Camera-Based User Presence Detection for Display Power Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image displaying apparatuses turn off the screen after a predetermined period of inactivity, regardless of whether the user is present or simply staring at the screen, leading to unnecessary operation of input devices to turn the display back on.
Innovation Solution
An image displaying apparatus equipped with a camera that identifies user presence by acquiring images and controlling the display's on/off based on the presence of a user's face, reducing power consumption and enhancing user convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the display is turned off after a predetermined period of inactivity based on conventional input detection, then power consumption is reduced, but user convenience deteriorates when the user is simply staring at the screen without input
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device to detect user presence through facial recognition. Instead of relying solely on input device signals, the camera captures images and the controller analyzes whether a user's face is present in the field of view. This intermediary detection mechanism allows the system to distinguish between intentional inactivity (user staring at screen) and actual absence (no user present), thereby preventing unnecessary display shutdowns while maintaining power-saving functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the display remains on continuously to avoid turning off when user is staring, then user convenience is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic display control based on real-time facial detection. The display state is not fixed but dynamically adjusted according to the detected user presence. When a face is detected in the camera view, the display remains on; when no face is detected for a predetermined period, the display turns off. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize between power saving and user convenience based on actual conditions rather than using a static timeout approach.
3Measurement precision
If facial recognition is used to detect user presence, then display control accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the existing camera component, which is already present in modern electronic devices for other purposes (video calls, photos, etc.), and repurposes it for facial recognition-based presence detection. By making the camera multi-functional, the system achieves improved user presence detection accuracy without adding dedicated hardware. The controller also performs dual functions of managing both display operations and image analysis, reducing the need for separate dedicated components and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an image displaying apparatus. The image displaying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an input unit, a camera, a display, and a controller configured to: when the display is turned on and a screen is displayed, check whether a user input is received through the input unit; in response to the user input not being received within a predetermined first period of time, acquire a first image through the camera; determine whether at least one object, corresponding to a face of a user, is included in the acquired first image; and when the at least one object, corresponding to the face of the user, is not included in the acquired first image, control the display to be turned off. Various other embodiments are possible.