# US 10,321,549 B2 · Display brightness control based on location data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,321,549 B2 - Document ID: US10321549B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/043,135 - Filed: 2016-02-12 - Published: 2016-11-17 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-14 - Assignees: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc. - Applicants: Manufacturing Resources International, Inc. - Inventors: John Schuch; William Dunn; Rick De Laet; Dan Safstrom - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321549B2 ## CPC - H05B 47/16: by timing means - G02F 1/1336: {Illuminating devices} - G09G 3/3406: {Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336)} - H05B 47/11: by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light - G09G 2320/0653: Controlling or limiting the speed of brightness adjustment of the illumination source - G09G 2360/144: the light being ambient light - G09G 2360/145: the light originating from the display screen - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract The exemplary embodiments herein provide a method for controlling the luminance of an electronic display, including the steps of determining the sunset and sunrise times for the day and determining whether the present time is between sunrise and sunset or between sunset and sunrise. The backlight may be driven at a daytime level if the present time is between sunrise and sunset, while the backlight may be driven at a nighttime level if the present time is between sunset and sunrise. In some embodiments, artificial ambient sensor (AAS) data is used to determine the desired backlight or display luminance. The AAS data may be adjusted for a sunset or sunrise transition time, as well as for an approximate percentage of cloud cover in the sky. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling the luminance of an electronic display having a backlight, comprising the steps of: determining the sunset and sunrise times for the present day; determining whether the present time is between a sunrise transition period, daytime, a sunset transition period, or nighttime; driving the backlight based on whether the present time is during the sunrise transition period, daytime, the sunset transition period, or nighttime such that the backlight is driven at a daytime level if the present time is during daytime and the backlight is driven at a nighttime level that is less than the daytime level if the present time is during nighttime; and remotely monitoring or adjusting a brightness of the electronic display independent of normal operational input if the present time is during the sunrise transition period or the sunset transition period; wherein the backlight is adapted to be on for daytime use and nighttime use of the electronic display; and wherein the electronic display is directly backlit by the backlight. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: gradually increasing the backlight level during the sunrise transition period when transitioning from the nighttime level to the daytime level; and gradually decreasing the backlight level during the sunset transition period when transitioning from the daytime level to the nighttime level. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein: the step of driving the backlight at the daytime level is performed by driving the backlight at a predetermined constant daytime level, without utilizing any input from an ambient light sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein: the step of driving the backlight at the daytime level is performed by calculating artificial ambient sensor (AAS) data for the present time and driving the backlight based on the AAS data; wherein said AAS data, depending on time of day, takes into account: a desired display brightness level at nighttime; a desired display brightness level during daytime; data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment; the sunrise transition period; and the sunset transition period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein: the step of driving the backlight at the daytime level is performed by reading data from an ambient light sensor and selecting a desired backlight level based on the data from the ambient light sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: determining whether the present time is during the sunset transition period or the sunrise transition period; and calculating AAS data if during the sunset transition period or the sunrise transition period; and driving the backlight based on the AAS data if during the sunset transition period or the sunrise transition period; wherein said AAS data, depending on time of day, takes into account: a desired display brightness level at nighttime; a desired display brightness level during daytime; data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment; the sunrise transition period; and the sunset transition period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: determining local weather information; calculating AAS data based on the local weather information; and driving the backlight based on the AAS data; wherein said AAS data, depending on time of day, further takes into account: a desired display brightness level at nighttime; a desired display brightness level during daytime; data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment; the sunrise transition period; and the sunset transition period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein: the step of driving the backlight is performed without any actual input from an ambient light sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting brightness of the electronic display allows a user to be notified when a component may be functioning improperly, about to fail, or has already failed and requires replacement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises monitoring power supply status, power supply test results, AC input current, temperature sensors, fan speed, video input status, firmware revision, or light level sensor status. