Associating a data collector with a network account

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9413620-B2
Application number	US-201214373734-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2012
Priority date	Apr 27, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A system ( 100 ) for associating a data collector (FIG. 2, 340 - 2 ) with a network account comprises a first computing device (FIG. 1, 115 ) to collect data associated with the use of a number of object devices ( 110 - 1, 110 - 2, 110 -n) on a network, in which the first computing device creates a network account associated with a second computing device (FIG. 1, 105 ), and in which the system ( 100 ) assigns a filename (FIG. 12, 1205 ) to a data collector data packet (FIG. 2, 340 - 2 ), the filename (FIG. 12, 1205 ) comprising information related to the network account associated with the second computing device (FIG. 1, 105 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for associating a data collector with a network account comprising:
a first computing device to collect data associated with the use of a number of object devices on a network;
in which the first computing device creates a network account associated with a second computing device;
in which the system assigns a filename to a data collector data packet, the filename comprising information related to the network account associated with the second computing device;
in which the filename comprises a generic portion, and a user network account specific portion; and
in which the user network account specific portion comprises the information related to the network account.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device coupled to the first computing device and object devices via the network downloads the data collector data packet stored on the first computing device to the second computing device.

3. The system of claim 1 , in which the first computing device is a server computer communicatively coupled to the network formed by the second computing device and object devices.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a firewall interposed between the first computing device and the second computing device, the firewall protecting the system from unauthorized access while permitting communications associated with usage data of the object devices.

5. A method of associating a data collector with a network account comprising:
with a first computing device, creating a network account associated with a second computing device based on an account enrollment request from a user;
downloading a data collector to the second computing device to collect data associated with the use of a number of object devices; and
assigning a filename to the data collector;
in which the filename comprises information related to the network account,
in which the filename comprises a generic portion and a user network account specific portion, and
in which the user network account specific portion comprises the information related to the network account.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising transmitting instructions to a user to not change the filename of the data collector.

7. The method of claim 5 , in which the filename further comprises a number of checksum values to verify that the filename is valid.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising discovering the object devices on a network comprising the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising updating software associated with a number of the object devices discovered.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting usage data associated with the use of the object devices to the first computing device communicatively coupled to the second computing device.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
with a driver stored on the second computing device, detecting consumption of a resource used by the object devices;
with the first computing device, sending an invite to a user of the second computing device to participate in a rewards program associated with the collection of usage data.

12. A computer program product for associating a data collector with a network account, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer usable program code embodied therewith to, when executed by a processor:
associate the data collector downloaded to a user's computing device with a number of object devices, the association comprising information related to the network account, in which the data collector collects data associated with the use of the object devices and transmits usage data regarding the use of the object devices to a server communicatively coupled to the user's computing device; and
assign a filename to the data collector downloaded to a user's computing device, the filename comprising information related to the network account;
in which the filename comprises a generic portion and a user network account specific portion; and
in which the user network account specific portion comprises the information related to the network account.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising computer usable program code to, when executed by the processor, associate a number of devices with a network account via the data collector by embedding the information related to the network account within binary code of the data collector.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising computer usable program code to, when executed by the processor, associate a number of the object devices with a network account via the data collector when an action is taken by a user.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 , further comprising:
computer usable program code to, when executed by the processor, determine a user's administrative access to a number of the object devices based on network conditions; and
computer usable program code to, when executed by the processor, associate the object devices with the network account via the data collector if it is determined the user has administrative access to the object devices.

16. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the network conditions comprise the object devices' proximity to a user's computing device within a network, the proximity of the object devices to the user's computing device being based on a number of intermediary computing devices between the object devices and the user's computing device, a physical proximity of the object devices to the user's computing device, data transfer rates between the object devices and user's computing device, similarity in network addresses between the object devices and the user's computing device, or combinations thereof.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the network conditions comprise a context in which a user utilizes a computing device in connection with an operation of the object devices, the context comprising if the user is capable of changing a number of parameters within the object devices, if the user is capable of changing administrative settings within the object devices, or if the utilization of the object devices is exclusive to the user's computing device.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , further comprising computer usable program code to, when executed by the processor, using the computing device to collect usage data of the object devices based on the context in which the user utilizes the computing device in connection with an operation of the object devices.

Assignees

• Simpson Shell S
• Diviney Glade William
• Beers Ted
• Harper Mark A
• Hewlett Packard Development Co Lp

Inventors

• Simpson Shell S
• Diviney Glade William
• Beers Ted
• Harper Mark A

Classifications

• H04L41/5061 Primary

  characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management · CPC title

• G06F3/1203

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title

• G06F3/1225

  Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts · CPC title

• G06F11/1004

  to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum (G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00) · CPC title

• H04L43/04 Primary

  Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation · CPC title