System and method for time capture and billing

• US 20040035922A1
• Filed: 08/11/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michael Gallucci Cameron
• Original Assignee: Michael Gallucci Cameron
• Inventors: Cameron, Michael Gallucci
• Application Number:
  US10/638,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20040035922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/377
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

The present invention comprises a time-based billing system and method using encoded billing cards, bar coded labels or billing docket sheets, among other possible methods, in combination with a sensor operable to decode the foregoing, as a means of generating data which includes, and correlates (i) the name of a unique data generator (including a person for whom data is generated, referred to as a “timekeeper”), a specific client number or identifier and project/matter number or identifier, with (ii) the exact date and time periods worked by said timekeeper, said data for export to a standard time and billing software program or system or used with an integrated time and billing software program.

Claims

1. A time capture system, comprising:

an encoded media containing encoded timekeeper, client and matter data;

a sensing means for reading said encoded timekeeper, client and matter data;

a computing means for correlating date and time data to said encoded timekeeper, client and matter data.

2. A time capture system, comprising:

a computer;

a computer operating system for controlling said computer;

a software application for further controlling said computer;

said software application having database capabilities to accept and store information corresponding to one or a plurality of timekeepers, including one or more timekeeper billing rates and a unique timekeeper code identifying each unique timekeeper, information relating to one or a plurality of clients, including a unique client code identifying each unique client; and

information relating to one or a plurality of project/matters, including a unique project/matter code identifying each unique project/matter of a particular client;

a machine-readable code generator operable to generate a machine-readable code representing the timekeeper code which correlates to a unique timekeeper;

said machine-readable code generator operable to generate a machine-readable code representing the client code which correlates to a unique client;

said machine-readable code generator operable to generate a machine-readable code representing the project/matter code which correlates to a unique project/matter;

a means of outputting said generated machine-readable timekeeper code, machine-readable client code and machine-readable project/matter code onto a machine-readable media;

a machine-readable code reader device for sensing generated machine-readable timekeeper, client and project/matter codes from said machine-readable media transforming the machine-readable timekeeper, client and project/matter codes into timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data;

a clock device for generating date data and time data;

said clock device being coupled to the machine-readable code reader device;

said coupled clock device and machine-readable code reader device being operable to correlate the timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data to date data and time data correlating to the date and time sensed by the machine-readable code reader device;

the machine-readable code reader device and clock device, together or singly, being adapted to export the timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data and correlating date data and time data into an input port of the computer under the control of said computer operating system and said software application;

said software application, optionally, containing an algorithm for accepting or rejecting the timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data based on rules contained in said software application;

said software application further having an algorithm for determining the nature and type of sensed and accepted timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data through a sorting process;

said software application having an algorithm for matching pairs of identical timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data, beginning with the first sensed entry based on the date data and time data;

said software application having an algorithm for operating on date data and time data corresponding to said paired sets of timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data so as to determine an elapsed time between each paired sets of data, representing time spent by a unique timekeeper on a unique client and unique project/matter; and

said software application having an algorithm for using the elapsed time and the unique timekeeper'"'"'s periodic rate, as stored by the database, to calculate the value of time to be billed to the client.

3. The time capture system of claim 2, further comprising:

said software application being adapted to flag to the user that a set of sensed timekeeper data, client data, and project/matter data with correlating date data and time data is unpaired, and hence “

active”

, so long as there has not been sensed another set of identical timekeeper data, client data, and project/matter data with correlating date data and time data.

4. The time capture system of claim 3 further comprising a module operable to generate, format and output an invoice reflecting the value of time to be billed to a client.

5. The time capture system of claim 2, further comprising:

said machine-readable code generator being integral to the software application.

6. The time capture system of claim 2, further comprising:

said clock device being integral to the machine-readable code reader device;

said integral clock device and machine-readable code reader device having an internal means for correlating and storing said captured timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data to corresponding generated date data and time data;

said integral clock device and machine-readable code reader device being adapted to export the stored and correlated timekeeper data, client data, project/matter data, date data and time data to the computer.

7. The time capture system of claim 6, further comprising the integral clock device and machine-readable code reader device being adapted to flag the user that a set of sensed timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data with correlating date and time data is unpaired, and hence “

active”

, so long as there has not been sensed a set of identical timekeeper data, client data and project/matter data with its correlating date and time data.

8. The time capture system of claim 6, further comprising the integral clock device and machine-readable code reader device having a means of storing and displaying an active timekeeper code, client code and/or project/matter code.

9. The time capture system of claim 8, further comprising said means of displaying an active timekeeper code, client code and/or project/matter code by the integral clock device and machine-readable code reader device being an LCD screen.

10. The time capture system of claim 6, further comprising the integral clock device and machine-readable code reader device having an internal, user selected module for restricting the sensing of a particular timekeeper code, client code or project/matter code.

