Peered proctoring

• US 9,984,582 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kryterion, Inc. (Drake International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kryterion, Inc. (Drake International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Logan, David, Walton, Eric, Collins, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US15/194,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20160307451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19663 Surveillance related processing done local to the camera
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/07 providing for individual presentation of questions to a plurality of student stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

Systems and methods described herein utilize a distributed server network to allow for the real-time distribution of copies of a data stream uploaded from a computing device. The uploaded data stream corresponds to an environment surrounding a user (exam taker) of the computing device during execution of a testing routine for an examination. Providing copies of the data stream in real-time allows proctors as well as other test assessment authorities to ‘peek in’ on the exam taker'"'"'s environment surrounding the exam. As a result, the environment surrounding the exam taker can be monitored in real-time to determine whether any visual or audio activity in the environment constitutes activity not in accordance with the exam protocol. Following an affirmative determination that the exam taker violated an exam taking protocol, the proctor or other test assessment authority can then make a final or early decision regarding disciplinary action.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing distribution of a data stream from a distributed computing device network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a data stream of an examination environment surrounding a user of a first remote computing device during execution of a testing routine, the request received over the distributed computing device network and during execution of the testing routine;

identifying a computing device of the distributed computing device network to process the request based on at least one performance metric corresponding to a network path from the computing device to a second remote computing device; and

transmitting the data stream from the identified computing device to the second remote computing device in response to the request.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request to transmit the data stream to a third remote computing device included in the distributed computing device network, the second request received during execution of the testing routine; and

transmitting the data stream from the second remote computing device to the third remote computing device during execution of the testing routine in response to the second request.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance metric is at least one of a bandwidth metric, packet loss metric, and delay metric and wherein the at least one performance metric is determined based in part on a geographic location of the computing device and the second remote computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one performance metric is at least one of a bandwidth metric, a packet loss metric, and delay metric and wherein the at least one performance metric is determined by analyzing data collected within the distributed computing device network that corresponds to the at least one performance metric.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data stream is a real-time video data stream of the examination environment surrounding the user of the first remote computing device during the testing routine.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the second remote computing device that aberrant behavior in the examination environment has been detected through analysis of the data stream.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the data stream into the distributed computing device network.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program embodied thereon, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for managing distribution of a data stream from a distributed computing device network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a data stream of an examination environment surrounding a user of a first remote computing device during execution of a testing routine, the request received over the distributed computing device network and during execution of the testing routine;

identifying a computing device of the distributed computing device network to process the request based on at least one performance metric corresponding to a network path from the computing device to a second remote computing device; and

transmitting the data stream from the identified computing device to the second remote computing device in response to the request.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second request to transmit the data stream to a third remote computing device included in the distributed computing device network, the second request received during execution of the testing routine; and

transmitting the data stream from the second remote computing device to the third remote computing device during execution of the testing routine in response to the second request.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one performance metric is at least one of a bandwidth metric, packet loss metric, and delay metric and wherein the at least one performance metric is determined based in part on a geographic location of the computing device and the second remote computing device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the at least one performance metric is at least one of a bandwidth metric, a packet loss metric, and delay metric and wherein the at least one performance metric is determined by analyzing data collected within the distributed computing device network that corresponds to the at least one performance metric.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the data stream is a real-time video data stream of the examination environment surrounding the user of the first remote computing device during the testing routine.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising receiving an indication from the second remote computing device that aberrant behavior in the examination environment has been detected through analysis of the data stream.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising receiving the data stream into the distributed computing device network.