CONDITIONAL WINDOW CAPTURE

• US 20100115417A1
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Inventors: Cox, Trevor, Sitter, Michael, Loveland, Damien
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32

Abstract

A device, method, system and computer readable medium are disclosed for the remote, intelligent capture of screenshots and keystrokes which can subsequently be transmitted with reduced bandwidth requirements.

Claims

1. A method performed by an electronic host device to facilitate recovery thereof when the electronic host device is stolen, the method comprising:

capturing, in a memory of the electronic host device, a sequence of screen displays corresponding to a window displayed on a display of the electronic host device, each screen display captured in response to an action performed by a user of the electronic host device;

generating a compressed representation of the sequence of screen displays, said compressed representation generated, at least in part, by comparing, by execution of instructions by the electronic host device, individual screen displays to identify redundant information; and

transmitting the compressed representation of the sequence of screen displays over a network from the electronic host device to a monitoring system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises generating and transmitting the compressed representation concurrently with the capture of the screen displays.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the compressed representation comprises:

in response to capturing a first screen display of said sequence, transmitting a representation of the first screen display to the monitoring system; and

subsequently, in response to capturing a second screen display of said sequence, comparing the second screen display to the first screen display to determine whether any differences exist that should be communicated to the monitoring system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the compressed representation is performed in response to closure of said window.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by execution of instructions by the electronic host device, logging, and transmitting to the monitoring system, keystrokes detected on the electronic host device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the use by an investigator of the compressed representation, as received by the monitoring system, to investigate a reported theft of the electronic host device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in response to the electronic host device receiving, over a network, a message generated in response to a reported theft of the electronic host device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in response to detection of a threshold number of unsuccessful password entry attempts on the electronic host device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by execution of instructions by the electronic host device, transmitting location information to the monitoring system, said location information reflecting a current location of the electronic host device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said capturing, generating, comparing and transmitting steps are performed by the electronic host device under control of executable instructions that run on the electronic host device in a stealth mode.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the executable instructions comprise a module that is operative to begin running on the electronic host device at startup, before an operating system of the electronic host device begins running.

12. A computer-readable medium which stores executable instructions that direct an electronic host device to perform a method that comprises:

capturing, in a memory of the electronic host device, a sequence of screen displays corresponding to a window displayed on a display of the electronic host device, each screen display captured in response to an action performed by a user of the electronic host device;

generating a compressed representation of the sequence of screen displays, said compressed representation generated, at least in part, by comparing, by execution of instructions by the electronic host device, individual screen displays to identify redundant information; and

transmitting the compressed representation of the sequence of screen displays over a network from the electronic host device to a monitoring system.

13. A system for facilitating the recovery of a stolen electronic host device, the system comprising:

a host electronic device comprising an interface for connection to a communications network, a processor and a memory, said host electronic device being connected to a communications network and configured to;

a. capture, in the memory of the electronic host device, a sequence of screen displays corresponding to a window displayed on a display of the electronic host device, each screen display captured in response to an action performed by a user of the electronic host device;

b. generate a compressed representation of the sequence of screen displays, said compressed representation generated, at least in part, by comparing, by execution of instructions by the electronic host device, individual screen displays to identify redundant information; and

c. transmit the compressed representation of the sequence of screen displays over a network from the electronic host device to a monitoring system; and

a monitoring system comprising an interface for connection to a communications network, a processor and a memory, said monitoring system being connected to a communications network and configured to receive and store the compressed representation in the memory of the monitoring system.