System and method for time recording

• US 20080027778A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Srinivasan, Sudarshan Lakshmipuram, Naib, Sudhindra
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

A method and system for time recording, in which an event is triggered to start recording one of a set of tasks. Recording of the one task is initiated responsive to triggering the event. The event is terminated and recording of the one task is terminated responsive to terminating the event.

Claims

1. A method for time recording, comprising:

triggering an event to record one of a set of tasks;

initiating recording of the one task responsive to the event;

terminating the event; and

terminating recording of the one task responsive to terminating the event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of tasks comprises project tasks and user defined tasks, the method further comprising mapping one or more of the project tasks to a number of the user defined tasks according to a set of mapping rules.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the project tasks are a part of a number of projects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein triggering the event comprises receiving input to select the one task from a list of tasks in a computer user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein terminating the event comprises terminating the triggered event by receiving input to deselect the one task from a list of tasks in a computer user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating one or more notes to record user comments about the one task.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating one or more screen shots for the one task.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is triggered remotely.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is terminated remotely.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is automatically terminated after a preset period of time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning an event identifier to the event; and

mapping the event identifier to the one task.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting the recorded events for the set of tasks.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein reporting comprises:

selecting one or more of the tasks available to a user;

defining a reporting scheme; and

reporting events recorded for the selected tasks according to the reporting scheme.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising selecting one or more of the user defined tasks mapped to a project task.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the tasks are assigned a public attribute or a private attribute.

16. A machine-accessible medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

triggering an event to record one of a set of tasks;

initiating recording of the one task responsive to the event;

terminating the event; and

terminating recording of the one task responsive to terminating the event.

17. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein the set of tasks comprises project tasks and user defined tasks, the machine-accessible medium further providing instructions which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising mapping one or more of the project tasks to a number of the user defined tasks according to a set of mapping rules.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, wherein the project tasks are a part of a number of projects.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein triggering the event comprises receiving input to select the one tasks from a list of tasks in a computer user interface.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein terminating the event comprises terminating the triggered event by receiving input to deselect the one task from a list of tasks in a computer interface.

21. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, further providing instructions which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising creating one or more notes to record user comments about the one task.

22. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, further providing instructions which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising creating one or more screen shots for the one task.

23. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, further providing instructions which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising:

assigning an event identifier to the event; and

mapping the event identifier to the one task.

24. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, further providing instructions which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to perform further operations comprising reporting the recorded events for one or more of the set of tasks.

25. The machine-accessible medium of claim 24, reporting comprises:

selecting one or more of the set of tasks available to a user;

defining a reporting scheme; and

reporting events recorded for the selected tasks according to the reporting scheme.

26. The machine-accessible medium of claim 16, wherein the tasks are assigned a public attribute or a private attribute.

27. The machine-accessible medium of claim 26, wherein a task with a private attribute is not reported.

28. A system comprising:

one or more client devices, each client device comprising;

a processor in communication with a memory, the memory storing a set of tasks to be recorded;

an event trigger to trigger an event to record one of the set of tasks;

a task recorder to initiate recording of the one task responsive to triggering the event;

an event terminator to terminate the event, the task recorder terminating recording of the one task responsive to terminating the event; and

a server device in communication with the client devices to store, manage and allot the sets for tasks for each client device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the set of tasks comprises project tasks and user defined tasks, the system further comprising a project task mapper to map one or more of the project tasks to a number of the user defined tasks according to a set of mapping rules and store the mapping relationships in a task map table.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising a notes mapper to record user comments about the one task.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising a screen shot manager to record one or more screen shots for the one task.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor assigns an event identifier to the event, the memory storing the event identifier in an event table.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising an event task mapper to map the event identifier to the one task, the memory storing a mapping relationship between the event identifier and the one task in an event task map table.

34. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

a reporting engine in communication with the client devices and the server, the reporting engine reporting events recorded for a selected set of tasks according to a predetermined reporting scheme.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the reporting engine is connected to the client devices and the server through a communication network.

36. The system of claim 28, wherein the server and the client devices are connected through a communication network.