Apparatus and method for controlling brightness level of display

• US 7,605,829 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2004
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Oh, Jang Geun
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIS, RANDAL L
• Application Number:
  US10/896,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20050017994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 345690-693, 345/594, 345/102
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

A novel apparatus and method for controlling a brightness level of a display, which includes controlling the brightness level of the display based on a brightness level set for an application program.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a brightness level of a display, comprising:

a controller configured to control the brightness level of the display based on a brightness level set for an application program; and

a Graphic User Interface (GUI) to simultaneously display information of currently-executed application programs and their corresponding set brightness levels,

wherein the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be a lower brightness level among a plurality of the brightness levels for each application program when a power mode to be used is determined to be a battery power mode, and the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be a higher brightness level among the plurality of a brightness levels for each application program when the power mode to be used is determined to be an AC power mode, wherein when the currently-executed application program is not in a full window, the brightness level of the display is controlled based on a brightness of only a foreground window detected by a filter driver of the controller, and wherein even though an Auto Control mode and a foreground application program are set, the brightness level control operation is omitted when the current power mode is the AC power mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory configured to store corresponding brightness levels for different application programs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Graphic User Interface (GUI) is configured to change an existing brightness level of a corresponding application program or to add a new application program and a corresponding brightness level for the new application program.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a filter driver or a microcomputer configured to control the brightness level of the display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the brightness level of the display by adjusting a duty of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal applied to the display based on the brightness level set for the application program.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller searches for the currently-executed application programs, determines which currently-executed application program is displayed in at least one of the full window or the foreground window, and controls the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the foreground window.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller determines the currently-executed application program displayed in the foreground window by monitoring a function of BOOL SetForegroundWindow( ).

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the controller determines the currently-executed application program displayed in the full window by monitoring a Form window state ( ).

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Graphic User Interface (GUI) includes an Auto Control Mode button, a Full Window Mode button and a Battery Mode button configured to set whether or not an Auto Control Mode, a Full Window Mode and a Battery Mode are to be executed respectively, wherein when the Battery Mode is selected, the controller determines if a power mode of the display is the AC power mode or is the battery power mode, and the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be a lower brightness level when the power mode is determined to be the battery power mode and the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be a higher brightness level when the power mode is determined to be the AC power mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the Auto Control Mode is selected, the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the application program, and

wherein when the Auto Control Mode and the Full Window Mode are selected, the controller searches for the currently-executed application programs, determines which currently-executed application program is displayed in a full window, determines whether a brightness level exists for the currently-executed application program and controls the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the full window.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the controller determines the brightness level does not exist for the currently-executed application program, the controller notifies a user that the brightness level does not exist.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the Battery Mode is selected, the controller determines if a power mode of the display is the AC power mode or the battery power mode, and the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be the lower brightness level among the plurality of the brightness levels for each application program when the power mode is determined to be the battery power mode and the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be the higher brightness level among the plurality of the brightness levels for each application program when the power mode is determined to be the AC power mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the Auto Control Mode is not selected, the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be a previously set brightness level.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the Auto Control mode is set when the Battery Mode and the Full Window Mode are selected.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the Auto Control Mode for automatically outputting the brightness levels of each application program is disabled when any of the executed application programs is not displayed in a full window.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory to store a brightness level changed or added by a user when an Operating System (OS) is first enabled, and the brightness level is then stored in a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) when the OS is disabled.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the brightness level set for the application program is changed on a window size.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in case that the corresponding brightness level for the currently-executed application program does not exist, the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be at least one of a previously set brightness level for the display or a previously used program brightness level.

19. A method for controlling a brightness level of a display, comprising:

displaying an Auto Control button on the display to select an Auto Control mode in which a first brightness level previously input by a user is used;

controlling the brightness level of the display for an application program based on the first brightness level corresponding to a currently executed program among each of a plurality of brightness levels set respectively by the user for a plurality of application programs when the displayed Auto Control button has been selected by the user, wherein when the user selects Yes for the Auto Control Mode, the first brightness level corresponding to a currently-executed respective application programs is displayed;

controlling the brightness level of the display for an application program based on a second brightness level preset by the user regardless of the currently executed application program when the displayed Auto Control button has not been selected; and

changing an existing brightness level of a corresponding application program or adding a new application program and a corresponding brightness level for the new application program, and wherein in case that the corresponding brightness level for the new application program does not exist, the new application program is searched using a browse button on a Graphic User Interface (GUI) and the corresponding brightness level for the new searched application program is added to a program list for automatic brightness control.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing corresponding brightness levels for different application programs.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of currently-executed application programs and their corresponding set brightness levels.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein controlling the brightness level utilizes a filter driver or a microcomputer to control the brightness level of the display.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein controlling the brightness level based on the first brightness level controls the brightness level of the display by adjusting a duty of a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal applied to the display based on the brightness level set for the application program.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

searching for currently-executed application programs;

determining which currently-executed application program is displayed in a full window or a foreground window; and

controlling the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the full window or the foreground window.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein determining which currently-executed application program is displayed in the foreground window is performed by monitoring a function of BOOL SetForegroundWindow( ).

