APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING BRIGHTNESS IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20120280921A1
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Woo-Up
• Application Number:
  US13/361,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20120280921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a screen brightness of a portable terminal are provided. The method includes sensing a screen touch action, and setting a screen brightness value of a screen area where the screen touch action is sensed to a first value and setting a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to a second value lower than the first value.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a screen brightness of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

sensing a screen touch; and

setting a screen brightness value of a screen area proximate the screen touch to a first value and setting a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to a second value that is lower than the first value.

2. The method of claim 1, before the sensing of the screen touch, further comprising:

determining whether a key for controlling the screen brightness is input; and

if the key is inputted, setting a screen brightness value of a full screen to the second value,

wherein the first value is a value configured to confirm content on the screen by a user and is set to a value lower than a screen brightness value before the screen brightness is controlled.

3. The method of claim 1, before the sensing of the screen touch, further comprising:

periodically collecting ambient illumination information;

determining whether a current illumination value is less than a threshold; and

if the current illumination value is less than the threshold, setting a screen brightness value of a full screen to the second value.

4. The method of claim 3, after the sensing of the screen touch, further comprising

determining a screen brightness value corresponding to a current illumination value by using a table that associates a screen brightness with the ambient illumination,

wherein the first value is set to a value corresponding to the determined current illumination value, and

wherein the table comprises a plurality of entries each having an illumination value that is proportional to the screen brightness value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a screen touch movement; and

setting a screen brightness value of a screen area where a touch movement is sensed to the first value, and setting a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to the second value.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing a second input on the screen; and

setting a screen brightness value of a screen area where the second input is sensed to the first value, and setting a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to the second value.

6. An apparatus configured to control a screen brightness of a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a screen brightness control unit configured to set a screen brightness value of a screen area where a touch is sensed to a first value and setting a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to a second value that is lower than the first value.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising

an input unit configured to determine whether a key configured to control the screen brightness is input,

wherein if the key is inputted, the screen brightness control unit configured to set a screen brightness value of a full screen to the second value, and

wherein the first value is a value sufficient for confirming content on the screen by a user and is set to a value lower than a screen brightness value used before the screen brightness is controlled.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising

a sensing unit configured to periodically collect ambient illumination information,

wherein before the sensing of the screen touch, the screen brightness control unit configured to determine whether a current illumination value is less than a threshold, and if the current illumination value is less than the threshold, set a screen brightness value of a full screen to the second value.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

after the sensing of the screen touch, the screen brightness control unit is configured to determine a screen brightness value corresponding to a current illumination value by using a table that associates the screen brightness with the ambient illumination,

the first value is set to a value corresponding to the determined current illumination value, and

the table comprises a plurality of entries each having an illumination value that is proportional to the screen brightness value.

10. The apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the display unit is configured to sense a screen touch movement, and

wherein the screen brightness control unit is configured to set a screen brightness value of a screen area where a touch movement is sensed to the first value, and set a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to the second value.

11. A method for controlling a screen brightness of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

sensing a screen input; and

setting a screen brightness value of a screen area where a touch is sensed to a first value and setting a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to a second value that is different from the first value.

12. The method of claim 11, before the sensing of the screen input, further comprising:

periodically collecting ambient illumination information;

determining whether a current ambient illumination value is less than a threshold; and

if the current ambient illumination value is less than the threshold, setting a screen brightness value of a full screen to the second value.

13. The method of claim 12, after the sensing of the screen input, further comprising

determining a screen brightness value corresponding to a current ambient illumination value by using a table that associates a screen brightness with the ambient illumination,

wherein the first value is set to a value corresponding to the determined current illumination value, and

wherein table comprises a plurality entries each having an illumination value that is proportional to the screen brightness value.

15. An apparatus configured to control a screen brightness of a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising

a screen brightness control unit configured to set a screen brightness value of a screen area where an input is sensed to a first value and setting a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to a second value.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising

an input unit configured to determine whether a key configured to control the screen brightness is input,

wherein if the key is inputted, the screen brightness control unit configured to set a screen brightness value of a full screen to the second value, and

wherein the first value is a value sufficient for confirming content on the screen by a user and is set to a value lower than a screen brightness value used before the screen brightness is controlled.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising

a sensing unit configured to periodically collect ambient illumination information,

wherein before the sensing of the screen touch, the screen brightness control unit is configured to determine whether a current illumination value is less than a threshold, and if the current illumination value is less than the threshold, set a screen brightness value of a full screen to the second value.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

after the sensing of the screen touch, the screen brightness control unit is configured to determine a screen brightness value corresponding to a current illumination value by using a table that associates the screen brightness with the ambient illumination,

the first value is set to a value corresponding to the determined current illumination value, and

the table comprises a plurality of entries each having an illumination value that is proportional to the screen brightness value.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each entry having a relatively low illumination value is mapped to a relatively low screen brightness value and each entry having a relatively high illumination value is mapped to a relatively high screen brightness value.

20. The apparatus of claim 15,

wherein the display unit is configured to sense a screen touch movement, and

wherein the screen brightness control unit is configured to set a screen brightness value of a screen area where a touch movement is sensed to the first value, and set a screen brightness value of the remaining screen areas to the second value.