LIGHT SOURCE SYSTEM FOR A COLOR FLAT PANEL DISPLAY

• US 20120105504A1
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Lowles, Robert J., Robinson, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0456 with a reflective area and a transmissive area combined in one pixel, such as in transflectance pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0271 Adjustment of the gradation levels within the range of the gradation scale, e.g. by redistribution or clipping
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0428 Gradation resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127

Abstract

A system for operating a color flat panel display (FPD) is provided that includes a color FPD, a light source, and a display processing device. The color FPD has an adjustable color depth and is configured to reflect ambient light. The light source transmits light through the bottom surface of the color FPD. The display processing device is coupled to the color FPD and decreases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is activated and increases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is turned off.

Claims

1. A method of operating a color flat panel display that is configured to be illuminated by a light source and a reflector, comprising:

controlling the light source of the color flat panel display to one of activate and deactivate;

automatically decreasing a color depth of the color flat panel display in response to activating the light source; and

automatically increasing the color depth in response to deactivating the light source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically increasing includes increasing the color depth to a level that was previously selectively adjusted by a user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically decreasing includes decreasing the color depth to eight colors.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically decreasing includes decreasing the color depth to substantially monochrome.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling includes activating the light source in response to receiving a preselected input from a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling includes deactivating the light source in response to receiving an input from a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlling includes deactivating the light source in response to not receiving an input from a user interface for a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically increasing displayed font size in response to activating the light source and decreasing the displayed font size in response to deactivating the light source.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the light source is an electroluminescent (EL) light source.

10. A method of operating a color flat panel display that is configured to be illuminated by a light source and a reflector, comprising:

controlling the light source of the color flat panel display to one of activate and deactivate;

automatically increasing displayed font size in response to activating the light source; and

automatically decreasing the displayed font size in response to deactivating the light source.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the controlling includes activating the light source in response to receiving a preselected input from a user interface.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising automatically increasing the displayed font size further in response to receiving the preselected input again from the user interface

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the controlling includes deactivating the light source in response to receiving an input from a user interface.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the controlling includes deactivating the light source in response to not receiving an input from a user interface for a predetermined period.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the light source is an electroluminescent (EL) light source.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a color flat panel display;

a light source for illuminating the display;

a reflector for illuminating the display; and

a display controller configured to

control the light source to one of activate and deactivate;

automatically decrease a color depth of the display in response to activating the light source; and

automatically increase the color depth in response to deactivating the light source.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 further comprising a user interface, and wherein the display controller is configured to activate the light source in response to receiving a preselected input from a user interface.

18. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein the display controller is further configured to automatically increase displayed font size in response to activating the light source.

19. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein the display controller is further configured to decrease the displayed font size in response to deactivating the light source.

20. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein the light source is an electroluminescent (EL) light source.