Computer program, method, and device for controlling the brightness of a display

• US 6,590,561 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2001
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Carlson, Michael, Brunk, Scott, Kabel, Darrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/866,000
• Time in Patent Office: 773 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/87, 345/89, 345/207, 345/690, 349/61, 349/64, 349/65
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• 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 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3648 using an active matrix G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence

Abstract

A computer program, method, and device for controlling the brightness of a display (10) by proportionally varying the voltage delivered to each pixel in the display (10) after the back light (12) for the display (10) has been dimmed to its approximate lowest level. The display (10) includes a back light (12); a display module (16) having an array of pixels that may be individually controlled to selectively block or pass light from the back light (12) to create a desired image; a user interface (24) for selectively adjusting brightness of the back light (12) to vary the amount of light passing through the pixels to control the brightness of the image; and a controller (22) for proportionally adjusting the luminosity of the pixels to further control the amount of light passing through the pixels to control the brightness of the image.

Claims

1. A display comprising:

a back light;

a display module having an array of pixels that may be individually controlled to selectively block or pass light from the back light to create a desired image; and

a controller for proportionally adjusting the luminosity of the pixels of the display module to control the amount of light passing through the pixels to control the brightness of the image, wherein the controller is coupled with the user interface and is operable to adjust the luminosity of the pixels after the brightness of the back light has been adjusted to its approximate lowest level.

2. The display as set forth in claim 1, further including a user interface for selectively adjusting brightness of the back light to vary the amount of light passing through the pixels of the display module to control the brightness of the image.

3. The display as set forth in claim 1, further including a color filter to render light passing through each of the pixels either red, green, or blue.

4. The display as set forth in claim 3, the controller being operable to proportionally adjust voltage delivered to each of the pixels to proportionally scale the red, green, and blue color light emitted through the color filter.

5. The display as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled with the user interface and is operable to adjust the luminosity of the pixels after the brightness of the back light has been adjusted to a selected threshold level.

6. The display as set forth in claim 1, further including a diffuser panel for uniformly polarizing light emitted from the back light.

7. The display as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display module is a liquid crystal display module.

8. The display as set forth in claim 7, wherein the liquid crystal display module is a thin-film transistor device.

9. A method of controlling the brightness of a display, the display including a back light and a display module having an array of pixels that may be individually controlled to selectively block or pass light from the back light to create a desired image, the method comprising the steps of:

adjusting the brightness of the back light to vary the amount of light passing through the pixels of the display module to control the brightness of the image; and

when the back light has been dimmed to a pre-determined brightness level, proportionally adjusting the luminosity of the pixels to further reduce the amount of light passing through the pixels to reduce the brightness of the image.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the proportionally adjusting the luminosity step is performed by proportionally adjusting the voltage delivered to each of the pixels to proportionally scale the amount of light passing through the pixels.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the display includes a color filter to render light passing through each of the pixels either red, green, or blue.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the pre-determined brightness level is an approximate lowest brightness level of the back light.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the pre-determined brightness level is a selected threshold brightness level of the back light.

14. A display comprising:

a back light;

a display module having an array of pixels that may be individually controlled to selectively block or pass light from the back light to create a desired image;

a color filter positioned adjacent the display module to render light passing through each of the pixels either red, green, or blue;

a user interface for selectively adjusting brightness of the back light to vary the amount of light passing through the pixels of the display module to control the brightness of the image; and

a controller for proportionally reducing the luminosity of the pixels of the display module to further control the amount of light passing through the pixels to control the brightness of the image.

15. The display as set forth in claim 14, the controller being operable to proportionally adjust voltage derived to each of the pixels to proportionally scale the red, green, and blue color light emitted through the color filter.

16. The display as set forth in claim 14, wherein the controller is coupled with the user interface and is operable to adjust the luminosity of the pixels after brightness of the back light has been adjusted to its approximate lowest level.

17. The display as set forth in claim 14, wherein the controller is coupled with the user interface and is operable to adjust the luminosity of the pixels after the brightness of the back light has been adjusted to a selected threshold level.

18. The display as set forth in claim 14, further including a diffuser pane for uniformly polarizing light emitted from the back light.

19. The display as set forth in claim 14, wherein the display module is a liquid crystal display module.

20. The display as set forth in claim 19, wherein the liquid crystal display module is a thin-film transistor device.

21. A computer program stored on computer-readable medium for controlling the brightness of a display, the display including a back light and a display module having an array of pixels that may be individually controlled to selectively block or pass light from the back light to create a desired image, the computer program including code segments for:

adjusting the brightness of the back light to vary the amount of light passing through the pixels of the display module to control the brightness of the image; and

when the back light has been dimmed to its approximate lowest brightness level, proportionally modifying luminosity of the pixels to further reduce the amount of light passing through the pixels to reduce the brightness of the image.

22. A display comprising:

a back light;

a display module having an array of pixels that may be individually controlled to selectively block or pass light from the back light to create a desired image;

a controller for proportionally adjusting the luminosity of the pixels of the display module to control the amount of light passing through the pixels to control the brightness of the image, wherein the controller is coupled with the user interface and is operable to adjust the luminosity of the pixels after the brightness of the back light has been adjusted to a selected threshold level.

23. The display as set forth in claim 22, further including a user interface for selectively adjusting brightness of the back light to vary the amount of light passing through the pixels of the display module to control the brightness of the image.

24. The display as set forth in claim 22, further including a color filter to render light passing through each of the pixels either red, green, or blue.

25. The display as set forth in claim 24, the controller being operable to proportionally adjust voltage delivered to each of the pixels to proportionally scale the red, green, and blue color light emitted through the color filter.

26. The display as set forth in claim 22, further including a diffuser panel for uniformly polarizing light emitted from the back light.

27. The display as set forth in claim 22, wherein the display module is a liquid crystal display module.

28. The display as set forth in claim 27, wherein the liquid crystal display module is a thin-film transistor device.