SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING BATTERY LIFE IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20100231610A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Limited (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Limited (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Mark R., Hoffman, Brent
• Application Number:
  US12/679,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231610A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0232 Special driving of display border areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• 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 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

A method of conserving battery life in an electronic device comprises receiving a low power user image size preference. The method additionally comprises adjusting an image size responsive to a user request to invoke the low power user image size preference so that an adjusted image displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone that is smaller than an entire display size of the electronic device, and illuminating only areas within the image zone.

Claims

1. A method of conserving battery life in an electronic device, comprising:

receiving a low power user image size preference;

adjusting an image size responsive to a user request to invoke the low power user image size preference so that an adjusted image displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone that is smaller than an entire display size of the electronic device; and

illuminating only areas within the image zone.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the low power user image size preference and the adjusted image is any range of size smaller than the entire display size.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the image zone does not include borders.

4. The method recited in claim 1, comprising:

receiving a user image location preference, wherein the image location preference is a location on a display of the electronic device for displaying the adjusted image; and

positioning the adjusted image location responsive to user request so that a positioned and adjusted image displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone corresponding to the image location preference.

5. The method recited in claim 1, comprising:

receiving a default user image size preference comprising an automatic image size setting; and

adjusting an image size responsive to a default user image size preference so that a default image size displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone corresponding to the default user image size preference.

6. The method recited in claim 4, comprising:

saving the low power user image size preference and the user image location preference, wherein a saved preference is produced; and

adjusting the image size and positioning the adjusted image location responsive to the saved preference so that the adjusted and positioned image displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone corresponding to the saved preference.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the recited acts are performed in the order in which they are recited.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a display that is adapted to display an image;

a light source that is adapted to illuminate the display; and

a processor that is adapted to;

receive a low power user image size preference;

adjust an image size of the display responsive to a user request to invoke the low power user image size preference so that an adjusted image displayed on the display occupies an image zone that is smaller than an entire display size of the display; and

illuminate the display only within the image zone.

9. The electronic device recited in claim 8, wherein the processor is adapted to:

receive a user image location preference, which is a location on the display for displaying the adjusted image; and

position the adjusted image location responsive to the user image location preference so that an adjusted and positioned image displayed on the display occupies an image zone corresponding to the image location preference.

10. The electronic device recited in claim 8, wherein the processor is adapted to:

receive a default user image size preference comprising an automatic image size setting; and

adjust an image size of the display responsive to a default user image size preference so that a default image size displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone corresponding to the default user image size preference.

11. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the processor is adapted to:

save the low power user image size preference and the user image location preference, wherein a saved preference is produced; and

adjust the image size and position the adjusted image location responsive to the saved preference so that the adjusted and positioned image displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone corresponding to the saved preference.

12. The electronic device recited in claim 8, wherein the low power user image size preference and the adjusted image is any range of size smaller than the entire display size.

13. The electronic device recited in claim 8, wherein the image zone does not include borders.

14. The electronic device recited in claim 8, wherein the electronic device comprises a portable display device.

15. The electronic device recited in claim 14, wherein the electronic device comprises a television.

16. The electronic device recited in claim 8, wherein the electronic device is battery powered.

17. An electronic device that conserves battery life, the electronic device comprising:

means for receiving a low power user image size preference;

means for adjusting an image size responsive to a user request to invoke the low power user image size preference so that an adjusted image displayed by the electronic device occupies an image zone that is smaller than an entire display size of the electronic device; and

means for turning display illumination off outside the image zone.

18. The electronic device recited in claim 17, wherein the low power user image size preference and the adjusted image is any range of size smaller than the entire display size.

19. The electronic device recited in claim 17, wherein the image zone does not include borders.

20. The electronic device recited in claim 17, wherein the electronic device comprises a battery powered display device.