Real time backup system for information based on a user's actions and gestures for computer users

• US 6,711,699 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2000
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kanevsky, Dimitri, Zlatsin, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Assistant Examiner(s): BONURA, TIMOTHY M
• Application Number:
  US09/564,617
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 714/13, 711/162
• US Class Current: 714/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

This invention involves tracking and backing all the information that a user generates on its computer devices (including embedded devices) in real time. The local user server records all user actions and gestures (via various means that include TV cameras). All of this information (user actions and saved files in a computer) is then sent to a remote server via the Internet. This remote server has a virtual map of all the embedded devices on a computer that the person uses. The remote server immediately starts to interpret the user'"'"'s actions (including user gestures). In one implementation, the invention stores user actions that are related to data generation (e.g. actions that called some links where data is stored, or executed some programs that generated data). In another variant, the remote server generates and downloads the same files that are downloaded on the local user computer devices. For example, if a person begins to download a program, the server may also download the same program on a remote backup server. This way, if the user loses this program, it can be retrieved automatically through a provided server on the Internet. If user'"'"'s files are backed up by regular backup periodically, relevant data that were stored by real time backup servers can be eliminated.

Claims

1. A system for backing-up data generated on a computer device by a user, the system comprising:

means for recording physical actions taken by the user at a first location to generate data on the computer device;

means for transforming the recording of the physical actions to transmittable information that identifies said physical actions;

a server located at a second location, remote from the first location; and

means for sending said transmittable information to the server; and

wherein the server includes means to use the information sent to the server to interpret the user'"'"'s physical actions to generate a backup copy of the data generated by the user on the computer device at the first location.

2. The system as in claim 1, where the remote server has a virtual map of all the embedded devices on a computer that the person uses, and the remote server interprets the user'"'"'s actions, including user gestures.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the system stores user actions that are related to data generation.

4. The system as in claim 2, wherein the remote server generates and downloads the same files that are downloaded on the local user computer devices.

5. The system as in claim 1, where the computer device is selected from the group comprising a telephone, a computer, a watch, a recorder, and a calculator, and the user performs various actions on the devices around the user.

6. The system as in claim 5, where the user'"'"'s actions are stored in a database of user actions, the user'"'"'s actions are interpreted by a translator server, the translator interprets which actions made by the user actually change the database, and this information is sent to a backup server, where it is decided what should be saved.

7. The system as in claim 6, where the backup server also downloads files that were downloaded by the user.

8. The system as in claim 7, where, in some cases, a user may generate new data by using a program, the translator of user'"'"'s action would understand that in order to obtain certain data it needs executables.

9. The system as in claim 8, wherein the translator may require that some executables need to be downloaded in order for the server to be able to keep up with the user'"'"'s actions, and wherein if the user has a program that can generate new data, the server would download the same program and enter the same commands as the user did.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein, the data base of user actions is organized as follows:

the start and finish of the time alignment is recorded under one column;

another column contains the list of devices that user actions were performed on, the form of media used to control these devices is located under another column, changes in the devices are recorded under a next column, correlation, a next column gives the names of users for each device, a next column lists the location of each device, and a next column lists the environment of each place.