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying the Auto Control Mode button and a Full Window Mode button and a Battery Mode button to select whether or not an Auto Control Mode, a Full Window Mode and a Battery Mode are to be executed, respectively.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein when the Auto Control Mode is selected, controlling the brightness level based on the first brightness level controls the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the application program, and

wherein when the Auto Control Mode and the Full Window Mode are selected, controlling the brightness level based on the first brightness level searches for currently-executed application programs, determines which currently-executed application program is displayed in a full window, determines whether a brightness level exists for the currently-executed application program and controls the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the full window.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein when controlling the brightness level determines the brightness level does not exist for the currently-executed application program, the method further comprises notifying a user that the brightness level does not exist and controlling the brightness level of the display to be a preset brightness level.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein when the Battery Mode is selected, the method further comprises:

determining when a power mode of the display is an AC power mode or a battery power mode; and

controlling the brightness level of the display to be a lower brightness level when the power mode is determined to be the battery power mode and controlling the brightness level of the display to be a higher brightness level when the power mode is determined to be the AC power mode.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising a filter driver to determine which application programs are currently being executed and to display the currently-executed application programs with theft currently set respective brightness levels when a user selects Yes for the Auto Control Mode.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the brightness level set for the application program is changed on a window size.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein in case that the corresponding brightness level for the currently-executed application program does not exist, the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be at least one of a previously set brightness level for the display or a previously used program brightness level.

33. A method for controlling brightness levels of a display, comprising:

displaying a Graphical User Interface (GUI) providing names of application programs and corresponding brightness levels for each of the application programs;

changing a brightness level of one of the application programs displayed by the GUI;

displaying a window having the one application program being executed and displayed at the changed brightness; and

adding a new application program and a corresponding brightness level for the new application program to the GUI, and displaying the new application program at the corresponding brightness level, and wherein in case that the corresponding brightness level for the new application program does not exist, the program is searched using a browse button on the Graphic User Interface (GUI) and the corresponding brightness level for the new searched application program is added to a program list for automatic brightness control.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein changing the brightness level includes searching for currently-executed application programs, determining which currently-executed application program is displayed in a full foreground window, and controlling the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the full foreground window.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the Graphic User Interface (GUI) includes an Auto Control Mode button, a Full Window Mode button and a Battery Mode button configured to select an Auto Control Mode, a Full Window Mode and a Battery Mode, respectively.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein when the Auto Control Mode is selected, the brightness level of the display is controlled to be the brightness level set for the application program, and

wherein when the Auto Control Mode and the Full Window Mode are selected, changing the brightness level includes searching for currently-executed application programs, determining which currently-executed application program is displayed in a full window, determining whether a brightness level exists for the currently-executed application program and controlling the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the full window.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein when the brightness level does not exist for the currently-executed application program, a user is notified that the brightness level does not exist.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein when the Battery Mode is selected, changing the brightness level includes determining when a power mode of the display is an AC power mode or a battery power mode, and controlling the brightness level of the display to be a lower brightness level when the power mode is determined to be the battery power mode and controlling the brightness level of the display to be a higher brightness level when the power mode is determined to be the AC power mode.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein when the Auto Control Mode is not selected, the brightness level of the display is controlled to be a previously set brightness level.

40. An apparatus for controlling a brightness level of a display, comprising:

a controller to control the brightness level of the display based on a brightness level set for an application program;

a Graphic User Interface (GUI) to simultaneously display information of currently-executed application programs and their corresponding set brightness levels; and

a memory to store corresponding brightness levels for different application programs,

wherein the controller searches for the currently-executed application programs, determines which currently-executed application program is displayed in at least one of a full window or a foreground window, and controls the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the foreground window,

wherein the currently-operated application programs is recognized by a filter driver based on an execution file name and in case that the corresponding brightness level for the currently-executed application program does not exist, the controller controls the brightness level of the display to be at least one of a previously set brightness level for the display or a previously used program brightness level,

wherein the brightness level set for the application program is changed on a window size and in case that the corresponding brightness level for the new application program does not exist, the application program is searched using a browse button on the Graphic User Interface (GUI) and the corresponding brightness level for the new searched application program is added to a program list for automatic brightness control,

wherein an Auto Control mode is set in case that a battery power mode and a Full Window Mode are selected and wherein even though the Auto Control mode and the foreground application program are set, the brightness level control operation is disabled when the current power mode is an AC power mode.

41. A method for controlling a brightness level of a display, comprising:

displaying an Auto Control button on the display to select an Auto Control mode in which a first brightness level previously input by a user is used;

controlling the brightness level of the display for an application program based on the first brightness level corresponding to a currently executed program among each of a plurality of brightness levels set respectively by the user for a plurality of application programs when the displayed Auto Control button has been selected by the user, wherein when the user selects Yes for the Auto Control Mode, the first brightness level corresponding to a currently-executed respective application programs is displayed;

controlling the brightness level of the display for an application program based on a second brightness level preset by the user regardless of the currently executed application program when the displayed Auto Control button has not been selected; and

controlling searches for the currently-executed application programs, determining which currently-executed application program is displayed in at least one of a full window or a foreground window, and controlling the brightness level of the display to be the brightness level set for the currently-executed application program displayed in the foreground window,

wherein the currently-operated application program is recognized by a filter driver based on an execution file name and in case that the corresponding brightness level for the currently-executed application program does not exist, a controller controls the brightness level of the display to be at least one of a previously set brightness level for the display or a previously used program brightness level,

wherein the brightness level set for the application program is changed on a window size and in case that the corresponding brightness level for the new application program does not exist, the application program is searched using a browse button on the Graphic User Interface (GUI) and the corresponding brightness level for the new searched application program is added to a program list for automatic brightness control,

wherein the Auto Control mode is set in case that a Battery Power Mode and a Full Window Mode are selected, and wherein even though the Auto Control mode and the foreground application program are set, the brightness level control operation is disabled when the current power mode is an AC power mode.