Patent ID: 6900798
Filing Date: 2005-05-31
Classification: G09G

Abstract:
1. A method for conserving electrical power at an electrically-powered device having a liquid-crystal display (LCD) comprising a driver and a plurality of pixels, wherein the optical characteristics of the liquid crystal associated with each pixel are defined by the selective local application of an electrical charge, the electrically-powered device for communicating with a communications network, said method of conserving electrical power comprising the steps of: receiving, in a driver of the LCD, data from the communications network, the data containing an image display on the LCD; determining that a power-conservation mode, in which a selected number of the pixels are not energized, is appropriate according to predetermined criteria, the predetermined criteria comprising signals received from the communications network, the signals generated by the communications network upon detection of a device transmission signal transmitted by the electrically-powered device lower than a predetermined threshold; analyzing the image data in a microprocessor of the LCD driver to determine the pixel-charging sequence required to produce the image associated with the data; automatically entering power-conservation mode in which the selected number of the pixels are not energized by modifying the pixel-activation sequence to reduce the number of pixels to which voltage is to be supplied; and displaying on the LCD an image created by the modified pixel-activation sequence.