DISPLAY CONTROL

• US 20170193965A1
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Zero360 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zero360 Incorporated
• Inventors: KARSTEN, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 10,269,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• 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 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/023 using energy recovery or conservation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for controlling a display is disclosed, the method comprising: segmenting the display; assigning an importance level to at least one of the segments; and selectively setting the luminance of said segment in dependence on its importance level.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a display, the method comprising:

segmenting the display;

assigning an importance level to at least one of the segments; and

selectively setting the luminance of said segment in dependence on its importance level.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the setting of the luminance of said segment comprises supplying power to the segment, the level of power being determined by the importance level assigned to that segment.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the level of power supplied determines the luminance of said segment.

4. A method according to claim 1 further comprising determining the available battery charge required to power said display.

5. A method according to claim 4 comprising setting the luminance of a segment in dependence on the available battery charge, and preferably setting the relative luminance of each of a plurality of segments in dependence on their relative assigned importance levels and the available battery charge.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising predicting future battery usage and setting the luminance of a segment in dependence on the predicted future battery usage.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the future battery usage comprises anticipated user behaviour.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the segment is defined by software, and preferably wherein the position and/or geometry of said software segment varies, preferably in dependence on the operation of an underlying software application.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein the segment is defined by a particular physical area of the display, and preferably wherein the geometry of the area is configurable.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein the assigning of an importance level to a segment is based on one or more user inputs;

preferably wherein the display is a touchscreen and the user input comprises at least one of;

a pinch action on said display;

finger proximity to a device; and

movement of a device.

20. A method according to claim 1 wherein importance levels are assigned without any direct user interaction.

21. A method according to claim 20 wherein importance levels are determined and/or assigned based on at least one or more of the following:

environmental conditions in which the display is located;

a detected location of the display;

a detected motion of the display;

a user operating mode; and

the nature and/or type of graphical interface elements being displayed.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein importance levels are determined and/or assigned based on an ambient light level.

23. A method according to claim 21 wherein an importance level is assigned based on a calendar event;

preferably wherein a calendar application is assigned an importance level in dependence on a calendar event.

25. A method according to claim 21 wherein importance levels are determined and/or assigned based on received biometric data;

preferably wherein the biometric data comprises heart rate data.

27. A method according to claim 21 wherein an importance level is determined based on the information being displayed on a segment.

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33. A device having a display, the device comprising:

means for segmenting the display;

means for assigning an importance level to at least one segment; and

means for selectively setting the luminance of said segment in dependence on its importance level.

34. A device according to claim 33, the device being portable;

preferably in the form of a smartphone or a wearable device.

37. A device according to claim 33 further comprising a user interface for segmenting the display.

38. A device according to claim 33 further comprising a user interface for assigning one or more importance levels to the segments.

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