System and method for controlling a screen saver

• US 10,200,444 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US14/601,349
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system and method for coordinating screen saver initiation and functionality. The system comprises at least one client station, each of the at least one client station having a screen saver module associated therewith; and a central control station in communication with each of the at least one client station over a network, the central control station having a screen saver control module for controlling each of the screen saver modules associated with the at least one client station.

Claims

1. A method for centrally controlling a remote client station by a central control station, the central control station comprising at least one processor configured to perform the steps of:

generating a plurality of parameters configured to control behavior of a screen saver of the at least one remote client station, wherein the parameters include;

at least one temporal parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver on the remote client station based on a period of inactivity that varies at least in part according to a pre-set schedule specifying when the screen saver is to be activated or deactivated based on expected user activities on the remote client station during a predetermined period;

at least one connectivity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver on the remote client station according to a network connectivity status of the remote client station; and

at least one activity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver on the at least one remote client station according to an activity status of the remote client station;

and,

transmitting one or more of the parameters to the remote client station over a network to remotely control behavior of the screen saver on the remote client station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-set schedule causes the remote client station to activate the screen saver after a first period of inactivity during a first particular day or time and to activate screen saver after a second period of inactivity during a second particular day or time, and wherein the first period is different from the second period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling a display content of the screen saver on the remote client station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring user activity of the remote client station;

modifying at least one of the parameters based on the monitored user activity; and

transmitting the modified parameters to the remote client station over the network to remotely control behavior of the screen saver on the at least one remote client station.

5. A method for coordinating screen saver functionality on a plurality of remote client stations by a central control station connected to the plurality of remote client stations over a network, the central control station comprising at least one processor configured to perform the steps of:

interfacing with the plurality of remote client stations over the network to initiate a screen saver on the plurality of remote client stations;

generating at least one parameter configured to control the screen saver of the plurality of remote client stations, wherein the at least one parameter includes at least one of;

an at least one temporal parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the plurality of remote client stations based on a period of inactivity that varies at least in part according to a pre-set schedule wherein the pre-set schedule is determined based on expected user activities on the plurality of client stations during a predetermined time;

an at least one connectivity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the plurality of remote client stations according to a network connectivity status of the plurality of remote client stations;

an at least one activity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the plurality of remote client stations according to an activity status of the plurality of remote client stations;

and,

transmitting the at least one parameter to the plurality of remote client stations and causing the screen saver associated with the plurality of remote client stations to activate or deactivate according to the at least one parameter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one parameter further comprises at least one content control parameter for controlling a display content of the screen saver.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one temporal parameter is configured to disable the screen saver associated with the plurality of remote client stations so that it will not activate during a predetermined period.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one activity parameter is configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the plurality of remote client stations according to a first period of inactivity and a second period of inactivity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first time period comprises work hours and the second time period comprises off-hours.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

monitoring user activity of the plurality of remote client stations;

modifying at least one parameter based on the monitored user activity;

transmitting the modified at least one parameter to the plurality of remote client stations over the network to remotely control behavior of the screen saver on the plurality of remote client stations.

11. A data storage device in communication with a processor controlled computer having a non-transitory computer-usable storage medium with computer executable code for coordinating screen saver initiation, wherein when the computer executable code is executed by the processor-controlled computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

interfacing with at least one remote client station over a network;

generating a plurality of parameters configured to control behavior of the at least one remote client station, wherein the plurality of parameters comprise;

at least one temporal parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station based on a period of inactivity that varies at least in part according to a pre-set schedule specifying when the screen saver is to be activated or deactivated based on expected user activities on the at least one remote client station during one or more particular days and times;

at least one connectivity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station according to a network connectivity status of the at least one remote client station;

at least one activity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station according to an activity status of the at least one remote client station;

and,

transmitting at least one of the plurality of generated parameters to the at least one client station over a network to remotely control behavior of the screen saver on the at least one remote client station.

12. The data storage device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of parameters further comprise at least one content control parameter configured to control a display content of the screen saver.

13. The data storage device of claim 11, further comprising computer executable code embodied on the non-transitory computer-usable storage medium, which when executed by the processor-controlled computer, causes the computer to perform the step of:

enabling or disabling password protection of the screen saver module associated with the at least one client station based at least in part on the pre-set schedule.

16. The data storage device of claim 11, further comprising computer executable code embodied on the non-transitory computer-usable storage medium, which when executed by the processor-controlled computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

monitoring user activity of the at least one remote client station;

modifying at least one of the plurality of parameters based on the monitored user activity;

transmitting the modified at least one of the plurality of parameters to the plurality of remote client stations over the network to remotely control behavior of the screen saver on the plurality of remote client stations.

14. A method for controlling screen saver functionality at a client station, comprising:

interfacing with a central control station over a network;

transmitting at least one status of the client station to the central control station, causing the central control station to generate a plurality of parameters, wherein the plurality of parameters generated by the central control station comprise;

at least one temporal parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station based on a period of inactivity that varies at least in part according to a pre-set schedule specifying when the screen saver is to be activated or deactivated based on expected user activities on the at least one remote client station during a predetermined period;

at least one connectivity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station according to a network connectivity status of the at least one remote client station;

at least one activity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station according to an activity status of the at least one remote client station;

receiving, from the central control station, at least one of the plurality of generated parameters that vary according to the at least one status transmitted to the central control station, wherein the generated parameters cause the central control station to control when a screen saver on the client station is to be enabled or its activation behavior is to be changed.

15. A data storage device in communication with a processor-controlled computer having a non-transitory computer-usable storage medium with computer executable code for coordinating screen saver initiation, wherein when the computer executable code is executed by the processor-controlled computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

interfacing with a central control station over a network;

transmitting at least one status of the client station to the central control station, causing the central control station to generate a plurality of parameters, wherein the plurality of parameters generated by the central control station comprise;

at least one temporal parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station based on a period of inactivity that varies at least in part according to a pre-set schedule specifying when the screen saver is to be activated or deactivated based on expected user activities on the at least one remote client station during a predetermined period;

at least one connectivity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station according to a network connectivity status of the at least one remote client station;

at least one activity parameter configured to activate or deactivate the screen saver of the at least one remote client station according to an activity status of the at least one remote client station;

receiving, from the central control station, at least one of the plurality of generated control parameters that vary according to the at least one status transmitted to the central control station, wherein the generated parameters cause the central control station to control when a screen saver on the client station is to be activated or deactivated.