SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING COMPUTER USER INPUT

• US 20060236236A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelley, Edward E., Motika, Franco, Wilbrink, Tijs Y.
• Granted Patent: US 7,536,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring text input from a keyboard and from a pointing device, by monitoring input from a user keyboard for entry of text and cursor controls; monitoring input from a pointing device; logging keyboard entered text to a key log; and responsive to input selectively from the pointing device and keyboard selectively signaling a command action, determining text contents of the command action and logging the text contents to the key log in sequence with the keyboard entered text. A temporary storage is provided for storing copied content, and for storing pointing device input device definitions and key command definitions for each application. A log file stores a key log table for each application; and a key logger stores to the key log table entered text reconstructed with reference to the pointing device position, the copied content, the pointing device input device definitions, and the key command definitions.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring text input from a keyboard and from a pointing device, comprising:

monitoring input from a user keyboard for entry of text and cursor controls;

monitoring input from a pointing device;

logging keyboard entered text to a key log;

responsive to input selectively from said pointing device and keyboard selectively signaling a command action, determining text contents of said command action and logging said text contents to said key log in sequence with said keyboard entered text.

2. The method of claim 1, said command action selectively representing a block action, said block action being one of a copy, cut, and paste action.

3. The method of claim 2, said command action selectively representing a switch action, said switch action being at least one of an application and session switch.

4. The method of claim 3, responsive to said command action representing a copy, cut, or paste action, determining beginning and ending positions of said text contents selectively from position of said pointing device and cursor controls.

5. The method of claim 4, responsive to said command action representing a switch action, logging said application or session switch action to said key log in sequence with said keyboard entered text.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

for each active application, logging key command application definitions and mouse input device definitions to temporary storage;

with each said block action and switch action, logging an event to a work log, said event including indicia identifying for said action an application, a session, a start time, an end time, cursor position at said start time, cursor position at said end time, pointing device action, and logged text; and

building said key log from said work log.

7. A system for monitoring text input from a keyboard and from a pointing device, comprising:

a key entry device for entering text and command to a graphical user interface;

a pointing device for selecting a cursor position on said graphical user interface;

computer storage for storing executable files including application and session files;

temporary storage for storing copied content, and for storing pointing device input device definitions and key command definitions for each said application;

a log file for storing a key log table for each said application; and

a key logger for storing to said key log table entered text reconstructed with reference to said pointing device position, said copied content, said pointing device input device definitions, and key command definitions.

8. The system of claim 7, said key log table storing for block action and switch action, an event entry including indicia identifying for said action an application, a session, a start time, an end time, cursor position at said start time, cursor position at said end time, pointing device action, and logged text.

9. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for monitoring text input from a keyboard and from a pointing device, said method comprising:

monitoring input from a user keyboard for entry of text and cursor controls;

monitoring input from a pointing device;

logging keyboard entered text to a key log;

responsive to input selectively from said pointing device and keyboard selectively signaling a command action, determining text contents of said command action and logging said text contents to said key log in sequence with said keyboard entered text.

10. The program storage device of claim 9, said command action selectively representing a block action, said block action being one of a copy, cut, and paste action.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, said command action selectively representing a switch action, said switch action being at least one of an application and session switch.

12. The program storage device of claim 11, said method further comprising responsive to said command action representing a copy, cut, or paste action, determining beginning and ending positions of said text contents selectively from position of said pointing device and cursor controls.

13. The program storage device of claim 12, said method further comprising responsive to said command action representing a switch action, logging said application or session switch action to said key log in sequence with said keyboard entered text.

14. The program storage device of claim 13, said method further comprising:

for each active application, logging key command application definitions and mouse input device definitions to temporary storage;

with each said block action and switch action, logging an event to a work log, said event including indicia identifying for said action an application, a session, a start time, an end time, cursor position at said start time, cursor position at said end time, pointing device action, and logged text; and

building said key log from said work log.