Device and method of automatic display brightness control

• US 9,070,317 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Original Assignee: Quanta Computer
• Inventors: Chuang, Tung-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/070,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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 2380/08 Biomedical applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A device and a method of automatic display brightness control are provided. Human fatigue index and environmental factors for dry eyes are combined as an indicator to dynamically adjust the display brightness. Heart rate variability (HRV) is used as the human fatigue index, and the environmental CO₂ concentration is used as the environmental factors for dry eyes here.

Claims

1. An automatic display brightness control device, the device comprising:

a display;

a carbon dioxide sensor for detecting an environmental carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂];

an electrocardiographic electrode for measuring an electrocardiography of a user; and

a calculating device for receiving the carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] and the electrocardiography to calculate a weighted value A of the carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] and a weighted value B of heart rate variability (HRV), whereby a display brightness adjustment index Z and an adjusted display brightness D_adj are calculated and used to adjust display brightness of the display, wherein Z is equal to C1×

A+C2×

B, C1 is ranged from 1 to 5, and C2 is ranged from 1 to 10.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the weighted value A of the carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] is calculated by a method comprising:

calculating X value, which is equal to ([CO₂]−

300)/100; and

calculating the weighted value A, which is equal to 0 when X<

0, and an integer value of X plus 1 when X≧

0.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the weighted value B of heart rate variability is calculated by a method comprising:

retrieving a numeric sequence of RR interval in the electrocardiogram of the user;

performing a spectral analysis of the numeric sequence of the RR interval by fast Fourier transformation to obtain amplitudes of sympathetic nerves (LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz) and parasympathetic nerves (HF, 0.15-0.4 Hz);

calculating a current balance index [(LF/HF)_now] of the sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves, wherein the index is equal to an amplitude of LF over an amplitude of HF;

calculating an enhanced balance index Y, which is equal to [(LF/HF)_now−

(LF/HF)_prev]², wherein the (LF/HF)_prev is a previous balance index;

calculating a threshold value of the enhanced balance index Y, which is equal to an average value of previous 30 enhanced balance index Ys; and

calculating the weighted value B of heart rate variability, wherein the weighted value B is equal to 1 when the enhanced balance index Y is greater than the threshold value of the enhanced balance index Y, and the weighted value B is equal to 0 when the enhanced balance index Y is smaller or equal to the threshold value of the enhanced balance index Y.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjusted display brightness D_adj is equal to 0.9975×

D_now×

Z, and D_now is a current brightness of the display.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the calculating device is a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a mobile device, or a communication device.

6. An automatic display brightness control method, the method comprising:

measuring an environmental carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂];

measuring and recording an electrocardiography of a user;

receiving the environmental carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] and the electrocardiography;

calculating a weighted value A of the carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] and a weighted value B of heart rate variability; and

calculating an adjusted display brightness D_adj by the weighted value A of the carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] and the weighted value B of heart rate variability.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the weighted value A of the carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] is calculated by a method comprising:

calculating X value, which is equal to ([CO₂]−

300)/100, and

calculating the weighted value A, wherein the weighted value A is equal to 0 when the X<

0, and the weighted value A is equal to an integer value of X plus 1 when the X≧

0.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the weighted value B of heart rate variability is calculated by a method comprising:

retrieving a numeric sequence of RR interval in the electrocardiogram of the user;

performing a spectral analysis of the numeric sequence of the RR interval by fast Fourier transformation to obtain amplitudes of sympathetic nerves (LF, 0.04-0.15 Hz) and parasympathetic nerves (HF, 0.15-0.4 Hz);

calculating a current balance index [(LF/HF)_now] of the sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves, wherein the index is equal to an amplitude of LF over an amplitude of HF;

calculating an enhanced balance index Y, which is equal to [(LF/HF)_now−

(LF/HF)_prev]², wherein the (LF/HF)_prev is a previous balance index;

calculating a threshold value of the enhanced balance index Y, which is equal to an average value of previous 30 enhanced balance index Ys; and

calculating the weighted value B of heart rate variability, wherein the weighted value B is equal to 1 when the enhanced balance index Y is greater than the threshold value of the enhanced balance index Y, and the weighted value B is equal to 0 when the enhanced balance index Y is smaller or equal to the threshold value of the enhanced balance index Y.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the adjusted display brightness D_adj is calculated by a method comprising:

equaling a display brightness adjustment index Z to C1×

A+C2×

B, wherein C1 is ranged from 1 to 5, and C2 is ranged from 1 to 10; and

equaling the adjusted display brightness D_adj to 0.9975×

D_now×

Z, and D_now is a current brightness of the display.