Visual anti-virus in a hetwork control environment

Abstract

Detecting a potential virus-infected control script in a networking system, visual representations of control structures and operations effected by a suspect script are presented to a user. A visual representation of the control links that are contained within the suspect script is presented to the user, preferably in a manner such that inappropriate links and / or device states are easily recognized. To further assist in the identification of potential aberrant behavior, a manual or automated simulation process allows the user to visually observe the changes of state of appliances in response to control stimuli, based on the instructions contained in the suspect script. In addition to facilitating an identification of a virus-infected script, the visual representation of the control structure of the network described by the script, and the simulation or emulation of this control structure, also facilitates the development and de-bugging of well-mannered control scripts, particularly in a home or office networking system. A third-party provider may provide the visual representation and / or the simulation process, in return for information regarding the inventory of equipment at the user's site, to facilitate marketing opportunities.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to the field of control networking, and in particular to the detection of potential viruses in control scripts. Background technique [0002] Conventional anti-virus programs look for specific patterns or groups of codes in suspicious programs such as any program downloaded from the Internet, received through an email application, loaded from a removable disk, and the like. The suspicious program is determined to contain a virus upon identification of a code group consistent with a known or assumed "signature" of the virus. Depending on user preference, the virus detection program will delete this block, delete the entire program, or provide the user with an intentional choice. Similar pattern matching techniques are used to detect viruses in scripts or macros attached to data files. [0003] Simulation programs have also been used to detect potential viruses, as exemplified in U.S. Patent 5,398,196, entitled "METHOD AND...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0015] In a similar manner, inappropriate scripts (such as scripts intended for a different target system, or scripts that are incompatible with a user's existing system) can cause confusion on a user's networked system

Minor incompatibilities can lead to serious consequences, such as the use of device names in scripts corresponding to different devices with the same device name on the user's existing network

Such scripts are difficult to detect as problematic scripts because they may work fine on one architecture and incorrectly on another

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