Computing devices, computer-readable medium, and methods for reducing power consumption during video rendering

1. A method performed at a computing system, the method comprising:

rendering video images at a first refresh rate;

sending the rendered video images to a display device;

determining if a reduced refresh rate event is occurring, wherein determining if a reduced refresh rate event is occurring comprises:

receiving image information from a sensor; and

determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring based on the image information including an inactive user or a non-existent user of the computing system; and

skipping one or more refresh rate levels to a second refresh rate responsive to determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring, wherein the second refresh rate is slower than the first refresh rate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the reduced refresh rate event has been occurring for longer than a threshold amount of time; and

rendering video images at a third refresh rate responsive to determining that the reduced refresh rate event has been occurring for longer than the threshold amount of time;

wherein the third refresh rate is slower than the second refresh rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the reduced refresh rate event is no longer occurring; and

rendering additional video images at an increased refresh rate from a refresh rate of previously rendered video images responsive to determining that the reduced refresh rate event is no longer occurring.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring comprises:

determining a rate of change of pixel values between consecutive frames of the rendered video images or a number of pixels that have changed between consecutive frames of the rendered video images; and

determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring responsive to the rate of change being less than a threshold value or to the number of pixels that have changed being less than a threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein rendering video images at a second refresh rate comprises:

informing an application program being executed on the computing system; and

rendering video images by the application program at the second refresh rate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing comprises identifying user presence or eye tracking information of a user.

7. A computing device comprising:

a display device;

a sensor configured to image information;

a processor in data communication with the display device;

a storage device configured to store machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

render video images at a first refresh rate;

send the rendered video images to the display device;

determine if a reduced refresh rate event is occurring based on the image information including an inactive user or a non-existent user of the computing device; and

skip one or more refresh rate levels to render video images at a second refresh rate responsive to determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring, wherein the second refresh rate is slower than the first refresh rate.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that the reduced refresh rate event has been occurring for longer than a threshold amount of time; and

render video images at a third refresh rate responsive to determining that the reduced refresh rate event has been occurring for longer than the threshold amount of time, wherein the third refresh rate is slower than the second refresh rate.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that the reduced refresh rate event is no longer occurring; and

render video images at an increased refresh rate from a refresh rate of previously rendered video images responsive to determining that the reduced refresh rate event is no longer occurring.

10. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring comprises:

determining a rate of change of pixel values between consecutive frames of the rendered video images or a number of pixels that have changed between consecutive frames of the rendered video images; and

determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring responsive to the rate of change being less than a threshold value or to the number of pixels that have changed being less than a threshold amount.

11. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein rendering video images at a second refresh rate comprises:

informing an application program being executed on the computing system; and

rendering video images by the application program at the second refresh rate.

12. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein determining if the reduced refresh rate event is occurring is further based on the image information including_user presence or eye tracking information of a user.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing system, cause the processor to:

render video images at a first refresh rate;

send the rendered video images to a display device;

receiving image information from a sensor:

determine if a reduced refresh rate event is occurring based on the image information including an inactive user or a non-existent user of the computing system; and

skip one or more refresh rate levels to render video images at a second refresh rate responsive to determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring, wherein the second refresh rate is slower than the first refresh rate.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that the reduced refresh rate event has been occurring for longer than a threshold amount of time; and

render video images at a third refresh rate responsive to determining that the reduced refresh rate event has been occurring for longer than the threshold amount of time, wherein the third refresh rate is slower than the second refresh rate.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that the reduced refresh rate event is no longer occurring; and

render video images at an increased refresh rate from a refresh rate of previously rendered video images responsive to determining that the reduced refresh rate event is no longer occurring.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the instructions further cause the processor to receive information from a sensor;

determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring comprises:

identifying an inactive user or a non-existent user of the computing system based on the information from the sensor; and

determining that the reduced refresh rate event is occurring responsive to identifying the inactive user or the non-existent user.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring comprises:

determining a rate of change of pixel values between consecutive frames of the rendered video images or a number of pixels that have changed between consecutive frames of the rendered video images; and

determining the reduced refresh rate event is occurring responsive to the rate of change being less than a threshold value or the number of pixels that have changed being less than a threshold amount.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determinining determining if the reduced refresh rate event is occurring is further based on the image information including user presence or eye tracking information of a user.