Dynamic Display Panel Dimming for Power Savings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Display panels in electronic devices, such as laptops, consume high power due to their backlights, and existing methods do not effectively reduce power usage by dimming non-essential areas of the screen, leading to inefficient battery life.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that dynamically dims non-active areas of the display panel using local dimming techniques, where the Operating System and backlight control unit collaborate to identify areas of interest and adjust backlight power accordingly, with user-defined interest levels and segment-based dimming policies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the backlight of the display panel is fully powered to maintain image quality, then the display quality is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The backlight is divided into multiple independently controllable segments or zones. Each segment can be individually dimmed or powered down based on whether it corresponds to an area of interest on the display, allowing selective power reduction without affecting overall display quality in active areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Different brightness levels are applied to different regions of the display based on their importance. Areas of interest maintain full brightness for quality, while non-interest areas are dimmed or turned off, creating local variations in illumination intensity that optimize power consumption.
2Productivity
If the entire display panel is updated continuously, then the display refresh quality is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel is divided into active and inactive segments. Frame updates are performed only for active segments corresponding to areas of interest, while inactive segments skip updates or use simplified refresh cycles, reducing the overall processing load and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of updating the entire display panel at full refresh rate, only the necessary portions (areas of interest) are updated at full rate, while other areas use reduced refresh rates or remain static, achieving acceptable display performance with lower power consumption.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the backlight is completely powered down to save power, then the power consumption is reduced, but the display visibility is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The backlight is segmented into multiple zones that can be independently controlled. This allows specific segments to be powered down for savings while other segments remain active to maintain display visibility, achieving a balance between power reduction and functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The backlight operates in periodic cycles, being fully powered during active display periods and partially or completely powered down during inactive periods. This periodic operation allows the system to maintain visibility when needed while achieving significant power savings during non-critical periods.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments one or more areas of interest to a user of a display screen are determined. Portions of the display screen other than the one or more areas of interest are dimmed. Other embodiments are described and claimed.