ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND POWER SAVING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20100250984A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jian-Wei, Chen, Hsin-Yu
• Application Number:
  US12/646,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• 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 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electronic device and power saving method thereof. In an embodiment, when the electronic device operates in a power-saving mode, which means an area on a screen of the electronic device is not a currently in-focus window-based interface, the area is adjusted to have reduced backlight brightness. Thus, not only the power consumed by the screen is reduced but also user experience can be maintained. In another embodiment, when the electronic device operates in a power-saving mode, display parameters for an image shown in the currently in-focus window-based interface are changed without adversely affecting the power-saving effect, so that the currently in-focus window-based interface has higher display definition than other areas do.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a data processing unit capable of processing a data; and

a display unit capable of displaying the processed data, and the display unit comprising a screen displaying a first operating area and a second operating area shown thereon;

wherein the data processing unit controls the display unit into a power-saving mode by having higher display definition in the first operating area than display definition in the second operating area when a preset event is detected.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the preset event comprises any one of the following conditions:

a power-saving mode is actuated on the electronic device;

an external power supply of the electronic device is removed;

the electronic device is powered by a battery;

the battery level of the electronic device is lower than a preset value; and

an execution command signal is received by the data processing unit.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a plurality of light-emitting units;

after detecting the preset event, a first group of the plurality of light-emitting units corresponding to the first operating area have higher brightness than a second group of light-emitting units corresponding to the second operating area.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing unit executes a Windows Operating System, and one of the first operating area and the second operating area is a window-based interface generated by the Windows Operating System.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first operating area is an in-focus window-based interface.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing unit determines a video playback area shown on the screen of the display unit, and the first operating area is the video playback area and the second operating area is the screen except the first operating area.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing unit performs image processing on the data to determine an interface area of an application program, and the first operating area is an interface area of the application program and the second operating area is the screen except the first operating area.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing unit adjusts display parameters for an image shown in any of the first operating area and the second operating area, resulting higher display definition of the first operating area than that of the second operating area.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display parameters comprise contrast, brightness, saturation, or sharpness of the image.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a screen, a computer, or a portable device.

11. A power saving method for implementing on an electronic device comprising a data processing unit and a display unit, the display unit comprising a screen displaying a first operating area and a second operating area thereof, the power saving method comprising the following steps:

detecting whether a preset event has occurred by the data processing unit disposed on an electronic device; and

controlling the display unit into a power-saving mode by the data processing unit when the preset event is detected, wherein the first operating area is rendered to have higher display definition than the second operating area does in the power-saving mode.

12. The power saving method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the preset event comprises any one of the following conditions:

a power-saving mode is actuated on the electronic device;

an external power supply of the electronic device is removed;

the electronic device is powered by a battery;

the battery level of the electronic device is lower than a preset value; and

an execution command signal is received by the data processing unit.

13. The power saving method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the following step when the display unit includes a plurality of light-emitting units:

managing the plurality of light-emitting units to form a first group of the light-emitting units corresponding to the first operating area having higher brightness than a second group of light-emitting units corresponding to the second operating area.

14. The power saving method as claimed in claim 11, wherein one of the first operating area and the second operating area is a window-based interface generated when the electronic device executes a Windows Operating System.

15. The power saving method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first operating area is an in-focus window-based interface.

16. The power saving method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a step of determining a video playback area shown on the screen of the display unit, the first operating area being the video playback area, and the second operating area being the screen except the first operating area.

17. The power saving method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a step of performing image processing on an image shown on the screen of the display unit to determine an interface area of an application program, and the first operating area being the interface area of application program and the second operating area being the screen except the first operating area.

18. The power saving method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a step of adjusting display parameters for an image shown in any of the first operating area and the second operating area, resulting higher display definition of the first operating area than that of the second operating area.

19. The power saving method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the display parameters comprise contrast, brightness, saturation, or sharpness of the image.