightness, while background areas are dimmed. To this end, the pixels of selected areas are controlled to vary color depth, resolution, refresh rate, brightness and/or the on/off state for any part of the display. Power settings for parts of the display not corresponding to a focused window can be gradually reduced over time. Power policy may determine which areas are given reduced power, and external mechanisms provide information useful in the determination, such as when the user last interacted with a window, where the mouse is hovering, explicit user instructions as to how to power manage a window, and sensors that detect where the user is likely to want more power.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a display, a method comprising:

determining a first area on the display;

determining a second area on the display; and

reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area based on power-related policy.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises gradually changing power consumption over time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises modifying brightness for at least some pixels.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein modifying the brightness comprises modifying component color levels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises modifying a resolution.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises modifying a refresh rate.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises lowering power to at least some pixels in the second area.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises lowering power to at least some sub-pixel elements in the second area.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises changing at least one color scheme.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing power consumed by the second area relative to power consumed by the first area comprises modifying color depth.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, receiving an event based on power-related policy, and wherein reducing power is performed in response to the event.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, changing power to provide a notification.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the power consumed by the second area relative to the power consumed by the first area comprises lowering the power consumed by both the first and second areas, while lowering the power consumed by the second area more than the power consumed by the first area.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first area on the display comprises determining a window that has focus.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first area on the display comprises receiving a user instruction with respect to at least one area.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the first area on the display comprises sensing user intent with respect to at least one area.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a backlight having at least some individually controlled light sources, and wherein reducing the power comprises controlling at least some of the light sources corresponding to the second area differently relative at least some of the light sources corresponding to the first area.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the power comprises performing at least one step of a set of steps, the set containing:

turning an area of the display translucent;

turning an area of the display opaque;

performing a scaling operation;

changing the dimensions of a focused area;

changing the dimensions of a non-focused area;

changing pixilation;

stopping pixilation;

changing animation;

stopping animation; and

minimizing at least one non-focused area of the display.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the power includes obtaining information corresponding to at least one criterion of a set of criteria, the set containing:

ambient lighting data;

other policy data;

settings data; and

instruction data.

20. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform the method of claim 1.

21. In a computer system having a display, a system comprising:

a provider of power-related policy; and

a display management mechanism coupled to the provider, the display management mechanism associated with a window manager that manages each window on the display, the display management mechanism configured to control an appearance of at least one window relative to an appearance at least one other area of the display upon receiving policy data from the provider such that power consumption of the display changes based on the power-related policy.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the policy data corresponds to an event fired by the provider.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the display manager controls the appearance by modifying a relative brightness of the at least one window relative to the brightness of the at least one other area of the display.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the display manager modifies the relative brightness by modifying at least some component color levels.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the display manager controls the relative appearance by modifying at least one item of a set containing:

a resolution;

a refresh rate;

pixel power;

sub-pixel element power;

a color scheme; and

a color depth.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the display manager controls the relative appearance by changing power to provide a notification.

27. The system of claim 21 wherein the display management mechanism controls the relative appearance to reduce power to at least one area of the display that does not correspond to a window that has focus.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the display comprises a backlight having at least some individually controlled light sources, and wherein the display manager controls the relative appearance by controlling at least some of the light sources corresponding to the window differently relative at least some of the light sources corresponding to the at least one other area.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the display manager controls the relative appearance by performing at least one operation of a set containing:

turning an area of the display translucent;

turning an area of the display opaque;

performing a scaling operation;

changing the dimensions of a focused area;

changing the dimensions of a non-focused area;

changing pixilation;

stopping pixilation;

changing animation;

stopping animation; and

minimizing at least one non-focused area of the display.

30. In a computer system having a display, a method comprising:

determining whether a window has focus;

obtaining policy information related to displaying a window that is not in focus; and

reducing power consumed by the window when the window does not have focus.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein a program having the window obtains the policy information and reduces the power.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein an operating system component obtains the policy information and reduces the power.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein obtaining the policy information comprises receiving an event.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein reducing the power comprises gradually changing power consumption over time.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein reducing the power comprises modifying brightness for at least some pixels.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein modifying the brightness comprises modifying component color levels.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein reducing the power comprises performing at least one step of a set of steps, the set containing:

modifying a resolution;

modifying a refresh rate;

lowering power to at least some pixels;

lowering power to at least some sub-pixel elements;

changing at least one color scheme; and

modifying color depth.

38. The method of claim 30 further comprising, temporarily increasing the power consumed by the window.

39. The method of claim 30 further comprising, reducing power consumed by at least one other area of the screen.

40. The method of claim 30 wherein the display comprises a backlight having at least some individually controlled light sources, and wherein reducing the power comprises controlling at least some of the light sources corresponding to the window.

41. The method of claim 30 wherein reducing the power comprises performing at least one step of a set of steps, the set containing:

turning at least part of the window translucent;

turning at least part of the window opaque;

performing a scaling operation on at least part of the window;

changing the dimensions of the window;

changing pixilation in the window;

stopping pixilation in the window;

changing animation in the window;

stopping animation in the window; and

minimizing the window.

42. The method of claim 30 wherein reducing the power includes obtaining information corresponding to at least one criterion of a set of criteria, the set containing:

ambient lighting data;

other policy data;

settings data; and

instruction data.

43. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform the method of claim 30.

44. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

distinguishing between different parts of a display screen; and

controlling output to at least one part of the display screen based on power-related policy such that the display screen consumes less power than it consumes when not controlled while still having at least one part remain visible as a working area.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein each part corresponds to at least one pixel.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein each part corresponds to at least one individually controlled light source of a backlight.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein distinguishing between parts of the display screen comprises distinguishing between windows.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein distinguishing between parts of the display screen comprises receiving a user instruction with respect to at least one part.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein distinguishing between parts of the display screen comprises sensing user intent with respect to at least one part.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein controlling the output comprises performing at least one step of a set of steps, the set containing:

modifying brightness;

modifying at least some component color levels;

modifying a resolution;

modifying a refresh rate;

lowering power to at least some pixels;

lowering power to at least some sub-pixel elements;

changing at least one color scheme; and

modifying color depth.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein controlling the output comprises performing at least one step of a set of steps, the set containing:

turning a part of the display translucent;

turning a part of the display opaque;

performing a scaling operation;

changing the dimensions of a focused part;

changing the dimensions of a non-focused part;

changing pixilation;

stopping pixilation;

changing animation;

stopping animation; and

minimizing at least one non-focused part of the display.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein controlling the output comprises obtaining information corresponding to at least one criterion of a set of criteria, the set containing:

ambient lighting data;

other policy data;

settings data; and

instruction data.