← Back to Patent Explorer
US6078302A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Screen brightness control

Assignee: NEC Corp
•
Filing: 1998-02-13
•
Granted: 2000-06-20
•
Expires: 2018-02-13
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A screen-illuminating panel for a backlit LCD is intermittently adjusted to an optimal brightness level varying depending on ambient illumination at predetermined time intervals. The screen-illuminating panel is driven to hold the optimal brightness level while the screen-illuminating panel is not adjusted, a timer is used to detect a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger signal is received, and a power controller supplies power for brightness adjustment when the timing signal is received from the timer and outputs the trigger signal to the timer when the screen-illuminating panel has been adjusted.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takaharu Suzuki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 11:31
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/34; G09G3/3406; G09G2320/00; G09G2320/06; G09G2320/0626; G09G2330/00; G09G2330/02; G09G2330/021; G09G2360/00; G09G2360/14; G09G2360/144

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 127 words
A control system for a screen-illuminating panel which is variable in brightness, comprising: a) an adjuster for adjusting the screen-illuminating panel to an optimal brightness level varying depending on ambient illumination; b) a driving controller for driving the screen-illuminating panel to hold the optimal brightness set by the adjuster; and c) a controller for operating the adjuster at predetermined time intervals to intermittently adjust the screen-illuminating panel, wherein the controller comprises, a timer for detecting a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger signal is received, and a power controller for supplying power to the adjuster when the timing signal is received from the timer and outputs the trigger signal to the timer when the adjuster has adjusted the screen-illuminating panel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 127 words
A control system for a screen-illuminating panel which is variable in brightness, comprising: a) an adjuster for adjusting the screen-illuminating panel to an optimal brightness level varying depending on ambient illumination; b) a driving controller for driving the screen-illuminating panel to hold the optimal brightness set by the adjuster; and c) a controller for operating the adjuster at predetermined time intervals to intermittently adjust the screen-illuminating panel, wherein the controller comprises, a timer for detecting a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger signal is received, and a power controller for supplying power to the adjuster when the timing signal is received from the timer and outputs the trigger signal to the timer when the adjuster has adjusted the screen-illuminating panel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 47 words
The control system according to claim 1, wherein the adjuster comprises: a detector for detecting the ambient illumination; and an optimal brightness adjuster for calculating the optimal brightness level from the ambient illumination detected by the detector to adjust the screen-illuminating panel to the optimal brightness level.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The control system according to claim 1, wherein the timer is capable of setting the time period to a desired value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
The control system according to claim 1, wherein the driving controller is capable of manually changing the optimal brightness level.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 161 words
A mobile information processing device comprising: a) a backlit screen display which is variable in brightness; b) a photo detector for detecting ambient illumination of the backlit screen display; c) an adjuster for adjusting the backlit screen display to an optimal brightness level varying depending on the ambient illumination detected by the photo detector; d) a driving controller for driving the backlit screen display to hold the optimal brightness set by the adjuster; and e) a controller for operating the photo detector and the adjuster at predetermined time intervals to intermittently adjust the backlit screen display, wherein the controller comprises, a timer for detecting a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger signal is received, and a power controller for supplying power to the photo detector and the adjuster when the timing signal is received from the timer and outputs the trigger signal to the timer when the adjuster has adjusted the backlit screen display.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 161 words
A mobile information processing device comprising: a) a backlit screen display which is variable in brightness; b) a photo detector for detecting ambient illumination of the backlit screen display; c) an adjuster for adjusting the backlit screen display to an optimal brightness level varying depending on the ambient illumination detected by the photo detector; d) a driving controller for driving the backlit screen display to hold the optimal brightness set by the adjuster; and e) a controller for operating the photo detector and the adjuster at predetermined time intervals to intermittently adjust the backlit screen display, wherein the controller comprises, a timer for detecting a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger signal is received, and a power controller for supplying power to the photo detector and the adjuster when the timing signal is received from the timer and outputs the trigger signal to the timer when the adjuster has adjusted the backlit screen display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
The mobile information processing device according to claim 5, wherein the adjuster calculates the optimal brightness level from the ambient illumination using a predetermined mathematical expression.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 116 words
A control method for a screen-illuminating panel placed behind an LCD display, comprising the steps of: a) adjusting the screen-illuminating panel to an optimal brightness level varying depending on ambient illumination; b) driving the screen-illuminating panel to hold the optimal brightness; and c) performing the step a) at predetermined time intervals to intermittently adjust the screen-illuminating panel, comprising the steps of, detecting a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger is received, turning power on to perform the step a) when the timing signal is received from the timer, providing the trigger signal and turning power off not to perform the step a) when the screen-illuminating panel has been adjusted.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 116 words
A control method for a screen-illuminating panel placed behind an LCD display, comprising the steps of: a) adjusting the screen-illuminating panel to an optimal brightness level varying depending on ambient illumination; b) driving the screen-illuminating panel to hold the optimal brightness; and c) performing the step a) at predetermined time intervals to intermittently adjust the screen-illuminating panel, comprising the steps of, detecting a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger is received, turning power on to perform the step a) when the timing signal is received from the timer, providing the trigger signal and turning power off not to perform the step a) when the screen-illuminating panel has been adjusted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 39 words
The control method according to claim 7, wherein the step a) comprises the steps of: detecting the ambient illumination; and calculating the optimal brightness level from the ambient illumination to adjust the screen-illuminating panel to the optimal brightness level.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 59 words
The control method according to claim 7, wherein the step c) comprises the steps of: detecting a lapse of a time period to produce a timing signal after a trigger signal is received; and performing the step a) when the timing signal is received from the timer; and providing the trigger signal when the screen-illuminating panel has been adjusted.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-06-20 2003-12-20 2004-06-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-06-20 2007-12-20 2008-06-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-06-20 2011-12-20 2012-06-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag