Monitoring operation of and interaction with services provided over a network
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring operation of a service provided over a network to a plurality of communications units, the method comprising the step of receiving at a central unit, information obtained at each communication unit during monitoring of activity associated with the service.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for monitoring the performance of services provided over a network (2). The methods and apparatus make use of the computing power provided at the communications units (1) used by users to access the services. Activity instigated by users both directly and indirectly are monitored and/or reproduced at each communications unit (1). Information gathered in the monitoring processes is sent to a central unit (4) for further processing. Typically the services are accessed via the World Wide Web and part of the apparatus is controlled by a Java/Javascript applet running on a communications unit (1).
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Citations
39 Claims
- 1. A method for monitoring operation of a service provided over a network to a plurality of communications units, the method comprising the step of receiving at a central unit, information obtained at each communication unit during monitoring of activity associated with the service.
- 15. A method of operating an end user communications unit for use in a system for monitoring operation of services provided over a network, the communications unit being arranged to allow reception of services provided over the network and the method comprising the steps of monitoring activity, at the communications unit, associated with a service provided over the network and outputting information so obtained.
- 31. An end user communications unit for use in a system for monitoring operation of services provided over a network, the communications unit being arranged to allow reception of services provided over the network, being arranged to monitor activity associated with a service provided over the network and being arranged to output information so obtained, wherein the service is accessed via at least one web, or other electronic, page and the communications unit is arranged for identifying the interactive content of a page as the page is visited and loaded into the communications unit.
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35. A method for monitoring operation of services provided over a network to a plurality of end user communications units, the method comprising, at each end user communications unit, under control of an applet running within a browser, the steps of:
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monitoring activity associated with a service;
transmitting information obtained in the monitoring step to a central unit; and
in addition, before the above steps, the further steps of outputting an activation notification from the communications unit to the central unit; and
receiving a configuration message from the central unit in response to the activation notification, which message is arranged to configure the applet so as to control the information sent to the central unit.
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36. A method for monitoring user interactions with a service provided over a network to a plurality of end user communications units comprising the steps of:
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monitoring and recording activities instigated by at least one user when using the service by interacting with one or more electronic page displayed in a browser on a respective communications unit, the recorded activities including a log of pointing device position on the or each page; and
playing back activities recorded in the above step, wherein the playing back step includes redisplaying the electronic pages originally displayed and redisplaying user interaction therewith.
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37. Apparatus for monitoring user interactions with a service provided over a network to a plurality of end user communications units comprising means for monitoring and recording activities instigated by at least one user when using the service by interacting with one or more electronic page displayed in a browser on a respective communications unit, the recorded activities including a log of pointing device position on the or each page;
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means for playing back the recorded activities by redisplaying the electronic pages originally displayed and redisplaying user interaction therewith.
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Specification