Log collecting/analyzing system with separated functions of collecting log information and analyzing the same

• US 8,090,771 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kanee, Kazuhiro, Kimoto, Yousuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US12/456,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/206, 702/184, 370/242
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• 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: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A log collecting/analyzing system has a log collection terminal device as a client terminal device which collects logs and transmits the collected logs to a log server via a network. The log server receives the transmitted logs and stores the received logs for analysis. According to this configuration, it is possible to obtain useful information, such as information about what play modes are popular in the case of games and so forth, or information about what characters are popular in the case of selecting a character for a game. Therefore, it is possible to make use of the result of log analysis to develop the game.

Claims

1. A log collecting and analyzing system, comprising:

a client terminal device having

a collect unit for collecting log information; and

a transmit unit for transmitting said collected log information to a log server via a network;

a log server having a store and analyze unit for storing and analyzing said log information transmitted from said client terminal device;

a log utilizing terminal having

a request unit for pre-defining an analysis procedure for execution by said store and analyze unit to produce an analyzed result and for requesting the result of determined log information analyzed by said log server via a network according to said analysis procedure; and

a receive unit for receiving said analyzed result of log information transmitted from said log server,

wherein said store and analyze unit in said log server is configured to execute said analysis procedure pre-defined by said log utilizing terminal device.

2. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said client terminal device further comprises:

a form unit for forming a basic structure of a log, and

a generate unit for generating determined log information from the basic structure of said log.

3. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 2, wherein

the form unit is operable to form a tree structure consisting of nodes and elements as the basic structure of a log, and

the generate unit is operable to generate the determined log information hierarchically utilizing the tree structure.

4. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said client terminal device manages said collected log information independently for each application program.

5. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said client terminal device stores said collected log information under an off-line condition except for log information transmission processing for said log server.

6. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said client terminal device stores said collected log information in a determined log form.

7. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said store and analyze unit is operable to pull out necessary information from said log information transmitted from said client terminal device and analyze said necessary information.

8. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said log server is operable to manage said log information transmitted from said client terminal device independently for each application program.

9. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said log server is operable to store said log information transmitted from the client terminal device in a determined form.

10. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said log server and said client terminal device are operable to manage at least duration of service for log collection or the number of times for log collection.

22. The log collecting and analyzing system according to claim 1, wherein said log server is operable to select said analysis procedure from a plurality of predetermined analysis procedures.

11. A method for analyzing log information, comprising:

receiving log information transmitted to a log server via a network from a log collection terminal device;

storing the received log information at said log server,

analyzing said log information stored at said log server by using a log analyzing interface to perform analyzing procedures pre-defined by a log utilizing terminal device,

storing the result of said analyzing at said log server, and and transmitting the result of said analyzing to said log utilizing terminal device over a network.

12. The method for analyzing log information, according to claim 11, further comprising:

analyzing the stored log information for each application program utilizing a database provided with a log management database, a log storage database and a log analyzed result management database,

wherein said log management database is operable to record information identifying a log application program utilized by a log user,

said log storage database is operable to manage log information registered in a log application program, and

said log analyzed result management database operable to manage said analyzed log information.

13. A computer-readable recording medium having instructions recorded thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor to perform a method of log analysis, the method comprising:

receiving log information transmitted from a log collection terminal device to a log server via a network;

storing the received log information at said log server;

analyzing said log information stored at said log server by using a log analyzing interface to perform analyzing procedures pre-defined by a log utilizing terminal device;

storing the result of said analyzing at said log server,

and transmitting the result of said analyzing to said log utilizing terminal device over a network.

14. The recording medium according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

analyzing the stored log information for each application program utilizing a database provided with a log management database, a log storage database and a log analyzed result management database, wherein

said log management database is operable to record information identifying a log application program is utilized by a log user,

said log storage database is operable to manage log information registered in a log application program, and

said log analyzed result management database is operable to manage said analyzed log information.

15. A log analyzing device, comprising:

at least one processor;

an operating system executable on said at least one processor for operating a log analyzing system; and

a log server function processing unit for analyzing received log information and storing an analyzed result;

wherein said log server function processing unit includes

a log analysis interface management unit for managing a log analysis interface,

a log object analysis unit for analyzing said received log information by using a log analyzing interface to perform analyzing procedures pre-defined by a log utilizing terminal device,

a log object reception unit for controlling a function for receiving log information transmitted from a log collection terminal device via a network,

a log analyzed result management unit for storing said analyzed result,

and said log server is configured to transmit said analyzed result to said log utilizing terminal device over a network.

16. The log analyzing device according to claim 15, further comprising:

log management database for managing at least which log application program is utilized by a log user;

log storage database for managing log information registered in a log application program; and

log analyzed result management database for managing said analyzed log information.

17. A log server, comprising:

a receiver for receiving log information transmitted from a log collection terminal device;

a storing and analyzing unit for storing said received log information and pulling out necessary information to analyze from said received log information;

wherein said store and analyze unit is configured to execute analyzing procedures pre-defined by a log utilizing terminal device to produce an analyzed result, and

said log server is configured to transmit said analyzed result to said log utilizing terminal device over a network.

18. The log server according to claim 17, wherein said received log information is independently managed for each application program.

19. The log server according to claim 17, wherein said received log information is stored in a determined form.

20. The log server according to claim 17, further comprising:

a management unit for managing at least duration of service for log collection or the number of times for log collection.

21. The log server according to claim 17, further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting an analyzed result to a log utilizing terminal device.