INTERNET USE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20050108383A1
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covenant Eyes, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RCS Dynamics, LLC
• Inventors: DeHaas, Ronald J., Hammersley, Scott D., Rose, Collin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user includes a remote server and a computer having a monitoring program voluntarily installed thereon by the user communicatively connected to the remote server. The monitoring program is configured to monitor various Internet access activity of the computer user and record the Internet access activity on the remote server. The Internet access activity includes access of at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of newsgroups, file sharing programs, file transfer programs, chat rooms, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity. A method of using a monitoring system includes the steps of a computer user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on a selected computer, recording the Internet access activity, and providing the recorded information to a third party recipient. A report may be provided that includes a variety of information and may include a plurality of portions.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected user, comprising:

a remote server;

a computer communicatively connected to said remote server having a monitoring program voluntarily installed thereon by the computer user, said monitoring program configured to monitor Internet access activity of the computer user and record said Internet access activity within said remote server; and

wherein said Internet access activity includes access to at least one Internet protocol from a group consisting of network news transfer protocols, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room access, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said remote server includes a processing program, said processing program configured to analyze said recorded Internet access activity and generate a report of said Internet access activity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said report includes a list of said recorded Internet access activity and a score assigned to each said recorded Internet access activity.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said report is accessible by a third party recipient.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted by said score.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted chronologically.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein said report includes at least one portion and said at least one portion includes at least one link to at least one other portion.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of said at least one portions contains a list of recorded Internet access activity of one of said Internet protocols, and wherein said portions further include a computer link to connect to another portion of said report.

9. The system of claim 1, further including a first database located within said remote server, and wherein said monitored Internet access activity is stored on said first database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said remote server further includes a processing program and a second database, said processing program configured to analyze said recorded Internet access, and transfer said recorded Internet access activity to said second database.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said second database is configured to generate a report of said recorded Internet access activity.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said report includes a list of said recorded Internet access activity and a score assigned to each said recorded Internet access activity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said report is accessible by a third party recipient.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted by said score.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted chronologically.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said report includes at least one portion and said at least one portion includes at least one link to at least one other portion.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of said plurality of portions contains a list of recorded Internet access activity of one of said Internet protocols, and wherein said portions further include a computer link to connect to another portion of said report.

18. A method of monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user, the method comprising the steps of:

a user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on the selected computer, said program configured to monitor Internet access activity of said user, said Internet access activity including at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of newsgroup access, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room activity, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity;

monitoring said Internet access activity; and

recording said Internet access activity on a first database located within a remote server.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps of:

processing said recorded Internet access activity; and

transferring said recorded Internet access activity to a second database.

20. The method of claim 19, further including the steps of:

generating a report of said Internet access activity within said second database; and

providing said report to a third party recipient selected by said user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein providing said report includes notifying said third party recipient to access said second database to view said report.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein providing said report includes electronically sending said report to said third party recipient at pre-selected time intervals.

23. The method of claim 19, further including the step of:

assigning a score to said Internet access activity based on predetermined scoring criteria.

24. The method of claim 23, further including the step of:

preparing a report of said Internet access activity, said report including said score.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein preparing said report further includes sorting said Internet access activity by said score.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said score includes a numeric score.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said score includes a relative score.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein preparing said report further includes sorting said Internet access activity chronologically.

29. A system for reporting the contents of Internet access from a selected computer, comprising:

a remote server;

a computer communicatively connected to said remote server having a monitoring program installed thereon, said monitoring program configured to monitor Internet access activity of the computer user, record said activity on said remote server, said Internet access activity includes access to at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of hyper text transfer protocol, network news transfer protocol, file sharing programs, file transfer protocol, chat rooms, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail; and

wherein said remote server is configured to generate a report, and said report includes a plurality of portions each of said plurality of portions contains a list of said recorded Internet access activity of one of said Internet protocols, and wherein said portions further include a computer link to connect to another portion of said report.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said report is accessible by a third party recipient.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said report further includes a score assigned to each Internet access activity listed.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted by said score.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted chronologically.

34. A method of reporting Internet use of a computer user, the method comprising the steps of:

a user voluntarily installing an Internet monitoring program on the computer, said program configured to monitor Internet access activity of said user;

monitoring said Internet access activity;

generating a report of said Internet access activity, said report including a plurality of portions; and

providing a link on one portion of said report to electronically connect to at least one other portion of said report, wherein each of said plurality of portions contain information on Internet access of different Internet protocols.

35. The method of claim 34, further including the step of:

providing said report to a third party recipient selected by said user.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein providing said report includes notifying said third party recipient to access a database to view said report.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein providing said report includes electronically sending said report to said third party recipient at pre-selected time intervals.

38. The method of claim 34, further including the step of:

assigning a score to said Internet access activity based on predetermined scoring criteria.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein generating said report further includes sorting said Internet access activity by said score.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein generating said report further includes sorting said Internet access activity chronologically.