Method for monitoring computer user input

• US 7,536,642 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelley, Edward E., Motika, Franco, Wilbrink, Tijs Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Debrow; James J
• Application Number:
  US10/907,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20060236236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 715/530, 715/255, 715/234
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices

Abstract

Monitoring text input from a keyboard and from a pointing device, is done by monitoring input from a user keyboard for entry of text and cursor controls; monitoring input from a pointing device; logging keyboard entered text to a key log; and responsive to input selectively from the pointing device and keyboard selectively signaling a command action, determining text contents of the command action and logging the text contents to the key log in sequence with the keyboard entered text. A temporary storage is provided for storing copied content, and for storing pointing device input device definitions and key command definitions for each application. A log file stores a key log table for each application; and a key logger stores to the key log table entered text reconstructed with reference to the pointing device position, the copied content, the pointing device input device definitions, and the key command definitions.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring text input from a keyboard and from a pointing device during operation of a plurality of currently active applications and for a plurality of sessions within at least one of said applications, comprising:

establishing a database including a key log table for each said application, said key log table including fields identifying for each command action a session identifier, text logged, start time, end time, cursor position and mouse action;

monitoring input from a user keyboard for entry of text and cursor controls;

monitoring input from a pointing device;

logging keyboard entered text to said key log table;

responsive to input selectively from said pointing device and keyboard selectively signaling one of a copy, cut and paste block command action, determining text contents corresponding to said command action and logging said text contents to said key log table in sequence with said keyboard entered text;

responsive to a command action, building from said key log table for a given application a reconstructed log table combining text resulting from an interrupted session, whereby two broken pieces listed in the key log table are combined and listed as one entry in the reconstructed log table; and

presenting at a user interface combined text from said reconstructed log table to a field of said given application.

2. The method of claim 1, said command action selectively representing a switch action, said switch action being at least one of an application and session switch.

3. The method of claim 2, responsive to said command action representing a copy, cut, or paste action, determining beginning and ending positions of said text contents selectively from position of said pointing device and cursor controls.

4. The method of claim 3, responsive to said command action representing a switch action, logging said application or session switch action to said key log in sequence with said keyboard entered text.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

for each active application, logging key command application definitions and mouse input device definitions to temporary storage;

with each said block action and switch action, logging an event to a work log, said event including indicia identifying for said action an application, a session, a start time, an end time, cursor position at said start time, cursor position at said end time, pointing device action, and logged text; and

building said key log from said work log.