US 8,713,130 B2Granted

Peered proctoring

AssigneeKryterion, Inc.

InventorsDavid Logan, Eric Walton, Michael Collins

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Systems and methods described herein utilize a distributed server network to allow for the real-time distribution of copies of a data stream uploaded from a computing device. The uploaded data stream corresponds to an environment surrounding a user (exam taker) of the computing device during execution of a testing routine for an examination. Providing copies of the data stream in real-time allows proctors as well as other test assessment authorities to ‘peek in’ on the exam taker's environment during the exam. As a result, the environment surrounding the exam taker can be monitored in real-time to determine whether any visual or audio activity in the environment constitutes activity not in accordance with the exam protocol. Following an affirmative determination that the exam taker violated an exam taking protocol, a proctor or other test assessment authority can then make a final or early decision regarding disciplinary action.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for managing distribution of a data stream from a distributed server network, the method comprising:

receiving a data stream from over a first network and into a second network, the second network including a distributed server network, the data stream corresponding to an environment surrounding a user of a first computing device during execution of a testing routine for an examination;
storing the received data stream data at the distributed server network;
receiving a request to transmit the data stream to a second computing device, the request including meta-data and received over the distributed server network during execution of the testing routine;
and
identifying one or more servers of the distributed server network to process the request based on the meta-data;
selecting a server of the one or more identified servers to process the request by transmitting the data stream to the second computing device, the server selected based on one or more estimated performance metrics for a network path from the selected server to the second computing device of the one or more servers;
transmitting the data stream from the selected server in the distributed server network to the second computing device in response to the request, the data stream transmitted during execution of the testing routine;
and
receiving a second request to transmit the data stream to a third computing device, the second request received during execution of the testing routine;
and
transmitting the data stream from a second server in the distributed server network to the third computing device during execution of the testing routine in response to the second request.

8 more elements

A computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for managing distribution of a data stream from a distributed server network, the method comprising:

receiving a data stream from over a first network and into a second network, the second network including a distributed server network, the data stream corresponding to an environment surrounding a user of a first computing device during execution of a testing routine for an examination;
storing the received data stream data at the distributed server network;
receiving a request to transmit the data stream to a second computing device, the request including meta-data and received over the distributed server network during execution of the testing routine;
identifying one or more servers of the distributed server network to process the request based on the meta-data;
selecting a server of the one or more identified servers to process the request by transmitting the data stream to the second computing device, the server selected based on one or more estimated performance metrics for a network path from the selected server to the second computing device of the one or more servers;
transmitting the data stream from the selected server in the distributed server network to the second computing device in response to the request, the data stream transmitted during execution of the testing routine;
and
receiving a second request to transmit the data stream to a third computing device, the second request received during execution of the testing routine;
and
transmitting the data stream from a second server in the distributed server network to the third computing device during execution of the testing routine in response to the second request.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/913,694Filed 27 Oct 2010 · continuation in part
Priority: 4 Aug 2010
Published: US 2012/0034584 A19 Feb 2012
Granted: 29 Apr 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G09B 7/00
Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers
G09B 5/00
Electrically-operated educational appliances
G09B 7/07
Of the multiple-choice answer-type, i.e. where a given question is provided with a series of answers and a choice has to be made from the answers:…
H04L 43/50
Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks: testing arrangements

Family

Application12/850,136Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Aug 2010
US 2012/0034584 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Feb 2012
US 2012/0036215 A1Published application
US 9,137,163 B2Related patent
US 8,713,130 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.