Communicating screen saver
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLeon Edward Gregg, William Jaaskelainen, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and implementing computer system are provided in which screensavers are used to lock a workstation and present an eye-pleasing display while the user is away from the workstation. Users are enabled to select from a plurality of screensaver types which are applied in a screensaver mode. The screensaver displays include application indicia representative of work-in-progress when a screensaver mode was activated. The application indicia can be selectively obscured to hide work which may be of a sensitive or proprietary nature.
Claims27
A method for implementing a screensaver technique, said method being adaptable for use with a computer system, said computer system being selectively operable for executing at least one application program and displaying a working screen for said one application to a user on a display screen of a display device, said working screen being continuously changeable in response to user input, said method comprising:
- activating a screensaver mode function;
- and
- modifying said working screen to appear as one of a plurality of selectable application images on said display screen, each application image containing display indicia representative of information present on said working screen of a corresponding application program when said screensaver function was activated, wherein selected ones of said application images are on said display screen during a continuance of said screensaver mode.
A storage medium including machine readable coded indicia, said storage medium being selectively coupled to a reading device, said reading device being selectively coupled to processing circuitry within a computer system, said reading device being selectively operable to read said machine readable coded indicia and provide program signals representative thereof, said program signals being effective to implement a screen saver processing methodology by which a screen saver display may be selected and presented on a user display screen, said program signals being effective for:
- activating a screensaver mode function;
- and
- modifying said working screen to appear as one of a plurality of selectable application images on said display screen, each application image containing display indicia representative of information present on said working screen of a corresponding application program when said screensaver function was activated, wherein selected ones of said application images are displayed on said display screen during a continuance of said screensaver mode.
An information processing system comprising:
- a system bus;
- a user input device coupled to said system bus;
- a processing device coupled to said system bus;
- a memory unit coupled to said system bus;
- and
- a display device coupled to said system bus,
- said processing device being selectively responsive to program signals from said memory unit for implementing a screensaver technique, said processing device being selectively operable for executing at least one application program and displaying a working screen for said one application to a user on a display screen of a display device, said working screen being continuously changeable in response to user input, said processing device being further selectively operable for activating a screensaver mode function and modifying said working screen to appear as one of a plurality of selectable application images on said display screen, each application image containing display indicia representative of information present on said working screen of a corresponding application program when said screensaver function was activated, wherein selected ones of said application images are displayed on said display screen during a continuance of said screensaver mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.