Portable media device with power-managed display

• US 20070273714A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn R., Tupman, David John, Hodge, Andrew Bert, Bar-Nahum, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• 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 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

Improved techniques for controlling power utilization of a display device are disclosed. The improved techniques reduce power consumption by lowering display intensity at appropriate times. In one embodiment, the display intensity can be controlled depending on the type of content being displayed. In another embodiment, the display intensity can be controlled depending on the characteristics of the content being displayed. In still another embodiment, the display intensity can be controlled depending on the type and characteristics of content being displayed. The improved techniques are well suited for use with portable media devices.

Claims

1. A method for controlling display intensity of a display device of a portable electronic device, said method comprising:

identifying content being displayed or to be displayed on the display device, the content having a content type associated therewith;

determining the content type of the identified content; and

setting an output intensity for the display device based on the determined content type.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determined content type is one of text, photo or video.

3. A method as recited in claim 2,

wherein when the determined content type is text, the output intensity level is set to a lower level,

wherein when the determined content type is video, the output intensity level is set to an intermediate level, and

wherein when the determined content type is photo, the output intensity level is set to a high level.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is a handheld media player.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying the content on the display device in accordance with the output intensity level that has been set.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the output intensity level is a brightness level for the display device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the display device includes at least one light source for illumination, and

wherein the output intensity for the display device corresponds to the extent to which the at least one light source is illuminated.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the light source is a backlight.

9. A method for controlling brightness of a display device of a portable electronic device, said method comprising:

identifying content to be displayed on the display device, the content having a content type associated therewith;

determining the content type of the identified content;

obtaining a user preference associated with the content type; and

setting a brightness level for the display device based on at least one of the determined content type and the user preference.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the user preference is set by the user for each of a plurality of different content types.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the user preference being obtained is dependent on the content type and is selected from a plurality of user preference brightness levels, each of the user preference brightness levels being associated with a different one of the content types.

12. A method as recited in claim 11,

wherein when the determined content type is a first content type, the brightness level is set to a first user preference brightness level, and

wherein when the determined content type is a second content type, the brightness level is set to a second user preference brightness level.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying the content on the display device in accordance with the brightness level that has been set.

14. A method for controlling display intensity of a display device of a battery-powered electronic device, the electronic device also having a user input device, said method comprising:

receiving a user input via the user input device;

determining content to be displayed in response to the received user input;

determining a content type for the content to be displayed;

establishing a display intensity for the display device based on the content type;

activating the display device if not already activated;

displaying the content on the display device in accordance with the display intensity; and

subsequently deactivating the display device if a subsequent user input is not received within a predetermined period of time after the received user input was received.

15. A method for controlling display intensity of a display device of a portable electronic device, said method comprising:

identifying content to be displayed on the display device, the content having at least one content characteristic associated therewith;

determining at least one content characteristic of the identified content; and

setting an output intensity level for the display device based on the at least one determined content characteristic.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the determined content characteristic is lightness, darkness, color or contrast.

17. A method as recited in claim 16,

wherein when the determined content characteristic indicates that the content is dark, the output intensity level for the display device is set higher, and

wherein when the determined content characteristic indicates that the content is light, the output intensity level for the display device is set lower.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the output intensity level is a brightness level for the display device.

19. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the portable electronic device is a handheld media player.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the display device has a backlight to light the display device, and wherein the output intensity level establishes the brightness of the backlight.

21. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying the content on the display device in accordance with the output intensity level that has been set.

22. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said determining of the at least one content characteristic of the identified content is independently performed for a plurality of different regions of the display device, and wherein said setting of the output intensity level is independently performed on the plurality of different regions of the display device based on the at least one content characteristic corresponding thereto.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the plurality of different regions of the display device are associated with individual pixels.

24. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for displaying content on a display of a portable electronic device in a power efficient manner, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for identifying content being displayed or to be displayed on the display, the content having a content type associated therewith;

computer program code for determining the content type of the identified content;

computer program code for setting an output intensity for the display based on the determined content type; and

computer program code for displaying the content on the display in accordance with the output intensity level that has been set.

25. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the determined content type is one of text, photo or video.

26. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the display has a backlight to light the display, and wherein the output intensity level corresponds to the brightness of the backlight.

27. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the lower the output intensity level is set, the greater the power efficiency savings.

28. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for displaying content on a display of a portable electronic device in a power efficient manner, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for identifying content to be displayed on the display, the content having a content type and at least one content characteristic associated therewith;

computer program code for determining the content type and at least one content characteristic of the identified content;

computer program code for setting an output intensity level for the display based on the determined content type and the at least one determined content characteristic; and

computer program code for displaying the content on the display in accordance with the output intensity level that has been set.

29. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 28,

wherein when the determined content characteristic indicates that the content is dark, the output intensity level for the display is set higher, and

wherein when the determined content characteristic indicates that the content is light, the output intensity level for the display is set lower.

30. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 28, wherein the portable electronic device is a handheld media player.

31. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 28, wherein the display includes at least one light source for illumination, and

wherein the output intensity for the display corresponds to the extent to which the at least one light source is illuminated.

32. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 31, wherein the light source is a backlight.

33. A portable media device, comprising:

a rechargeable battery that provides power to said portable media device;

a media store that stores media files pertaining to media items, the media files include at least media content for the media items;

a display device; and

a processor capable of processing a media file from said media store and producing media output signals for controlling said display device, wherein at least one of the media output signals controls display intensity of said display device based on the media item associated with the media file.

34. A portable media device as recited in claim 33, wherein at least one of the media output signals controls the display intensity of said display device based on the media content for the media item associated with the media file.

35. A portable media device as recited in claim 33, wherein at least one of the media output signals controls the display intensity of said display device based on the type of the media content for the media item associated with the media file.

36. A portable media device as recited in claim 33, wherein at least one of the media output signals controls the display intensity of said display device based on the characteristics of the media content for the media item associated with the media file.

37. A portable media device as recited in claim 33, wherein said portable media device is a portable, handheld media playback device.