Systems and Methods for Configuring the Display Resolution of an Electronic Device Based on Distance and User Presbyopia

• US 20140118354A1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pais, Martin R., Chen, Sylvia
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/373 for modifying the size of the graphic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof

Abstract

Systems and methods dynamically configure a display (104) of an electronic device (102) to a desired display resolution and/or a magnification factor without noticeable impact on the user viewing experience. According to certain aspects, the distance between a user (100) and the display is measured (1002), and the desired display resolution is determined (1006) based on the distance. If a user is exhibiting (1008, 1010) symptoms of presbyopia, a magnification factor may be determined (1012). A request indicating the desired display resolution and/or magnification factor is transmitted (1016) to a server that supplies images, such as pictures or videos. The image is received (1018) from the server and displayed (1020) on the display. A focus area distance and/or a pupil orientation of the user may also influence the desired display resolution. Bandwidth, processing, and power savings may result through the use of these systems and methods.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a display of an electronic device, wherein the display is capable of supporting a plurality of display resolutions, the method comprising:

measuring a distance between the display and a user of the electronic device;

determining a desired display resolution of the display based on the distance, using a processor, wherein the desired display resolution is one of the plurality of display resolutions;

determining whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia, using the processor;

determining a desired magnification factor, if the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia; and

transmitting a request from the processor to a server external to the electronic device, the request indicating one or more of;

the desired display resolution or the desired magnification factor, wherein the server is capable of supplying an image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the distance to a minimum distance threshold, using the processor; and

determining the desired magnification factor, if the distance is less than the minimum distance threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia comprises:

recognizing squinting of an eye of the user, using a camera of the electronic device and the processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia comprises:

determining that the user normally wears multifocal glasses; and

recognizing that the multifocal glasses are not being worn by the user, using a camera of the electronic device and the processor, if it is determined that the user normally wears the multifocal glasses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia comprises:

identifying a back and forth movement of the electronic device in a z-axis direction.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the back and forth movement comprises:

detecting a change in the distance; and

identifying the back and forth movement, if the change in the distance exceeds a predetermined back and forth distance threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia comprises;

receiving a level of presbyopia of the user at the processor; and

determining the desired magnification factor comprises;

determining the desired magnification factor based on the level of presbyopia.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the request comprises:

transmitting the request including a specific format of the image, from the processor to the server, wherein the specific format is based on one or more of;

the desired display resolution or the desired magnification factor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the distance between the display and the user comprises:

measuring the distance between the display and the user on a periodic basis.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the image as part of a video, from the server at the processor, at one or more of;

the desired display resolution or the desired magnification factor; and

displaying the image on the display, using the processor, when a scene changes in the video.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the image at the desired display resolution from the server at the processor;

modifying the image based on the desired magnification factor to produce a magnified image, using the processor; and

displaying the magnified image on the display, using the processor.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the image at a different display resolution from the server at the processor, wherein the different display resolution is based on the request;

modifying the image based on the desired magnification factor to produce a magnified image, using the processor; and

displaying the magnified image on the display, using the processor.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a display capable of supporting a plurality of display resolutions;

a distance measurement component for measuring a distance between the display and a user of the electronic device;

a presbyopia detection component for determining presbyopia data associated with the user, the presbyopia detection component configured to transmit the presbyopia data;

a transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the display, the distance measurement component, the presbyopia detection component, and the transceiver, the processor configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving the distance from the distance measurement component;

determining a desired display resolution of the display based on the distance, wherein the desired display resolution is one of the plurality of display resolutions;

receiving the presbyopia data from the presbyopia detection component;

determining whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia;

determining a desired magnification factor based on the presbyopia data, if the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia; and

transmitting a request to a server external to the electronic device, the request indicating one or more of;

the desired display resolution or the desired magnification factor, wherein the server is capable of supplying an image.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the distance measurement component comprises one or more of:

a proximity sensor;

or

a camera.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

comparing the distance to a minimum distance threshold; and

determining the desired magnification factor, if the distance is less than the minimum distance threshold.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising:

a camera of the electronic device for capturing images including eyes of the user; and

a facial recognition component coupled to the processor and the camera, the facial recognition component for recognizing a squinting of an eye of the user;

wherein the processor is configured to perform the determining of whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia comprising;

determining that the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia, if the facial recognition component recognizes the squinting of the eyes of the user.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising:

a camera of the electronic device for capturing images including multifocal glasses worn by the user;

a facial recognition component coupled to the processor and the camera, the facial recognition component for recognizing whether the multifocal glasses are being worn by the user; and

a memory coupled to the facial recognition component and the processor, the memory for storing whether the user normally wears the multifocal glasses;

wherein the processor is configured to perform the determining of whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia comprising;

determining that the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia, if the facial recognition component recognizes that the multifocal glasses are not being worn by the user and if the user normally wears the multifocal glasses.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising:

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory for storing a level of presbyopia of the user;

wherein;

the processor is configured to perform the determining of whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia comprising;

receiving the level of presbyopia of the user; and

storing the level of presbyopia of the user in the memory;

the processor is configured to perform the determining of the desired magnification factor comprising;

determining the desired magnification factor based on the level of presbyopia.

19. The electronic device of claim 13, where the processor is configured to perform transmitting the request comprising:

transmitting the request including a specific format of the image to the server, wherein the specific format is based on one or more of;

the desired display resolution or the desired magnification factor.

20. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the transceiver is configured to receive the image at the desired display resolution from the server;

the processor is further configured to modify the image based on the desired magnification factor to produce a magnified image; and

the display is configured to show the magnified image.

21. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from the server via the transceiver, the image at a different display resolution, wherein the different display resolution is based on the request;

modifying the image based on the desired magnification factor to produce a magnified image; and

displaying the magnified image on the display.

22. The electronic device of claim 13:

wherein the presbyopia detection component comprises an accelerometer;

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia by identifying a vacillating movement of the electronic device in a z-axis direction.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to identify the back and forth movement by:

detecting a change in the distance; and

identifying the back and forth movement, if the change in the distance exceeds a predetermined back and forth distance threshold.