System and method for remote monitoring and operation of personal computers

A method of receiving, analyzing and converting information contained in an analog video raster signal generated by a data processing device and displayed on a video display terminal associated with the data processing device, into a digital representation of that information comprising the steps of:

• receiving the analog video raster signal generated by the data processing device;
• converting said analog video raster signal into a digital signal representative of said information contained in said video raster signal,
• said converting step including the steps of:
• determining an identity of each character displayed on the video display terminal;
• and
• generating a digital code indicative of said identity of said each character displayed on the video display terminal,
• wherein said step of generating a digital code comprises the step of generating a series of cyclic redundancy checks from pixel information associated with each character location on the video display terminal.

A computer implemented method of converting information contained in a video raster signal generated by a data processing device and displayed on a video display terminal associated with the data processing device, into a digital representation of that information comprising the computer implemented steps of:

• receiving the video raster signal generated by the data processing device;
• and
• converting said video raster signal into a digital signal representative of said information contained in said video raster signal,
• said converting step including the steps of:
• determining an identity of each character displayed on the video display terminal;
• and
• generating a digital code indicative of said identity of said each character displayed on the video display terminal,
• wherein said step of generating a digital code comprises the step of generating a series of cyclic redundancy checks from pixel information associated with each character location on the video display terminal.

A computer monitoring system for monitoring information contained in an analog video raster signal generated by a data processing device and displayed on a video display terminal connected to the data processing device and for converting the information contained in the analog video raster signal into a digital representation of that information for transmission to a remote location comprising:

• analog video raster signal input means connected with the data processing device for receiving said analog video raster signal generated by said data processing device;
• conversion means connected to said analog video raster signal input means for receiving said analog video raster signal and for converting said analog video raster signal into a digital signal comprising a plurality of digital codes representative of information contained in said analog video raster signal, said conversion means comprising processing means for analyzing said analog video raster signal, character determination means for determining an identity of each character displayed on the video display terminal and for generating a digital code indicative of said identity of said each character displayed on the video display terminal and for generating at least one of said plurality of digital codes, said at least one of said plurality of digital codes being indicative of said identity of said each character displayed on the video display terminal;
• and
• training means connected to said character determination means for generating a predetermined character display, for operating said character determination means to generate digital codes representative of an identity of each character in said predetermined character display, and for storing said digital codes generated by said character determination means.