System having a process element with a screen and an activation element for remote-controlled cancellation of a screen saver function

• US 6,763,272 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Knepper, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US10/386,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20030171832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 700/56, 700/65, 700/66, 700/83, 700/17, 340/371, 340/700, 340/866, 340/744, 340/745, 340/867, 340/329, 707/104, 707/4, 707/10
• US Class Current: 700/65
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system including at least one automatically controlled process element (1), in particular an automatically controlled process system, having at least one screen (4) for displaying status data or operational data of said process element (1). The display of the screen (4) is temporarily interrupted by a screen saver function and an activating element (5) is provided for remote-control cancellation of the screen saver function. In addition, an activating element (5) for the system is provided.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one automatically controlled process element having at least one screen to display state or operational data of the process element, the display of the screen being interrupted from time to time by a screen saver function; and

an activation element, for remote-controlled cancellation of the screen saver function, having a detection region and activating the display of the screen when a person is detected in the detection region.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is an automatically controlled process system.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the process element has a plurality of screens, and the activation element is configured to cancel the screen saver functions of the plurality of screens.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the activation element is configured to cancel the screen saver functions of the plurality of screens using a time delay.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the time delay is mutually staggered, respectively, for the screens.

6. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a switching element connected to the activation element.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the switching element controls the number of the screens whose screen saver function is canceled.

8. The system according to claim 3, further comprising at least one additional activation element.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the screens are grouped into a plurality of groups, and the activation elements are configured to cancel, respectively, the screen saver functions of the groups of screens.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the activation element comprises a floor mat to cancel the screen saver function.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the activation element comprises a motion sensor to cancel the screen saver function.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a wire connection connecting the activation element to the process element.

13. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a radio connection connecting the activation element to the process element.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the process element comprises a programmable controller connecting the activation element.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a deactivation element, for remote-controlled reactivation of the screen saver function.

16. A system, comprising:

at least one automatically controlled process element;

at least one display associated with said process element;

screen saver software for said display; and

a detector operationally connected to said screen saver software yet physically external to and remote from said process element and said display, wherein said detector controls said screen saver software in accordance with a parameter, other than manual actuation, detected by said detector.

17. A system, comprising:

at least two automatically controlled process elements;

at least two displays, each said display associated respectively with each said process element;

screen saver software providing a screen saver function for said displays; and

one detector operationally connected to said screen saver software yet physically external to and remote from said process elements and said displays, wherein said detector controls said screen saver software, in accordance with a parameter detected by said detector, to cancel the screen saver function for both said displays.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the screen saver function is cancelled simultaneously for both said displays.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the screen saver function is cancelled time-staggered for said displays.