Patent ID: 8378960

Claim:
An apparatus to control an electronic display, the apparatus comprising: an activity module that receives a brightness restore signal and sets a brightness level of an electronic display to a default brightness level in response to the brightness restore signal; a brightness decay module that dims the brightness level of the electronic display from the default brightness level to an intermediate brightness level at a first dimming rate, the intermediate brightness level selected from one or more intermediate brightness levels, wherein the first dimming rate is such that a time that the brightness level decreases from the default brightness level to the intermediate brightness level is such that the user perceives the decrease in the brightness level as a gradual dim from the default brightness level to the intermediate brightness level, and wherein dimming the brightness level decreases power consumption of the electronic display; a plateau module that maintains the brightness level of the electronic display at the intermediate brightness level for a predefined period of time, wherein the predefined period of time begins in response to dimming by the brightness decay module reaching the intermediate brightness level, and wherein the brightness level is maintained at the intermediate brightness level for the predefined period of time, the defined time period comprising a time period long enough such that the user perceives the brightness level to remain constant at the intermediate brightness level during the default time period; and a minimum brightness module that dims the brightness level of the electronic display from the intermediate brightness level to a minimum brightness level at a second dimming rate, wherein the dimming at the second dimming rate begins in response to the end of the predefined period of time, wherein the second dimming rate is such that a time that the brightness level decreases from the intermediate brightness level to the minimum brightness level is such that the user perceives the decrease in the brightness level as a gradual dim from the intermediate brightness level to the minimum brightness level, wherein the minimum brightness module maintains the electronic display at the minimum brightness level until one of the activity module receives a brightness restore signal and the electronic display is turned off.