System and Method for Tracking Application Usage

• US 20100325150A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Uniloc Luxembourg S.à r.l. (f/k/a Uniloc Luxembourg S.A.) (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Original Assignee: Uniloc Luxembourg S.à r.l. (f/k/a Uniloc Luxembourg S.A.) (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Inventors: Etchegoyen, Craig Stephen, Mordetsky, Joseph Martin
• Application Number:
  US12/819,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325150A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/885 Monitoring specific for caches

Abstract

A system for tracking the use of an application on a computing device comprises a data collection server. In response to a communication link being available between the data collection server and the computing device, the data collection server is configured to: (1) receive from the computing device, via the communication link, data including (a) an application identifier identifying the application, (b) a device identifier identifying the computing device, and (c) an instrumentation call identifier identifying an instrumentation call performed by the application; (2) access a database storing previously received application identifiers, device identifiers, and instrumentation call identifiers; and (3) update the database to include the received data. A method for tracking the use of an application on a computing device is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for tracking the use of an application on a computing device, the system comprising:

a data collection server which, in response to a communication link being available between the data collection server and the computing device, is configured to;

receive from the computing device, via the communication link, data including (a) an application identifier identifying the application, (b) a device identifier identifying the computing device, and (c) at least one instrumentation call identifier identifying an instrumentation call performed by the application;

access a database storing previously received application identifiers, device identifiers, and instrumentation call identifiers; and

update the database to include the received data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the application identifier comprises at least one of a product identifier, an application signature, an application version number, and a license identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrumentation call identifier includes a time stamp indicating an instrumentation call time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrumentation call comprises one of a device call, a subroutine call, a library call, and a registry call.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the device identifier is formed by at least one irreversible transformation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the device identifier indicates a geographical location of the computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, to update the database, the data collection server is further configured to:

compare the received device identifier and application identifier with the device identifiers and application identifiers, respectively, stored within the database;

update records within the database to reflect the received data where at least one of the received device identifier and application identifier is already stored within the database; and

add a record to the database to reflect the received data where neither of the received device identifier and application identifier is already stored within the database.

8. A method for tracking the use of an application on a computing device, the method comprising:

establishing a communication link between a data collection server and the computing device;

receiving at the data collection server from the computing device, via the communication link, data including (a) an application identifier identifying the application, (b) a device identifier identifying the computing device, and (c) at least one instrumentation call identifier identifying an instrumentation call performed by the application;

accessing a database storing previously received and associated application identifiers, device identifiers, and instrumentation call identifiers; and

updating the database to include the received data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the application identifier comprises at least one of a product identifier, an application signature, an application version number, and a license identifier.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the instrumentation call identifier includes a time stamp indicating an instrumentation call time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the instrumentation call comprises one of a device call, a subroutine call, a library call, and a registry call.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the communication link includes establishing the communication link following accumulation of a predetermined number of instrumentation call identifiers.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the communication link includes establishing the communication link following a predetermined interval.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein establishing the communication link includes establishing the communication link following a predetermined number of instrumentation calls.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising querying the database to identify and analyze the instrumentation calls associated with a single device identifier.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising querying the database to identify and analyze the instrumentation calls associated with multiple device identifiers.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising querying the database to identify and analyze the instrumentation calls associated with multiple device identifiers and at least a portion of the application identifier.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the device identifier is formed by at least one irreversible transformation.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the device identifier indicates a geographical location of the computing device.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the database includes:

comparing the device identifier and application identifier in the received data with the device identifiers and application identifiers, respectively, stored within the database;

updating records within the database to reflect the received data where at least one of the device identifier and application identifier in the received data is already included in the database;

adding a record to the database to reflect the received data where neither of the device identifier and application identifier in the received data is already included in the database.