Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data

• US 6,662,225 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Fong, Avery, Lyapustina, Yevgeniya, Motoyama, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/440,647
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 709/315, 709/224, 709/223, 709/313, 709/316, 709/318, 725/37, 707/106, 707/108, 707/116, 345/751, 345/752
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting

Abstract

A system for monitoring a user'"'"'s usage of a target application. Such a target application can, as examples, be a software program running on a computer or a workstation, an image forming device, an appliance, etc. The target application includes a user interface with a plurality of commands which a user can select. In the example of the target application being a software program, the commands may be icons displayed on a computer screen which a user can point to with a mouse pointer and then click on. In the case of the target application being an image forming device or an appliance, the interface may be an operation panel with buttons, a touch pad, etc. which a user can press. The present invention monitors the user'"'"'s usage of such interfaces and logs data of the user'"'"'s usage of such interfaces. The logged data is stored in the form of an abstract class, and the abstract class is sent to a sending unit. The logged data can then be communicated by the sending unit by Internet mail to a designated location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an interface of a target application, the interface comprising a plurality of operations to be selected by a user;

a monitoring unit configured to monitor data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the interface by the user, and to generate a log of the monitored data, to package the log of the monitored data into either a first information object based on a first monitoring condition or a second information object based on a second monitoring condition using a packaging object derived from an abstract class;

a setting unit configured to set either the first monitoring condition or the second monitoring condition;

a communicating unit configured to receive one of the first and second information objects derived from the abstract class including the log of the monitored data, based on the set first or second monitoring condition, and to communicate the log of the monitored data by a unidirectional communication without requiring input from a device to which the log of the monitored data is communicated.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the target application is a software application and the interface is a display screen of the software application.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the target application is an image forming device and the interface is an operation panel of the image forming device.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the target application is an appliance and the interface is an operation panel of the appliance.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the communicating unit sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit is configured to set a number of sessions of the target application to be executed by the user prior to the communicating unit communicating the log of the monitored data.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the first monitoring condition is storing data of one session and the second monitoring condition is storing data of plural sessions.

8. A system according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the communicating unit communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

9. A system comprising:

interface means of a target application means, the interface means for providing a plurality of operations to be selected by a user;

monitoring means for monitoring data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the interface means by the user, and for generating a log of the monitored data, to package the log of the monitored data into either a first information object based on a first monitoring condition or a second information object based on a second monitoring condition using a packaging object derived from an abstract class;

setting means for setting either the first monitoring condition or the second monitoring condition;

communicating means for receiving one of the first and second information objects derived from the abstract class including the log of the monitored data, based on the set first or second monitoring condition, and for communicating the log of the monitored data by a unidirectional communication without requiring input from a device to which the log of the monitored data is communicated.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the target application means is a software application and the interface means is a display screen of the software application.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the target application means is an image forming device and the interface means is an operation panel of the image forming device.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the target application means is an appliance and the interface means is an operation panel of the appliance.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the communicating means sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application means.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein the setting means sets a number of sessions of the target application means to be executed by the user prior to the communicating means communicating the log of the monitored data.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein, the first monitoring condition is storing data of one session and the second monitoring condition is storing data of plural sessions.

16. A system according to any one of claims 9-15, wherein the communicating means communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

17. A method of monitoring usage of an interface of a target application, the interface including a plurality of operations to be selected by a user, comprising the steps of:

monitoring data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the interface by the user;

generating a log of the monitored data, to package the log of the monitored data into either a first information object based on a first monitoring condition or a second information object based on a second monitoring condition using a packaging object derived from an abstract class; and

setting either the first monitoring condition or the second monitoring condition;

receiving one of the first and second information objects derived from the abstract class including the log of the monitored data, based on the set first or second monitoring condition, and communicating the log of the monitored data by a unidirectional communication without requiring input from a device to which the log of the monitored data is communicated.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the target application is a software application and the interface is a display screen of the software application.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the target application is an image forming device and the interface is an operation panel of the image forming device.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the target application is an appliance and the interface is an operation panel of the appliance.

21. A method according to claim 17, wherein the communicating step sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application.

22. A method according to claim 17, wherein the setting step sets a number of sessions of the target application to be executed by the user prior to the communicating device communicating the log of the monitored data.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the first monitoring condition is storing data of one session and the second monitoring condition is storing data of plural sessions.

24. A method according to any one of claims 17-23, wherein the communicating step communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

25. A computer program product comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to monitor a user'"'"'s usage of an interface of a target application, the interface comprising a plurality of operations to be selected by a user, comprising;

a first computer code device configured to monitor data of selecting of the plurality of operations of the interface by the user, and configured to generate a log of the monitored data, to package the log of the monitored data into either a first information object based on a first monitoring condition or a second information object based on a second monitoring condition using a packaging object derived from an abstract class; and

a second computer code configured to set either the first monitoring condition or the second monitoring condition;

a third computer code device configured to receive one of the first and second information objects derived from the abstract class including the log of the monitored data, based on the set first or second monitoring condition, and to communicate the log of the monitored data by a unidirectional communication without requiring input from a device to which the log of the monitored data is communicated.

26. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the target application is a software application and the interface is a display screen of the software application.

27. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the target application is an image forming device and the interface is an operation panel of the image forming device.

28. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the target application is an appliance and the interface is an operation panel of the appliance.

29. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the third computer code device is further configured to send the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application.

30. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the second computer code device is configured to set a number of sessions of the target application to be executed by the user prior to the second computer code device communicating the log of the monitored data.

31. A computer program product according to claim 30, wherein the first monitoring condition is storing data of one session and the second monitoring condition is storing data of plural sessions.

32. A computer program product according to any one of claims 25-31, wherein the third computer code device is further configured to communicate the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.