System and method for managing display power consumption

1. A portable phone comprising:

a display comprising a display screen;

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executed by the one or more processors to implement:

a power management module configured to manage power consumption of the display, wherein when the display is not in a sleep mode the power management module directs a display controller to display a set of a plurality of graphical indications in color in a full configuration mode that puts substantially all of the display screen in a powered-on state;

wherein when the display is in a sleep mode, the power management module directs the display controller to display a subset of the plurality of graphical indications, the subset comprising an unlock image comprising at least one of, time, date, or an indication of an email, text message, or voice message, and wherein the subset of the plurality of graphical indications are displayed in a portion of the display screen and are displayed in black, white or grayscale, instead of displayed in color; and

a user interface module configured to respond, when the portable phone is in a locked state, to unlock gestures associated with the unlock image,

wherein a particular unlock gesture of the unlock gestures causes:

the phone to transition to an unlocked state, and

the display controller to enter the full configuration mode; and

wherein another particular unlock gesture of the unlock gestures causes:

the phone to transition to an unlocked state, and

the display controller to enter a proportional configuration mode that puts at least a portion of the display screen in a powered-off state and another portion of the display screen in the powered-on state.

2. The portable phone of claim 1 , wherein when the other portion of the display screen is in the powered-on state, the other portion of the display screen is configured to perform display functions and receive user input.

3. The portable phone of claim 2 , wherein the powered-on state configures the other portion of the display screen to function in a grayscale color mode.

4. The portable phone of claim 3 , wherein the powered-off state configures the portion of the of the display screen to not perform display functions and to not receive user input.

5. The portable phone of claim 1 , wherein the power management module is further configured to instruct the display controller to function in a full display mode, wherein the full display mode configures substantially all of an available area of the display screen in the powered-on state when the display controller of the portable phone is in the full display mode.

6. The portable phone of claim 1 , wherein the power management module is further configured to manage the display of the portable phone when the display is in a powered-off mode, the power management module configured to direct the display controller to display at least one of a time, date or an indication of one or more messages while the display controller is in the powered-off mode.

7. The portable phone of claim 1 , wherein the power management module is further configured to direct the display controller to transition between modes based on a configurable battery power threshold, wherein the power management module is further configured to:

determine that a battery power of the portable phone reaches the configurable battery power threshold; and

subsequent to said determine, instruct the display controller to change from a full configuration mode to the proportional configuration mode.

8. The portable phone of claim 7 , wherein the configurable battery power threshold is a configurable setting in a user interface of the portable phone.

9. The portable phone of claim 1 , wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display, and wherein to respond to unlock gestures the user interface module is further configured to:

detect a contact with the touch-sensitive display at a first predefined location corresponding to an unlock image; and

continuously move the unlock image on the touch-sensitive display in accordance with movement of the contact while continuous contact with the display screen is maintained as part of the gestures, wherein the unlock image is a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which a user interacts in order to unlock the portable phone.

10. A method comprising:

managing a display of a portable phone, wherein managing the display comprises:

directing, by a power management module, the display, wherein when the display is not in a sleep mode, the power management module directs the display to display a set of a plurality of graphical indications in color in a full configuration mode that puts substantially all of the display of the portable phone in a powered-on state;

when the display is in a sleep mode,

directing the display, by the power management module, to display a subset of the plurality of graphical indications, the subset comprising an unlock image comprising at least one of, time, date, or an indication of an email, text message, or voice message, and wherein the subset of the plurality of graphical indications are displayed in a portion of the display and are displayed in black, white or grayscale, instead of displayed in color; and

responding, by a user interface module when the portable phone is in a locked state, to unlock gestures associated with the unlock image,

wherein responding to a particular unlock gesture of the unlock gestures comprises:

transitioning the portable phone to an unlocked state, and

causing the display to enter the full configuration mode, and

wherein responding to another particular unlock gesture of the unlock gestures comprises:

transitioning the portable phone to an unlocked state, and

causing the display to enter a proportional configuration mode that puts at least a portion of the display in a powered-on state and another portion of the display in the powered-off state.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said responding to the other particular unlock gesture further comprises causing the other portion of the display to not perform display functions and not receive user input.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said responding to the particular unlock gesture further comprises causing the portion of the display to perform display functions and receive user input.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising instructing the display to function in a full configuration mode, wherein the full configuration mode configures substantially all of the display in a powered-on state.

14. A portable phone comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by the one or more processors to implement:

a power management module configured to manage power consumption of the display, wherein when the display is not in a sleep mode the power management module directs the display to display a set of a plurality of graphical indications in color in a full configuration mode that puts substantially all of the display in a powered-on state;

wherein when the display is in a sleep mode, the power management module directs the display to display a subset of the plurality of graphical indications, the subset comprising an unlock image comprising at least one of, time, date, or an indication of an email, text message, or voice message, and wherein the subset of the plurality of graphical indications are displayed in a portion of the display and are displayed in black, white or grayscale, instead of displayed in color; and

a user interface module configured to respond, when the portable phone is in a locked state, to unlock gestures associated with the unlock image,

wherein a particular unlock gesture of the unlock gestures causes:

the portable phone to transition to an unlocked state, and

the display to enter the full configuration mode; and

wherein another particular unlock gesture of the unlock gestures causes:

the portable phone to transition to an unlocked state, and

the display to enter a proportional configuration mode that puts at least a portion of the display in a powered-on state and another portion of the display in a powered-off state.

15. The portable phone of claim 14 , wherein the powered-on state of the proportional configuration mode configures the portion of the display to perform display functions and receive user input.

16. The portable phone of claim 15 , wherein the locked state of the portable phone configures the display to function in a grayscale color mode.

17. The portable phone of claim 16 , wherein the powered-off state of the proportional configuration mode configures the other portion of the display to not perform display functions and to not receive user input.

18. The portable phone of claim 14 , wherein the power management module is further configured to instruct the display to function in a full display mode, wherein the full display mode configures substantially all of the display in the powered-on state.

19. The portable phone of claim 14 , wherein the power management module is further configured to direct the display to change between modes based on a configurable battery power threshold, wherein the power management module is further configured to:

determine that a battery power of the portable phone has reached the configurable battery power threshold; and

subsequent to said determination, instruct the display to shift from the full configuration mode to the proportional configuration mode.