Computer system having a screen saver with a power shutdown function and a control method thereof

• US 6,076,169 A
• Filed: 04/20/1998
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yong-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Auve, Glenn A.
• Application Number:
  US09/062,721
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 713/300
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices

Abstract

This invention relates to a computer system having a screen saver with a power shutdown function and the control method thereof, comprising a timer for measuring time, an input device for inputting, and a controller for automatically terminating an operating system program when there has been no input signal from an input device for a predetermined time while a screen saver is operating. The computer system having a screen saver with a power shutdown function terminates all programs and the operating system program, such as Microsoft Windows, and then shuts down the power to a computer if there has been no input for a predetermined time while the screen saver is operating under the operating system program.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus having a screen saver program and a power shutdown function, comprising:

a video display conveying varying visual information to a user;

a timer measuring time;

an input unit inputting signals; and

a control unit connected to said video display, said timer, and said input unit, receiving said signals from said input unit, controlling an operating system program and a screen saver program reducing degradation in said video display, starting the screen saver program when said signals are not received before a first quantity of time elapses, terminating the screen saver program when said signals are received after the starting of the screen saver program and before a second quantity of time elapses;

when a predetermined condition is not detected and said signals are not received after the starting of the screen saver program and said signals are not received before the second quantity of time elapses, said control unit automatically terminating the operating system program;

said control unit controlling a suspend program storing operating data, reducing power supplied to the computer apparatus, and enabling reconstruction of the operating data upon resumption of full power being supplied to the computer apparatus;

when said predetermined condition is detected and said signals are not received after the screen saver program is started and said signals are not received before the second quantity of time elapses and a third quantity of time elapses after the second quantity of time elapses and the operating system program is not terminated, said control unit starting the suspend program.

2. The computer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply supplying power to said video display, timer, input unit, and control unit;

said power supply cutting off power to said video display, timer, input unit, and control unit when the operating system program is terminated.

3. The computer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said control unit controlling a suspend program storing operating data, reducing power supplied to the computer apparatus, and enabling reconstruction of the operating data upon resumption of full power being supplied to the computer apparatus.

4. The computer apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

when said predetermined condition is detected and said signals are not received after the screen saver program is started and said signals are not received before the second quantity of time elapses and a third quantity of time elapses after the second quantity of time elapses and the operating system program is not terminated, said control unit starting the suspend program.

5. The computer apparatus of claim 1, said reducing of power supplied to the computer apparatus corresponding to a cutting off of power supplied to the computer apparatus.

6. The computer apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

when said predetermined condition is detected and said signals are not received after the screen saver program is started and said signals are not received before the second quantity of time elapses and a third quantity of time elapses after the second quantity of time elapses and the operating system program is not terminated, said control unit starting the suspend program.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising said predetermined condition corresponding to a data file being not saved.

8. The computer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said input unit corresponding to a peripheral device selected from the group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, and a joystick.

9. The computer apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said input unit corresponding to a peripheral device selected from the group consisting of a floppy disk drive, a compact disc drive, and a digital versatile disc drive.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said predetermined condition corresponding to a data file being not saved.

11. A method of controlling a computer apparatus having a screen saver program and a power shutdown function, comprising the steps of:

sensing whether a screen saver program is started;

when the screen saver program is started, operating a timer measuring time;

sensing whether a signal is received from an input unit before a first quantity of time elapses, the first quantity of time being measured by said timer;

when a predetermined condition is not detected and said signal is not received before the first quantity of time elapses, automatically terminating an operating system program of the computer apparatus;

controlling a suspend pro gram storing operating data, reducing power supplied to the computer apparatus, and enabling reconstruction of the operating data upon resumption of full power being supplied to the computer apparatus; and

when said predetermined condition is detected and said signal is not received before the first quantity of time elapses and a second quantity of time elapses after the first quantity of time elapses and the operating system program of the computer apparatus is not terminated, starting the suspend program.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of shutting off power to the computer apparatus when the operating system program of the computer apparatus is automatically terminated.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

controlling a suspend program storing operating data, reducing power supplied to the computer apparatus, and enabling reconstruction of the operating data upon resumption of full power being supplied to the computer apparatus; and

when said predetermined condition is detected and said signal is not received before the first quantity of time elapses and a second quantity of time elapses after the first quantity of time elapses and the operating system program of the computer apparatus is not terminated, starting the suspend program.

14. The method of claim 11, said reducing of power supplied to the computer apparatus corresponding to a shutting off of power supplied to the computer apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising said predetermined condition corresponding to a data file being not saved.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising said input unit corresponding to a peripheral device selected from the group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, and a joystick.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising said input unit corresponding to a peripheral device selected from the group consisting of a floppy disk drive, a compact disc drive, and a digital versatile disc drive.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising said predetermined condition corresponding to a data file being not saved.

19. A computer apparatus having a screen saver program and a power shutdown function, comprising:

a video display conveying varying visual information to a user;

a memory unit storing a screen saver program reducing degradation in said video display, and storing an operating system program;

a timer measuring time;

an input unit inputting signals; and

a central processing unit connected to said video display, said memory unit, said timer, and said input unit, operating said timer, sensing whether said signals are received from said input unit, controlling the operating system program and the screen saver program, starting the screen saver program when said signals are not received before a first quantity of time elapses, terminating the screen saver program when said signals are received after the starting of the screen saver program and before a second quantity of time elapses; and

a control unit connected to said central processing unit;

when a predetermined condition is not detected and said signals are not received after the starting of the screen saver program and said signals are not received before the second quantity of time elapses, said control unit automatically terminating the operating system program according to said central processing unit.

20. The computer apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a power supply supplying power to said video display, timer, memory unit, input unit, central processing unit and control unit;

said power supply cutting off power to said video display, timer, memory unit, input unit, central processing unit and control unit when the operating system program is terminated.

21. The computer apparatus of claim 19, further comprising said central processing unit controlling a suspend program storing operating data, reducing power supplied to the computer apparatus, and enabling reconstruction of the operating data upon resumption of full power being supplied to the computer apparatus.

22. The computer apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

when said predetermined condition is detected and said signals are not received after the screen saver program is started and said signals are not received before the second quantity of time elapses and a third quantity of time elapses after the second quantity of time elapses and the operating system program is not terminated, said central processing unit starting the suspend program.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising said predetermined condition corresponding to a data file being not saved.

24. The computer apparatus of claim 19, further comprising said central processing unit controlling a suspend program storing operating data, cutting off power supplied to the computer apparatus, and enabling reconstruction of the operating data upon resumption of power being supplied to the computer apparatus.

25. The computer apparatus of claim 19, further comprising said input unit corresponding to a peripheral device selected from the group consisting of a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a joystick, a floppy disk drive, a compact disc drive, and a digital versatile disc drive.