System and method for gathering and automatically processing user and debug data for mobile devices

• US 20030159088A1
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Doggett, John D., Cui, Hai, Phillips, Marc B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,910,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0742 in a data processing system embedded in a mobile device, e.g. mobile phones, handheld devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method for tracking user patterns, getting debug information from retail devices in use, and gathering data automatically into a central location where it is processed automatically. Information pertaining to the state of the system at the time a failure occurred on a mobile device is accessible by a developer in a disconnected mode. In addition, usage patterns are ascertainable from the data gathered.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, comprising:

a monitoring application configured to monitor processes, user interface entries, and error occurrences of a mobile device and store data reflecting the processes, user interface entries, and error occurrences in a sequence of log files; and

a first transport application configured to transport the log files to a user computer when a connection is established between the mobile device and the user computer.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

a second transport application configured to transfer the log files to a server from a user computer when a connection is established between the user computer and the server;

a database management application configured to store the log files to a centrally-located database that allows the data to be filtered and examined in a disconnected mode; and

a database interface application configured to display the data from the mobile device such that errors and usage patterns of the mobile device are monitored.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the log files are deleted from the user computer once they are successfully transported to the server, whereby storage space on the user computer is conserved.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each log file includes data corresponding to a passage of an interval of time.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each log file includes data corresponding to an occurrence of an error on the mobile device sufficient to recreate the state of the mobile device in existence at the time the error occurred.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein a call stack that is present on the mobile device at the time the error occurred is recreated during a disconnected mode.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the log files are deleted from the mobile device as they are successfully transported to the user computer, whereby storage space on the mobile device is conserved.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the log files are prioritized according to log files that contain data corresponding to an error and log files that contain other data.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the log files containing data corresponding to an error are transported from the mobile device to the user computer before the log files containing other data.

10. A computer readable-medium having stored thereon a log file, comprising:

a first data field containing data representing usage patterns of a mobile device;

a second data field containing data representing the occurrence of an error on the mobile device;

a third data field containing a sequence identifier that identifies the log file with a specified interval of time;

a fourth data filed containing a size label that identifies the size of the log file;

a fifth data field containing a run identifier that identifies the log file as a log file generated during an interval of time between a first reset of the mobile device and a second reset of the mobile device; and

a sixth data field containing a type identifier that identifies the log file as contain error data when an error has occurred on the mobile device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first data field contains at least one of keystroke entries, stylus entries, button press entries, and keyed entries made on the mobile device by a user.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second data field contains data sufficient to recreate, in a disconnected mode, the state existing on the mobile device at the time the error occurred.

13. A method for storing and transporting data representing usage patterns and error occurrences on a mobile device from the mobile device, comprising:

receiving data by monitoring user interface entries and error occurrences of the mobile device;

parceling the data as a sequence of log files;

temporarily storing the log files on the mobile device;

transporting each log file to one of a server and a user computer when a connection is established to the mobile device; and

deleting the successfully transported log files from the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the successfully transported log files on the server; and

enabling usage patterns and error occurrences to be examined in a disconnected mode from the data contained within the successfully transported log files stored on the server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a web page that displays the data contained within the log files that are stored on the server, wherein the web page is accessible in a disconnected mode.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein parceling data to each log file of the sequence of log files occurs when a predetermined amount of time has lapsed during operation of the mobile device, such that the log file has a discrete size.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein parceling data to each log file of the sequence of log files occurs when the data has reached a threshold size, such that the log file has a discrete size.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein parceling data to each log file of the sequence of log files occurs when an error has occurred on the mobile device, such that the log file is associated with the error.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising including data from a call stack in a log file that corresponds to the occurrence of the error.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

scraping a memory heap on the mobile device that corresponding to the error and including the data from the scraped memory heap in a log file that corresponds to the occurrence of the error.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising prioritizing the log files according to log files that contain data corresponding to an error occurrence and log files that contain data corresponding to other occurrences on the mobile device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein transporting each log file further comprises transporting the log files that contain data corresponding to an error occurrence first.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the log file on the user computer when the log file are transported to the user computer; and

transporting the log files from the user computer to the server when a connection is established to the user computer.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying a dialog to a user of the mobile device when an error has occurred on the mobile device.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising requesting user input when a reset was required as a result of the occurrence of an error.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising adding the user input to the log file corresponding to the occurrence of the error.

27. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

incorporating a sequence identifier into each log file such that each log file is identified according to a specified interval of time corresponding to operation of the mobile device; and

incorporating a run identifier into each log file such that each log file is identified as being generated during an interval of time between a first reset of the mobile device and a second reset of the mobile device.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising filtering the log files according to their sequence identifier and run identifier in a disconnected mode.