PROTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150109218A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Satou, Mitsuru
• Granted Patent: US 9,711,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0213 controlling the sequence of the scanning lines with respect to the patterns to be displayed, e.g. to save power
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes: a display unit; and a touch panel which is disposed to overlap the display unit and which is able to detect a distance from an input object. If brightness of the display unit is first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for a predetermined time, and if the distance is greater than a predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit changes to second brightness darker than the first brightness. If the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, and if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit is set to third brightness brighter than at least the second brightness.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display unit; and

a touch panel which is disposed to overlap the display unit and which is able to detect a distance from an input object,

wherein if brightness of the display unit is first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for a predetermined time, and if the distance is greater than a predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit changes to second brightness darker than the first brightness, and

wherein if the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, and if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit is set to third brightness brighter than at least the second brightness.

2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the third brightness is brighter than the second brightness and is equal to or smaller than the first brightness.

3. The portable electronic device according to claim 2,

wherein the third brightness is equal to the first brightness.

4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the second brightness is brightness of turn-off.

5. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is a liquid crystal display, and

wherein the brightness is provided by a backlight of the liquid crystal display.

6. The portable electronic device according to claim 5,

wherein the predetermined time is set as a first time,

wherein if the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the first time, and if the distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit changes to the second brightness, and thereafter, if the brightness of the display unit is the second brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for a second time, and if the distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the display of the liquid crystal display is turned off.

7. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is a self-luminous display, and the brightness is provided by self-luminescence of the display.

8. The portable electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein the self-luminous display is an organic EL display.

9. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined distance is a first distance,

wherein said portable electronic device further has a predetermined function which operates when the distance is equal to or smaller than a second distance, and

wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

10. A brightness control method which is usable in a portable electronic device comprising a display unit, and a touch panel which is disposed to overlap the display unit and which is able to detect a distance from an input object, said method comprising:

if brightness of the display unit is first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for a predetermined time, and if the distance is greater than a predetermined distance, changing the brightness of the display unit to second brightness darker than the first brightness; and

if the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, and if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, setting the brightness of the display unit to third brightness brighter than at least the second brightness.

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display unit; and

a touch panel which is disposed to overlap the display unit, which is able to detect a distance from an input object, and which includes a predetermined region,

wherein if brightness of the display unit is first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for a predetermined time, and if the distance is greater than a predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit changes to second brightness darker than the first brightness, and

wherein if the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, if the input object is in the predetermined region, and if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit is set to third brightness brighter than at least the second brightness.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11,

wherein if the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, if the input object is located outside of the predetermined region, and if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit is set to the second brightness.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising:

an acceleration sensor,

wherein if the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, if the input object is in the predetermined region, if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, and if the acceleration sensor does not detect a predetermined acceleration, the brightness of the display unit is set to the third brightness, and

wherein if the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, if the input object is in the predetermined region, if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, and if the acceleration sensor detects the predetermined acceleration, the brightness of the display unit is set to the second brightness.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 11,

wherein the third brightness is brighter than the second brightness and is equal to or smaller than the first brightness.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 14,

wherein the third brightness is equal to the first brightness.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 11,

wherein the second brightness is brightness of turn-off.

17. The portable electronic device according to claim 11,

wherein the display unit is a liquid crystal display, and

wherein the brightness is provided by a backlight of the liquid crystal display.

18. The portable electronic device according to claim 11,

wherein the display unit is a self-luminous display, and

wherein the brightness is provided by self-luminescence of the display.

19. The portable electronic device according to claim 18,

wherein the self-luminous display is an organic EL display.

20. The portable electronic device according to claim 11,

wherein the predetermined distance is a first distance,

wherein said portable electronic device further has a predetermined function which operates when the distance is equal to or smaller than a second distance, and

wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

21-35. -35. (canceled)