Monitoring and tracking application usage

• US 9,037,960 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Mukhopadhyay, Tanmoy, Bhat, Venumadhava Ganapaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc A
• Application Number:
  US12/967,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/212, 715/273, 715/736, 715/700, 702/187, 345/789, 726/26, 709/224
• US Class Current: 715/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

The present description refers to a computer-implemented method, a computer program product and a computer system for monitoring and tracking application usage, the method comprising: determining, during a first interval, a first indication of whether a first user has provided a first input. The method further comprising obtaining, during the first interval, a first identifier of an active window in a first graphical user interface (GUI), and selectively storing the first identifier and the first indication. For this purpose a specific tracking tool may be implemented on the computer on which the first graphical user interface is executed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of monitoring and tracking application usage, the method comprising:

specifying a first interval length that is a period of time;

determining, during a first interval of the first interval length, a first indication of an input status of whether a first user has provided a first input;

obtaining, during the first interval of the first interval length, a first identifier of an active window in a first graphical user interface (GUI); and

tracking the application usage by;

obtaining a first input comparison by comparing the first indication of the input status with a previously stored indication of the input status and comparing the first identifier of the active window with a previously stored identifier of the active window; and

selectively storing the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status based on the first input comparison by only storing the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status when the comparison input indicates;

the first identifier of the active window is different from a most recently stored identifier of the active window;

or the first indication of the input status is different from a most recently stored indication of the input status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively storing the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status includes saving the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status in a first data set comprising a first data sheet.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

specifying a second interval length that is a period of time different from the first interval length;

determining, during a second interval of the second interval length, a second indication of an input status of whether a second user has provided a second input;

obtaining, during the second interval of the second interval length, a second identifier of an active window in a second GUI;

saving the second identifier of the active window of the second GUI and the second indication of the input status of the second user in a second data set comprising a second data sheet; and

copying data of the first data set and data of the second data set into a third data set comprising a third data sheet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first data sheet is located on a first computer, the second data sheet is located on a second computer and the third data sheet is located on a third computer;

and

wherein copying the data of the first data sheet and the data of the second data sheet into the third data sheet further comprises;

opening a connection from the first computer to the third computer and copying the first data sheet to the third computer; and

opening another connection from the second computer to the third computer and copying the second data sheet to the third computer.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, during a second interval of the first interval length, a second indication of the input status of whether the first user has provided a second input;

obtaining, during the second interval of the first interval length, a second identifier of the active window in the first GUI; and

where tracking the application usage further comprises;

obtaining a second input comparison by comparing the second identifier of the active window with the first identifier of the active window and comparing the second indication of the input status with the first indication of the input status; and

selectively storing the second identifier of the active window and the second indication of the input status based on the second input comparison.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising,

transmitting the first data sheet to a second computer;

processing the first data sheet using a macro; and

consolidating information from the first data sheet with information from one or more further data sheets in order to generate a report.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first indication of the input status comprises verifying whether the first user has provided the first input using a keyboard, a navigation device, a pointing device, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status are not displayed in the first GUI.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising varying the first interval length according to an application being monitored, a process being performed, or both.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising specifying the first interval length as a fixed period of time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically protecting stored data indicative of the tracking of the application usage by:

locking one or more data cells of the stored data;

or

hiding one or more data cells of the stored data.

12. A computer system for monitoring and tracking application usage, the computer system comprising:

a first computer including;

a first graphical user interface (GUI) configured to display a first active window; and

a first input device; and

wherein the first computer is operable to;

specify a first interval length that is a period of time;

determine, during a first interval of the first interval length, a first indication of an input status of whether a first user has provided a first input to the first input device;

obtain, during the first interval of the first interval length, a first identifier of the first active window; and

track the application usage by;

obtaining a first input comparison by comparing the first indication of the input status with a previously stored indication of the input status and comparing the first identifier of the first active window with a previously stored identifier of an active window; and

selectively storing the first identifier of the first active window and the first indication based on the first input comparison by only storing the first identifier of the first active window and the first indication of the input status when the comparison input indicates;

the first identifier of the first active window is different from a most recently stored identifier of the active window;