11. The time capture system of claim 10, wherein said internal, user selected module for restricting the sensing of a different timekeeper code, client code or project/matter code is based on whether another timekeeper code, client code or project/matter code is active.

12. The time capture system of claim 10, wherein said internal, user selected module for restricting the sensing of a different timekeeper code, client code or project/matter code is based on the date data an/or time data provided by the clock device.

13. The time capture system of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable code generator and machine-readable code reader device comprises a bar code generator and a bar code reader.

14. The time capture system of claim 13, wherein said bar code reader comprises a bar code scanner.

15. The time capture system of claim 13 wherein said bar code reader comprises a bar code wand.

16. The time capture system of claim 2, wherein said machine-readable code generator and machine-readable code reader device further comprises a bar code generator and a bar code reader.

17. The time capture system of claim 16 wherein said bar code reader further comprises a bar code scanner.

18. The time capture system of claim 16 wherein said bar code reader further comprises a bar code wand.

19. The time capture system of claim 2 further comprising a machine-readable code generator for generating and outputting a task code representing task data that correlates to a unique task;

and

said task code being correlated to a timekeeper code, client code, and project/matter code based on the date data and time data of the sensed task code.

20. The time capture system of claim 2 further comprising a means of coupling a facsimile machine to a machine-readable code reader device so as to correlate facsimile machine use to a specific timekeeper code, client code and/or project/matter code.

21. The time capture system of claim 2 further comprising a means of coupling a telephone to a machine-readable code reader device so as to correlate telephone use to a specific timekeeper code, client code and/or project/matter code.

22. The time capture system of claim 2 further comprising a means of coupling a copier to a machine-readable code reader device so as to correlate copier use to a specific timekeeper code, client code and/or project/matter code.

23. The time capture system of claim 2 wherein said software application further comprises a time and billing software engine.

24. The time capture system of claims 2 wherein said software application further comprises a spreadsheet software engine.

25. The time capture system of claim 2 where in said software application further comprises an accounting software engine.

26. The time capture system of claim 2 wherein said machine-readable generated timekeeper code, client code and project code comprises magnetic information.

27. A bar code reader and storage device, for sensing and storing bar code data, comprising:

an internal clock circuit for generating time and date data;

a bar code sensor for reading bar code data into a first temporary memory location;

a module for date and time stamping the bar code data as it is sensed and stored in a first, temporary memory location;

a second memory unit for available for storing a plurality of sensed bar codes and date and time data;

a memory location within said second memory unit set aside as the “

active”

location;

a means of clearing all second memory unit locations;

an internal logic circuit which requires, for storage of a particular string of bar code data in the second memory unit, that all existing bar code data in the second memory location be correlated as pairs of identical strings (excluding the date and time data) of bar code data or that such particular string of bar code data identically match that string of bar code data (excluding the date and time data) in the “

active”

memory location, or that there be no string of bar code data in the “

active”

memory location;

an internal logic circuit that determines if the string of sensed bar code data identically matches the string of bar code data (excluding the date and time data) in the “

active”

memory location, then the identically matching bar code data, are paired, correlated and moved to a new location in the second memory unit, thus opening up the “

active”

memory location;

a display means of displaying the bar code data located in the “

active”

memory location; and

a means of outputting said plurality of paired sets of bar code data and their corresponding date and time data to a computing device.

28. The bar code reader and storage device of claim 27, wherein said bar code data represents timekeeper codes, client codes and project/matter codes.

29. The bar code reader and storage device of claim 28, further comprising a software application for controlling a computing device that receives said outputted bar code data, said software application being operable to generate an invoice based on the plurality of paired sets of bar code data with corresponding date and time data.

30. A method of capturing and correlating timekeeper, client, project/matter, date and time information for use in generating an invoice, comprising:

storing a plurality of information about one or more unique timekeepers, one or more unique clients and one or more unique project/matters in a database;

storing in said database, timekeeper information including one or more periodic billing rates;

generating a timekeeper code which identifies a unique timekeeper;

generating a client code which identifies a unique client;

generating a project/matter code which identifies a unique project/matter;

outputting said generated timekeeper code, client code and project/matter code to a media so as to be sensed by a reader;

generating date data and time data;

sensing a plurality of sets of timekeeper codes, client codes and project/matter codes;

immediately after sensing each set of timekeeper codes, client codes and project/matter codes, correlating said sets of sensed timekeeper codes, client codes and project/matter codes to the then current date data and time data;

storing said sets of correlated timekeeper codes, client codes, project/matter codes, date data and time data as a group of data;

matching said groups of data in pairs, starting with the first sensed group, based on identical timekeeper codes, client codes and project/matter codes

determining the time elapsed between said paired groups of data by reference to the date data and time data.

calculating the value of the time worked on a unique client and project/matter by a particular timekeeper by multiplying the time elapsed by the timekeeper'"'"'s periodic billing rate.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising generating the timekeeper codes, client codes and project/matter codes using bar coding techniques.