Automatic Time Tracking Based On User Interface Events

• US 20080133287A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Slattery, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes

Abstract

In various embodiments, an application may automatically track the amount of time a user spends performing activities on one or more computer applications. The tracked time may be used, for example, to bill a client for the activities performed. To automatically track time for a user, a time tracking application may monitor a user'"'"'s activities and store time tracking entries with the types of activities performed and the time spent performing the activities. These activity types may be correlated against billing codes.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically tracking time for client billable activities, comprising:

detecting a user application activity corresponding to at least one client billable activity; and

automatically storing a time tracking entry corresponding to the user application activity, wherein the time tracking entry comprises an activity identifier and a time indicator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time indicator comprises a start time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time indicator comprises a total time of the user application activity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the time tracking entry further comprises a client identifier that corresponds to a client identity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the client identity is indicated by a user through a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a user application activity comprises receiving a message from an operating system corresponding to the user application activity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the message from the operating system comprises a time tracking application intercepting the message from the operating system to an application program a user is interacting with during the user application activity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the application program is a tax return preparation application.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the user application activity is selected from a group consisting of selecting a menu option using a mouse cursor and clicking an icon on using a mouse cursor.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the user application activity corresponds to at least one of opening a file, closing a file, inputting data into a data panel, or printing a file.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically storing an indication of user inactivity after a predetermined amount of time of detected user inactivity, wherein the indication of user inactivity includes a time indicator for the detected user inactivity.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein storing an indication of user inactivity comprises disregarding detected user inactivity that a user has indicated should be disregarded.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a user application activity corresponding to at least one client billable activity, comprises:

detecting a user application activity; and

determining if the detected user application activity corresponds to a client billable activity.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein storing a time tracking entry with a time indicator comprises:

determining if the user application activity has a companion user application activity;

if the user application activity has a companion user application activity, storing a duration between the user application activity and the companion user application activity as the time indicator; and

if the user application activity does not have a companion user application activity, storing a time indicator corresponding to the user application activity.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to;

detect a user application activity corresponding to at least one client billable activity; and

automatically store a time tracking entry corresponding to the user application activity, wherein the time tracking entry comprises an activity identifier and a time indicator.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the time indicator comprises a start time.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the time indicator comprises a total time of the user application activity.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the time tracking entry further comprises a client identifier that corresponds to a client identity.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the client identity is indicated by a user through a user interface.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein detecting a user application activity comprises receiving a message from an operating system corresponding to the user application activity.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein receiving the message from the operating system comprises a time tracking application intercepting the message from the operating system to an application program a user is interacting with during the user application activity.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the application program is a tax return preparation application.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the user application activity is selected from a group consisting of selecting a menu option using a mouse cursor and clicking an icon using a mouse cursor.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the user application activity corresponds to at least one of opening a file, closing a file, inputting data into a data panel, or printing a file.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable to automatically store an indication of user inactivity after a predetermined amount of time of detected user inactivity, wherein the indication of user inactivity includes a time indicator for the detected user inactivity.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein storing an indication of user inactivity comprises disregarding detected user inactivity that a user has indicated should be disregarded.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein detecting a user application activity corresponding to at least one client billable activity, comprises:

detecting a user application activity; and

determining if the detected user application activity corresponds to a client billable activity.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein storing a time tracking entry with a time indicator comprises:

determining if the user application activity has a companion user application activity;

if the user application activity has a companion user application activity, storing a duration between the user application activity and the companion user application activity as the time indicator; and

if the user application activity does not have a companion user application activity, storing a time indicator corresponding to the user application activity.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to:

detect a user application activity corresponding to at least one client billable activity; and

automatically store a time tracking entry corresponding to the user application activity, wherein the time tracking entry comprises an activity identifier and a time indicator.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein detecting a user application activity comprises receiving a message from an operating computer readable medium corresponding to the user application activity.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, wherein receiving the message from the operating computer readable medium comprises a time tracking application intercepting the message from the operating computer readable medium to an application program a user is interacting with during the user application activity.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the application program is a tax return preparation application.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the program instructions are further executable to automatically store an indication of user inactivity after a predetermined amount of time of detected user inactivity, wherein the indication of user inactivity includes a time indicator for the detected user inactivity.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein storing an indication of user inactivity comprises disregarding detected user inactivity that a user has indicated should be disregarded.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein detecting a user application activity corresponding to at least one client billable activity, comprises:

detecting a user application activity; and

determining if the detected user application activity corresponds to a client billable activity.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein storing a time tracking entry with a time indicator comprises:

determining if the user application activity has a companion user application activity;

if the user application activity has a companion user application activity, storing a duration between the user application activity and the companion user application activity as the time indicator; and

if the user application activity does not have a companion user application activity, storing a time indicator corresponding to the user application activity.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the time tracking entry further comprises a client identifier that corresponds to a client identity.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the client identity is indicated by a user through a user interface.