Notes facility for receiving notes while the computer system is in a screen mode

• US 5,852,436 A
• Filed: 02/18/1997
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bliss, William J., Franklin, David C., Tuniman, David C., Hachamovitch, Dean J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matthew M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N
• Application Number:
  US08/803,187
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 395/135, 395/335, 395/339, 395/348, 395/350, 395/773, 395/761, 395/792, 395/346, 707/512, 707/500, 707/530, 345/113, 345/114, 345/118, 345/119, 345/145, 345/435, 345/335, 345/339, 345/348, 345/350, 345/346, 345/329-332, 345/326
• US Class Current: 715/867
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A screen saver program is provided within a computer system. The screen saver program includes a note facility for generating notes. The notes facility includes a note-taker interface. The screen saver program is run on the computer system and in response to receiving input from a user, the note-taker interface is displayed on a video display of the computer system. In response to input by the user via the note-taker interface, a note is created. Subsequently, the screen saver program is dismissed and the note is displayed on the video display when the screen saver is dismissed.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a video display, a method for receiving notes while the computer system is in a screen-saver mode, comprising the steps of:

providing a screen saver program with a notes facility having a note-taker interface for generating notes;

in response to detecting an idle condition for a predetermined period of time, entering a limited-access mode limiting access within the computer system to the note-taker interface and during the limited-access mode,

running the screen saver program,

in response to receiving a first command for activating the note-taker interface, displaying the note taker interface on the video display, and

in response to input by the user via the note taker interface, creating a note; and

in response to receiving a second command for ending the limited-access mode,

ending the limited-access mode,

dismissing the screen saver program, and

displaying the note on the video display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying information on the video display during the limited-access mode indicating that the note-taker interface may be activated by inputting the first command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second command comprises entry of a password.

4. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

providing a screen saver program with a notes facility having a note-taker interface for generating notes;

in response to detecting an idle condition for a predetermined period of time, entering a limited-access mode limiting access within the computer system to the note-taker interface and during the limited-access mode,

running the screen saver program,

displaying information on the video display during the limited-access mode indicating that the note-taker interface may be activated by inputting a first command,

in response to receiving the first command for activating the note-taker interface during the limited-access mode, displaying the note taker interface on the video display, and

in response to input by the user via the note taker interface, creating a note; and

in response to receiving a second command for ending the limited-access mode,

ending the limited-access mode,

dismissing the screen saver program, and

displaying the note on the video display.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, further comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the step of:

displaying information on the video display during the limited-access mode indicating that the note-taker interface may be activated by inputting the first command.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second command comprises entry of a password.