Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data

Details Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data

1999-11-16

2003-12-09

Thompson, Marc D. (Department: 2142)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Computer network managing

Computer network monitoring

C709S241000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06662225

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an application unit monitoring device which can monitor a user's usage of a target application of an application unit, and which can easily and efficiently communicate data of the monitored usage.
2. Discussion of the Background
With the rise of computer usage, software development has clearly become a significant business. In evaluating software, it may be beneficial to monitor exactly how a user utilizes a software application. As an example, it may be helpful for a software developer to know which commands a user uses most often.
Further, in designing devices with which a human interacts, it may be desirable to monitor how the user interacts with such a device. As an example, it may be desirable to monitor how a user utilizes a control panel of an image forming device such as a copying machine, facsimile machine, printer, scanner, an appliance such as a microwave oven, VCR, digital camera, cellular phone, palm top computer, etc.
Further, more and more users are utilizing the Internet. There is significant interest in how users use the Internet, particularly with respect to how users may use certain web pages etc. Monitoring a user's usage of the Internet thereof may also become significant.
In these instances when it is desired to determine how a user is utilizing a certain application, for example a software application, a device with an interface to be operated by a user, a web page, etc., not only must the user's usage of the application unit be monitored, but the information obtained by monitoring the user's usage must be effectively communicated to a desired party.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and effective system for monitoring a user's usage of a target application of an application unit.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel system for communicating data obtained by monitoring a user's usage of a target application of an application unit to a desired party.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an efficient communication of the monitored usage information from a monitoring unit to a sending unit.
The present invention achieves these and other objects by monitoring the usage of a user interface of a target application of an application unit. Such a monitoring can, as one example, monitor a software program being executed on a computer or workstation under control by a user, usage of a control panel of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, printer, facsimile, scanner, an appliance such as a microwave oven, VCR, digital camera, cellular phone, palm top computer, etc., or any other device or system which has a user interface. The data obtained by monitoring a user's usage of a target application of an application unit can, as a further feature in the present invention, be collected and logged and then communicated to a desired location by Internet email. The use of email communication reduces the costs associated with communicating such data. The data can be communicated to the desired location at several instances, including each time a user exits a target application of an application unit, or after a predetermined number of times that a user has utilized and exited the target application of the application unit.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5412779 (1995-05-01), Motoyama
patent: 5537554 (1996-07-01), Motoyama
patent: 5544289 (1996-08-01), Motoyama
patent: 5568618 (1996-10-01), Motoyama
patent: 5649120 (1997-07-01), Motoyama
patent: 5675510 (1997-10-01), Coffey et al.
patent: 5774678 (1998-06-01), Motoyama
patent: 5796952 (1998-08-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5818603 (1998-10-01), Motoyama
patent: 5819110 (1998-10-01), Motoyama
patent: 5878384 (1999-03-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5887216 (1999-03-01), Motoyama
patent: 5908493 (1999-06-01), Krymsky
patent: 5909493 (1999-06-01), Motoyama
patent: 6003070 (1999-12-01), Frantz
patent: 6018619 (2000-01-01), Allard et al.
patent: 6085196 (2000-07-01), Motoyama et al.
patent: 6163802 (2000-12-01), Lin et al.
patent: 6208956 (2001-03-01), Motoyama
patent: 6279015 (2001-08-01), Fong et al.
patent: 6366298 (2002-04-01), Haitsuka et al.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/440,692, filed Nov. 16, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/440,646, filed Nov. 16, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/440,693, filed Nov. 16, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/440,645, filed Nov. 16, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/520,368, filed Mar. 7, 2000, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/542,284, filed Apr. 4, 2000, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/457,669, filed Dec. 9, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/453,877, filed Feb. 4, 2000, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/453,934, filed May 17, 2000, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/453,935, filed May 17, 2000, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/453,936, filed May 17, 2000, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/453,937, filed May 17, 2000, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/738,461, filed Oct. 30, 1996, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/880,683, filed Jun. 23, 1997, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/916,009, filed Aug. 21, 1997, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/108,705, filed Jul. 1, 1998, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/107,989, filed Jul. 1, 1998, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/440,647, filed Nov. 16, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/738,659, filed Oct. 30, 1996, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/883,492, filed Jun. 26, 1997, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/192,583, filed Nov. 17, 1998, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/311,148, filed May 13, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/408,443, filed Sep. 29, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/407,769, filed, Sep. 29, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/393,677, filed Sep. 10, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/440,647, filed Nov. 16, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/167,497, filed Jun. 13, 2002, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/440,647, filed Nov. 16, 1999, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/782,164, filed Feb. 14, 2001, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/782,083, filed Feb. 14, 2001, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/782,064, filed Feb. 14, 2001, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/782,187, filed Feb. 14, 2001, pending.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/756,120, filed Jan. 9, 2001, pending.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Remote system usage monitoring with flexible packaging of data will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3153965