Employee time entry and accounting system
First Claim
1. A time and attendance system for accumulating and processing information about a plurality of employees in a workplace having workstations where employees perform assigned tasks under the supervision of one or more supervisors, wherein the time and attendance system is comprised of:
- a time clock configured to allow one or more employees to log in and log out and to generate one or more data signals indicative thereof, wherein the time clock has an open state and a closed state and wherein the one or more data signals indicative of when an employee logged in or out of the time clock are generated only when the time clock is in the open state and wherein the time clock only enters the open state in response to a supervisor opening the time clock;
a central computer electronically linked to the time clock and receiving the data signals from the time clock wherein the computer stores information indicative at least in part of the data signals generated by the time clock; and
a plurality of data structures corresponding to the plurality of employees, wherein the central computer stores information by updating the plurality of data structures in response to the one or more data signals received from the time clock.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A time entry and accounting system permitting employees to clock in and clock out from work at computerized time clocks located adjacent to their workstations using an individually encoded identification card. The time clock is configured to have a normally closed state and an opened state and to move between states in response to a supervisor scanning his identification card. The computerized time clocks are interactively linked to a central computer and, upon an employee clocking in or out, the central computer receives appropriate signals from the time clock, and stores information corresponding to these signals in memory. The information stored in the memory of the computer is subsequently used to develop accounting records and reports, to generate payroll data, and to send signals to the time clocks. The time clock further includes a display screen permitting the time clock to display messages in response to signals sent by the central computer and a plurality of buttons permitting an employee or supervisor to send additional information to the central computer.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A time and attendance system for accumulating and processing information about a plurality of employees in a workplace having workstations where employees perform assigned tasks under the supervision of one or more supervisors, wherein the time and attendance system is comprised of:
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a time clock configured to allow one or more employees to log in and log out and to generate one or more data signals indicative thereof, wherein the time clock has an open state and a closed state and wherein the one or more data signals indicative of when an employee logged in or out of the time clock are generated only when the time clock is in the open state and wherein the time clock only enters the open state in response to a supervisor opening the time clock; a central computer electronically linked to the time clock and receiving the data signals from the time clock wherein the computer stores information indicative at least in part of the data signals generated by the time clock; and a plurality of data structures corresponding to the plurality of employees, wherein the central computer stores information by updating the plurality of data structures in response to the one or more data signals received from the time clock. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a time and attendance system comprising one or more time clocks configured to provide signals indicative of an employee logging in and out, and a central computer, with an associated memory, which receives signals from the one or more time clocks, a method of interactively accumulating and processing accounting information for the employees in a workplace comprising the steps of:
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a supervisor manipulating a first time clock so as to place it in an open state; an employee logging in or logging out by manipulating the first time clock only after the supervisor has manipulated the first time clock into the open state; transmitting a signal to the central computer indicative of the time the employee logged in or out; and storing information corresponding to the employee in a data structure in response to the signal received by the central computer which is indicative of the employee logging in or out. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification