Method and system for tracking computer system usage through a remote access security device

• US 7,181,421 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Farmer, Michael Stephan, Clayton, Christina Ellen, Peterson, Bruce Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CUONG H
• Application Number:
  US11/267,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 705/30, 705/32, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring remote computer access and associated costs is provided. The system includes a remotely located communication server in communication with multiple host computer networks and in communication with a network access server. First and second memory devices contain a list of authorized users for the host computer networks and a user log for use by a billing computer to generate bills. The method includes the steps of creating starting and ending time stamps for each authorized user accessing a respective one of the multiple host computer networks and creating a user log to generate bills and monitor host computer network usage.

Claims

1. In a system for providing secure remote access between a plurality of unrelated host computer networks and a plurality of authorized users via a network access server, a method of monitoring access to each of the unrelated host computer networks comprising the steps of:

receiving at a communication server a request from a remotely located computer user to access one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks;

automatically transmitting information regarding the request from the communication server to the network access server, the information comprising identification information for the remotely located computer user;

determining at the network access server if the user is authorized to access the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks;

establishing a connection between the remotely located computer user and the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks via the communication server if the remotely located user is an authorized remotely located user for the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks;

storing computer usage time for the authorized remotely located computer user in a user log at the network access server after the authorized remotely located computer user disconnects from the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks whereby the user log contains a record of computer time usage for each authorized user;

for each of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks, generating a billing and computer time usage summary, each billing and computer time usage summary listing charges and computer time usage for a respective one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks; and

electronically transmitting each billing and computer usage summary to an appropriate one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a billing and computer time usage summary further comprises generating a list of fixed charges and generating a list of help desk charges for each of the unrelated host computer networks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a billing and computer time usage summary further comprises receiving a long distance telephone company report containing charges associated with each of the respective unrelated host computer networks.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising listing, in the billing and computer time usage summary for a particular unrelated host computer network, charges from the long distance company report for each remotely located computer user of the particular unrelated host computer network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein listing charges from the long distance company report comprises calculating a percentage of computer use time attributable to each of the remotely located computer users for the particular host computer network and distributing the charges from the long distance company report to appropriate remotely located computer users in the billing summary for the particular host computer network according to the calculated percentage of computer use time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing computer usage time for the authorized remotely located computer user comprises recording starting and ending time stamps for a remote access call to the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks in the user log.

7. A system for providing secure remote access between a plurality of unrelated host computer networks and a plurality of authorized users, the system comprising:

a first processor configured for communication with the plurality of unrelated host computer networks;

first processor logic executable by the first processor comprising instructions for executing the following steps;

in response to receipt of identification information for a remotely located user seeking to access one of the plurality of unrelated computer networks, determining if the remotely located user is authorized to access the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks;

establishing a connection between the remotely located computer user and the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks via a communication device if the remotely located user is an authorized remotely located user for the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks; and

storing computer usage time for the authorized remotely located computer user in a user log after the authorized remotely located computer user disconnects from the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks whereby the user log contains a record of computer time usage for each authorized user;

a second processor in communication with the first processor; and

second processor logic executable by the second processor comprising instructions for executing the following steps;

generating a billing and computer time usage summary for each of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks, each billing and computer time usage summary listing charges and computer time usage for a respective one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks;

and electronically transmitting each billing and computer usage summary to an appropriate one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions for executing the steps of generating a billing and computer time usage summary further comprise instructions for generating a list of fixed charges and generating a list of help desk charges for each of the unrelated host computer networks.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions for executing the steps of generating a billing and computer time usage summary further comprise instructions for receiving a long distance telephone company report containing charges associated with each of the respective unrelated host computer networks.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions for executing the steps of generating a billing and computer time usage summary further comprises instructions for listing, in the billing and computer time usage summary for a particular unrelated host computer network, charges from the long distance company report for each remotely located computer user of the particular unrelated host computer network.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions for listing charges from the long distance company report comprise instructions for calculating a percentage of computer use time attributable to each of a plurality of remotely located computer users for the particular host computer network and for distributing the charges from the long distance company report to appropriate remotely located computer users in the billing summary for the particular host computer network according to the calculated percentage of computer use time.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions for storing computer usage time for the authorized remotely located computer user comprise instructions for recording starting and ending time stamps for a remote access call to the one of the plurality of unrelated host computer networks in the user log.