Supervised access computer network router

• US 8,307,068 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volonics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Volonics Corporation
• Inventors: Schuler, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TODD, GREGORY G
• Application Number:
  US12/486,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225, 715/867, 715/736, 726/11, 726/12
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16

Abstract

A system for monitoring and regulating computer usage on a local network is disclosed. Computers on a network are configured with a client activity monitoring module that collects activity information including screen captures, keyboard activity, and/or information relating to network communications and sends the collected activity information to a network activity monitor for storage and later retrieval. Each computer on the local network periodically verifies that its client activity monitor module is operable. If a computer fails to send such verification, the system restricts network access by that computer, thus enforcing compliance with the activity monitoring system. The system further provides means for automatically displaying the collected activity information, including through screen savers, automatically changing desktop background images, and pop-up or sidebar windows. The system thus enables review of computer activities for appropriateness by both supervisors or parents as well as by peer users without requiring the reviewer to take affirmative steps to retrieve the activity information.

Claims

1. A network management system connected to a client computer via a first network, said client computer having an associated client activity monitor, said network management system comprising:

(a) a router-switch connected to said first network and to a second network;

(b) a network server comprising a computer hardware platform having a processor and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with said router-switch;

(c) a status monitor which receives status messages from each of said client activity monitor; and

(d) a network activity monitor which receives activity information from said client activity monitor and stores said activity information for subsequent retrieval, said activity information comprising captured screen images from computers connected to said first network;

(e) a display module operable to display said activity information stored by said network activity monitor on a computer display after a period of user inactivity;

said network server causing said router-switch to restrict said client computer'"'"'s access to said second network if the time between receiving of consecutive said status messages by said network server from said client computer exceeds a predetermined amount of time.

2. The network management system of claim 1 further comprising a display module operable to display, without a user of said client computer having to explicitly invoke said display, said activity information received and stored by said network activity monitor.

3. The network management system of claim 1 further comprising a display module operable to display said activity information stored by said network activity monitor on a window that appears on a computer display after a period of user inactivity.

4. The network management system of claim 1 further comprising a display module operable to automatically display said activity information on a screensaver operating on a computer display.

5. The network management system of claim 1 further comprising a display module operable to automatically display said activity information on a sidebar window operating on a computer display.

6. The network management system of claim 1 further comprising a display module operable to automatically display said activity information on a desktop background operating on a computer display.

7. A network management system connected to a client computer via a first network, said client computer including a client activity monitor, said network management system comprising:

(a) a network server comprising a computer hardware platform having a processor and a computer-readable storage medium;

(b) a network activity monitor which receives and stores activity information from said client activity monitor;

(c) a display module operable to display said activity information stored by said network activity monitor on a window that appears on a computer display after a period of user inactivity, said activity information is captured screen images from client computers connected to said first network; and

(d) a status monitor which receives status messages from said client activity monitor, said network server restricting said client computer'"'"'s access to a second network if the time between receiving of consecutive said status messages by said network server from said client computer exceeds a predetermined amount of time.

8. The network management system of claim 7 wherein said first network is a wireless computer network in a residential environment.

9. The network management system of claim 7 further comprising a display module operable to automatically display said activity information on a sidebar window operating on a computer display.

10. The network management system of claim 7 further comprising a display module operable to automatically display said activity information on a desktop background operating on a computer display.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine-accessible medium having instructions encoded thereon for enabling a processor to perform the operations of:

(a) capturing client activity information relating to one or more computer terminals, said client activity information is captured screen images from said one or more computer terminals connected to a first network;

(b) storing said client activity information;

(c) retrieving said client activity information;

(d) displaying said client activity information on a screen saver operating on a computer display; and

(e) receiving status messages from said one or more computer terminals and restricting said computer terminal'"'"'s access to a second network if the time between receiving of consecutive said status messages from said computer terminal exceeds a predetermined amount of time.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 further comprising the additional operations of:

(f) determining whether a computer terminal connected to a network is capturing screen images; and

(g) restricting said computer terminal'"'"'s access to a second network as a function of whether said computer terminal is capturing screen images.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein said client activity information further comprises information relating to key presses on a keyboard.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11 wherein said client activity information further comprises information relating to network traffic to or from a computer terminal.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11 further comprising the additional operation of displaying said activity information on a sidebar window operating on a computer display.