Auto - dim laptop screen?

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rotarymike
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Auto - dim laptop screen?

#1 Post by rotarymike » Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:53 pm

anyone know of a way to get a laptop screen to auto-adjust brightness based on ambient light?

I'm thinking maybe a small windows service that polls the webcam.

Thinking of this for a T400 with webcam built-in.

Mike
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Re: Auto - dim laptop screen?

#2 Post by ajkula66 » Fri Sep 04, 2009 11:59 pm

Not on ThinkPads...

Certain HP laptops have that option, possibly others, but I'm quite certain that Lenovo doesn't offer anything similar.
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Re: Auto - dim laptop screen?

#3 Post by visionviper » Sat Sep 05, 2009 3:41 pm

Yes, it can certainly be done. I don't know how, but I don't think it requires that complicated of a circuit either.
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Harryc
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Re: Auto - dim laptop screen?

#4 Post by Harryc » Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:23 pm

Macbook Pros do this as well ...

ssd_thinkpad
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Re: Auto - dim laptop screen?

#5 Post by ssd_thinkpad » Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:20 am

Harryc wrote:Macbook Pros do this as well ...
All actual Macbook Pros? That would be a nice feature!

Harryc
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Re: Auto - dim laptop screen?

#6 Post by Harryc » Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:37 am

ssd_thinkpad wrote:
Harryc wrote:Macbook Pros do this as well ...
All actual Macbook Pros? That would be a nice feature!
Yes, it's included in the latest (2) generations at least. Not sure about previous models. It also auto dims the backlit keyboard.

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Re: Auto - dim laptop screen?

#7 Post by marcus_registradus » Mon Sep 07, 2009 5:10 am

do these laptops really respond to ambient light or is it just on a timer?

I'm pretty sure the power manager has a setting to dim the screen after a certain period of inactivity...

Harryc
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Re: Auto - dim laptop screen?

#8 Post by Harryc » Mon Sep 07, 2009 6:53 am

The macbook pro's run the dimming circuitry off of an optical light sensor. Watch it in action here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPGkOkgGbDk

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