Method, system and program product for screensaver breakthrough of prioritized messages

• US 20060129947A1
• Filed: 12/14/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kirkland, Dustin, Hamzy, Mark Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Authorized priority alerts are permitted to “pop up” on top of a running screensaver in a computer display without suspending operation of the screensaver. A windows manager monitors for priority alerts from applications. If the screensaver is active in the display, the windows manager determines if the alert issuing application and alert type are permitted to breakthrough the screensaver. If so, an alert notification window identifying the content of the alert is generated and displayed in z-order on top of the screensaver, without interrupting the operation of the screensaver displayed underneath. Some notification windows implement security features by displaying only a portion of the content of the corresponding alert or completely obscuring the content of the alert and only notifying of the presence of the alert. An additional security feature requires the user to enter a password in the notification window before the content or type of alert is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for providing alert notification in a data processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

while a screensaver is being displayed in a display device of the data processing system, receiving an alert from a process requesting display of alert information in the display device; and

displaying a notification window indicating the alert above the display of the screensaver in the display device, wherein the screensaver continues operating to obscure at least a portion of the display device during display of the notification window.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification window indicates the presence of the alert without indicating the content or type of alert.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification window requires user authentication before the content or type of alert is displayed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification window indicates the content or type of alert.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification window indicates only a portion of the content of the alert.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining if the alert is a type authorized to display over the screensaver and then only performing the step of displaying if the alert is an authorized type.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining if the process is authorized to display over the screensaver and then only performing the step of displaying if the process is so authorized.

8. A data processing system for providing alert notification comprising:

means for, while a screensaver is being displayed in a display device of the data processing system, receiving an alert from a process requesting display of alert information in the display device; and

means for displaying a notification window indicating the alert above the display of the screensaver in the display device, wherein the screensaver continues operating to obscure at least a portion of the display device during display of the notification window.

9. The data processing system according to claim 8, wherein the notification window indicates the presence of the alert without indicating the content or type of alert.

10. The data processing system according to claim 8, wherein the notification window requires user authentication before the content or type of alert is displayed.

11. The data processing system according to claim 8, wherein the notification window indicates the content or type of alert.

12. The data processing system according to claim 8, wherein the notification window indicates only a portion of the content of the alert.

13. The data processing system according to claim 8, further comprising means for determining if the alert is a type authorized to display over the screensaver and then only performing the step of displaying if the alert is an authorized type.

14. The data processing system according to claim 8, further comprising means for determining if the process is authorized to display over the screensaver and then only performing the step of displaying if the process is so authorized.

15. An article of manufacture comprising machine-readable medium including program logic embedded therein for providing alert notification in a data processing system that causes control circuitry in a data processing system to perform the steps of:

while a screensaver is being displayed in a display device of the data processing system, receiving an alert from a process requesting display of alert information in the display device; and

displaying a notification window indicating the alert above the display of the screensaver in the display device, wherein the screensaver continues operating to obscure at least a portion of the display device during display of the notification window.

16. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the notification window indicates the presence of the alert without indicating the content or type of alert.

17. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the notification window requires user authentication before the content or type of alert is displayed.

18. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the notification window indicates the content or type of alert.

19. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the notification window indicates only a portion of the content of the alert.

20. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, further comprising determining if the alert is a type authorized to display over the screensaver and then only performing the step of displaying if the alert is an authorized type.

21. The article of manufacture according to claim 15, further comprising determining if the process is authorized to display over the screensaver and then only performing the step of displaying if the process is so authorized.