Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data

• US 7,788,367 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery, Lyapustina, Yevgeniya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H
• Application Number:
  US10/684,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20040226018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,512 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328, 719/317, 719/318, 719/310, 714/38, 714/25, 709/224, 709/203, 717/128, 717/124, 702/186, 702/187, 715/736
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting

Abstract

A system for monitoring a user'"'"'s usage of a target application. Such a target application can, as examples, be a software program running on a computer or a workstation, an image forming device, an appliance, etc. The target application includes a user interface with a plurality of commands which a user can select. In the example of the target application being a software program, the commands may be icons displayed on a computer screen which a user can point to with a mouse pointer and then click on. In the case of the target application being an image forming device or an appliance, the interface may be an operation panel with buttons, a touch pad, etc. which a user can press. The present invention monitors the user'"'"'s usage of such interfaces and logs data of the user'"'"'s usage of such interfaces. The logged data is stored in the form of an abstract class, and the abstract class is sent to a sending unit. The logged data can then be communicated by the sending unit by Internet mail to a designated location.

Claims

1. An image forming device comprising:

an operation panel of said image forming device, the operation panel comprising a plurality of operations to be selected by a user;

a clock unit;

a monitoring unit configured to monitor data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel by the user, and to generate a log of the monitored data in one of multiple formats, wherein the multiple formats include at least one of a time stamp including a time of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel or a frequency of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel;

a communicating unit configured to receive the log of the monitored data, and to communicate data based on the log of the monitored data in one of the formats.

2. An image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the communicating unit sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

3. An image forming device according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the communicating unit communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

4. An image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit configured to set a number of sessions of utilizing the operation panel to be executed by the user prior to the communicating unit communicating the data based on the log of the monitored data.

5. An image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the communicated data includes the elapsed time of a selection of an operation from a start of the monitoring.

6. An image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the log of the monitored data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel, and the communicated data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operations panel.

7. An image forming device comprising:

an operation panel of said image forming device, the operation panel for providing a plurality of operations to be selected by a user;

a clock unit,

monitoring means for monitoring data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel by the user, and for generating a log of the monitored data in one of multiple formats, wherein the multiple formats include at least one of a time stamp including a time of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel or a frequency of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel;

communicating means for receiving the log of the monitored data, and for communicating data based on the log of the monitored data in the one of the formats.

8. An image forming device according to claim 7, wherein the communicating means sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

9. An image forming device according to any one of claim 7 or 8, wherein the communicating means communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

10. An image forming device according to claim 7, further comprising:

setting unit means for setting a number of sessions of utilizing the operation panel to be executed by the user prior to the communicating means communicating the data based on the log of the monitored data.

11. An image forming device according to claim 7, wherein the communicated data includes the elapsed time of a selection of an operation from a start of the monitoring.

12. An image forming device according to claim 7, wherein the log of the monitored data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel, and the communicated data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operations panel.

13. A method of monitoring usage of an operation panel of an image forming device, the operation panel including a plurality of operations to be selected by a user, comprising the steps of:

monitoring data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel by the user;

generating a log of the monitored data in one of multiple formats, wherein the multiple formats include at least one of a time stamp including a time of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel or a frequency of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel; and

receiving the log of the monitored data, and communicating data based on the log of the monitored data in the one of the formats.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the communicating step sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

15. A method according to any one of claim 13 or 14, wherein the communicating step communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

setting a number of sessions of utilizing the operation panel to be executed by the user prior to communicating the data based on the log of the monitored data.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the communicated data includes the elapsed time of a selection of an operation from a start of the monitoring.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein the log of the monitored data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel, and the communicated data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operations panel.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to monitor a user'"'"'s usage of an operation panel of an image forming device, the operation panel comprising a plurality of operations to be selected by a user, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to monitor data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel by the user, and configured to generate a log of the monitored data in one of multiple formats, wherein the multiple formats include at least one of a time stamp including a time of selecting of the plurality of operations of the operation panel or a frequency of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel;

a second computer code device configured to receive the log of the monitored data, and to communicate data based on the log of the monitored data in the one of the formats.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the second computer code device is further configured to send the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

21. A computer program product according to any one of claim 19 or 20, wherein the second computer code device is further configured to communicate the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

22. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

a third computer code device configured to set a number of sessions of utilizing the operation panel to be executed by the user prior to the second computer code device communicating the data based of the log of the monitored data.

23. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the communicated data includes the elapsed time of a selection of an operation from a start of the monitoring.

24. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the log of the monitored data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operation panel, and the communicated data includes the frequencies of selection of the plurality of operations of the operations panel.