Display device and method for controlling backlight thereof

• US 8,159,453 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Innolux Corporation (InnoLux Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsui, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Sanjiv D
• Application Number:
  US12/463,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 362 971- 973, 362/276, 362/802, 345/102, 345/558
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336

Abstract

A display device having backlight and the backlight control method thereof is provided. Through the provided method, it is capable of fast determining which intensity range the intensity signal from the means for measuring the intensity of external light falls in, so that the turn-off period of backlight is reduced to avoid the decrement of brightness.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a display panel;

a backlight device disposed under the display panel, the illuminance of said backlight device being adjustable;

a selection and measurement device for light intensity, said selection and measurement device being configured to measure the ambient light intensity of said display panel at a prescribed frequency when light intensity signals of a sensitivity range selected from a plurality of prescribed sensitivity ranges are outputted; and

a control device determining whether a number of latest prescribed light intensity signals are all falling within a upper portion, a lower portion or a remaining portion of one of said plurality of prescribed sensitivity ranges, said control device comprising;

a memory device for sequentially memorizing said light intensity signals;

a first average device obtaining a first average value of a first prescribed number of light intensity signals read out from said memory device;

a second average device for obtaining a second average value of a second prescribed number of light intensity signals read out from said memory device, wherein said second prescribed number is larger than said first prescribed number; and

a calculation and control device calculating with said selection and measurement device and accordingly controlling the illuminance of said backlight device, wherein said calculating is performed based upon;

the sensitivity range adjacent to said upper portion of said prescribed sensitivity range when said control device determines that all of said first prescribed number of light intensity signals fall within said upper portion and said first average value is greater than said second average value,

the sensitivity range adjacent to said lower portion of said sensitivity range when said control device determines that all of said first prescribed number of light intensity signals fall within said lower portion and said first average value is smaller than said second average value, and

the sensitivity range when said control device determines that all of said first prescribed number of light intensity signals fall within neither said upper portion nor said lower portion.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said selection and measurement device comprises a plurality of different photoelectric switches and utilizes said prescribed sensitivity ranges outputted therefrom.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said selection and measurement device comprises a plurality of photoelectric switches having respective sensitivity ranges different from each other, and switches and utilizes said prescribed sensitivity range outputted therefrom with said control device.

4. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the proportions of said upper portion, said lower portion and said remaining portion are equal.

5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said upper and lower portions are narrower than said remaining portion.

6. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said prescribed cycle corresponds to a display frequency of said display device.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said first prescribed number is 2-5 while said second prescribed number is ten times (or above) said first prescribed number.

8. The display device according to claim 1, wherein said memory device is an FIFO (First-in-First-out) memory.

9. A backlight control method for a display device, comprising steps of:

measuring the ambient light intensity of a display panel with a prescribed cycle;

outputting light intensity signals of a sensitivity range selected from a plurality of prescribed sensitivity ranges;

memorizing said light intensity signals sequentially;

determining whether a number of latest light intensity signals are all falling within a upper portion, a lower portion or a remaining portion of one of said plurality of prescribed sensitivity ranges;

obtaining a first average value of a first prescribed number of the memorized light intensity signals;

obtaining a second average value of a second prescribed number of the memorized light intensity signals, wherein said second prescribed number is larger than said first prescribed number; and

calculating and accordingly controlling the illuminance of a Illuminance-adjustable backlight device disposed under said display panel, wherein said calculating is performed based upon;

the sensitivity range adjacent to said upper portion of said prescribed sensitivity range when said control device determines that all of said first prescribed number of light intensity signals fall within said upper portion and said first average value is greater than said second average value,

the sensitivity range adjacent to said lower portion of said sensitivity range when said control device determines that all of said first prescribed number of light intensity signals fall within said lower portion and said first average value is smaller than said second average value, and

the sensitivity range when said control device determines that all of said first prescribed number of light intensity signals fall within neither said upper portion nor said lower portion.