Monitoring of computer usage

• US 6,978,303 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iontas Limited (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Iontal Limited
• Inventors: Stockton, Joseph, McCreesh, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US09/696,177
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/250, 714/45, 714/48, 714/57, 719/328, 719/321, 718/106
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3423 where the assessed time is active or idle time

Abstract

A utility operates on a networked PC and periodically executes a callback process to capture data to create discrete events. The callback process is periodically started, and it writes an event f either a frame period of 15 mins. has expired or the used application has changed, whichever is earlier. A protection program executes in parallel with a main program, both checking for a mutex of the other and re-starting the other if the mutex ceases to exist. Event data is automatically classified according to productivity classifications associated with applications.

Claims

1. A utility for monitoring usage of a computer by:

monitoring in real time for expiration of a current frame period, and;

if the current frame period has expired, writing out current activity to a log database and creating a new entry,

if not expired, checking if an active window title text is the same as that of a stored window title text and, if not, writing out the stored entry and creating a new entry;

in which a new entry is created by;

checking if the name of an active window is in a stored window list, and if so, reading an application name for the window,

if the name of the active window is not in the stored window list, scanning through all executing processes and detecting those processes created by files having an executable-indicating extension and scanning through said processes for a process identifier matching that of the active window process; and

in which the utility comprises;

a main program and a first protection program each of said programs having a protection mutex and a thread, each thread repeatedly checking the protection mutex of the other program, and

if the mutex of the main program is absent the first protection program re-starts the main program, and if the mutex of the first protection program is absent the main program re-starts the first protection program;

and in which the utility stores a standard user activity profile and automatically executes an alert event according to comparison of user activity with a profile;

and in which the utility automatically determines a productivity classification for each used application.

2. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the utility comprises means for recording an event for each application used by a user and for applying a productivity classification for each event.

3. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 2, wherein the utility accesses a classification table in which a productivity classification is allocated to application groups, to applications, and to window text keywords.

4. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 3, wherein the utility comprises means for attempting to classify productivity in sequence according to application group, application, and keywords.

5. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the utility comprises means for checking for an active window at periodic callback intervals, and for marking an idle indicator if user activity is below a threshold.

6. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 5, wherein the utility comprises means for generating an event record at a callback interval when either a frame time period expires or when an active application changes, whichever is earlier.

7. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 5, wherein the utility comprises means for determining usage data according to a captured number of actions of user input devices.

8. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 7, wherein the user input devices are a keyboard and a mouse.

9. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 5, wherein the utility comprises means for incrementing an idle count at periodic intervals if an input device is inactive and for marking a window as idle when the count reaches a threshold.

10. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the utility comprises means for capturing an active URL if the active application is a browser.

11. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the utility comprises a second protection program comprising means for re-activating the main program or the first protection program if either stops operating and for terminating itself when it has finished execution.

12. The Computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main program comprises means for writing an alert to a log file if the first protection program is terminated.

13. The computer usage monitoring utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the utility comprises a live transfer mechanism for automatic transfer of event records to a server in real time.

14. A computer program product wherein the product is stored on a computer readable medium, comprising software code portions for providing a utility as claimed in claim 1 when executing on a digital computer.