Individual control of backlight light-emitting diodes

• US 8,976,105 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Toksvig, Michael John McKenzie, Schillings, Benoit M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US13/479,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345 82- 83
• US Class Current: 345/102
• 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 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes, by software of a computing device, dynamically identifying a particular region of a display of the computing device. The method also includes, by the software and through a device driver of the computing device, dynamically adjusting one or more particular ones of a plurality of backlighting components of the display associated with the particular region.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by software on a computing device, dynamically identifying a subregion of a display of the computing device, the display being a liquid crystal display (LCD), wherein the display is backlit by backlighting components, and wherein content of a structured document is associated with the subregion;

by the software, determining whether to adjust one or more backlighting components that backlight the subregion, based at least in part on an affinity score, wherein the affinity score represents a measure of affinity between a user associated with the computing device and the content associated with the subregion; and

by the software and through a device driver of the computing device, dynamically adjusting the one or more backlighting components when the software determines to adjust the one or more backlighting components, wherein the content associated with the subregion is displayed in the subregion using the adjusted backlighting components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the affinity score is determined between the user associated with the computing device and one or more other users associated with the content associated with the subregion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the backlighting components are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more backlighting components comprises accessing an application programming interface (API) to cause a device driver of the backlighting components to adjust the one or more backlighting components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more backlighting components comprises:

adjusting their intensity;

or

adjusting their color.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically adjusting the one or more backlighting components is further based at least in part on:

an elapsed time since a last interaction of a user of the computing device with one or more elements displayed in the subregion;

a current battery status of the computing device;

or

a level of ambient lighting detected by the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising instructing the display to refresh only the subregion.

8. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

dynamically identify a subregion of a display of a computing device, the display being a liquid crystal display (LCD), wherein the display is backlit by backlighting components, and wherein content of a structured document is associated with the subregion;

determine whether to adjust one or more backlighting components that backlight subregion, based at least in part on an affinity score, wherein the affinity score represents a measure of affinity between a user associated with the computing device and content provided for display in at least the subregion; and

through a device driver of the computing device, dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components when the software determines to adjust the one or more backlighting components, wherein the content associated with the subregion is displayed in the subregion using the adjusted backlighting components.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the affinity score is determined between the user associated with the computing device and one or more other users associated with the content associated with the subregion.

10. The media of claim 8, wherein the backlighting components are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

11. The media of claim 8, wherein to dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components, the software is configured to access an application programming interface (API) to cause a device driver of the backlighting components to adjust the one or more backlighting components.

12. The media of claim 8, wherein to dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components, the software is configured to:

adjust their intensity;

or

adjust their color.

13. The media of claim 8, wherein to dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components is further based at least in part on:

an elapsed time since a last interaction of a user of the computing device with one or more elements displayed in the subregion;

a current battery status of the computing device;

or

a level of ambient lighting detected by the computing device.

14. The media of claim 8, the software is further configured to instruct the display to refresh only the subregion.

15. A device comprising:

backlighting components;

a display, the display being a liquid crystal display (LCD), wherein the display is backlit by the backlighting components; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to the display and embodying software that is operable when executed to;

dynamically identify a subregion of the display, wherein content of a structured document is associated with the subregion;

determine whether to adjust one or more backlighting components that backlight the subregion, based at least in part on an affinity score, wherein the affinity score represents a measure of affinity between a user associated with the device and the content associated with the subregion; and

through a device driver of the device, dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components when the software determines to adjust the one or more backlighting components, wherein the content associated with the subregion is displayed in the subregion using the adjusted backlighting components.

16. The device of claim 15, the affinity score is determined between the user associated with the computing device and one or more other users associated with the content associated with the subregion.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the backlighting components are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

18. The device of claim 15, wherein to dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components, the software is configured to access an application programming interface (API) to cause a device driver of the backlighting components to adjust the one or more backlighting components.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein to dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components, the software is configured to:

adjust their intensity;

or

adjust their color.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein to dynamically adjust the one or more backlighting components is further based at least in part on:

an elapsed time since a last interaction of a user of the computing device with one or more elements displayed in the subregion;

a current battery status of the computing device;

or

a level of ambient lighting detected by the computing device.