1. A display device having an automatic brightness control system, comprising: a lighted display; a sensor disposed to logarithmically sense ambient light near the lighted display; and control circuitry connected to receive a first signal from the light sensor, the control circuitry connected to provide a display luminance to the lighted display, where the control circuitry selects the display luminance from at least one luminance adjustment sequence, where each luminance adjustment sequence has a plurality of luminance values with constant ratio steps, and where the display luminance is a fractional power function of the ambient light near the lighted display.