JP2001051667A - Information processing device and display brightness setting method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To set brightness of a display device according to ambient brightness by adjusting the brightness according to an input of a sensor detecting the brightness. SOLUTION: A sensing part 107 is provided with a sensor for detecting ambient brightness of an information processing device, and is arranged on a display device 102 side. A monitoring part 103 receives an input from the sensing part 107 arranged on the display device, and monitors the information on the brightness, and transmits it to a display device brightness adjusting part 104. The display device brightness adjusting part 104 receives the information on the brightness from the monitoring part 103, and adjusts the brightness of the display part 108 correspondingly to this brightness. Plural kinds of settings are arranged for the correspondence between this brightness and that of the display part 108, and it is possible for a user to selectively set one of these settings beforehand. The display part 108 can use a flat panel display of LCD, etc., and can be adjusted to proper brightness according to a signal from the display device brightness adjusting part 104.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, and more particularly to a luminance setting of a display device of the information processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recent personal computers (hereinafter referred to as P
C) has been remarkably popularized. In particular, portable notebook PCs and the like are used in a wide range because of their compact shape and the convenience that they can be used during transportation by transportation.

As a display device of such a notebook PC, a flat panel display represented by a liquid crystal display (hereinafter referred to as LCD) is often used. When an information processing apparatus having such a display is used while moving or the like, the display may be difficult to see due to ambient brightness. That is, when the surroundings are bright, if the brightness of the display is low, the display becomes dark and hard to see. Conversely, when the surroundings are dark and the brightness of the display is high, the display is too bright and difficult to see, and the eyes are easily tired.

A conventional display is provided with a switch for adjusting the brightness and the like, and the brightness is adjusted so that the user can view the brightness appropriately. However, there are cases where the surrounding environment changes frequently, such as during movement, and the brightness is not constant. In such a case, it is troublesome for the user to adjust each time, and the usability is poor.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned prior art has a problem in that it is not easy to use in an environment where the brightness changes every moment because the user adjusts the brightness of the display. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and provides an information processing apparatus that performs brightness setting of a display device according to ambient brightness and a display device brightness setting method of the information processing device. With the goal.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having a display device capable of adjusting the brightness, comprising: a sensor for detecting the brightness around the information processing apparatus; Adjusting means for adjusting the brightness of the display device.

[0007] According to such a configuration, it is possible to set the brightness of the display device according to the surrounding brightness.
The present invention also includes a step of detecting the brightness around the information processing apparatus, a step of associating the brightness detected in this step with the brightness of the display device, and a step of displaying the brightness associated with this step. Adjusting the brightness of the device. According to such a configuration, it is possible to set the brightness of the display device according to the surrounding brightness.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. 10
Reference numeral 1 denotes a PC main body. It has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), a hard disk drive, a main memory, and the like in addition to the monitoring unit 103 described later. Reference numeral 102 denotes a display unit. It has a sensor unit 107 and a display unit 108 to be described later.

Reference numeral 103 denotes a monitoring unit, and the display unit 102
Receives information from the sensor unit 107 provided in the device, monitors information on brightness, and transmits the information to the display device brightness adjustment unit 104. Reference numeral 104 denotes a display device brightness adjustment unit which receives information about brightness from the monitoring unit 103, and
The brightness of No. 8 is adjusted to correspond to this brightness. Note that there are a plurality of types of settings for associating this brightness with the brightness of the display unit 108, and the user can select and set in advance from these settings. Reference numeral 105 denotes a setting register, which stores a setting as to which setting the display device brightness adjustment unit 104 associates brightness with brightness. Reference numeral 106 denotes an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. When the user selects which setting the display device brightness adjustment unit 104 associates brightness with brightness, the input is made from the input device 106.
The input result is stored in the setting register 105.

[0010] The sensor unit 107 includes a sensor for detecting the brightness around the information processing apparatus, and is disposed on the display unit 102 side. This sensor is a display unit 108
, It is preferable that the display unit 108 is arranged in the same direction as the direction in which the display unit 108 is displayed to the user. This is to accurately detect the amount of light falling on the display unit 108. If this sensor is placed in an inappropriate place (for example, the side surface of the PC main body 101), there is a possibility that it may not be able to detect the light despite the fact that much light is shining on the display unit 108.

As the display unit 108, a flat panel display represented by an LCD or the like can be used. The luminance is adjusted to an appropriate level by the signal from the display device luminance adjustment unit 104 described above.

The correspondence between the input from the sensor unit 107 (ambient brightness) and the brightness of the display device will be described below with reference to FIGS. As described above, when the surroundings are bright, it is easier to see if the brightness of the display device is increased. 2, 3, and 4, the surroundings become brighter, and as the input from the sensor unit 107 increases, the brightness of the display device correspondingly increases.
However, the association patterns are different.

FIG. 2 shows an example in which the luminance of the display device is linearly increased with respect to the input from the sensor unit 107. 3 and 4 show examples in which the luminance of the display device is increased nonlinearly with respect to the input from the sensor unit 107. In FIG.
The adjustment of the display brightness when the input from the sensor unit 107 is large, that is, when the surrounding brightness is bright, is finely associated. In FIG. 4, the adjustment of the display brightness when the input from the sensor unit 107 is small, that is, when the surrounding brightness is dark, is finely associated.

The method used by the display device brightness adjustment unit 104 to associate the ambient brightness with the display brightness is determined by the settings stored in the setting register 105. It is possible to select and set from the input device 106 according to the user's preference, and it is also possible to automatically switch these associations.

If it is desired to set power saving for the power consumption of the information processing apparatus, it is possible to limit the range of change in luminance of these display apparatuses. In this case, a power saving setting utility (not shown) of the information processing device sets the setting in the setting register 105, and the display device brightness adjustment unit 104 reads the setting, and compares the surrounding brightness with the brightness of the display device. Make the correspondence appropriate.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to set the brightness of the display device according to the surrounding brightness.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between a sensor input and display luminance.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a sensor input and display luminance.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between sensor input and display luminance.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... PC main body part, 102 ... Display device part, 103 ... Monitoring part, 104 ... Display device brightness adjustment part, 105 ... Setting register, 106 ... Input device, 107 ... Sensor part, 108 ...
Display

Claims (8)

[Claims] An information processing apparatus having a display device capable of adjusting brightness, a sensor for detecting brightness around the information processing device, and an adjusting means for adjusting brightness of the display device in accordance with an input from the sensor. An information processing apparatus comprising: 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit further has a plurality of types of settings for associating the input of the sensor with the brightness of the display device. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting of the association between the input of the sensor and the luminance of the display device is such that the luminance is linearly associated with the input of the sensor. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting of the correspondence between the input of the sensor and the luminance of the display device is related to the luminance of the sensor in a non-linear manner. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting unit is configured to select one of a plurality of types of settings relating to a correspondence between the input of the sensor and the luminance of the display device.
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the user can arbitrarily select and set the information. 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus includes a main body and a display device, and the sensor is provided on a side of the display device. 7. A step of detecting the brightness around the information processing apparatus, a step of associating the brightness detected by this step with the brightness of the display device, and a step of: Adjusting the luminance of the display device. 8. The information processing method according to claim 7, wherein said display device luminance setting method further comprises a step of selecting and setting a setting relating to a correspondence between ambient brightness and display device luminance in advance. Display device brightness setting method for the device.