or

the first indication of the input status is different from a most recently stored indication of the input status.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first computer is operable to:

determine, during a second interval of the first interval length, a second indication of the input status of whether the first user has provided a second input;

obtain, during the second interval of the first interval length, a second identifier of the active window in the first GUI; and

further track the application usage by;

obtaining a second input comparison by comparing the second identifier of the active window with the first identifier of the first active window and comparing the second indication of the input status with the first indication of the input status; and

selectively storing the second identifier of the active window and the second indication of the input status based on the second input comparison.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first computer is operable to:

transmit the first data sheet to a second computer;

process the first data sheet using a macro; and

consolidate information from the first data sheet with information from one or more further data sheets in order to generate a report.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein determining the first indication of the input status comprises verifying whether the first user has provided the first input using a keyboard, a navigation device, a pointing device, or any combination thereof.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first identifier of the first active window and the first indication of the input status are not displayed in the first GUI.

17. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the first computer is operable to:

vary the first interval length according to an application being monitored, a process being performed, or both.

18. The computer system of claim 12, where the first computer is operable to specify the first interval length as a fixed period of time.

19. The computer system of claim 12, where the first computer is operable to automatically protect stored data indicative of the tracking of the application usage by:

locking one or more data cells of the stored data;

or

hiding one or more data cells of the stored data.

20. A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions stored on non-transitory computer-readable medium, which, when loaded and executed on a computer system, cause the computer system to:

specify a first interval length that is a period of time;

determine, during a first interval of the first interval length, a first indication of an input status of whether a first user has provided a first input;

obtain, during the first interval of the first interval length, a first identifier of an active window in a first graphical user interface (GUI); and

track the application usage by;

obtaining a first input comparison by comparing the first indication of the input status with a previously stored indication of the input status and comparing the first identifier of the active window with a previously stored identifier of the active window; and

selectively storing the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status based on the first input comparison by only storing the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status when the comparison input indicates;

the first identifier of the active window is different from a most recently stored identifier of the active window;

or

the first indication of the input status is different from a most recently stored indication of the input status.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer system to selectively store the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status by saving the first identifier of the active window and the first indication of the input status in a first data set, comprising a first data sheet.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the computer system to:

specify a second interval length that is a period of time different from the first interval length;

determine, during a second interval of the second interval length, a second indication of an input status of whether a second user has provided a second input;

obtain, during the second interval of the second interval length, a second identifier of an active window in a second GUI;

save the second identifier of the active window in the second GUI and the second indication of the input status of the second user in a second data set, comprising a second data sheet; and

copy data of the first data set and data of the second data set into a third data set comprising a third data sheet.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the first data sheet is located on a first computer, the second data sheet is located on a second computer and the third data sheet is located on a third computer;

and

wherein copying the data of the first data sheet and the data of the second data sheet into the third data sheet further comprises;

opening a connection from the first computer to the third computer and copying the first data sheet to the third computer; and

opening another connection from the second computer to the third computer and copying the second data sheet to the third computer.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer system to:

determine, during a second interval of the first interval length, a second indication of the input status of whether the first user has provided a second input;

obtain, during the second interval of the first interval length, a second identifier of an active window in the first GUI; and

further track the application usage by;

obtaining a second input comparison by comparing the second identifier of the active window with the first identifier of the active window and comparing the second indication of the input status with the first indication of the input status; and

selectively storing the second identifier of the active window and the second indication of the input status based on the second input comparison.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises,

transmitting the first data sheet to a second computer;

processing the first data sheet using a macro; and

consolidating information from the first data sheet with information from one or more further data sheets in order to generate a report.

26. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein determining the first indication of the input status comprises verifying whether the first user has provided the first input using a keyboard, a navigation device, a pointing device, or any combination thereof.

27. The computer program product of claim 20,

wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer system to vary the first interval length according to an application being monitored, a process being performed, or both.

28. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer system to specify the first interval length as a fixed period of time.

29. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer system to automatically protect stored data indicative of the tracking of the application usage by:

locking one or more data cells of the stored data;

or

hiding one or more data cells of the stored data.