TIME AND TRACKER

• US 20030182081A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Research Investment Network Incorporated
• Inventors: Lehman, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,829,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/178
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 37/50 by looper control
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 37/52 by drive motor control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3423 where the assessed time is active or idle time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/348 Circuit details, i.e. tracer hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/064 involving time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

A time and work tracker that automatically collects and analyzes information about time and work performed on a wireless device is described herein. According to the present invention, a time and work tracking function is initiated on a wireless device. Thereafter, a user begins to perform work on the wireless device. As the user works, the tracking function on the wireless device collects data relating to the activities performed by the user. The collected data is then analyzed to determine what types of work the user has actually performed.

Claims

1. A method for tracking time and work comprising:

obtaining a work activity;

converting said work activity to a standard format;

determining if said work activity is a start event;

creating a first accumulator if said work activity is a start event;

determining if said work activity is a switch event;

determining a time difference and updating said first accumulator, if said work activity is not a switch event; and

creating a new accumulator if a new work activity is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said time and work is tracked from within a device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said time and work is tracked partially on a device and partially on a server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of obtaining occurs on a device.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said device comprises a streaming audio/video device, a portable messaging and database device, a general purpose computing device, or a non-computing appliance.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said device comprises a streaming audio/video device, a portable messaging and database device, a general purpose computing device, or a non-computing appliance.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said device comprises a streaming audio/video device, a portable messaging and database device, a general purpose computing device, or a non-computing appliance.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said streaming audio/video device comprises a phone or a wireless phone.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein said portable messaging and database device comprises a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) or a laptop computer.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein said general purpose computing device comprises a portable computer with Bluetooth, WiFi, or IEEE connectivity.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein said non-computing appliance comprises a dedicated purpose computing device, such as a refrigerator, an automobile, or a microwave.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring said work activity to a server.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said steps of converting, determining if said work activity is a start event, creating a first accumulator, determining if said work activity is a switch event, determining a time difference, and creating a new accumulator are performed by said server.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a switch event and said switch event comprises an application switch.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a start event and said start event comprises an application start.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a low level network I/O.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a protocol I/O.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a remote device poll.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a custom device I/O.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a start event and said start event comprises an e-mail send or an email receive.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein said work activity is a start event and said start event comprises a dialing of a phone number.

22. A time and work tracking system comprising:

means for obtaining a work activity;

means for converting said work activity to a standard format;

means for determining if said work activity is a start event;

means for creating a first accumulator if said work activity is a start event;

means for determining if said work activity is a switch event;

means for determining a time difference and updating said first accumulator, if said work activity is not a switch event; and

means for creating a new accumulator if a new work activity is obtained.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said time and work is tracked from within a device.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said time and work is tracked partially on a device and partially on a server.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein said means for obtaining occurs on a device.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein said device comprises a streaming audio/video device, a portable messaging and database device, a general purpose computing device, or a non-computing appliance.

27. The system of claims 24 wherein said device comprises a streaming audio/video device, a portable messaging and database device, a general purpose computing device, or a non-computing appliance.

28. The system of claims 25 wherein said device comprises a streaming audio/video device, a portable messaging and database device, a general purpose computing device, or a non-computing appliance.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein said streaming audio/video device comprises a phone or a wireless phone.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein said portable messaging and database device comprises a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) or a laptop computer.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein said general purpose computing device comprises a portable computer with Bluetooth, WiFi, or IEEE connectivity.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein said non-computing appliance comprises a dedicated purpose computing device, such as a refrigerator, an automobile, or a microwave.

33. The system of claim 22 further comprising means for transferring said work activity to a server.

34. The system of claim 22 wherein said means for converting, means for determining if said work activity is a start event, means for creating a first accumulator, means for determining if said work activity is a switch event, means for determining a time difference, and means for creating a new accumulator are performed by said server.

35. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a switch event and said switch event comprises an application switch.

36. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a start event and said start event comprises an application start.

37. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a low level network I/O.

38. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a protocol I/O.

39. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a remote device poll.

40. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a custom device I/O.

41. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a start event and said start event comprises an e-mail send or an email receive.

42. The system of claim 22 wherein said work activity is a start event and said start event comprises a dialing of a phone number.