Data processing device and method of controlling power consumption in back-light in data processing device

• US 7,770,043 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Motohashi, Teruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Eric
• Application Number:
  US11/381,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20060244584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/324, 345/102, 379/372
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• 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 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A data processing device includes (a) a display unit, (b) a light-emitting unit which illuminates the display unit, (c) a communication unit which makes radio communication with other data processing devices, (d) a detector which detects whether the communication unit is in operation or not, and (e) a controller which limits a current to be supplied to the light-emitting unit in accordance with transmission power consumed in radio communication carried out by the communication unit, when the detector has detected that the communication unit is in operation.

Claims

1. A data processing device comprising:

(a) a display unit;

(b) a plurality of light-emitting units which illuminate said display unit;

(c) detector which detects a power level of a communication unit of said data processing device which makes communication with another device; and

(d) a controller which turns off a number of said plurality of light-emitting units, said number being less than all, when said detector detects the power level indicating that there is communication between said data processing device and said other device in accordance with the detected power level.

2. The data processing device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an interface through which data is input into said data processing unit, and wherein said light-emitting unit illuminates said interface.

3. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein said light emitting unit, which are turned on, are independent of the location of the data to be displayed.

4. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein said number is more than half of all of said plurality of light-emitting units.

5. The data processing device according to claim 4, wherein the controller turns off said number of the plurality of light-emitting units when the power level is greater than a threshold.

6. The data processing device according to claim 5, wherein the controller turns off less than half of all when the power level is smaller than the threshold.

7. A data processing device comprising:

(a) a display unit;

(b) a plurality of light-emitting units which illuminate said display unit;

(c) a communication unit which makes radio communication with another data processing devices;

(d) a detector which detects a power level of said communication unit; and

(e) a controller which independently turns on/off a number of said plurality of light-emitting units, said the number being less than all, in accordance with the power level.

8. The data processing device as set forth in claim 7, further comprising an interface through which data is input into said data processing unit, and wherein said light-emitting unit illuminates said interface.

9. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein said light emitting units, which are turned on, are independent of the location of the data to be displayed.

10. The data processing device according to claim 7, wherein the controller includes a plurality of drivers driving the plurality of light-emitting units.

11. A method of operating a data processing device comprising a display unit and a plurality of light-emitting units which illuminate said display unit, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a power level of a communication unit of said data processing device which makes communication with another device; and

(b) turning off a number of said light-emitting units, said number being less than all, when said power level indicates that there is communication between said data processing device and said other device in accordance with the detected power level.

12. The method of operating a data processing device according to claim 11, wherein said light emitting units, which are turned on, are independent of the location of the data to be displayed.

13. The method of operating a data processing device according to claim 11, wherein said number is more than half of all of said plurality of light-emitting units.

14. The method of operating a data processing device according to claim 13, wherein said number of the plurality of light-emitting units turned off when the power level is greater than a threshold.

15. The method of operating a data processing device according to claim 14, wherein less than half of all of the plurality of light-emitting units turned off when the power level is smaller than the threshold.

16. A method of operating a data processing device comprising a display unit, a plurality of light-emitting units which illuminates said display unit, and a communication unit which makes radio communication with other data processing devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a power level of the communication unit which makes communication with another data processing device; and

(b) independently turning on/off a number of said light-emitting unit, said number of being less than all, in accordance with the power level.

17. The method of operating a data processing device according to claim 16, wherein said light emitting units, which are turned on, are independent of the location of the data to be displayed.

18. A method of operating a data processing device including a display unit, a plurality of light-emitting units which illuminates said display unit, and a communication unit which makes radio communication with other data processing devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a transmission power consumed in the radio communication carried out by said communication unit; and

(b) turning on a number of said light-emitting units, said number is less than all and more than zero, when said transmission power is greater than a threshold.

19. The method of operating a data processing device according to claim 18, wherein the said number is less than half of all of the plurality of light emitting units.

20. The method of operating a data processing device according to claim 19, wherein more than half of all of the plurality of light emitting units are turned on when the transmission power is smaller than the threshold.