Power efficient screens through display size reduction

• US 7,605,795 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Desai, Prasanna, Thomas, Vishal
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/471,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20070296684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102
• US Class Current: 345/102
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix

Abstract

According to some embodiments, an apparatus, a system and a method are provided to reduce a backlit area of a display screen and resize an image to fit in the backlit area.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of backlight lamps, wherein the backlight lamps illuminate a display screen;

a medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a method, the instructions comprising;

instructions to determine that a first predetermined amount of power is remaining in a battery;

instructions to reduce a full sized backlit area of the display screen by a first percentage, wherein the first percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of the plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains; and

instructions to resize an image to fit in the reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

instructions to determine that a second predetermined amount of power is remaining in a battery;

instructions to further reduce the full sized backlit area of the display screen by a second percentage wherein the second percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, wherein the second percentage is greater than the first percentage, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of the plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains; and

instructions to resize the image to fit in the further reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains, wherein to reduce a backlit area is in response to a resized screen user verification, and wherein the plurality of backlight lamps are battery powered.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of backlight lamps are horizontal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of backlight lamps are vertical.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of backlight lamps comprise:

a first portion wherein the backlight lamps are horizontal; and

a second portion wherein the backlight lamps are vertical.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions to resize an image to fit in the reduced backlit area on the display screen is in further response to the turning off of the portion of the plurality of backlight lamps.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the user defines at least one of, the defined power level, an amount of vertical reduction, or an amount of horizontal reduction.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein instructions adapted to be executed by the processor are executed at a second defined power level.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display screen is a liquid crystal diode screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and the medium storing instructions are contained in a mobile device.

11. A method comprising:

determining that a first predetermined amount of power is remaining in a battery;

reducing a full sized backlit area of a display screen by a first percentage, wherein the first percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of a plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains; and

resizing an image to fit in the reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that a second predetermined amount of power is remaining in a battery;

reducing the full sized backlit area of the display screen by a second percentage wherein the second percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, wherein the second percentage is greater than the first percentage, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of the plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains; and

resizing the image to fit in the further reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains wherein reducing a backlit area is in response to a resized screen user verification, and wherein the plurality of backlight lamps are battery powered.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of backlight lamps run horizontally along the display.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of backlight lamps run vertically along the display.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of backlight lamps comprise:

a first portion wherein the backlight lamps run horizontally along the display; and

a second portion wherein the backlight lamps run vertically along the display.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein resizing an image to fit in the reduced backlit area on the display screen is in farther response to the turning off of the portion of the plurality of backlight lamps.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user defines at least one of, the defined power level, an amount of vertical reduction, and an amount of horizontal reduction.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a second reducing and a second resizing occur at a second defined power level.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device display screen is a liquid crystal diode screen.

20. A system comprising:

a battery;

a processor;

a plurality of backlight lamps, wherein the backlight lamps illuminate a display screen;

a lamp controller to reduce a portion of a backlit area of the display screen; and

a medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

determining that a first predetermined amount of power is remaining in the battery;

reducing a fall sized backlit area of the display screen by a first percentage wherein the first percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of the plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains; and

resizing an image to fit in the reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains.

21. The system of claim 20, farther comprising:

determining that a second predetermined amount of power is remaining in a battery;

reducing the full sized backlit area of the display screen by a second percentage wherein the second percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, wherein the second percentage is greater than the first percentage, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of the plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains; and

resizing the image to fit in the further reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains wherein to reduce a portion of a backlit area is in response to a resized screen user verification, and wherein the plurality of backlight lamps are battery powered.

22. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining that a first predetermined amount of power is remaining in a battery;

reducing a fall sized backlit area of a display screen by a first percentage wherein the first percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of a plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains;

resizing an image to fit in the reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the first predetermined amount of power remains;

determining that a second predetermined amount of power is remaining in a battery;

reducing the full sized backlit area of the display screen by a second percentage wherein the second percentage is less than 100% and greater than 0%, wherein the second percentage is greater than the first percentage, and wherein reducing is by turning off a portion of the plurality of backlight lamps in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains; and

resizing the image to fit in the further reduced backlit area on the display screen in response to the determination that the second predetermined amount of power remains.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein reducing a backlit area is in response to a resized screen user verification, and wherein the plurality of backlight lamps are battery powered.