Method and apparatus for screen power saving

• US 5,598,565 A
• Filed: 12/29/1993
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Reinhardt, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seto, Jeffrey K.
• Application Number:
  US08/174,769
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750, 395/275, 345/90, 345/92, 345/102, 345/211, 345/212, 345/214
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/22 using controlled light sources

Abstract

A flat panel display power management system for a flat panel display screen in a portable electronic device is disclosed. The flat panel display power management system is capable of controlling the amount of power delivered to each pixel on the flat panel display screen. The portable electronic device can select a subset of important pixels that will continue to receive more power than the remaining pixels if the flat panel display power management system enters a reduced power mode. When the electronic device system determines that the user has been inactive for a predetermined amount of time or if the user manually requests low power mode, the flat panel display power management system enters the reduced power mode. In the reduced power mode, the flat panel display power management system reduces the power provided to the pixels that are not within the subset of important pixels.

Claims

1. An apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device, said apparatus comprising:

a flat panel display system, said flat panel display system providing an output display for said portable electronic device, said flat panel display system comprising a plurality of individual pixels;

a flat panel display power management system, said flat panel display power management system coupled to said flat panel display system, said flat panel display power management system providing a controllable amount of power to each of said plurality of individual pixels such that each of said plurality of individual pixels may be displayed at a different level of visibility;

a processor in said electronic device; and

a software program running on said processor in said portable electronic device, said software program configuring said flat panel display power management system such that said software program determines a subset of said plurality of pixels that will receive more power than pixels not in said subset if said flat panel display power management system enters an active state.

4. The apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flat panel display system comprises an electroluminescent display system.

5. The apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flat panel display system comprises a field-emission cathode display system.

6. The apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flat panel display system comprises a gas-plasma display system.

7. The apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said flat panel display system comprises a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display system.

2. An apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device, said apparatus comprising:

a flat panel display system, said flat panel display system providing an output display for said portable electronic device, said flat panel display system comprising a plurality of individual pixels;

a cursor displayed on said flat panel display system; and

a flat panel display power management system, said flat panel display power management system;

coupled to said flat panel display system;

providing a controllable amount of power to each of said plurality of individual pixels such that each of said plurality Of individual pixels may be displayed at a different level of visibility; and

having a default reduced power mode, said default reduced power mode providing more power to a subset of pixels defining a shape around said cursor than to pixels not within said subset.

3. An apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device, said apparatus comprising:

a flat panel display system, said flat panel display system providing an output display for said portable electronic device, said flat panel display system comprising a plurality of individual pixels; and

a flat panel display power management system, said flat panel display power management system;

coupled to said flat panel display system;

providing a controllable amount of power to each of said plurality of individual pixels such that each of said plurality of individual pixels may be displayed at a different level of visibility; and

having an extra low power mode, said extra low power mode turning off all of said plurality of pixels and periodically flashing said subset of pixels.

8. A method for conserving power in a portable electronic device, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a subset of important pixels from a flat panel display system that comprises a plurality of pixels;

configuring a flat panel display power management system in said portable electronic device by providing said subset of important pixels to said flat panel display power management system; and

entering a reduce power mode wherein said flat panel display power management system provides more power to said subset of important pixels than to pixels not within said subset.

9. The method for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said steps of selecting a subset of important pixels and configuring a flat panel display power management system are performed by a software program running on said portable electronic device.

10. The method for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said steps of selecting a subset of important pixels and configuring a flat panel display power management system are not performed then said flat panel display power management system enters a default reduced power mode, said default reduced power mode providing more power to a subset of pixels defining a shape around a cursor on said flat panel display than to pixels not in said subset of pixels defining a shape around said cursor.

11. The method for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said flat panel display power management system further comprises an extra low power mode, said extra low power mode turning off all of said plurality of pixels and periodically flashing said subset of important pixels.

12. The method for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said flat panel display system comprises an electroluminescent display system.

13. The method for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said flat panel display system comprises a field-emission cathode display system.

14. The method for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said flat panel display system comprises a gas-plasma display system.

15. The method for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 9 wherein said flat panel display system comprises a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display system.

16. An apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device, said apparatus comprising the elements of:

a flat panel display system, said flat panel display system providing an output display for said portable electronic device, said flat panel display system comprising a plurality of individual pixels; and

a flat panel display power management system, said flat panel display power management system coupled to said flat panel display system, said flat panel display power management system providing a controllable amount of power to each of said plurality of individual pixels such that each of said plurality of individual pixels may be displayed at a different level of visibility, said flat panel display power management system also for reducing the rate at which each of said plurality of individual pixels changes display states, allowing each of said plurality of individual pixels to be refreshed at different times.

17. The apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said flat panel display system comprises an active matrix liquid crystal display system.

18. The apparatus for conserving power in a portable electronic device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said flat panel display system comprises a passive matrix liquid crystal display system.