Columbia Technology Ventures

Method for generating content rich recording of user sessions with improved video and contextual playback

Due to exponential expansions in computational power and storage mediums, the ability to record complete user sessions is a reality. Session-recording tools, however, currently see little use outside of technical videos and tutorials as their contents are difficult to search for meaningful information. This technology describes a method for generating content rich recording of user sessions -- including video playback and all contextual user input and computer output. This user session recording is indexed with all of its contextual data in such way that it can be searched and then randomly accessed or queued to the starting point based on a search result. This solves the problem of managing access to large files with complex user session data.

An improved and more intuitive method to annotate content within a playback file

This technology achieves the difficult task of characterizing contextual information within a generated playback file and creating a searchable index. The index generated can be used to look up critical moments within a playback; such as the opening of a particular program, or the entering of a certain value within it. By leveraging the information provided within the index, users can either playback from an exact moment, or resume their session. The contextual information is so rich that it is possible resume an actual session from any given point in the recording. This constitutes a powerful capability with a number of commercially useful applications.

This technology has been validated with desktop applications in virtual machine systems and is essential in the worlds of business and multimedia where the ability to easily find information, locate errors, or provide a better training tool, is critical.

Lead Inventor:

Jason Nieh, Ph.D.

Applications:

  • A new method for "live backup' of user work
  • Encapsulation with 'virtual user' sessions in a Virtual Machine image, enabling replay or resumption of remote sessions
  • Investigative security, training, application programming, development and debugging

Advantages:

  • Significantly smaller and more content rich recorded session files than binary or text log alternatives alone
  • Searchable index of user sessions and random access to any point in a user session
  • Session resumption capable, virtual machine ready

Patent Information:

Patent Issued(US 8,214,367)

Tech Ventures Reference: IR M08-069

Related Publications: