Television power saving system

• US 20040051813A1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Marmaropoulos, George
• Application Number:
  US10/245,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20040051813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/553
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• 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: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• 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 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

A television receiver, or some other display device, includes a display, a video signal processing circuit, a display driving circuit, and a control unit for controlling the video signal processing circuit and the display driving circuit. In order to reduce power consumption by the television receiver when the television receiver is not being viewed, the television receiver includes a presence detector for detecting the presence of a person in a room containing the television receiver. When the presence detector does not detect the presence of a person, the control unit disables the display by turning off either the video signal processing circuit or the display driving circuit, or both. When the person re-enters the room, the presence detector indicate this to the controller which then re-enables the display by turning on the video signal processing circuit and/or the display driving circuit. In order to prevent inadvertently disabling the display, the control unit waits until the presence detector does not detect the presence of a person in the room for a predetermined period of time.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display;

a video signal processing circuit for generating a image signal, said image signal being applied to an input of said display;

a display driving circuit for generating control signals for controlling said display; and

a control unit for controlling said video signal processing circuit and said display driving circuit, wherein said display device further comprises;

means for detecting the presence of a person in a room containing the display device; and

means for disabling at least one of the video signal processing circuit and said display driving circuit when said detecting means does not detect the presence of a person in the room.

2. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said disabling means waits until said detecting means does not detect the presence of a person for a predetermined period of time before disabling at least one of the video signal processing circuit and said display driving circuit.

3. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises a motion detector.

4. The display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises an infrared heat detector.

5. The display device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said detecting means further comprises an infrared heat detector.

6. A television receiver comprising:

input means for receiving a television signal;

a demodulator for demodulating the television signal and for providing an audio signal, a video signal, and synchronizing signals;

an audio signal processing circuit for processing said audio signal and for generating a corresponding sound signal;

loudspeaker means coupled to said audio signal processing circuit for generating sounds corresponding to said sound signal;

a video signal processing circuit for processing said video signal and for generating corresponding display signals;

a display device having an input for receiving said display signals, said display device forming images corresponding to said display signals;

a display driving circuit having an input for processing said synchronizing signals and for generating control signals for said display device; and

a control unit for controlling said audio signal processing circuit, said video signal processing circuit, and said display driving circuit, wherein said television receiver further comprises;

means for detecting the presence of a person in a room containing the television receiver; and

means for disabling at least one of the video signal processing circuit and said display driving circuit when said detecting means does not detect the presence of a person in the room.

7. The television receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said disabling means waits until said detecting means does not detect the presence of a person for a predetermined period of time before disabling at least one of the video signal processing circuit and said display driving circuit.

8. The television receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said detecting means comprises a motion detector.

9. The television receiver as claimed in claim 6, wherein said detecting means comprises an infrared heat detector.

10. The television receiver as claimed in claim 8, wherein said detecting means further comprises an infrared heat detector.