Background plateau manipulation for display device power conservation

• US 8,912,999 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Plut, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/658,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20130050296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345/211
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/04 Partial updating of the display screen
• 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 2320/0646 Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/023 using energy recovery or conservation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• 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 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• 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 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods that that reduce power consumption for an electronics device that includes a display. The power conservation systems and methods alter background video information not needed for interactive use when a user returns to a display after some period of inactivity. Power conservation also preserves video information for one or more graphical user interface items. Preserving a graphics item maintains a person'"'"'s ability to detect the graphical user interface item, and return to it at a later time, even though the background video information has been altered to conserver power.

Claims

1. A method for reducing power consumed by a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising:

displaying an active graphics component in a first portion of a display area provided by the liquid crystal display device;

immediately upon determination of user inactivity in an inactive portion of the display area that is outside the first portion which has not been determined to include user inactivity, altering video information in the inactive portion; and

reducing backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing of backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and the increasing of transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel comprises:

reducing backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel for the first portion of the display area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the altering of video information in the inactive portion comprises:

altering video information to a lower grey level compared to a original video information in the inactive portion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reducing of backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and the increasing of transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel comprises:

together with the altering video information in the inactive portion, reducing backlit of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel for the first portion of the display area, thereby reducing power consumption of the liquid crystal display without serious image quality deterioration of the active graphics component.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the inactive portion comprises a plurality of inactive sub-portions, and

wherein the altering of video information in the inactive portion comprises respectively altering the video information in the plurality of inactive sub-portions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the altering of the video information in the plurality of inactive sub-portions comprises altering video information in a first inactive sub-portion differently from an altering of video information in a second inactive sub-portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the video information in the first inactive sub-portion is altered at a rate different from a rate at which the video information in the second inactive sub-portion is altered.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of inactive sub-portions is respectively altered according to at least one of a characteristic and a function of the corresponding inactive sub-portion.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the altering of video information in the inactive portion comprises gradually altering the video information in the inactive portion according to a length of inactivity time for the inactive portion.

5. An apparatus for reducing power consumed by a liquid crystal display device, the apparatus comprising:

a liquid crystal display device for displaying an active graphics component in a first portion of a display area provided by the liquid crystal display device; and

a power conservation control for altering, immediately upon determination of user inactivity in an inactive portion of the display area that is outside the first portion which has not been determined to include user inactivity, video information in the inactive portion and reducing backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power conservation control reduces backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increases transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel for the first portion of the display area.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the power conservation control alters video information to a lower grey level compared to a original video information in the inactive portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power conservation control reduces, together with the altering video information in the inactive portion, backlit of the liquid crystal display device and increases transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel for the first portion of the display area, thereby reduces power consumption of the liquid crystal display without serious image quality deterioration of the active graphics component.

14. A method for reducing power consumed by a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising:

displaying an active graphics component in a first portion of a display area provided by the liquid crystal display device;

in response to a determination of user inactivity in an inactive portion of the display area that is outside the first portion which has not been determined to include user inactivity, altering video information in the inactive portion; and

reducing backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel.

15. An apparatus for reducing power consumed by a liquid crystal display device, the apparatus comprising:

a liquid crystal display device for displaying an active graphics component in a first portion of a display area provided by the liquid crystal display device; and

a power conservation control for altering, in response to a determination of user inactivity in an inactive portion of the display area that is outside the first portion which has not been determined to include user inactivity, video information in the inactive portion and reducing backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions for reducing power consumed by a liquid crystal display device, the executable instructions comprising:

instructions for displaying an active graphics component in a first portion of a display area provided by the liquid crystal display device;

immediately upon determination of user inactivity in an inactive portion of the display area that is outside the first portion which has not been determined to include user inactivity, instructions for altering video information in the inactive portion; and

instructions for reducing backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method for reducing power consumed by a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising:

displaying an active graphics component in a first portion of a display area provided by the liquid crystal display device;

in response to determination of user inactivity in an inactive portion of the display area that is outside the first portion which has not been determined to include user inactivity, altering video information in the inactive portion; and

reducing backlit luminance of the liquid crystal display device and increasing transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel.