Method and System for Providing a Screen Saver for Interactive Media Services

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing a screen saver utility are disclosed. One such method includes providing selectable interactive media services in a client device. The client device is coupled to a programmable media services server device. The method further includes configuring a screen saver operation for the client device, and receiving, in the client device, information that corresponds to the configured screen saver operation. The method further includes configuring the client device to activate a screen saver according to the configured screen saver operation. The method further includes providing, in the client device, non-changing visual information that corresponds to a first one of the selectable interactive media services. The method further includes providing, in the client device, the configured screen saver. The activation of the screen saver in the client device is configured to follow the providing of the non-changing visual information.

1 . A method of providing a screen saver utility, the method comprising steps of:
 providing selectable interactive media services in a client device, the client device coupled to a programmable media services server device;   configuring a screen saver operation for the client device;   receiving, in the client device, information that corresponds to the configured screen saver operation;   configuring the client device to activate a screen saver according to the configured screen saver operation;   providing, in the client device, non-changing visual information that corresponds to a first one of the selectable interactive media services; and   providing, in the client device, the configured screen saver, wherein the activation of the screen saver in the client device is configured to follow the providing of the non-changing visual information.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of configuring the screen saver operation includes providing a first parameter corresponding to a first amount of time for providing the non-changing visual information, and wherein the activation of the configured screen saver in the client device is responsive to providing in the client device for the first amount of time the non-changing visual information. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of configuring the screen saver operation includes configuring visual content of the screen saver. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
 configuring the client device to provide the visual content according to the configured screen saver operation, wherein the screen saver is provided in the client device according to the configured screen saver operation.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the visual content is at least one of a moving image and a logo. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the visual content is a sequence of still images. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of configuring the screen saver operation includes configuring the displayed time of each image in the sequence of still images. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the visual content includes at least one of an advertisement and a movie trailer. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of configuring the screen saver operation includes configuring the order of a sequence of visual content provided as the screen saver. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the sequence of visual content is repeated after providing the last in the sequence of ordered visual content. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of configuring the screen saver operation providing information that corresponds to a procedure to be performed by the client device upon exiting the screen saver.
 providing, in the client device, non-changing visual information that corresponds to a first one of the selectable interactive media services; and   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing the non-changing visual information is performed responsive to a pause operation. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-changing visual information corresponds to a pause barker. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing the non-changing visual information is performed responsive to a stop operation. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the non-changing visual information corresponds to a stop barker barker. 
   
   
       16 . A method of providing a screen saver utility, the method comprising steps of:
 providing selectable interactive media services in a client device, the client device coupled to a programmable media services server device;   configuring a screen saver operation for the client device, the configured screen saver operation including a first amount time for activating a screen saver in the client device after the client device provides non-changing visual information that corresponds to a first one of the selectable interactive media services;   providing, to the client device, information that corresponds to the configured screen saver operation;   providing, in the client device, a first video presentation corresponding to the first one of the selectable interactive media services;   responsive to receiving in the client device a pause operation for the first video presentation, providing in the client device non-changing visual information that corresponds to a pause state of the first video presentation; and   providing the screen saver in the client device after providing, for the first amount of time, the non-changing visual information.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 configuring the client device to activate and to provide the screen saver according to the information that corresponds to the configured screen saver operation.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein configuring the client device to activate and provide the screen saver includes performing a procedure in the client device upon exiting the screen saver. 
   
   
       19 . A method of providing a screen saver utility, the method comprising steps of:
 providing selectable interactive media services in a client device, the client device coupled to a programmable media services server device;   configuring a screen saver operation for the client device;   configuring the client device to activate a screen saver according to the configured screen saver operation, wherein the activation of providing said screen saver in the client device is configured to follow providing non-changing visual information that corresponds to a first one of the selectable interactive media services;   configuring the client device to provide visual content of the screen saver according to the configured screen saver operation;   providing, in the client device, a first video presentation corresponding to the first one of the selectable interactive media services;   responsive to receiving, in the client device, a pause operation for the provided first video presentation, providing in the client device first information that corresponds to a pause state of the first video presentation;   responsive to providing, in the client device, the first information for a first amount of time, providing in the client device second information that corresponds to a stop state of the first video presentation, wherein the second information is non-changing visual information; and   responsive to providing in the client device the second information for a second amount of time:
 activating, in the client device, a screen saver according to the configured screen saver operation, and 
 providing, in the client device, visual content of the activated screen saver according to the configured screen saver operation. 
   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first amount of time and second amount of time are included in the configured screen saver operation.