DPMS

Short for Display Power Management Signaling, a VESA interface standard that defines four power management modes for monitors in idle state: on, stand-by, suspend and off. Using DPMS, the display controller (typically the video card or chip from which the monitor receives signals) sends a signal along two signal lines horizontal sync (h-sync) and vertical sync (v-sync) — to the monitor, instructing it to enter into one of the four power management states.