System and method for activity monitoring and reporting in a computer network

• US 6,631,412 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liffick, Stephen M., Glasser, Daniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US10/327,384
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system for monitoring user activity in an instant messaging session on a computer network periodically sends an activity message to other participants in the instant messaging session if the user has actively entered data during a first predetermined time interval. The system periodically sends a new activity message at intervals corresponding to the first predetermined time interval so long as the user is actively entering data during each time interval. If the user has not entered data during the first predetermined time interval, the system will not send an activity message. Other participants in the instant messaging session receive the activity message and generate an activity indicator on their respective displays. The computer receiving the activity message displays an activity indicator on the computer display in response to receipt of an activity message and starts a timer to measure a second predetermined time interval. If another activity message is not received within the second predetermined time interval, the activity indicator is deleted from the display.

Claims

1. A method of indicating user input activity comprising:

receiving, at a first electronic device, an activity indication message indicative of a user having operated, within a predefined period of time, an input device associated with a second electronic device remote from said first electronic device;

rendering an activity indicator indicating that said user is currently operating said input device;

receiving a content message from said second electronic device, said content message comprising information entered by said user using said input device;

determining, based on receipt of said content message, that said user has stopped typing; and

ceasing to render said activity indicator based on said determining step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said input device comprises a keyboard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first electronic device is associated with a visual display device, and wherein said act of rendering an activity indicator comprises displaying a graphic image or text string on said visual display device.

4. A computer-readable medium or modulated signal being encoded with computer-executable instructions to perform a method of indicating user input activity comprising:

receiving, at a first electronic device, an activity indication message indicative of a user having operated, within a predefined period of time, an input device associated with a second electronic device remote from said first electronic device;

rendering an activity indicator indicating that said user is currently operating said input device;

receiving a content message from said second electronic device, said content message comprising information entered by said user using said input device;

determining, based on receipt of said content message, that said user has stopped typing; and

ceasing to render said activity indicator based on said determining step.

15. The computer-readable medium or modulated signal of claim 4, wherein said input device comprises a keyboard.

16. The computer-readable medium or modulated signal of claim 4, wherein said first electronic device is associated with a visual display device, and wherein said act of rendering an activity indicator comprises displaying a graphic image or text string on said visual display device.

5. A method performed in a first electronic device of communicating to a second electronic device whether user input activity is occurring at the first electronic device, the method comprising:

determining that a user input device associated with the first electronic device has been operated within a predetermined period of time;

based on said determining act, sending an activity message to the second electronic device;

receiving a content message from a user of the first electronic device, said content message having been entered with said user input device;

receiving, at said first electronic device, an indication that said user desires to transmit said content message to said second electronic device; and

transmitting said content message to said second electronic device as an indication that said user has ceased operating said user input device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said content message comprises data indicative of said user having ceased operating said user input device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said user input device comprises a keyboard.

8. A computer-readable medium or modulated signal being encoded with computer-executable instructions to perform a method in a first electronic device of communicating to a second electronic device whether user input activity is occurring at the first electronic device, the method comprising:

determining that a user input device associated with the first electronic device has been operated within a predetermined period of time;

based on said determining act, sending an activity message to the second electronic device;

receiving a content message from a user of the first electronic device, said content message having been entered with said user input device;

receiving, at said first electronic device, an indication that said user desires to transmit said content message to said second electronic device; and

transmitting said content message to said second electronic device as an indication that said user has ceased operating said user input device.

17. The computer-readable medium or modulated signal of claim 8, wherein said content message comprises data indicative of said user having ceased operating said user input device.

18. The computer-readable medium or modulated signal of claim 8, wherein said user input device comprises a keyboard.

9. A system for operating a first electronic device having a first input device associated therewith, the system comprising:

a module that determines whether said input device has been operated by a first user within a first predetermined period of time and that sends a first activity message to a second electronic device based on the determination, that generates a first content message based on input entered by said first user with said first input device, and that transmits said first content message to said second electronic device in response to an instruction from said first user to transmit said first content message, the receipt of said first content message serving as an indication to said second electronic device that operation of said first input device has ceased.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said second electronic device is associated with a second input device, and wherein said module further receives a second activity message from said second electronic device as an indication that a second user has begun operating said second input device, renders an activity indicator in response to receiving said second activity message, receives a second content message from said second electronic device, and ceases to render said activity indicator based on receipt of said second content message, said second content message comprising information entered by said second user with said second input device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said first electronic device is associated with a visual display device, and wherein said module renders said activity indicator by displaying a graphical image on said visual display device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said second content message comprises data indicative of said second user having ceased to operate said second input device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said first input device comprises a keyboard.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said module comprises a set of computer-executable instructions executable on said first electronic device.