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises adjusting on/off, brightness level, ambient light sensor status, alert settings, IP address, customer defined text/video, display matrix settings, display of image settings via on-screen display (OSD), or software functions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises monitoring or adjusting the status of the backlight. ### Claim 13 A method for controlling the luminance of an electronic display having a backlight, comprising the steps of: determining the sunset and sunrise times for the present day, including a sunset transition period and a sunrise transition period; determining if the present time is during the sunrise transition period, daytime, the sunset transition period, or nighttime; calculating AAS data for sunrise and driving the backlight based on the AAS data if the present time is during the sunrise transition period; driving the backlight at a daytime level if the present time is daytime, calculating AAS data for sunset and driving the backlight based on the AAS data if the present time is during the sunset transition period; driving the backlight at a nighttime level if the present time is nighttime; and remotely monitoring or adjusting a brightness of the electronic display independent of normal operational input if the present time is during the sunrise transition period or the sunset transition period; wherein the electronic display is directly backlit by the backlight; and wherein said AAS data, depending on time of day, takes into account: a desired display brightness level at nighttime; a desired display brightness level during daytime; data that approximates ambient light level for a display environment; the sunrise transition period; and the sunset transition period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of: determining local weather information; wherein the step of calculating the AAS data is performed based on the determined local weather information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein: the step of determining the local weather information is performed by calculating a percentage of cloud cover. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of driving the backlight based on AAS data is performed by: determining a desired display luminance based on ambient light sensor readings; and driving the backlight to obtain the desired display luminance. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of driving the backlight based on AAS data is performed by: retrieving a desired display luminance from a table of desired display luminance values based on ambient light sensor readings, by matching the AAS data to an ambient light sensor reading and corresponding desired display luminance; and driving the backlight to obtain the desired display luminance. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of driving the backlight based on AAS data is performed by: calculating a desired backlight luminance based on a mathematical relationship between ambient light sensor readings and backlight luminance where the AAS data is used as the ambient light sensor reading; and driving the backlight to the desired backlight luminance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of driving the backlight based on AAS data is performed by: using a table of desired backlight luminance values based on ambient light sensor readings where the AAS data is used as the ambient light sensor readings to determine a desired backlight luminance value; and driving the backlight to the desired backlight luminance value. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display allows a user to be notified when a component may be functioning improperly, about to fail, or has already failed and requires replacement. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises monitoring power supply status, power supply test results, AC input current, temperature sensors, fan speed, video input status, firmware revision, or light level sensor status. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises adjusting on/off, brightness level, ambient light sensor status, alert settings, IP address, customer defined text/video, display matrix settings, display of image settings via on-screen display (OSD), or software functions. ### Claim 23 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises monitoring or adjusting the status of the backlight. ### Claim 24 A method for controlling the luminance of an electronic display having a backlight, comprising the steps of: determining present location data for the electronic display through a GPS device; based on the location data from the GPS device, determining if a present time is during a sunset transition period or a sunrise transition period; driving the luminance of the electronic display based on the location data from the GPS device without using any data from an ambient light sensor; and remotely monitoring or adjusting a brightness of the electronic display independent of normal operational input if the present time is during the sunrise transition period or the sunset transition period; wherein the electronic display is directly backlit by the backlight. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein: the step of determining if the present time is during the sunset transition period or the sunrise transition period includes calculating the sunrise and sunset times based on the location data from the GPS device. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 wherein: the step of calculating the sunrise and sunset times is performed based on the longitude and latitude coordinates of the electronic display. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26 wherein: the step of calculating the sunrise and sunset times is performed by calculating the sunrise equation. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display allows a user to be notified when a component may be functioning improperly, about to fail, or has already failed and requires replacement. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises monitoring power supply status, power supply test results, AC input current, temperature sensors, fan speed, video input status, firmware revision, or light level sensor status. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises adjusting on/off, brightness level, ambient light sensor status, alert settings, IP address, customer defined text/video, display matrix settings, display of image settings via on-screen display (OSD), or software functions. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24 wherein the step of remotely monitoring or adjusting the brightness of the electronic display comprises monitoring or adjusting the status of the backlight.