# US 7,614,011 B2 · Apparatus and method for display power saving

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- Number: US 7,614,011 B2
- Document ID: US7614011B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/970,303
- Filed: 2004-10-21
- Published: 2006-04-27
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2004-10-21
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: John Peter Karidis; Clifford Alan Pickover
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7614011B2

## CPC

- G09G 3/22: using controlled light sources
- G06F 1/3203: Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
- G06F 1/3218: of display devices
- G06F 1/3265: {Power saving in display device}
- G09G 5/14: Display of multiple viewports
- G09G 2320/0626: for control of overall brightness
- G09G 2330/02: Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation
- G09G 2330/021: Power management, e.g. power saving
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
- 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)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

A power saving method for self-luminous displays and an apparatus thereof, comprises determining active and inactive portions of a display screen. The inactive portions of the display screen are modified in accordance with criteria to save power by reducing energy consumption of the inactive portions while the active portions remain powered.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power saving method for self-luminous displays, comprising the steps of: determining active and inactive portions of a display screen;
providing a user-configurable policy table to associate and prioritize system actions with power down criteria, wherein a selection is made from a plurality of different system actions and associated with the criteria related to system power conditions;
modifying at least the inactive portions of the display screen in accordance with the criteria associated with the system power conditions to save power by reducing energy consumption of at least the inactive portions wherein the criteria is employed to reference the policy table to determine which of the system actions are to be taken to save power as the criteria changes, wherein the step of modifying includes setting a threshold value based on image characteristics in which all values beneath the threshold are dimmed or not displayed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes determining inactive regions based upon elapsed time of nonuse.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes adjusting at least one of a size, shape, and location of active and inactive portions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the active portions maintain default settings or user-specified display characteristics and the step of modifying at least the inactive portions includes reducing a number or brightness of illuminated pixels in die inactive portions.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the active portions include a cognitive focus area as determined by one or more sensors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the focus area is determined by any of biometrics, eye gaze, and brain waves.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the active portions is dependent on a type of content being displayed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the active portions includes determining an integral number of characters, words, sentences or text lines near a center of focus or cursor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein die step of determining active portions includes controlling an active portion that the user moves around the screen display and wherein the inactive portions are outside the active portion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the active portions are brighter than the inactive portions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the active portions includes at least one of a user preference profile, biometrics, and survey information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the active portions' size, shape, location, and brightness is dependent on remaining power.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes modifying active portions by showing only edges to conserve power.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, where the step of determining includes determining inactive portions in areas distant from a center of the screen, areas distant from a center of user attention, areas with static image content that has not changed for a period of time.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes modifying graphical use interface (GUI) elements to save power.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the step of modifying graphical user interface elements includes one of fading, omission or size reduction of a title bar, frame, scroll bar, or icons.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes changing to a power-savings font to reduce power within the active portions or within the inactive portions.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the power-savings font comprises at least one of reducing line width of a font eliminating features of a font, switching fonts, and applying a stipple pattern to turn off some fraction of the lit pixels.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein overall brightness of image content is reduced.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the threshold is determined automatically based on current operating conditions of the display screen.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the threshold depends on one of information relevance, pixel brightness, and history of use.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes selectively dimming pixels for rendering a data stream as determined by importance as determined by an algorithm or by content providers.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes shrinking the active portions in accordance with battery power employed by the display screen.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the shrinking step includes making the active portions porous where pore size and spacing are selectively determined.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the active portions includes audio renderings and the method further comprises the step of modifying audio to save power.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes adjusting relative brightness of pixels based on importance such that more important material is rendered brighter.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method as recited in claim 26, wherein importance is based on one or more of most recently used areas, most frequently used areas, most likely to be used areas, most used by others in a group of users, most used by people in a geography or demographic.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method as recited in claim 27, wherein items rendered on the display screen that are popular within a demographic light up more brightly than other portions, with intensity changing through time.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of modifying includes selecting an active region shape to enhance power savings.

### Claim 30 (depends on 1)

A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for power saving in self-luminous displays as recited in claim 1.

### Claim 31

A display apparatus, comprising a self-luminous display; a determination module configured to determine active regions and inactive regions based upon criteria; a modification module configured to selectively modify at least one of the active regions and the inactive regions of the display to save power by reducing energy consumption of at least one of the inactive portions and the active portions; and a user-configurable policy table to associate and prioritize system actions with power down criteria wherein a selection is made from a plurality of different system actions and associated with the criteria related to system power conditions such that the criteria is employed to reference the policy table to determine a plurality of user-selected prioritized actions to be taken to save power as the criteria changes; and a threshold value of pixel characteristics, which sets a point in which all values beneath the threshold are not displayed on the screen.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the modification module includes information for determining size, shape, and location of active and inactive regions.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein active regions maintain default or user-specified display characteristics and wherein the inactive regions are modified to reduce power dissipation by reducing the number or brightness of illuminated pixels in the inactive regions.

### Claim 34 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions include at least one of a cognitive focus area as determined by one or more sensors.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the extent of the active regions is dependent on a type of content in the region.

### Claim 36 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions include an integral number of characters, words, sentences or text lines near a center of focus or cursor.

### Claim 37 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions are user controlled to move around the screen and wherein the inactive regions are outside an active region.

### Claim 38 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions-are brighter than the inactive regions.

### Claim 39 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, the active region's size, shape, location, and brightness depend on remaining stored power of the display.

### Claim 40 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions are determined by at least one of biometrics, eye gaze, and brain waves.

### Claim 41 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions show edges of images.

### Claim 42 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the inactive regions are determined by one of inactive windows, areas distant from a center of the screen, areas distant from a center of attention, areas with static image content that has not changed in a period of time.

### Claim 43 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, further comprising graphical user interface elements, which are changed to save power.

### Claim 44 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, further comprising a power-savings font used to reduce power within or outside of the active regions.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The apparatus as recited in claim 44, wherein the power-savings font comprises at least one of reduced line width of the font, eliminated features of the font, different fonts, and a stipple pattern applied to turn off some fraction of the lit pixels.

### Claim 46 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31 wherein the threshold depends on information relevance, pixel brightness, or history of use.

### Claim 47 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions include a window, which slowly shrinks in accordance with battery power.

### Claim 48 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions include a window that becomes porous, the pore spacing and size being set by the user or the apparatus.

### Claim 49 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein active regions include audio rendering and the audio is modified to save power.

### Claim 50 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein relative brightness between features on the screen in both active and inactive regions is based on one or more of:
importance, most recently used region, most frequently used region, most likely to be used region, region most used by a group of users, region most used by people in a geography or other demographic.

### Claim 51 (depends on 31)

The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the active regions include a shaped window to reduce active pixels and enhance power savings.