Reliable Idle detection (or detect when the monitor has been told to turn off)

[weirddave]

I want to detect when a PC is effectively idle so that I can turn off a wifi controlled socket (Audio Amp). Control of the socket isn't a problem.

Detecting Idle is a bit tricky, if I'm watching a video then potentially I won't move the mouse or type.

I did look into potentially reading the status of VLC, which is the only media player I use. Unfortunately this is also tricky as I may have multiple instances (max 1 playing while others paused), but in conjunction with other idle detection methods this would give me the greatest flexibility to conjure up a good control strategy for the wifi socket.
The viable option I have come up with is to detect that the monitor is off (or has been told to  turn off, I believe there may be a difference), but it doesn't seem to be easy. I can get around the monitor switching off while playing audio by using time as a factor, I wouldn't be doing that at night, for example.

If anyone has some ideas I'd appreciate it :)

[markyrocks]

I'm thinking to determine if screensaver is set to enabled and then check to see if its running.   This should probably get you started.  

via https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/libfunctions/_WinAPI_SystemParametersInfo.htm

SPI_GETSCREENSAVEACTIVE

0x0010

SPI_GETSCREENSAVERRUNNING

0x0072

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-systemparametersinfoa?redirectedfrom=MSDN&f1url=%3FappId%3DDev10IDEF1%26l%3DEN-US%26k%3Dk(SystemParametersInfo);k(DevLang-C);k(TargetOS-WINDOWS)%26rd%3Dtrue

 

[Nine]

Maybe no mouse + no keyboard + no sound = idle ?

[orbs]

you could rely on Task Scheduler for that, instead of detecting idle time yourself. this is because Task Scheduler respects not only user inactivity as a criteria for idle time, but also resource usage, and most importantly - any programs that set their execution level to any value mentioned here, which prevents Windows from entering sleep mode, activating screen saver, etc.

i expect you could call some Win32 API to query Windows if any app execution level has been set as mentioned. however i am unfamiliar with such method, hence my suggestion to use Task Scheduler.

recommended read at MSDN here.

[weirddave]

Thanks for the ideas!

 

I started with task scheduler. I have run into a few problems. The first is that I can't work out how to schedule a task when I come out of idle to turn the amp back on again. Other issues revolve around time. I could potentially use task scheduler to signal a script that idle has been detected, if I can detect coming out of idle as well. 

 

no mouse + no KB + no sound should work, tho I haven't found a way to detect if audio is playing. Correction, there's this:

 

Using the screensaver activity might work, I would need to enable one for that tho

 

Don't laugh, but I've only just discovered _Timer_GetIdleTime(). That, coupled with the audio detection, might solve the problem. Happy days

 

[spudw2k]

On 8/29/2021 at 9:30 PM, orbs said:

however i am unfamiliar with such method

How about this one?

_WinAPI_SetThreadExecutionState()

 

[orbs]

no, that function sets the execution state. i was interested in a method to query the OS if any other program has already set its execution state in a way that requires the system to stay awake. if that was the case, one can assume the system is not idle even if _Timer_GetIdleTime() does return a value that indicates so.

[junkew]

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-getlastinputinfo?redirectedfrom=MSDN

And I would say just like a tv if "on" for n hours just a messagebox 1 minute before tv is turned off press ok to stay awake.

You first have to make your definition of "idle". When I am idle on my system and check what taskmanager is doing with CPU, Memory, ..... I am allways surprised that its 3-5% CPU using because there are still browsers open, virusscanners active, dozens of windows OS processes etc.

[Leendert-Jan]

If you are using windows, there is a trigger in event viewer task scheduler that might help. Open event viewer and create a basic task.

Begin the Task: On an event
Setting Basic
Log:  System
Source: Kernel-Power
Event ID: 42
The system is entering sleep.

There is also a trigger for when the computer returns from sleep mode, so you can switch the socket back on.

Begin the Task: On an event
Setting Basic
Log:  System
Source: Power-Troubleshooter
Event ID: 1
The system has resumed from sleep.

Source: https://superuser.com/questions/321151/how-to-execute-a-script-on-sleep-hibernate-resume-and-shutdown

Hope this helps 😃

 

Edit: It is task scheduler, not event viewer

Edited September 9, 2021 by Leendert-Jan

[seadoggie01]

Someone more familiar with DLL calls/callbacks should look here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/powerbase/nf-powerbase-powerregistersuspendresumenotification I think this might notify you when your computer is being suspended/resumed

Edit: Or maybe periodically querying this: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/powerbase/nf-powerbase-callntpowerinformation

Edited September 9, 2021 by seadoggie01