Method and apparatus for controlling illumination of a display in a portable wireless communication device

• US 20040263084A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tal, Erel, Mor, Tal
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/159
• 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 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• 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 wireless communication device having a display screen, a light source that is capable of illuminating the display screen, and a processor coupled to the light source, dynamically adjusts a period of time during which the display screen is illuminated. The processor couples power to the light source to illuminate the display screen, determines at least one illumination time parameter associated with information to be displayed on the display screen, and maintains a coupling of power to the light source for a period of time that is based on the at least one illumination time parameter. In other embodiments of the present invention, the processor may further determine to not illuminate the display screen, or to terminate illumination of the display screen prior to expiration of the period of time, based on a received instruction or a detected level of ambient light.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an illumination of a display screen in portable wireless communication device comprising:

illuminating a display screen;

determining at least one illumination time parameter corresponding to the information to be displayed on the display screen; and

maintaining the illumination of the display screen for a period of time that is based on the at least one illumination time parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the illumination of the display screen for a period of time comprises:

determining a time value based on the at least one illumination time parameter;

decrementing the time value to produce a remaining time value; and

terminating the illumination of the display screen when the remaining time value no longer exceeds zero.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at least one illumination time parameter comprises determining a plurality of illumination time parameters and wherein an illumination time parameter of the plurality of illumination time parameters comprises a time constant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the illumination time parameter comprises at least one of a length of a message, a number of lines of the display screen required to display a message, and a type of message to be displayed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the display screen is illuminated, receiving an instruction to terminate the illumination of the display screen; and

in response to receiving the instruction, terminating the illumination of the display screen prior to the expiration of the period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein illuminating a display screen comprises:

sensing a level of ambient light;

comparing the level of ambient light to an ambient light threshold;

when the level of ambient light is greater than the ambient light threshold, determining to not illuminate the display screen; and

wherein illuminating a display screen comprises illuminating a display screen when the level of ambient light is less than the ambient light threshold,

7. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the illumination of the display screen comprises:

sensing a level of ambient light;

comparing the level of ambient light to an ambient light threshold; and

when the level of ambient light is greater than the ambient light threshold, terminating the illumination of the display screen prior to the expiration of the period of time.

8. An apparatus for controlling illumination of a display screen in portable wireless communication device comprising:

a light source that is capable of illuminating the display screen; and

a processor coupled to the light source that couples power to the light source to illuminate the a display screen, determines at least one illumination time parameter corresponding to the message to be displayed on the display screen, and maintains a coupling of power to the light source for a period of time that is based on the at least one illumination time parameter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises a timer coupled to the processor and wherein the processor maintains the illumination of the display screen for a period of time by determining a time value based on the at least one illumination time parameter, wherein the time value corresponds to the period of time, setting the timer based on the time value, decrementing the timer to produce a remaining time value, and terminating the illumination of the display screen when the remaining time value no longer exceeds zero.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one illumination time parameter comprises a plurality of illumination time parameters, wherein an illumination time parameter of the plurality of illumination time parameters comprises a time constant, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a memory device coupled to the processor that maintains the time constant.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the illumination time parameter comprises at least one of a length of a message, a number of lines of the display screen required to display the message, and a type of message to be displayed.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor, when the display screen is illuminated, further receives an instruction to terminate the illumination of the display screen and, in response to receiving the instruction, decouples power from the light source prior to the expiration of the period of time.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises a light sensor coupled to the processor that senses a level of ambient light and conveys a signal corresponding to the sensed level of ambient light to the processor and wherein the processor further compares the level of ambient light to an ambient light threshold that is maintained in a memory device coupled to the processor, couples power to the light source to illuminate the a display screen when the level of ambient light is less than the ambient light threshold, and determines to not illuminate the display screen when the level of ambient light is greater than the ambient light threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises a light sensor coupled to the processor that senses a level of ambient light and conveys a signal corresponding to the sensed level of ambient light to the processor and wherein the processor further compares the level of ambient light to an ambient light threshold that is maintained in a memory device coupled to the processor and, when the level of ambient light is greater than the ambient light threshold, terminates illumination of the display screen prior to the expiration of the period of time.

15. A portable wireless communication device comprising:

a display screen;

a light source that is capable of illuminating the display screen; and

a processor coupled to the light source that couples power to the light source to illuminate the a display screen, determines at least one illumination time parameter corresponding to the message to be displayed on the display screen, and maintains a coupling of power to the light source for a period of time that is based on the at least one illumination time parameter, wherein the coupling of power to the light source causes the light source to illuminate the display screen.

16. The portable wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the portable wireless communication device further comprises a timer coupled to the processor and wherein the processor maintains the illumination of the display screen for a period of time by determining a time value based on the at least one illumination time parameter, setting the timer based on the time value, wherein the time value corresponds to the period of time, decrementing the timer to produce a remaining time value, and terminating the illumination of the display screen when the remaining time value no longer exceeds zero.

17. The portable wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the at least one illumination time parameter comprises a plurality of illumination time parameters, wherein an illumination time parameter of the plurality of illumination time parameters comprises a time constant, and wherein the portable wireless communication device further comprises a memory device coupled to the processor that maintains the time constant.

18. The portable wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the processor, when the display screen is illuminated, further receives an instruction to terminate the illumination of the display screen and, in response to receiving the instruction, decouples power from the light source prior to the expiration of the period of time.

19. The portable wireless communication device of claim 15, further comprising a light sensor coupled to the processor that senses a level of ambient light and conveys a signal corresponding to the sensed level of ambient light to the processor, and wherein the processor further compares the level of ambient light to an ambient light threshold that is maintained in a memory device coupled to the processor, couples power to the light source to illuminate the a display screen when the level of ambient light is less than the ambient light threshold, and determines to not illuminate the display screen when the level of ambient light is greater than the ambient light threshold.

20. The portable wireless communication device of claim 15, further comprising a light sensor coupled to the processor that senses a level of ambient light and conveys a signal corresponding to the sensed level of ambient light to the processor, and wherein the processor further compares the level of ambient light to an ambient light threshold that is maintained in a memory device coupled to the processor and, when the level of ambient light is greater than the ambient light threshold, terminates illumination of the display screen prior to the expiration of the period of time.