Dynamic interactive animated screen saver
View Patent ↗The present invention provides an apparatus ( 100 ) and method ( 800 ) for an electronic device having a device display for graphically providing the user with a message ( 104 ) while the electronic device is in a screen saver mode displaying a screen saver screen ( 100 ). The message is a simplified message derived from an associated message source ( 200 ) where more detail ( 202 ) is available. The message is replaced with a detailed message upon reaching a predetermined condition.
1. A screen saver display for an electronic device having a device display for graphically providing information to a user, the screen saver display comprising:
a moving message bubble;
a message displayed within the moving message bubble, the message derived from a message source; and
a tripwire across the screen saver display,
wherein the message is replaced by a subsequent message derived from the message source upon the moving message bubble reaching the tripwire.
2. The screen saver display of claim 1 , wherein the message is replaced by the subsequent message derived from the message source upon reaching a predetermined time period prior to a time period associated with the first message.
3. The screen saver display of claim 1 , wherein the message source is at least one of:
an entry of a calendar program running in the electronic device,
an electronic mail message received by the electronic device,
a Short Message Service message received by the electronic device, and
a caller ID program running in the electronic device.
4. The screen saver display of claim 1 , wherein the moving message bubble further comprises a visual attribute associated with the message source, the visual attribute dynamically variable based upon a predetermined condition.
5. The screen saver display of claim 1 , further comprising:
a status indicator indicative of an internal operating system status of the electronic device.
6. The screen saver display of claim 5 , wherein the status indicator is dynamically varied based upon the internal operating system status of the electronic device.
7. A screen saver display for an electronic device having a device display for graphically providing information to a user, the screen saver display comprising:
a moving message bubble;
a message associated with a message source, the message displayed within the moving message bubble; and
a plurality of bands partitioning the screen saver display, each of the plurality of bands representing a predetermined time period,
wherein the message is dynamically varied.
8. The screen saver display of claim 7 , wherein the moving message bubble is displayed centered about and is allowed to move along one of the plurality of bands representing a time period associated with the message.
9. The screen saver display of claim 7 , wherein the message source is at least one of:
an entry of a calendar program running in the electronic device,
an electronic mail message received by the electronic device,
a Short Message Service message received by the electronic device, and
a caller ID program running in the electronic device.
10. A method for graphically providing information in a screen saver application to a user of an electronic device having a device display, the method comprising:
displaying a screen saver display;
displaying a moving message bubble within the screen saver display;
displaying a message derived from a message source with the moving message bubble;
providing a tripwire across the screen saver display; and
replacing the message with a subsequent message derived from the message source upon the moving message bubble reaching the tripwire.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
replacing the message with the subsequent message derived from the message source upon reaching a predetermined time period prior to a time period associated with the message.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the message source is at least one of:
an entry of a calendar program running in the electronic device,
an electronic mail message received by the electronic device,
a Short Message Service message received by the electronic device, and
a caller ID program running in the electronic device.
13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
displaying with the moving message bubble a visual attribute associated with the message source; and
dynamically varying the attribute based upon a predetermined condition.
14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
displaying a status indicator indicative of an internal operating system status of the electronic device.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
dynamically varying the status indicator based upon the internal operating system status of the electronic device.
16. A method for graphically providing information in a screen saver application to a user of an electronic device having a device display, the method comprising:
displaying a screen saver display;
partitioning the screen saver display into a plurality of bands;
assigning each of the plurality of bands to a predetermined time period;
displaying a moving message bubble within the screen saver display;
displaying a message derived from a message source within the moving message bubble; and
dynamically varying the message displayed within the moving message bubble.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
displaying the moving message bubble centered about one of the plurality of bands representing a time period associated with the message.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the message source is at least one of:
an entry of a calendar program running in the electronic device,
an electronic mail message received by the electronic devices,
a Short Message Service message received by the electronic device, and
a caller ID program running in the electronic device.