Selective Reduction of Pixel Intensity to Enhance Energy Efficiency During Display of an Image

Number: 20200211501
Published: 2020-07-02
Filed: 2019-12-17
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Mendes de Souza; Alex
CPC: G09G3/2051; G09G5/026; G06F1/3265; G09G5/10
Verdict: Set aside generic display power-saving software feature
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

Abstract

According to one implementation, a system for enhancing energy efficiency during display of an image through selective reduction of pixel intensity includes a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code. The hardware processor is configured to execute the software code to receive a first image including multiple pixels and having a first display power consumption when displayed on a display, and to change the intensity of each of a predetermined subset of the pixels of the first image into a predetermined intensity to generate a second image. The second image has a second display power consumption when displayed on the display, the predetermined intensity being such that the second display power consumption is lower than the first display power consumption.

Background

BACKGROUND

Although electrical power is often perceived to be a clean source of energy by consumers due to the absence of perceivable environmental impact at the point at which it is used, the generation of electrical power can have significant negative environmental effects. For example, most of the electrical power presently used in the United States is generated by natural gas or coal fired power plants known to contribute to the accumulation of greenhouse gases. As a result, it is desirable to reduce the consumption of electrical power wherever feasible.

One area in which electrical power may sometimes be over utilized is in the display screens used in computer monitors, televisions, gaming systems, and mobile communication devices. The recent trend in display technology is to support ever higher resolutions, such as the 4K and 8K video formats, for example, which require the use of more and more pixels for display of an image. While the quality of the images provided on modern high-definition (HD) and ultra HD displays is undeniably impressive, the level of detail they provide may not be necessary or even desirable in many use cases. For example, although high resolution images may be desirable for intense gaming applications, or movies shot specifically for high resolution viewing, other content, such as documentaries or educational programming for instance, may be enjoyed without substantial compromise at lower resolutions. Accordingly, there is a need in t

Claims

1. A system comprising: a computing platform including a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code; the hardware processor being configured to execute the software code to: receive a first image having a first display power consumption when displayed on a display, the first image including a plurality of pixels; and change an intensity of each of a predetermined subset of the plurality of pixels of the first image into a predetermined intensity to generate a second image, wherein the second image has a second display power consumption when displayed on the display, and wherein the predetermined intensity is such that the second display power consumption is lower than the first display power consumption. 10. A method for use by a system including a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, the method comprising: receiving, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a first image having a first display power consumption when displayed on a display, the first image including a plurality of pixels; and changing, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, an intensity of each of a predetermined subset of the plurality of pixels of the first image into a predetermined intensity to generate a second image, wherein the second image has a second display power consumption when displayed on the display, and wherein the predetermined intensity is such that the second display power consumption is lower than the first display power consumption. 19. A method for use by a system including a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, the method comprising: receiving, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a plurality of video frames including a first video frame having a first display power consumption when displayed on a display, the first video frame including a first plurality of pixels; and changing, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, an intensity of each of a predetermined subset of the first plurality of pixels of the first video frame into a predetermined intensity to generate a second video frame, wherein the second video frame has a second display power consumption when displayed on the display, and wherein the predetermined intensity is such that the second display power consumption is lower than the first display power consumption.