JPH04314096A - Display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce power consumption without disturbing operator's consideration by reducing the brightness of a display part stepwise when a display device does not execute operation for a certain period. CONSTITUTION:This display device is provided with a system part 11 for detecting the presence of input operation or the rewriting of display contents, a brightness control means A16 for detecting the lapse of time after the execution of the final input operation or the rewriting of display contents and a brightness control means B17 for reducing or increasing the brightness of the display part 15 stepwise. The means A16 counts up time after obtaining information indicating the execution of input operation or the rewriting of the display contents from the system part 11, and when the counted value exceeds a certain threshold, transmits the information to the means B17. The means B17 issues an instruction for reducing the brightness stepwise to the display part 15 and simultaneously issues an instruction for restarting time counting to the means A16.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display device used in an information processing device or the like.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Means conventionally used to reduce power consumption of display devices will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an information processing device using a conventional display device. 61 in the figure is the system section,
62 is an external storage device such as a floppy disk device or hard disk device connected to the system section; 63 is an input device such as a keyboard or mouse connected to the system section; 6
4 is a power supply device that supplies power to the entire system; 66 is a lighting/extinguishing control means in a display device connected to the system section;
Reference numeral 65 denotes a display section in the display device connected to the system section 61 and the lighting/lighting-off control means 66. Lighting/lighting out control means 6
In step 6, after receiving information from the system unit 61 that an input operation or display content has been rewritten, a time count is performed until information that the next input operation or display content has been rewritten is obtained. When a certain period of time has elapsed, the display brightness of the display unit 65 is controlled to zero, and when information that an input operation or display content has been rewritten is obtained, the brightness of the display unit 65 is reduced to zero. The lighting was controlled to 100%. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the elapse of time and the brightness of the display section after an input operation from the input device or rewriting of display contents. A certain period of time T from time t0 when the last input operation or display content was rewritten
If there is no input operation or rewriting of the display content after 1 time has elapsed, it is determined that this display device is not being used, and the brightness of the display unit is lowered from brightness B to zero at once to reduce power consumption. I was measuring.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional display device described above, when the operator performs an operation of viewing the display contents of the display device but does not perform an input operation, When the display section becomes dark all at once after a certain period of time has passed, the suddenness of the darkening interrupts the operator's thinking and makes it extremely difficult to see the displayed contents. Therefore, shortening the time from the final input operation to darkening the display increases the likelihood that the above problem will occur, making it impossible to shorten this time and not contributing much to reducing power consumption. There are problems.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides a display device that changes brightness in stages so that the operator does not become aware of discontinuity in brightness and that reduces power consumption. The purpose is to provide

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the display device of the present invention includes means for detecting that an input operation or display content has been rewritten, and a means for detecting that an input operation or display content has been rewritten. The display device includes a means for measuring the elapse of time after the brightness of the display, and a control means for gradually reducing or increasing the brightness of the display section.

[0006]

[Operation] With the above-described configuration, the present invention changes the brightness in stages after the final input operation or rewriting of the display contents.

[0007]

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing device using the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a system section including a central processing unit, a storage device, etc., and 12 is a floppy disk device, hard disk device, etc. connected to the system section 11. 13 is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse connected to the system section 11; 14 is a power supply device that supplies power to the entire system; 15 is a display section that displays display contents generated by the system section 11; 16 is an external storage device; System part 1
Brightness control means (A
), 17 is a brightness control means (B) that controls the brightness of the display section 15 in stages based on the information from the brightness control means (A) 16.
). After the brightness control means (A) 16 receives information from the system unit 11 that there has been an input operation or rewriting of display contents, it performs a time count, and when the time count exceeds a certain threshold value, the brightness control is performed. Means (B) 17
convey that information to. The brightness control means (B) 17 issues a command to the display unit 15 to reduce the brightness in stages, and at the same time issues a command to the brightness control means (A) 16 to start time counting again. put out. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the brightness control section in the display device of the information processing apparatus, which corresponds to the brightness control means (A) 16 and the brightness control means (B) 17 in FIG. In FIG. 2, T in the figure is a time count, and X is the brightness of the display section 15 of the display device, expressed as a percentage when continuous input operations are taken as 100%. When the final input operation or display content is rewritten, 100 is given to the brightness X of the display section 15 (step 1). After that, the presence or absence of an input operation (step 2) and the presence or absence of rewriting of display contents (step 3) are detected, and if either of these is detected, the process proceeds to step 4, returns the time count T to O, and returns to the first step. Return to 1. If there is no input operation or rewriting of the display contents, the process proceeds to step 5, increments the time count T by 1, and then proceeds to step 6 to determine whether a certain period C has been reached. If T has not reached C, the process returns to step 2 to detect the presence or absence of an input operation. The above corresponds to the brightness control means (A) 16 in the block diagram of FIG. Next, if it is determined in step 6 that the time count T has exceeded a certain period C, the process proceeds to step 7 and the brightness X is reduced by a certain amount A. This A is set to be a minute amount, so that even if the brightness of the display section decreases by A, the operator will not notice it. After reducing the brightness, the time count T is returned to O in step 8, and the process returns to step 2. The above corresponds to the brightness control means (B) 17 in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the brightness of the display unit 15, time, and input operation or rewriting of display content as a result of the present invention. While there is no input operation or rewriting of display contents, the brightness of the display section 15 decreases step by step every time a certain period of time C is reached, and when there is an input operation or rewriting of display contents (T2), the brightness returns to the original level. Return to

As described above, in this embodiment of the information processing device, the brightness is gradually reduced without the operator being aware of it, so that even if the operator is in the process of thinking, the power consumption is reduced without interfering with the operator's thinking. can be reduced. Moreover, by making the fixed time C short, power consumption can be further reduced.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the second embodiment, and FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the brightness of the display section and input operations or rewriting of display contents. The difference between the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the flowchart of FIG. 2 of the first embodiment described above is that when there is an input operation or rewriting of display contents, it is determined whether the brightness at that time is 100% ( Step 8), 1
If it is not 00%, the brightness is increased by a certain amount A' in step 9. In FIG. 5, the brightness of the display section does not return to 100% original brightness even when there is an input operation or the display content is rewritten (T3).
Recovery is performed in stages according to the frequency of input operations or rewriting of display contents.

As described above, in the second embodiment of the display device in the present information processing device, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, when the brightness of the display section is increased again after being reduced, It is also possible to reduce power consumption without the operator being aware of it.

[0011]Although the above explanation has been given using an information processing device as an example, it can also be used with other display devices.

0012

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above embodiments, according to the present invention, when there is no operation on the display device for a certain period of time, the brightness of the display section is gradually reduced, so that the operator can think easily. Power consumption can be reduced without interrupting thinking or making the display difficult to read. Moreover, since the brightness can be reduced without a long delay after the final operation,
Power consumption can be further reduced. Furthermore, since the brightness is increased step by step when there is an input operation or the display content is rewritten when the brightness of the display section has been partially reduced, the operator It is possible to provide a display device that consumes less power without interrupting the user's thinking.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing device using a display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the brightness control section of the display section of the information processing device of the first embodiment.

[Figure 3]
Time chart for explaining the relationship between the brightness of the display section, time, and input operation or rewriting operation of display contents in the first embodiment

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the brightness control section of the display section of the information processing device of the second embodiment.

[Figure 5]
Time chart for explaining the relationship between the brightness of the display section, time, and input operation or rewriting operation of display contents in the second embodiment

[Fig. 6] Block diagram of an information processing device using a conventional display device

FIG. 7 is a time chart for explaining the relationship between the brightness of the display unit, time, and input operation or rewriting operation of display content in a conventional information processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 System Department 13 Input device 15 Display section 16 Brightness control means (A) 17 Brightness control means (B)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Measuring means for measuring elapsed time from one of the last input operation from an input device or the last rewriting of display content on a display unit, and control for controlling the brightness of the display unit in stages. A display device comprising: a display unit configured to reduce brightness of the display unit in stages according to elapsed time measured by the measuring means. 2. A display device comprising: a detection means for detecting an input operation from an input device or a rewriting of display contents on a display section; and a control section for controlling the brightness of the display section in stages, 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the brightness of the display section is increased stepwise in response to the input operation or rewriting of display content on the display section.