Internet use monitoring system and method

Abstract

A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user includes a remote server and a computer having a monitoring program voluntarily installed thereon by the user communicatively connected to the remote server. The monitoring program is configured to monitor various Internet access activity of the computer user and record the Internet access activity on the remote server. The Internet access activity includes access of at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of newsgroups, file sharing programs, file transfer programs, chat rooms, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity. A method of using a monitoring system includes the steps of a computer user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on a selected computer, recording the Internet access activity, and providing the recorded information to a third party recipient. A report may be provided that includes a variety of information and may include a plurality of portions.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected user, comprising:
 a remote server, said remote server includes a server cluster containing multiple servers; and   a computer communicatively connected to said remote server having a monitoring program voluntarily installed thereon by the computer user, said monitoring program configured to monitor Internet access activity of the computer user and record said Internet access activity within said remote server;   wherein said Internet access activity includes access to at least one Internet protocol from a group consisting of network news transfer protocols, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room access, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity;   wherein said remote server includes a processing program configured to analyze the content of each page of said Internet access activity and assign a score to each said recorded Internet access activity, and   wherein said score and said content provide an indication of whether said Internet access activity is considered an objectionable activity, and generate a report on various protocols.   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41  wherein said remote server is a personal computer. 
     
     
         43 . A method of monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user, the method comprising the steps of:
 a user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on the selected computer, said program configured to monitor Internet access activity of said user, said Internet access activity including at least one Internet protocol from the group consisting of news-group access, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room activity, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity;   monitoring said Internet access activity;   recording said Internet access activity on a first database located within a remote server that includes a server cluster containing multiple servers;   processing said recorded Internet access activity; and   transferring said processed Internet access activity to a second database, which includes a report on various protocols, and further including the steps of:
 analyzing the content of each page of said Internet access activity; and 
 assigning a score to said Internet access activity based on predetermined scoring criteria, wherein the score provides an indication of whether said Internet access activity is considered an objectionable activity. 
   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein said remote server is a personal computer. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44  wherein said processing program is configured to generate a report of said Internet access activity; said report being accessible by a third-party recipient; said third-party recipient accessing said report in a variety of ways including one or more of said remote servers sending said report; said third party having access to said remote servers to request said report. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45  wherein said request includes viewing said report while said third party has access to said remote servers. 
     
     
         47 . A system for monitoring Internet use of a selected user, comprising:
 a remote server having a monitoring program installed thereon and a computer communicatively connected to the remote server, said monitoring program configured to monitor Internet access activity of the computer user and record said Internet access activity within said remote server; said Internet access activity includes access to at least one Internet protocol from a group consisting of network news transfer protocols, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room access, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity.   
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47  wherein said remote server is configured to generate a report including a plurality of portions, and each portion containing a list of the recorded Internet access activity of at least one of said Internet protocols, and wherein said report is accessible by a third-party recipient. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47  wherein said remote server includes a server cluster containing multiple servers. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 47  wherein said remote server is a personal computer. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 47  wherein said remote server includes a processing program configured to analyze the content of each page of said Internet access activity and assign a score to each said recorded Internet access activity, and wherein said score and said content provide an indication of whether said Internet access activity is considered an objectionable activity. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51  wherein said processing program is configured to generate a report of said Internet access activity. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52  wherein said report includes a list of said recorded Internet access activity and said score assigned to each said recorded Internet access activity. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 52  wherein said report is accessible by a third-party recipient. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 53  wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted by said score. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 53  wherein said report displays said list of said recorded Internet access activity sorted chronologically. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 53  wherein said report includes at least one portion and said at least one portion includes at least one link to at least one other portion. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 51  wherein said score is one of a numeric score and a relative score. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58  wherein said relative score is a letter or other symbol. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 54  wherein said third-party recipient accesses said report in a variety of ways including one or more of said remote servers sending said report, and said third party having access to said remote servers to request said report. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 60  wherein said request includes viewing said report while said third party has access to said remote server. 
     
     
         62 . A method of monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user, the method comprising the steps of:
 a user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on the selected computer, said program configured to monitor Internet access activity of said user, said Internet activity including at least one Internet protocol from a group consisting of network news transfer protocols, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room access, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity;   monitoring said Internet access activity;   storing and processing said Internet access activity within a remote server, said remote server also configured to produce a report on various protocols, and further including the steps of:
 analyzing the content of each page of said Internet access activity; and 
 assigning a score to said Internet access activity based on predetermined scoring criteria, wherein the score provides an indication of whether said Internet access activity is considered an objectionable activity. 
   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62  further including the step of providing said report to a third-party recipient selected by said user. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 62  wherein said remote server includes a server cluster containing multiple servers. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62  wherein said remote server is a personal computer. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 62  wherein said score is one of a numeric score and a relative score. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66  wherein said relative score is a letter or other symbol. 
     
     
         68 . A method of monitoring Internet use of a selected computer user, the method comprising the steps of:
 a user voluntarily installing a monitoring program on the selected computer, said program configured to monitor Internet access activity of said user, said Internet activity including at least one Internet protocol from a group consisting of network news transfer protocols, file sharing programs, file transfer protocols, chat room access, peer to peer chats, and electronic mail activity;   monitoring said Internet access activity;   recording said Internet access activity in a single database located within a remote server;   generating a report on at least one of said Internet protocols within said single database; and   further including the steps of:
 analyzing the content of each page of said Internet access activity; and 
 assigning a score to said Internet access activity based on predetermined scoring criteria, wherein the score provides an indication of whether said Internet access activity is considered an objectionable activity. 
   
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68  further including the step of providing said report to a third-party recipient selected by said user. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 68  wherein said remote server includes a server cluster containing multiple servers. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 68  wherein said remote server is a personal computer. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 68  wherein said score is one of a numeric score and a relative score. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72  wherein said relative score is a letter or other symbol.