Internet use monitoring system and method

• US 8,255,514 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covenant Eyes, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Covenant Eyes, Inc.
• Inventors: DeHaas, Ronald J., Hammersley, Scott D., Rose, Collin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US10/605,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,220 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/14, 705/30, 705/26, 709/204, 709/217, 709/224, 709/229, 709/201, 715/744, 715/205, 717/131, 706/10, 707/102, 707/735, 707/999.009, 370/252, 726/4
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user includes a remote server and a computer having a monitoring program voluntarily installed thereon by the user communicatively connected to the remote server. The monitoring program is configured to monitor various Internet access activity of the computer user and record the Internet access activity on the remote server. The Internet access activity includes access of at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of newsgroups, file sharing programs, file transfer programs, chat rooms, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity. A method of using a monitoring system includes the steps of a computer user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on a selected computer, recording the Internet access activity, and providing the recorded information to a third party recipient. A report may be provided that includes a variety of information and may include a plurality of portions.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected user, comprising:

a remote server;

a computer communicatively connected to said remote server having a monitoring program voluntarily installed thereon by the computer user, said monitoring program configured to monitor Internet access activity of the computer user and record said Internet access activity within said remote server; and

wherein said Internet access activity includes access to at least one Internet protocol from a group consisting of network news transfer protocols, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room access, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity;

wherein said remote server includes a processing program configured to analyze the content of each page of said internet access activity and assign a score to each said recorded internet access activity, wherein said score and said content provide an indication of whether said internet access activity is considered an objectionable activity, and generate a report on various protocols.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing program is configured to generate a report of said Internet access activity.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said report includes a list of said recorded Internet access activity and said score assigned to each said recorded Internet access activity.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said report is accessible by a third party recipient.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted by said score.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted chronologically.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein said report includes at least one portion and said at least one portion includes at least one link to at least one other portion.

8. The system of claim 1, further including a first database located within said remote server, and wherein said monitored Internet access activity is stored on said first database.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said score is one of a numeric score and a relative score.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing program is configured to assign said score based on parameters including keywords and image content.

9. A method of monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user, the method comprising the steps of:

a user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on the selected computer, said program configured to monitor Internet access activity of said user, said Internet access activity including at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of newsgroup access, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room activity, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity;

monitoring said Internet access activity;

recording said Internet access activity on a first database located within a remote server;

processing said recorded Internet access activity; and

transferring said processed Internet access activity to a second database, which includes a report on various protocols, and further including the steps of analyzing the content of each page of said Internet access activity and assigning a score to said Internet access activity based on predetermined scoring criteria, and wherein the score provides an indication of whether said Internet access activity is considered an objectionable activity.

10. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of:

generating a report of said Internet access activity within said second database; and

providing said report to a third party recipient selected by said user.