Time and Attendance Apparatus and Methods

• US 20150371193A1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biopanel Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Biopanel Systems Limited
• Inventors: TAYLOR, Jonathan Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/731,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20150371193A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity

Abstract

A system and method of operating a time and attendance apparatus receives biometric information; processes the biometric information to determine an identity of a current user of the apparatus and receives user input relating to time and attendance. The system/method further stores and/or transfers data based on the time and attendance user input to create or update a time and attendance record for the user; presents at least one further question to the user; receives further user input in response to the at least one further question, and stores and/or transfers data based on the further user input for creating or updating profile information for the user.

Claims

1. A time and attendance apparatus comprising:

a biometric device for generating biometric information;

at least one display;

a user input arrangement;

a communications device for transferring data to/from at least one remote apparatus;

a memory, and

a processor configured to;

process the biometric information generated by the biometric device to determine an identity of a current user of the apparatus;

receive user input from the user input arrangement relating to time and attendance;

store in the memory and/or transfer, using the communications device, data based on the time and attendance user input to create or update a time and attendance record for the user;

present at least one further question to the user on the display;

receive further user input from the user input arrangement in response to the at least one further question, and

store in the memory and/or transfer, using the communications device, data based on the further user input for creating or updating profile information for the user.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, including first and second said displays, wherein the first display is used to display information relating to time and attendance and the second display is used to display information not relating to time and attendance.

3. A computing device configured to receive data from time and attendance apparatus, the computing device comprising:

a memory;

a communications device for receiving data from the time and attendance apparatus, and

a processor configured to;

analyse data received from the time and attendance apparatus to identify a user;

update a time and attendance data record associated with the user based on the received data, and/or

update a user profile data record associated with the user based on the received data.

4. A method of operating a time and attendance apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving biometric information;

processing the biometric information to determine an identity of a current user of the apparatus;

receiving user input relating to time and attendance;

storing and/or transferring data based on the time and attendance user input to create or update a time and attendance record for the user;

presenting at least one further question to the user;

receiving further user input in response to the at least one further question, and

storing and/or transferring data based on the further user input for creating or updating profile information for the user.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one further question does not relate to time and attendance.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one further question is in a form of a survey, multiple choice question(s) or competition.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one further question is used for marketing purposes.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one question relates to overtime capacity of the user.

9. The method according to claim 4, further comprising including displaying additional information whilst receiving the user input relating to time and attendance, and/or whilst presenting the at least one further question to the user, and/or receiving the further user input in response to the at least one further question.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the additional information includes an advertisement, offer or marketing information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the additional information is based on the profile information of the user.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the profile information for the user is used for marketing purposes.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information relating to the profile information of the user includes an advertisement or an offer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the advertisement or offer relates to an item or service in which, according to the profile information, the user has expressed an interest.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the advertisement or offer is based on personal information of the user in the user profile information, e.g. age, gender, marital status, income bracket, etc.

16. The method according to claim 4, further comprising performing a determination before proceeding to the step of presenting the at least one further question to the user.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the determination includes checking if the user input relating to time and attendance indicated a clocking out event for the user and, if so, proceeding to the step of presenting at least one further question to the user.

18. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of transferring the data is performed on a periodic or event-based basis.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said data relating to more than one said user is transferred in a batch.

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