Application unit monitoring and reporting system and method with usage data logged into a map structure

• US 8,055,752 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Application Number:
  US09/440,645
• Time in Patent Office: 4,375 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225, 709/220, 709/315, 709/316, 709/320, 709/226, 709/229, 709/221, 709/217, 709/216, 399/8, 399/10, 399/80, 399/81, 399/9, 715/700, 715/736, 702/182, 702/184, 702/187
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00832 Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

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 a map mapping key data to value data. The logged data can then be communicated by the sending unit by Internet mail to a designated location.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an image forming device having direct network access and including an operation panel, the operation panel comprising a plurality of buttons to be selected by a user;

a monitoring unit configured to monitor data of selecting of the plurality of buttons of the operation panel by the user, including monitoring each of a sequence, timing, and frequency of selecting of the plurality of buttons, and to generate a log of the monitored data, the log of the monitored data being in a form of a map mapping each of key data in a key portion of the map to respective value data in a corresponding value data portion;

a communicating unit configured to receive a command to send information based on the log of the monitored data, and to send the information of the monitored data through the direct network access, and

wherein the monitoring unit and communicating unit are self-contained in the image forming device prior to any initial external communication connection by the communication unit, and the monitoring unit is configured to generate the log of the monitored data without any initial external communication connection by the communicating unit.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the communicating unit sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit configured to set a number of sessions of the image forming device to be executed by the user prior to the communicating unit communicating the log of the monitored data.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the key data and the value data in the map both contain string data.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the value data portion includes plural vectors in which each vector includes an array of strings.

6. A system according to any one of claims 2-5, wherein the communicating unit communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

7. A system comprising:

an image forming device having direct network access and including an operation panel, the operation panel providing a plurality of buttons to be selected by a user;

monitoring means for monitoring data of selecting of the plurality of buttons of the operation panel by the user, including monitoring each of a sequence, timing, and frequency of selecting of the plurality of buttons, and for generating a log of the monitored data, the log of the monitored data being in a form of a map mapping each of key data in a key portion of the map to respective value data in a corresponding value data portion;

communicating means for receiving a command to send information based on the log of the monitored data, and for sending the information of the monitored data through the direct network access, and

wherein the monitoring means and communicating means are self-contained in the image forming device prior to any initial external communication connection by the communicating means, and the monitoring means generates the log of the monitored data without any initial external communication connection by the communicating means.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the communicating means sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

9. A system according to claim 7, further comprising a setting means for setting a number of sessions of the image forming device to be executed by the user prior to the communicating means communicating the log of the monitored data.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein the key data and the value data in the map both contain string data.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the value data portion includes plural vectors in which each vector includes an array of strings.

12. A system according to any one of claims 8-11, wherein the communicating means communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

13. A method of monitoring usage of an image forming device having network access and including an operation panel, the operation panel including a plurality of buttons to be selected by a user, comprising:

monitoring data of selecting of the plurality of buttons of the operation panel by the user, including monitoring each of a sequence, timing, and frequency of selecting of the plurality of buttons;

generating a log of the monitored data, the log of the monitored data being in a form of a map mapping each of key data in a key portion of the map to respective value data in a corresponding value data portion; and

receiving a command to send information based on the log of the monitored data, and sending the information of the monitored data through the direct network access, and

wherein the monitoring and generating steps are performed in the image forming device and are performed without any initial external communication connection by the communicating unit prior to any initial external communication connection by the communication unit.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the communicating step sends the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising setting a number of sessions of the image forming device to be executed by the user prior to the communicating device communicating the log of the monitored data.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the key data and the value data in the map both contain string data.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the value data portion includes plural vectors in which each vector includes an array of strings.

18. A method according to any one of claims 14-17, wherein the communicating step communicates the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer code instructions in the computer readable medium for causing a computer to monitor a user'"'"'s usage of an operation panel of an image forming device having direct network access, the operation panel comprising a plurality of buttons to be selected by a user, comprising:

a first computer code device configured to monitor data of selecting of the plurality of buttons of the operation panel by the user, including monitoring each of a sequence, timing, and frequency of selecting of the plurality of buttons, and configured to generate a log of the monitored data, the log of the monitored data being in a form of a map mapping each of key data in a key portion of the map to respective value data in a corresponding value data portion;

a second computer code device configured to receive a command to send information based on the log of the monitored data, and to send the information of the monitored data through the direct network access, and

wherein the first computer program code executes the monitoring and generating in the image forming device and without any initial external communication connection by the communicating unit, and the first and second computer codes are self-contained in the device prior to any initial external communication connection by the communication unit.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the second computer code device is further configured to send the log of the monitored data when the user exits operating the image forming device.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, further comprising a third computer code device configured to set a number of sessions of the image forming device to be executed by the user prior to the second computer code device communicating the log of the monitored data.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the key data and the value data in the map both contain string data.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 22, wherein the value data portion includes plural vectors in which each vector includes an array of strings.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to any one of claims 20-23, wherein the second computer code device is further configured to communicate the log of the monitored data by Internet mail.