Method and system of remote diagnostic, control and information collection using a dynamic linked library
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- an interface of an application unit, including a plurality of operations to be selected by a user;
a target application implemented as a computer code device configured to control the interface of the application unit;
a monitoring unit configured to monitor data from the target application corresponding to selecting at least one key of the interface by the user while the target application is in use, and to generate a log of the monitored data including data corresponding to the at least one key selected by the user;
a dynamic linked library for interfacing between the target application and the monitoring unit; and
a communicating unit configured to receive the log of the monitored data, and to communicate the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application after every n sessions of the target application, when n is at least two.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring a user'"'"'s usage of a target application on an application unit. 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 application unit 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 application unit 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 can then be communicated by the sending unit to a designated location.
212 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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an interface of an application unit, including a plurality of operations to be selected by a user;
a target application implemented as a computer code device configured to control the interface of the application unit;
a monitoring unit configured to monitor data from the target application corresponding to selecting at least one key of the interface by the user while the target application is in use, and to generate a log of the monitored data including data corresponding to the at least one key selected by the user;
a dynamic linked library for interfacing between the target application and the monitoring unit; and
a communicating unit configured to receive the log of the monitored data, and to communicate the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application after every n sessions of the target application, when n is at least two. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
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interface means of an application unit means, the interface means for providing a plurality of operations to be selected by a user;
a target application implemented as a computer code device configured to control the interface of the application unit;
monitoring means for monitoring data from the target application corresponding to selecting at least one key of the interface means by the user while the target application is in use, and for generating a log of the monitored data including data corresponding to the at least one key selected by the user;
dynamic linked library for interfacing between the target application and the monitoring unit; and
communicating means for receiving the log of the monitored data and for communicating the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application means after every n sessions of the target application, wherein n is at least two. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of monitoring usage of an interface of an application unit, the interface including a plurality of operations to be selected by a user, the method comprising the steps of:
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controlling the interface using a target application implemented as a computer code device;
monitoring data from the target application corresponding to selecting at least one key of the interface by the user while the target application is in use by communicating with the target application through a dynamic linked library;
generating a log of the monitored data including data corresponding to the at least one key selected by the user; and
receiving the monitored data, and communicating the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application after every n sessions of the target application, wherein n is at least two. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer program product comprising:
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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 an application unit, the interface comprising a plurality of operations to be selected by a user, comprising;
a first computer code device configured to control the interface;
a second computer code device configured to monitor data from the first computer code device corresponding to selecting at least one key of the interface by the user while the first computer code device is in use by communicating with the first computer code device through dynamically linked library, and configured to generate a log of the monitored data including data corresponding to the at least one key selected by the user; and
a third computer code device configured to receive the log of the monitored data and to communicate the log of the monitored data, wherein the second computer code device is further configured to send the log of the monitored data when the user exits the target application after every n sessions of the target application, wherein n is at least two. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification