Method and system for display of activity of users

• US 20030090525A1
• Filed: 11/07/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lawrence, Robert Alan, Hughes, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/789
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

A method and system for the display of the activity of users at a plurality of workstations (108, 110) is provided. The plurality of workstations (108, 110) are grouped in more than one distributed geographical location (102, 104). The disclosed method and system include continuously collecting data from each workstation (108, 110) with the data relating to the activity of a user at the workstation (108, 110). The data from the workstations (108, 110) is compiled in a central database (120) and displayed in a display in the form of an abstract representation (138, 140, 144) of the activity of users at the workstations (108, 110) displayed in real time. The display includes the data from the workstations (108, 110) in the more than one geographical location (102, 104).

Claims

1. A method for display of activity of users at a plurality of workstations, the plurality of workstations being grouped in more than one distributed geographical location, the method comprising:

continuously collecting data from each workstation, the data relating to the activity of a user at the workstation;

compiling the data from the workstations in a central database;

displaying the compiled data in a display in an abstract representation of the activity of users at the workstations displayed in real time, the display including the data from the workstations in the more than one geographical location.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the abstract representation is one of a visual, audio or physical manifestation display.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display is accessible via a network including the Internet or an intranet.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a workstation is a computer interface and the activity includes computer input activity.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the computer input activity includes at least one of keyboard strokes, mouse clicks and cursor movement across a screen.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a workstation is a location and the activity is movement near the location.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes grouping the data in the display according to at least one of the type of user of the workstation, the location of the workstation, the activity of the user at the workstation.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the method includes representing differently each group of data in the display.

9. A system for display of activity of users at a plurality of computer interfaces, the plurality of computer interfaces grouped in more than one distributed geographical location, the system comprising:

a plurality of computer terminals each with a computer interfaces;

each computer terminal having a client application for continuously collecting data relating to the activity of a user of the computer interface;

a server for compiling the data from the computer interfaces in a database;

means for displaying the compiled data in a display in an abstract representation of the activity of users displayed in real time, the display including the data from the computer interfaces in the more than one geographical location.

10. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the abstract representation is one of a visual, audio or physical manifestation display.

11. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means for displaying the compiled data is in the form of a servlet provided on the server which is accessible via a network.

12. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the activity of a user includes computer input activity including at least one of keyboard strokes, mouse clicks and cursor movement across a screen.

13. A system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means for displaying the data groups the data in the display according to at least one of the type of user, the location of the computer interface, the activity of the user at the computer interface.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the means for displaying the data represents each group of data differently in the display.

15. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium for display of user activity of users at a plurality of workstations, the plurality of workstations being grouped in more than one distributed geographical location, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for performing the steps of:

continuously collecting data from each workstation, the data relating to the activity of a user at the workstation;

compiling the data from the workstations in a central database;

displaying the compiled data in a display in an abstract representation of the activity of users at the workstations displayed in real time, the display including the data from the workstations in the more than one geographical location.