Recording client events using application resident on removable storage device

• US 9,262,147 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gutnik, Yevgeniy, Shakil, Omer, Radhakrishnan, Sanjeev, Kelkar, Shrikant S., Lewis, Benjamin, Konar, Ellen, Djabarov, Gueorgui N., Slotwiner, Daniel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US12/650,379
• Time in Patent Office: 2,239 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB

Abstract

At a server, during one or more first time periods, event data is received from a first client with respect to one or more events that occur at the first client. The event data is sent by the first client under control of a first application resident on a removable storage device. At the server, during one or more second time periods, event data is received from a second client with respect to one or more events that occur at the second client. The event data is sent by the second client under control of the first application resident on the removable storage device. The first and second time periods are non-overlapping.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computing device comprising one or more processors,

(A) receiving, by the computing from a first client device via a computer network, during one or more first time periods, a first set of event data with respect to one or more events that occur at the first client device, wherein the first set of event data is sent by the first client device under control of a first application resident on USB smart drive; and

wherein the first set of event data is associated with an identifier from the USB smart drive received by the computing device during the receiving (A);

(B) receiving, by the computing device from a second client device, during one or more second time periods, a second set of event data with respect to one or more events that occur at the second client device, wherein the second set of event data is sent by the second client device under control of the first application resident on the USB smart drive, and wherein the second set of event data is also associated with the identifier; and

(C) connecting, by the computing device, the first set of event data with the second set of event data, in accordance with the identifier wherein the first and second time periods are non overlapping.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the second client device, during the one or more second time periods subsequent to the one or more first time periods, a third set of event data with respect to one or more events that occur at the first client device, wherein the third set of event data is associated with the identifier and sent by the second client device under control of the first application resident on said USB smart drive, wherein the third set of event data is generated during the one or more first time periods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the USB smart drive is uniquely associated with a first user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein during the one or more first time periods the USB smart drive is coupled to the first client device and during the one or more second time periods the USB smart drive is coupled to the second client device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein upon coupling of the USB smart drive to a given client device, the first application resident on the USB smart drive is executed automatically by a host operating system of the given client device using an auto-run function.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein an event at a given client device includes execution of the first application resident on the USB smart drive coupled to the given client device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein an event at a given client device includes execution of a second application resident on the USB smart drive coupled to the given client device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the first application monitors events occurring at a given client device to which the USB smart drive is coupled.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein an event at a given client device includes HTTP requests originating at the given client device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an event at a given client device includes activation of one or more programs on the given client device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client device and the second client device are the same client device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second time periods are non-overlapping.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is unique with respect to a given client device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is unique with respect to a user associated with a given client device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is unique with respect to the USB smart drive.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application is executed without being installed on a given client device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying one or a usage pattern, a user or a client device behavior using the first and second sets of event data, in accordance with the identifier.

18. A method comprising:

at a client device,

during one or more first time periods,

executing a first application resident on a USB smart drive to record a first set of event data with respect to events that occur at the client device, the a USB smart drive coupled to the client device; and

transmitting (i) the first set of event data, and (ii) an identifier from the USB smart drive associated with the first set of event data, to a server; and

during one or more second time periods,

executing the first application resident on the USB smart drive to record a second set of event data with respect to events that occur at the client device; and

transmitting the second set of event data to the server, wherein the second set of event data connected with the first set of event data in accordance with the identifier.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

using the first application to monitor events occurring at the client device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

when the USB smart drive is coupled with the client device, transmitting the event information when a network connection is established between the client device and the server and a trigger condition is met, wherein the respective trigger condition is of one of;

passage of a predetermined amount of time after a previous transmission of event information, collection of a predetermined amount of event information at the first client device, and occurrence of a predefined event at the first client device; and

when the USB smart drive is not coupled with the client device, transmitting the event information when a network connection is established between the server and another client device with which the USB smart drive is coupled and the trigger condition is met.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting a unique identifier to the server, the unique identifier associated with the USB smart drive.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein an event at the client device includes execution of the first application resident on the USB smart drive.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein an event at the client device includes HTTP requests originating at the client device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein an event at the client device includes activation of one or more programs on the client device.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein an event at the client device includes execution of a second application resident on the USB smart drive.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the application resident on the USB smart drive is executed automatically by a host operating system of the client device using an auto-run function.

27. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing one or more programs having instructions to be executed by the one or more processors; and

a communication interface to

(A) receive, from a first client device, during one or more first time periods, a first set of event data with respect to one or more events that occur at the first client device, wherein the first set of event data is sent by the first client device under control of an application resident on a USB smart drive, and wherein the first set of event data is associated with an identifier from the USB smart drive received by the computer system during the receiving (A);

(B) receive from a second client device, during one or more second time periods, a second set of event data with respect to one or more events that occur at the second client device, wherein the second set of event data is sent by the second client device under control of the application resident on the USB smart drive, and wherein the second set of event data is connected with the first set of event data in accordance with the identifier; and

(C) associate the first set of event data with the second set of event data, in accordance with the identifier.

28. A USB smart drive and one or more computer programs stored thereon, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions for:

(A) receiving, from a first client device, during one or more first time periods, a first set of event data with respect to one or more events that occur at the first client device, wherein the first set of event data is sent by the first client device under control of a first application resident on the USB smart drive; and

wherein the first set of event data includes an identifier provided by the USB smart drive; and

(B) receiving, from a second client device, during one or more second time periods, a second set of event data with respect to one or more events that occur at the second client, wherein the second set of event data is sent by the second client device under control of the first application resident on the USB smart drive, and wherein the second set of event data also includes the identifier;

wherein the first set of event data is connected with the second set of event data in accordance with the identifier.