DYNAMICALLY ESTABLISHED BACKLIGHT FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION IN LCD

• US 20100253612A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Clay, William Joseph JR., Shintani, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/419,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253612A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• 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 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/58 in dependence upon ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

Backlighting lamps in an LCD are extinguished when they are in regions beyond the area of the demanded image produced by an associated LCD cell matrix that overlays the lamps. In some cases the size of the demanded image may be reduced according to a user-input energy savings mode and then lamps beyond the image region are extinguished. Energy savings are realized.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) comprising:

elongated co-planar lamps;

a matrix of LCD cells juxtaposed with the lamps, the lamps providing backlighting for the matrix; and

control circuitry controlling the matrix to present a demanded image, the demanded image covering an image area, the control circuitry maintaining lamps outside the image area deenergized independently of ambient light conditions.

2. The LCD of claim 1, wherein the lamps are oriented vertically.

3. The LCD of claim 1, wherein the lamps are oriented horizontally.

4. The LCD of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry establishes an intensity of illumination for lamps within the image area based at least in part on ambient light conditions.

5. The LCD of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry scales the image area in response to user input representing a desired energy use such that which lamps that are maintained deenergized are defined at least in part using the user input.

6. The LCD of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry includes at least one microprocessor.

7. The LCD of claim 1, wherein the image area is periodically shifted, the control circuitry changing which lamps are maintained deenergized in accordance with the image area.

8. Method comprising:

providing backlighting lamps in an LCD; and

extinguishing a subset of backlighting lamps in response to a determination that the subset of backlighting lamps is in regions beyond an area of a demanded image produced by an associated LCD cell matrix that overlays the lamps.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising reducing the size of the area of the demanded image according to a user-input energy savings mode.

10. The method of claim 8, comprising maintaining lamps outside the area of the demanded image deenergized independently of ambient light conditions.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising orienting the lamps vertically or horizontally.

12. The method of claim 8, comprising moving the area of the demanded image and changing the subset accordingly.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising establishing an intensity of illumination for lamps within the area of the demanded image based at least in part on ambient light conditions.

14. The method of claim 8, comprising scaling the size of the area of the demanded image in response to user input representing a desired energy use such that which lamps that are maintained deenergized are defined at least in part using the user input.

15. Apparatus comprising:

TV tuner;

control circuitry receiving a demanded image from the TV tuner;

liquid crystal display (LCD) coupled to the control circuitry to present the demanded image, wherein

the control circuitry establishes a backlighting of the LCD in response to an area encompassed by the demanded image when displayed on the LCD.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the LCD comprises:

elongated co-planar lamps;

a matrix of LCD cells juxtaposed with the lamps, the lamps providing backlighting for the matrix, the control circuitry maintaining lamps outside the area encompassed by the demanded image deenergized.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the lamps are oriented vertically or horizontally.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the area of the demanded image is periodically shifted, the control circuitry changing which lamps are maintained deenergized in accordance with the image area.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry establishes an intensity of illumination for lamps within the area encompassed by the demanded image based at least in part on ambient light conditions.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry scales the area encompassed by the demanded image in response to user input representing a desired energy use such that which lamps that are maintained deenergized are defined at least in part using the user input.