Display device detection of and response to an idle mode of a remote sender device

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus provide for detection by a display device of an idle mode of a remote sender device. Information received from a remote sender device by a display device is monitored during a normal operating mode of operation of the display device to determine whether the remote sender device is not providing primary content for display by the display device, such as might occur during a sleep or idle mode of the remote sender device. If the display device determines that primary content is not being provided by the remote sender device, then the display device acquires alternate content that may be displayed. This abstract is not to be considered limiting.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A display device configured to detect and respond to an idle mode of a remote sender device, comprising:
 the display device having a display and being configured to monitor information received from a remote sender device via an input of the display device during a normal operating mode of the display device to determine whether the remote sender device is in the idle mode and not providing primary content for display by the display device while in the idle mode;   where the remote sender device is determined to be in an idle mode by any one of:
 a handshake function indicative of an idle mode, and 
 a presence of a screen saver signal in the video information; 
   the display device being configured to determine from the monitored information that the remote sender device is in the idle mode and not provide primary content for display by the display device, the display device being configured to acquiring alternate content from a second remote sender device; and   the display device being configured to display the alternate content during an alternate display mode of the display device, where during the alternate display mode of the display device the alternate content displayed by the display device is not a screen saver content.   
     
     
         2 . The display device of  claim 1 , where the display device is configured to determine from the monitored information that the remote sender device is not providing primary content for display by the display device and responsive to the determination the display device being configured to disable a display feature of the display device. 
     
     
         3 . The display device of  claim 1 , where the second remote sender device resides on the Internet and further comprising the display device being configured to receive the alternate content from the Internet. 
     
     
         4 . The display device of  claim 1 , where the display device is configured to determine that the remote sender device is not providing primary content for display by the display device, the display device being further configured to acquire the alternate content from a storage element. 
     
     
         5 . The display device of  claim 4 , where the storage element resides on the display device. 
     
     
         6 . The display device of  claim 1 , where a screen saver function of the display device is configured to display the screen saver content and is configured to be enabled and disabled. 
     
     
         7 . The display device of  claim 1 , where during the alternate display mode of the display device, the display device is configured to display the alternate content overlaid over a screen saver content of a screen saver function of the display device. 
     
     
         8 . The display device of  claim 7 , further comprising: the display device being configured to display an indication of the idle mode of the remote sender device during the alternate display mode. 
     
     
         9 . The display device of  claim 7 , where the display device is configured to display the alternate content in a transparent form overlaid on the screen saver content also displayed by the display device during the alternate display mode. 
     
     
         10 . A device, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive signals from a remote sender device that is operable to transmit primary content for display;   a display device having a display, the display device configured to receive signals from the remote sender device and operable to display content, the display device further comprising:   an interface configured to receive an alternate source of content;   the display device being configured to determine that the display device is receiving primary content from the remote sender device and to display the primary content received from the remote sender device during a normal operating mode of the display device,   the display device being configured to determine that the display device is not receiving primary content from the remote sender device and the remote sender device is in an idle mode during which the remote sender device does not provide primary content to the display device, the display device being configured to acquire alternate content from the alternate source of content and display the acquired alternate content from the alternate source of content during an alternate display mode of operation of the display device;   where the display device is configured to, during the alternate display mode of operation, the alternate content displayed by the display device is not a screen saver content, and   where the display device is configured to determine that the remote sender device is in an idle mode by any one of:
 a handshake function indicative of an idle mode, and 
 a presence of a screen saver signal in the video information. 
   
     
     
         11 . A display device operable to display content, comprising:
 a programmed processor and control element;   a receive element operable to receive information from a remote sender device; and   a display element;   where the programmed processor and control element are configured to monitor information received by the receive element from the remote sender device and configured to cause the display element to display the information during a normal mode of operation when the programmed processor and control element determines that the received information received from the remote sender device is primary content,   the programmed processor and control element being configured to determine that the information received by the receive element from the remote sender device is not primary content and the remote sender device is in an idle mode during which the remote sender device does not provide primary content to the display device, the programmed processor and control element being configured to cause the display element to acquire alternate content from a second remote sender device and display the alternate content during an alternate display mode of the display device, where during the alternate display mode of the display device display device is configured to not display screen saver content, and   where the programmed processor is configured to determine that the remote sender device is in an idle mode by any one of:
 a handshake function indicative of an idle mode, and 
 a presence of a screen saver signal in the video information. 
   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , where the second remote sender device resides on the Internet and the alternate content from the Internet. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a storage element of the display device, and where when the programmed processor and control element is configured to determine that the information received by the receive element from the remote sender device is not primary content, the programmed processor and control element configured to cause the display device to acquire the alternate content from the storage element of the display device. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 11 , where the display device is configured to display a screen saver, where the screen saver is configurable to be disabled. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , where during the alternate display mode of the display device, the programmed processor and control element of the display device is configured to cause the alternate content displayed by the display device to be overlaid over a screen saver content of a screen saver function of the display device. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising: the programmed processor and control element being configured to cause the display device to display an indication of the idle mode of the remote sender device during the alternate display mode of the display device. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , where the programmed processor and control element of the display device is configured to cause the display element to display the alternate content in a transparent form overlaid the screen saver content during the alternate display mode. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 11 , where the display device comprises a television set.