Image display apparatus and method for controlling same

• US 9,836,109 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Soogi
• Primary Examiner(s): YENKE, BRIAN P
• Application Number:
  US15/026,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20160239062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/02 Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0428 Gradation resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• 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 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/373 for modifying the size of the graphic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 : Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 : Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/57 : Control of contrast or brightness
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 : Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an image display apparatus including a battery and a method for controlling the same, and the image display apparatus, which receives an input signal for channel selection from an external input device, comprising: an antenna; a tuner for selecting a broadcast signal corresponding to a specific channel, among signals received through the antenna, on the basis of the input signal and converting the selected broadcast signal into an image signal; a display unit for outputting an image associated with the specific channel by using the converted image signal; a power supply unit which includes a battery, charges the battery while electric energy from the outside is received and supplies power to the display unit using the electric energy received from the outside; a power failure detection unit for detecting whether power failure corresponding to a cut off of the electric energy supplied from the outside occurs; and a control unit for supplying power to the display unit using the battery when the power failure detection unit detects power failure and controlling brightness of at least one area of the display unit on the basis of residual capacity of the battery.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus receiving an input signal for selecting a channel from an external input device, the apparatus comprising:

a tuner capable of selecting a broadcast signal corresponding to a specific channel based on the input signal, and switching the selected broadcast signal into an image signal;

a display capable of outputting an image associated with the specific channel using the switched image signal;

a power supply provided with a battery and capable of charging the battery while electric energy is received from an exterior and supplying power to the display using the externally-received electric energy;

a power failure sensor capable of detecting a power failure during which the externally-received electric energy is cut off; and

a controller capable of supplying power to the display using the battery when power failure is detected by the power failure sensor and adjusting brightness of at least one area of the display based on a residual capacity of the battery,

wherein the controller is further capable of;

controlling the power failure sensor to detect the power failure while the display is off, and

controlling the display to turn on and present an image having a prescribed color when the power failure is sensed while the display is off,

wherein the power failure sensor detects that the power failure has occurred when an inverter signal and a reference clock signal (Gclk) generated in the power supply are simultaneously switched to low levels, and

wherein the power failure sensor determines that the power failure has not occurred when the inverter signal is switched to the low level before the reference clock signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller resets the at least one area of the display according to a user input to the external input device to re-adjust the brightness of the display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts a brightness of at least a portion of a backlight that emits light to the display.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least the portion of the backlight for which the brightness is adjusted is differently set according to the residual capacity of the battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller, when power failure is sensed, scales down an image output on the display at a predetermined ratio, and outputs the scaled-down image on a partial area of the display.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a lamp, emitting light toward an area on which the scaled-down image is not output on the display, among a plurality of backlight lamps emitting light toward the display, is turned off.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the predetermined ratio is adjusted based on a user input.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller, when the power failure is sensed, selectively executes one of a general mode or a power-saving mode of using power of the battery in a saving manner based on the residual capacity of the battery.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller, when power failure is sensed, outputs power failure information notifying a user of the power failure on the at least one area of the display.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the power failure information includes at least one of a residual capacity of the battery, a time for which the image is outputtable on the display with the residual capacity of the battery, contact information regarding an organization associated with power failure, or an instruction for action upon an occurrence of the power failure.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal input/output to transmit a message notifying an external computer of the power failure when the power failure is detected by the power failure sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller outputs an estimated time, within which the power failure is expected to end, on the at least one area of the display when the predicted time is received from the external computer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller calculates the brightness of the at least one area of the display for outputting the image until the estimated time based on the residual capacity of the battery, and adjusts the at least one area of the display to output the image at the calculated brightness.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller, when the power failure is detected, searches for an external device and transmits a control command to the external device to activate another display provided on the external device, the external device being located within a predetermined distance of the apparatus and being capable of performing wireless communication with the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller, when power failure is detected, switches a channel of an image output on the display to a prescribed channel presenting information related to the power failure.

16. A method for controlling an image display apparatus receiving an input signal for selecting a channel from an external input device, the method comprising:

selecting a broadcast signal corresponding to a specific channel on the basis of the input signal, and outputting an image associated with the specific channel on a display using the selected broadcast signal;

charging, by a power supply, a battery while externally-supplied electric energy is received, and supplying by the power supply, power to the display using the externally-supplied electric energy;

sensing a power failure, wherein sensing the power failure includes;

determining that the power failure has occurred when an inverter signal and a reference clock signal (Gclk) generated in the power supply are simultaneously switched to low levels, and

determining that the power failure has not occurred when the inverter signal is switched to the low level while the reference clock signal remains at a high level;

supplying power to the display using the battery when the power failure occurs; and

adjusting a brightness of at least one area of the display based on a residual capacity of the battery,

wherein the method further comprises;

sensing whether the power failure occurs while the display is off; and

turning the display on and presenting an image having a prescribed color when the power failure is sensed while the display is off.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the brightness of the at least one area of the display includes adjusting a brightness of at least one area, of an entire area, of a backlight that emits light to the display.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

searching for an external device located within a predetermined distance of the image display apparatus and capable of performing wireless communication with the image display apparatus when power failure occurs; and

transmitting a control command to the external device to activate a secondary display provided on the external device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting power failure information notifying a user of the power failure on the at least one area of the display.