Communication method and apparatus

• US 20070061491A1
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auth IP Limited
• Original Assignee: Keyghost Limited
• Inventors: Kerdemelidis, Theodore, Kerdemelidis, Andreiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence

Abstract

A communication method allows a host to access and send commands to an apparatus across a network or communication system by encoding data as a sequence of status signals and sending the data from the host on a communication channel between the host and an auxiliary device. The apparatus detects the status signals sent on the communication channel and decodes the status signals to retrieve the data. The apparatus further comprises a data filter to filter keystroke data by removing break code data. The keystroke data can be reconstructed by the host.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a monitoring apparatus, including the steps of:

a) encoding first data as a sequence of status signals, wherein the first data is intended for receipt by the monitoring apparatus;

b) sending the status signals from a host on a communication channel linking the host and an auxiliary device;

c) detecting the status signals on the communication channel using the monitoring apparatus; and

d) decoding the status signals in the monitoring apparatus to retrieve the first data.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, including saving the first data in the monitoring apparatus.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein steps a) and b) are performed in response to receiving a command from a remote device at the host.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the remote device communicates with the host via a computer network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the computer network is the Internet.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus is connected in-line between the host and the auxiliary device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the monitoring apparatus monitors the communication channel linking the host and the auxiliary device for specific sequences of status signals.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the monitoring apparatus monitors communications between the host and the auxiliary device for a first specific sequence of status signals and wherein, when the monitoring apparatus detects the first specific sequence of status signals, it uploads second data from its memory to the host.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second data is keystroke data.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the monitoring apparatus monitors communications between the host and the auxiliary device for a first specific sequence of status signals using a password recogniser.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the monitoring apparatus monitors communications between the host and the auxiliary device for a first specific sequence of status signals and wherein, when the monitoring apparatus detects the first specific sequence of status signals, it begins receiving data in a receive buffer.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary device is a human interface device.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the auxiliary device is a keyboard.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the status signals are keyboard command status signals.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least some of the keyboard command status signals are num-lock toggle commands.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least some of the keyboard command status signals are caps-lock toggle commands.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least some of the keyboard command status signals are scroll lock toggle commands.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least some of the keyboard command status signals are typematic rate byte toggle commands.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication channel is a PS/2 communication channel and the monitoring apparatus is a PS/2 keystroke-recording apparatus.

20. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication channel is a USB communication channel and the monitoring apparatus is a USB keystroke-recording apparatus.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the monitoring apparatus monitors communications between the host and the auxiliary device for packets with addresses corresponding to the auxiliary device.

22. A communication method, including the steps of:

a) filtering keystroke data to remove break code data; and

b) uploading the filtered keystroke data from a keystroke-recording apparatus to a host.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data is uploaded from the keystroke-recording apparatus to the host via a PS/2 communication channel.

24. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the keystroke-recording apparatus is a PS/2 keystroke-recording apparatus and is connected in-line on a PS/2 communication channel between the host and an auxiliary device,

and the data is uploaded from the keystroke-recording apparatus to the host via the PS/2 communication channel.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the auxiliary device is a human interface device.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the human interface device is a keyboard.

27. A method as claimed in claim 23, including the steps of:

c) regenerating the keystroke data from the filtered keystroke data; and

d) displaying the keystrokes.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the keystrokes are displayed on the host.

29. A method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the host communicates with a remote device and the keystrokes are displayed at the remote device.

30. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the keystroke data is retrieved from memory in the keystroke-recording apparatus before step b).

31. A communication method, including the steps of:

a) monitoring a communication channel for keystroke data;

b) filtering the keystroke data to remove break code data; and

c) storing the filtered keystroke data in memory.

32. An apparatus including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor includes:

a data monitor to detect a sequence of status signals on a communication channel linking a computer and an auxiliary device; and

a decoder to decode the sequence of status signals and retrieve first data encoded in the sequence of status signals.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, configured to store the first data in the memory.

34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, including means to upload data from the memory to the computer via the communications channel in response to detecting a specific sequence of status signals.

35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the processor includes a receive buffer and the apparatus is configured to begin receiving data in the receive buffer in response to detecting a specific sequence of status signals.

36. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the apparatus is a PS/2 keystroke-recording apparatus.

37. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the apparatus is a USB keystroke-recording apparatus.

38. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37, wherein the data monitor is a passive USB monitoring module;

the apparatus further including an active USB device module.

39. An apparatus including a processor, wherein the processor includes:

a data monitor to monitor signals on a communication channel linking a host and an auxiliary device; and

a data filter to filter keystroke data by removing break code data;

the apparatus including a memory to store the filtered keystroke data.

40. An apparatus including a memory and a processor, configured to:

filter keystroke data to remove break code data; and

upload the filtered keystroke data to a host.

41. A system including a host, an auxiliary device and a monitoring apparatus, the host being connected to the auxiliary device via a communication channel and the monitoring apparatus being configured to:

detect status signals on a communication channel between the host and the auxiliary device; and

decode the status signals to retrieve data encoded in the status signals.

42. Keystroke data, wherein the keystroke data has been filtered to remove break code data.