Luminous power control of a light source of a multimedia processing system

A multimedia processing system comprising:

• an image sensor to periodically capture a digital image of a face of a user of the multimedia processing system, the digital image not requiring user intervention for the capturing thereof;
• a memory;
• a processor;
• an electronic display;
• a light source;
• a facial detection module stored in the memory and configured to execute through the processor to:
• determine whether the periodically captured digital image comprises a digital facial feature, verify whether the electronic display is illuminated by the light source at an active-mode luminous power level that is higher than a power-saving mode luminous power level thereof, and to enable the periodic capturing of the digital image of the face of the user solely when the electronic display is verified to be at the active-mode luminous power level;
• a light-source driver to cause the light source to illuminate the electronic display at an active-mode luminous power level when the periodically captured digital image comprises the digital facial feature and to maintain the electronic display at a power-saving mode luminous power level of the light source when the periodically captured digital image does not include the digital facial feature until the user manually activates the electronic display,
• wherein the light-source driver is communicatively coupled with the facial detection module,
• wherein the active-mode luminous power level is higher than the power-saving mode luminous power level, and
• wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to:
• reset a counter to an initial count value when the periodically captured digital image includes the digital facial feature, prevent the resetting of the counter to the initial count value to enable the counter to reach a final value thereof when the periodically captured digital image does not include the digital facial feature, and transition the electronic display to the power-saving mode luminous power level of the light source when the periodically captured digital image is determined to not include the digital facial feature.

A method comprising:

• verifying, through execution of a facial detection module stored in a memory communicatively coupled to a processor of a mobile device, whether a display screen of the mobile device is illuminated by a light source at an active-mode luminous power level that is higher than a power-saving mode luminous power level thereof;
• periodically acquiring, with a digital camera of a mobile device, an image from an area substantially parallel to the display screen of the mobile device solely when the display screen is verified to be at the active-mode luminous power level, wherein the image does not require user intervention for the periodic acquisition thereof;
• detecting a face of a user in the image;
• maintaining the display screen at the active-mode luminous power level whenever the face of the user is detected in the image;
• resetting, through the processor, a counter to an initial count value when the periodically acquired image includes the face of the user;
• allowing the counter to reach a final value thereof when the periodically acquired image does not include the face of the user;
• and
• maintaining the display screen at the power-saving mode luminous power level when the face of the user is not detected in the image until the user manually activates the display screen.