Energy-aware software-controlled plurality of displays

A method for energy-aware software control in a computer system on which one or more applications run and fashion a screen, comprising:

• establishing in the computer system a display configuration of two or more displays of which at least two have varied attributes;
• profiling screen usage patterns and their impact on energy consumption, the profiling resulting in an energy model;
• identifying pixel-blocks of the screen to be controlled based on considerations of functionality and energy needs derived from the energy model;
• marking the pixel-blocks to be controlled;
• matching, respectively, the functionality and energy needs of the marked pixel-blocks to the displays based on their attributes;
• and
• putting the pixel-blocks on view by matched displays.

A system for energy-aware software control in a computer system, comprising:

• a plurality of displays, at least two of the displays having varied attributes;
• means for profiling screen usage patterns and their impact on energy consumption by the computer system, the profiling resulting in an energy model;
• means for energy-aware software control configured with means for dividing up the screen into sub-screens and matching energy and functionality needs associated with the sub-screens to the plurality of displays based on their respective attributes and the energy model;
• and
• means for determining when to activate the energy-aware software control means.

A system for energy-aware software control, the system being powered by a power source and providing a platform for running programs that fashion a screen, the system comprising:

• a plurality of displays, at least two of the displays having varied attributes;
• a user interface;
• a monitor configured to monitor power metrics of the power source;
• an energy model creator using as an input profiling parameters to create an energy model;
• means for providing energy-aware software control configured with means for dividing up the screen into sub-screens and matching energy and functionality needs associated with the sub-screens to the plurality of displays based on their respective attributes and the energy model;
• and
• means for activating and deactivating the energy-aware software control, including based on indications from the monitor, the applications and/or the user interface.