Screen saver having message management function and method therefor

• US 6,633,318 B1
• Filed: 12/24/1998
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Seong-dong, Kim, Young-jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/219,876
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/329, 345/333, 345/332, 345/344, 345/867, 345/700, 345/733, 345/762, 345/759, 345/790, 345/764, 345/750, 707/104
• US Class Current: 715/867
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/046 Dealing with screen burn-in prevention or compensation of the effects thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A screen saver having a function of managing a message for a computer system user, created by another user, and a method therefor are provided. The screen saver includes a screen saving portion for monitoring a state of a screen output to a display device provided in the computer system, an event detector for detecting an event input from an input device provided in the computer system, a password input portion for receiving a password from the user if the event detector detects the event, displaying the screen displayed immediately before the screen state is changed into the screen saving state if the password received from the user is identical with a prestored password, and changing the screen state into the screen saving state if not, and a message input portion for receiving a message from the user if the event detector detects an event, storing the message in a storage means provided in the computer system, and changing the screen state into a screen saving state. Therefore, when the computer system is in a screen protection mode and even when the user password of the user of the computer system is not known, another person can inform the user of a useful message using the computer system.

Claims

1. A method of managing a message on a computer having a screen, comprising the steps of:

continuously monitoring the computer screen;

if no change in the data displayed on the computer screen is detected for a predetermined amount of time, then displaying a screen saver image on said computer screen;

when the computer screen displays said screen saver image and when input is detected from an input device, displaying a first input window on the computer screen;

when said first input window is displayed, if a first particular input is detected, displaying a message input window, then storing message data input while the message input window is displayed, then displaying said screen saver image; and

when said first input window is displayed, if a second particular input is detected, then displaying said stored message data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

when said first input window is displayed, detecting an input password input from said input device;

only if said input password is identical to a stored password, displaying said stored message data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

only if said input password is identical to a stored password, redisplaying said data which were displayed on the computer screen unchanged during said predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

when said first input window is displayed and said second particular input is detected, displaying a message output window indicating the number of messages stored; and

when a third particular input is received, then displaying the stored messages.

5. The method of claim 1, where the computer comprises a microphone and said input message is an audio message.

6. The method of claim 1, where the computer comprises a video camera and said input message is a video message.

7. A computer system, comprising:

a computer screen connected to a computer;

an input device connected to said computer;

means for monitoring the image displayed on said computer screen;

means for displaying a screen saver image on said computer screen;

means for displaying a first input window when said screen saver image is displayed and when any input is detected from said input device;

means for displaying a message input window and storing a message input through said input device in response to a first particular input from the input device when said first input window is being displayed on said computer screen; and

means for displaying said stored message in response to a second particular input from the input device when said first input window is being displayed on said computer screen.

8. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for comparing an input password input with a stored password when said first input window is being displayed and for displaying said stored message only if said input password is the same as said stored password.

9. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

a microphone;

means for storing an audio message input through said microphone when said first input window is being displayed on said computer screen;

means for displaying said stored audio message at a time after said message is stored.

10. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising:

a video camera;

means for storing a video message input through said video camera when said first input window is being displayed on said computer screen;

means for displaying said stored video message at a time after said message is stored.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a screen saver program recorded thereon, said screen saver program comprising:

a screen saving module for continuously monitoring a computer screen and displaying a screen saver image on the computer screen if no change in the data displayed on the computer screen is detected for a predetermined amount of time;

an event detecting module for detecting an event input from a computer input device and for displaying a first input window on the computer screen when the computer screen displays said screen saver image and when input is detected from an input device;

a password inputting module for displaying a message input window if a first particular input is detected;

a message inputting module for storing message data input while the message input window is displayed, then displaying the screen saver image on the computer screen; and

a message outputting module for displaying said stored message data when said first input window is displayed, if a second particular input is detected.