System and Method for Intelligence Gathering and Analysis

• US 20110040724A1
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clark C. Dircz
• Original Assignee: Clark C. Dircz
• Inventors: Dircz, Clark C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/603
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computing system for intelligence gathering and analysis includes a computer-based remote avatar rendering and maintenance module, a self-directed data gathering and communication module, a remote personalized data stream analysis module, and a database. The avatar rendering and maintenance module provides an indicator for users to select targeted data streams presented as weapon icons that includes user-selected analysis priorities and threshold attributes of the targeted data. The self-directed data gathering and communication module provides administration programs that coordinate and control the timing and execution of commercially available web search, crawler, and messaging applications. The personalized data stream analysis module provides administration programs that coordinate and control the timing and execution of data consolidation, workflow and scoring programs related to the analysis module. The database stores and manages electronic data related to administrative control of all other system applications and to hold all user gathered data and analysis records as defined specific to the system requirements.

Claims

1. A computing system for intelligence gathering and analysis, the system comprising:

a computer-based remote avatar rendering and maintenance module configured to provide an indicator for users to select targeted data streams presented as weapon icons that includes user-selected analysis priorities and threshold attributes of the targeted data;

a computer-based remote self-directed data gathering and communication module configured to provide administration programs that coordinate and control timing and execution of commercially available web search, crawler, and messaging applications;

a computer-based remote personalized data stream analysis module configured to provide administration programs that coordinate and control timing and execution of data consolidation, workflow and scoring programs related to the analysis module; and

a database configured to store and manage electronic data related to administrative control of all other system applications and to hold all user gathered data and analysis records as defined specific to the system requirements.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the avatar rendering and maintenance module is further configured to:

specify electronic communication interfaces presented as tool icons;

install an active watcher monitoring component on a plurality of local user devices; and

enable web-service based data interaction.

3. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the avatar rendering and maintenance module is further configured to create a visual interface within a web browser to enable users to individually choose and store, by user-id in the database, data gathering targets in the form of computer-generated graphical weapon icons and personal communication services in the form of computer-generated graphical communication device icon.

4. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the watcher monitoring component is further configured to monitor a status field stored in a remote database table via a series of periodic interactive computer communications.

5. The computing system of claim 4, wherein communications received by the watcher contain information that notifies a user to review information held by the remote avatar rendering and maintenance module.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the data gathering and communication module is further configured to:

provide personal electronic surrogates that enable the search, crawling and messaging applications to gain secure access to targeted sources that require specific user credentials;

enable continuous multi-server operation of battle applications; and

enable web-service based data interaction with other applications of the system.

7. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the data gathering and communication module is further configured to listen for an electronic activation command containing a user-id, a time-date-stamp, and an active-status value from an avatar activation program.

8. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the data gathering and communication is further configured to transmit one or more electronic communications selected from the group consisting of weapon data retrieval targets, user-ids and passwords to a personal surrogate program.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the personal surrogate computer program runs continuously and receives one or more electronic messages comprised of a target.

10. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the personalized data stream analysis module is further configured to implement:

programs that consolidate and analyze data gathered by battle applications;

a variance monitoring program that detects variance condition in data based on parameters established by the user; and

a communication program that provides visual status indicators to end user local devices.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the personalized data stream analysis module is further configured to implement a scoring engine including an analysis maintenance program within the scoring engine, wherein the scoring engine creates a visual interface within a web browser that allows an administrator to set up run time intervals, trigger values, user weapon and communication defaults, mathematical ranges for other programs that are specific to the system, electronic communication message templates, and other attributes required by the scoring application.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein a process workflow queue program within the scoring engine is configured to continuously control the execution of computer scoring programs included within the scoring engine based on at least one of run-time intervals and measurement of attribute values within stored raw data records, the attribute values including record counts and data item value thresholds.

13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the scoring engine and analysis program is configured to receive an electronic run message from the process workflow queue program comprising a user-id and date-time-stamp value.

14. A method of intelligence gathering and analysis, the method comprising:

instantiating, on a remote computer, an avatar rendering and maintenance module configured to provide an indicator for users to select targeted data streams presented as weapon icons that includes user-selected analysis priorities and threshold attributes of the targeted data;

instantiating, on the remote computer, a self-directed data gathering and communication module configured to provide administration programs that coordinate and control timing and execution of commercially available web search, crawler, and messaging applications;

instantiating, on the remote computer, a personalized data stream analysis module configured to provide administration programs that coordinate and control timing and execution of data consolidation, workflow and scoring programs related to the analysis module; and

configuring a database to store and manage electronic data related to administrative control of all other system applications and to hold all user gathered data and analysis records as defined specific to the system requirements.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

specifying, via the avatar rendering and maintenance module, electronic communication interfaces presented as tool icons;

installing, via the avatar rendering and maintenance module, an active watcher monitoring component on a plurality of local user devices; and

enabling, via the avatar rendering and maintenance module, web-service based data interaction.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising implementing:

programs, via the data gathering and communication module, configured as personal electronic surrogates to enable the search, crawling and messaging applications to gain secure access to targeted sources that require specific user credentials;

programs, via the data gathering and communication module, that enable the continuous multi-server operation of battle applications; and

programs, via the data gathering and communication module, that enable high-volume web-service based data interaction with other applications of the system.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising implementing:

programs, via the personalized data stream analysis module, that consolidate and analyze data gathered by battle applications;

a variance monitoring program, via the personalized data stream analysis module, that detects variance condition in the data based on parameters established by the user; and

a communication program, via the personalized data stream analysis module, that provides visual status indicators to end user local devices.

18. A method for self-directed filtered electronic data gathering and automated delivery and presentation of analytical data to users via interaction with a computer generated avatar, wherein said data is contained in a computer database that holds gathered data as augmented by a trend analysis computer program, the method comprising:

instantiating a plurality of remote computer-based applications comprising an avatar maintenance module, a data gathering module, a data scoring engine module, a data storage module, and a data interaction module, wherein the avatar maintenance module comprises an avatar graphical report program, an avatar builder program, a weapon selection program, a communicator select program, and a watcher install program;

receiving a communication from a user initiated web browser session at a remote front-end web server via a local computer device executing a browser;

prompting the user via the watcher install program to create a login with a user-id and password, wherein a local status watcher communication application is downloaded and installed via a secure internet communication session;

saving user account information and executing the avatar builder program to present the user with choices to select avatar graphical attributes via a second browser session;

receiving from the user a selection of weapons monitoring targets and preferred communication modes; and

receiving selection of an activate button within the avatar builder interface to run the avatar activate program that sends an electronic message containing the user-id and a status code to a battle application, wherein the battle application schedules gatherers comprising at least one data source query tools that begins collecting data on behalf of the user.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the scoring engine application simultaneously and continuously loops through gathered battle data, identifies new data, groups the data by weapon and applies a velocity static scoring and a net change algorithm to the data with resulting score and change records.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a velocity variance check program running continuously in the scoring engine application compares static and trend scores to user entered values established for each weapon, and wherein upon a resulting comparison falling beyond a mathematical range expressed by a power attribute for user chosen weapons, the variance check program sends an electronic message to the messenger alert program, consisting of user-id, weapon and a predetermined alert body.