Subscriber Discussion

How To Keep A Monitor 'On' If Someone Is In The Room But Not In Front Of The Monitor?

CD
Clay Davis
Jan 08, 2017

Hi Folks - has anyone seen a USB motion sensor (PIR) to activate a monitor?

Problem statement: The security camera monitor have energy saving (screen goes dark after 15 mins with no usage) - but looking for a way the monitor would stay "on" if someone was in the room. Currently we have to go over to the system and move the mouse.

Something similar to this:

USB motion sensor (PIR) to activate monitor

But looking for a commercial version that can be purchased.

Thanks!  --Clay

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
Jan 08, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Not PIR - but an ultrasonic proximity sensor: RF Ideas Plug-And-Play PCProx Sonar

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 09, 2017

An actual solution to your problem: Automatic mouse mover. Will move the mouse every X minutes to prevent the screen from shutting off.

However, the bigger question I have is why you can't just disable the feature. I've never heard of a monitor that will turn off automatically unless it totally loses data from it's input. The issue is coming from the PC, either the screensaver or the "sleep" function, which can be changed on any PC.

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U
Undisclosed #2
Jan 09, 2017

Number of computer monitors have built-in timer

to shut off

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 09, 2017

Yes, when they aren't receiving an input. But there is no computer monitor on the planet that would just shut off.

Further, there is no logic built in to a monitor that would know or understand that the mouse has been moved. The decision to turn off is coming entirely from the PC.

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BS
Bob Schenck
Jan 09, 2017
IPVMU Certified

What is this security monitor plugged into?  If it's a Windows VMS client then you can turn off the monitor power save feature under "power options" in the control panel.

If its a DVR, then I'd check for screensaver configuration options.  

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U
Undisclosed #3
Jan 09, 2017

Clay, do you not have the rights to make the needed changes?

Funny story. One of my CAD guys was frustrated by the auto logoff due to inactivity. He (or anybody except for IT), did not have rights to change it; nor, could he load any software.  The solution (at least it worked at the time) was to set an alarm on his phone that would vibrate every x minutes.  Oddly, it worked. ...

He used a blue tooth speaker phone to actually answer the calls...

Where there is a will...

CD
Clay Davis
Jan 09, 2017

Thanks folks for the initial feedback - I am laughing here...

 

Absolutely I can turn off the monitor power-savings settings and keep the monitor on 24x7x365.  That is an easy change. :)

 

But I really don't want to keep the monitor on overnight, weekends, etc.  Just when folks are in the room - hence a USB type of motion sensor that wakes the screen back up when people are in the room - but allows the monitor to turn off when there is no activity.

BS
Bob Schenck
Jan 12, 2017
IPVMU Certified

Is the schedule for the staff fairly consistent?  If so, there is a windows program called SmartPower that lets you change the windows power saving features according to a schedule.  So you could turn off all power savings during work hours and then put the 15 minute screen timer back on for nights and weekends.  

It is not as elegant as a motion sensor, but it may be good enough for what you need to do.  

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CD
Clay Davis
Jan 09, 2017

I saw an a custom solution at a customer site where they where using a large computer monitor as an advertising screen - but they didn't want to keep the monitor when folks weren't in the lobby area.

 

Here is the picture of a similar solution that I am looking for.  It plugs into a USB - but when I looked at the motion sensor there wasn't any markings, labels, etc - so I'm thinking this was a custom solution.

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