Portable electronic device changing display brightness based on acceleration and distance

• US 9,711,090 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Satou, Mitsuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahn, Sejoon
• Application Number:
  US14/235,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20150109218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0213 controlling the sequence of the scanning lines with respect to the patterns to be displayed, e.g. to save power
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes: a display unit; and a touch panel which is disposed to overlap the display unit and which is able to detect a distance from an input object. If brightness of the display unit is first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for a predetermined time, and if the distance is greater than a predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit changes to second brightness darker than the first brightness. If the brightness of the display unit is the first brightness, if there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, and if the distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, the brightness of the display unit is set to third brightness brighter than at least the second brightness.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display;

an acceleration sensor that detects walking associated vibration of the portable electronic device and detects an orientation of the portable electronic device;

a touch panel that overlaps the display and detects a distance from an input object; and

a controller that sets a brightness of the display,

wherein the controller sets the brightness of the display to a first brightness, when the detected distance is equal to or smaller than a predetermined distance and the walking associated vibration is not detected, and

the controller sets the brightness of the display to a second brightness, which is darker than the first brightness, when the detected distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance and the walking associated vibration is detected, and when the brightness of the display is the first brightness, and when there is no operation on the touch panel for a first time period, and when the detected distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the controller changes the brightness of the display from the first brightness to the second brightness, and thereafter, when the brightness of the display is the second brightness, and when there is no operation on the touch panel for a second time period, and when the detected distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the controller turns the display off.

2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the second brightness is brightness of turn-off.

3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display, and wherein the brightness is provided by a backlight of the liquid crystal display.

4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the display is a self-luminous display, and the brightness is provided by self-luminescence of the display.

5. The portable electronic device according to claim 4,

wherein the self-luminous display is an organic EL display.

6. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein the predetermined distance is a first distance,

wherein the portable electronic device further has a predetermined function which operates when the detected distance is equal to or smaller than a second distance, and

wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

7. The portable electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein when the brightness of the display is the first brightness, and there is no operation on the touch panel for a predetermined time,

the controller changes the brightness of the display from the first brightness to the second brightness, when the detected distance is greater than the predetermined distance, and

the controller changes the brightness of the display from the first brightness to a third brightness, which is brighter than the second brightness, when a position of the input object is in a predetermined region, and the detected distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance.

8. The portable electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein when the brightness of the display is the first brightness, and there is no operation on the touch panel for the predetermined time, the controller changes the brightness of the display from the first brightness to the second brightness, when the position of the input object is located outside of the predetermined region, and the detected distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance.

9. The portable electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein the third brightness is brighter than the second brightness and is equal to or darker than the first brightness.

10. The portable electronic device according to claim 9,

wherein the third brightness is equal to the first brightness.

11. The portable electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein the second brightness is brightness of turn-off.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein the display is a liquid crystal display, and

wherein the brightness is provided by a backlight of the liquid crystal display.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein the display is a self-luminous display, and

wherein the brightness is provided by self-luminescence of the display.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 13,

wherein the self-luminous display is an organic EL display.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 7,

wherein the predetermined distance is a first distance,

wherein the portable electronic device further has a predetermined function which operates when the detected distance is equal to or smaller than a second distance, and

wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

when the brightness of the display is the first brightness and there is no operation on the touch panel for a predetermined time,

the controller changes the brightness of the display from the first brightness to the second brightness, when the detected distance is greater than the predetermined distance, and

the controller changes the brightness of the display from the first brightness to a third brightness, which is brighter than the second brightness, when the detected distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance.

17. The portable electronic device according to claim 16,

wherein the third brightness is brighter than the second brightness and is equal to or darker than the first brightness.

18. The portable electronic device according to claim 17,

wherein the third brightness is equal to the first brightness.

19. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller sets the brightness of the display to the second brightness, when the detected distance is equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance, the walking associated vibration is detected, and the detected orientation indicates that the portable electronic device is oriented downward.

20. A brightness control method which is usable in a portable electronic device comprising a display, an acceleration sensor that detects a predetermined acceleration, and a touch panel, which overlaps the display and detects a distance from an input object, the method comprising:

detecting walking associated vibration of the portable electronic device and detects an orientation of the portable electronic device;

detecting the distance of the input object from the touch panel;

determining whether the acceleration sensor detects the predetermined acceleration;

setting a brightness of the display to a first brightness, in response to the detected distance being equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance and in response to a determination that the walking associated vibration is not detected; and

setting the brightness of the display to a second brightness, which is darker than the first brightness, in response to the detected distance being equal to or smaller than the predetermined distance and in response to a determination that the walking associated vibration is detected, and

wherein, when the brightness of the display is the first brightness, and when there is no operation on the touch panel for a first time period, and when the detected distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the brightness of the display is changed from the first brightness to the second brightness, and thereafter,

when the brightness of the display is the second brightness, and when there is no operation on the touch panel for a second time period, and when the detected distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the display is turned off.