Supervising monitoring and controlling activities performed on a client device

• US 7,502,797 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panther Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Ascentive LLC
• Inventors: Neil, Michael J., Schran, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/966,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/203, 709/225, 707/9, 707/10, 707/103.R, 707/103.X, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z, 707/200, 707/202, 707/204, 707/102, 340/825, 725/25, 725/28, 702/188, 702/187, 705/51, 705/56
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A client monitoring application operating on a client device records and monitors human activity performed thereon. The client monitoring application forwards recorded activity to supervisor server(s) over a network. The supervisor server(s) enable a human supervisor to review human activity performed on the client device, issue alerts to the human when a particular activity is performed on the client device, and/or instruct the client monitoring application to intercept and block certain activities or classes of activities from taking place on the client device at any time or at designated times, or limited to designated durations. Recording and monitoring human activity performed on the client device includes capturing screen shots of real-time human activity performed on the client device, enabling viewing a screen shots even if data associated with the screen shots are transmitted, received, or saved in an encrypted format, which is particularly useful in the realm of counter terrorism, and child protection.

Claims

1. In a client device, a method for monitoring, controlling, and supervising activities performed on a client device, the method comprising:

monitoring user-activity performed on the client device, including viewed, sent, created, or received on the client device;

determining whether the content includes at least one of sex drugs, violence, infidelity, hate language, and a predefined word by selecting notification activity from a menu;

instructing the client device to intercept and block the user-activity from occurring on the client device, automatically and in real-time, if the content is determined to include at least one of sex, drugs, violence, infidelity, hate language, and predetermined word;

determining whether the user-activity attempted on the client device matches a particular rule, wherein the rule defines at least one of the following;

(i) a class of user activity performed on the client device, (ii) a time when the user activity is performed on the client device, and (iii) a duration of time a particular user activity is performed on the client device;

instructing the client device to interpret and block initiation of the user activity from occurring on the client device, automatically and in real-time, if the user activity attempted to be performed on the client device matches the rule;

capturing screen shots of real-time user activity performed on the computer, including those screen shots for which user-supplied content is transmitted or received in a encrypted or unencrypted format; and

transmitting the captured screen shots.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an alert if the content is determined to include at least one of sex, drugs, violence, infidelity, hate language, and a predefined word.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring the user activity performed on the client device, includes monitoring at least one of Internet activity, an electronic mail message, an instant message, a chat session, a key word, a keystroke, a screen shot, an application, a date and time a particular human activity was performed, a time an application was used by a user, and a duration of time of any user activity performed or application used.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring the user activity performed on the client device is performed by a computer program module operating in a background environment of the client device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of monitoring the user activity performed on the client device is performed by a computer program module operating in a background environment of the client device in a stealth mode without alerting a user of the client device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising recording user activity performed on the client device, and sending the recorded user activity to one or more servers.

7. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions for monitoring , controlling, and supervising activities performed on a client device which, when executed by one or more processors cause the client device to:

monitor a user activity attempted on a client device;

determine if the monitored user activity attempted on the client device matches a particular user activity defined by a rule, the rule defining at least one of the following user activities;

game playing, e-mailing, e-mailing to a particular address, e-mailing from a free mail site, instant messaging, instant messaging to a particular person, surfing the web, surfing particular web sites, using particular key stokes, using particular language, viewing a particular topic, viewing sexual content, using sexually explicit language, using infidelity related content, viewing hate group content, using hate related language, using violent language, viewing a terrorist organization website, using language that may be associated with a terrorist organization, using a particular chat colloquialism, attempting to perform an activity on the client device for a duration of time longer than a predetermined maximum duration, of time, attempting to visit a category of web sites on the client device, and attempting to perform the particular user activity on the client device during a certain time; and

determining whether the content includes at least one of sex, drugs, violence, infidelity, hate language, and a predefined word by selecting notification activity from a menu;

intercepting and blocking the particular user activity from occurring on the client device, if it is determined that the monitored user activity attempted on the client device matches the particular user activity defined by the rule;

record screen shots of the user activity performed on the client device, including those screen shots for which user-supplied content is transmitted or received in a nencrypted or unencrypted format; and

transmit the screen shots.