Portable electronic device and power-saving method therefor

• US 8,989,781 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chu, Shih-Hung, Liang, Yu-Hsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US13/847,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20140287777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/411, 455/432.1, 340/7.61
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a wireless communication module, a processing unit, a display device and a backlight driver. The wireless communication module wirelessly collects location information from at least one remote station. The processing unit executes a positioning application and thereby calculates a position of the portable electronic device based on the collected location information. The display device operates at a bright mode when the calculated position indicates that the portable electronic device is kept being moved. The backlight driver is coupled to the processing unit, and, the processing unit is further configured to control the backlight driver to make the display device leave the bright mode and enter a dim mode when the calculated position indicates that the portable electronic device is not moved for a first predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly collect location information from at least one remote station;

a processing unit configured to execute a positioning application, and calculate a position of the portable electronic device based on the collected location information when the positioning application is executed;

a display device configured to operate at a bright mode or a dim mode, wherein the display device operates at the bright mode when the calculated position indicates that the portable electronic device is kept being moved; and

a backlight driver coupled to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit is further configured to control the backlight driver to make the display device leave the bright mode and enter the dim mode when the calculated position indicates that the portable electronic device is not moved for a first predetermined time period,

wherein when the positioning application is ended and the portable electronic device is kept idle for a second predetermined time period, the processing unit further controls the backlight driver to make the display device switch from the bright mode to the dim mode.

2. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device further comprises a display panel and a backlight module, and the backlight module is configured to illuminate the display panel with a bright light level for displaying a map in the bright mode or to illuminate the display panel with a dim light level for displaying the map in the dim mode.

3. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein before the positioning application is ended the processing unit is further configured to control the backlight driver to make the display device leave the dim mode and return to the bright mode according to an interrupt signal.

4. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interrupt signal is triggered when the position calculated by the processing unit indicates that the portable electronic device starts being moved.

5. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a touch screen integrated with the display device, wherein the interrupt signal is triggered when the touch screen detects a touch.

6. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a camera, wherein the interrupt signal is triggered when the camera extracts a specific gesture from images captured by the camera.

7. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a Bluetooth communication module, wherein the interrupt signal is triggered when the Bluetooth communication module detects a voice command received from a remote microphone.

8. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a car system communication module, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to communicate with a car system installed in a car, and

wherein the interrupt signal is triggered when the car system communication module receives a notification from the car.

9. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a wireless telecommunication module configured to wirelessly communicate with a cloud center, and

wherein the interrupt signal is triggered when the wireless telecommunication module receives from the cloud center a backlight-lighten-up command based on traffic status.

10. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the portable electronic device is further kept idle for a third predetermined time period after switching to the dim mode, the processing unit further controls the backlight driver to make the display device switch from the dim mode to a fully dark mode.

11. A power-saving method for a portable electronic device, which has a display device, the method comprising:

wirelessly collecting location information from at least one remote station;

executing a positioning application;

calculating a position of the portable electronic device based on the collected location information when the positioning application is executed;

making the display device operate at a bright mode when the calculated position indicates that the portable electronic device is kept being moved;

making the display device leave the bright mode and enter a dim mode when the calculated position indicates that the portable electronic device is not moved for a first predetermined time period; and

making the display device switch from the bright mode to the dim mode when the positioning application is ended and the portable electronic device is kept idle for a second predetermined time period.

12. The power-saving method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

before the positioning application is ended, making the display device leave the dim mode and return to the bright mode according to an interrupt signal.

13. The power-saving method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

triggering the interrupt signal when the calculated position indicates that the portable electronic device starts being moved.

14. The power-saving method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

triggering the interrupt signal when a touch screen of the portable electronic device detects a touch.

15. The power-saving method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

triggering the interrupt signal when a camera of the portable electronic device extracts a specific gesture from images captured by the camera.

16. The power-saving method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

triggering the interrupt signal when a Bluetooth communication module of the portable electronic device detects a voice command received from a remote microphone.

17. The power-saving method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

building a communication between the portable electronic device and a car system installed in a car; and

triggering the interrupt signal when the car system communication module receives a notification from the car.

18. The power-saving method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

using a wireless telecommunication module of the portable electronic device to wirelessly communicate with a cloud center; and

triggering the interrupt signal when the wireless telecommunication module receives from the cloud center a backlight-lighten-up command based on traffic status.

19. The portable electronic device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

making the display device switch from the dim mode to a fully dark mode when the portable electronic device is further kept idle for a third predetermined time period after switching to the dim mode.