Time and activity tracker

• US 6,622,116 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Research Investment Network Incorporated
• Inventors: Skinner, Gary R., Lehman, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Craig Steven
• Application Number:
  US10/063,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 702/182-185, 702/187, 702/188, 702/189
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 37/50 by looper control
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 37/52 by drive motor control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3423 where the assessed time is active or idle time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/348 Circuit details, i.e. tracer hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices

Abstract

A method and system for automatically collecting and for analyzing information about time and work performed on a computer includes a hardware abstraction layer for monitoring activity on various user input devices. The system also includes the following elements: a data collector for monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s computer activity and for logging into a log file those certain portions of a user'"'"'s computer activity; a data analyzer for determining by following user-defined rules showing which portions of those certain portions of a user'"'"'s computer activity constitutes continuous work activities, and how this work should be categorized by project and task with project; and an external interface for building the rules defining work. The data collector includes a resident module, such as a TSR (terminate-and-stay-resident) module, which extends the file system of the computer so that detailed records are kept of file activities. The data collector also routes information about file and keyboard activity, and tabulates and writes such information to a user'"'"'s disk periodically. The hardware abstraction layer is a software module which is interposed between actual physical user input devices and the data collector.

Claims

1. A user-activity monitoring system for a computing device comprising:

a data collector for monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity;

a software module interposed between said data collector and a user input device, said software module for monitoring and detecting activity of various types of input devices;

a data analyzer for determining which portions of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity; and

a timer provided by said data analyzer for a task, said timer for accumulating actual time the user is engaged in said task wherein said timer stops accumulating said actual time upon the expiration of an idle time limit.

2. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising a module for maintaining records of the computer'"'"'s fife activities.

3. The system recited in claim 1, further comprising an external interface for defining which portions of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a continuous work activity.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said data collector is for recording into an activity record said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity.

5. The system recited in claim 4, wherein said activity record includes information about file activity, keystroke activity, mouse activity, and user notes.

6. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said data collector extends the user interface of a computer to allow a record of external user input device activity be kept as a user performs work.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein work comprises an activity to be tracked.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said data collector is for maintaining a record of external input devices.

9. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said data collector is for routing information about external user-input device activity and also to tabulate and write said information periodically to a storage device.

10. The system recited in claim 9, further comprising a filter through which said information about external user-input device activity is passed.

11. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said software module is for translating storage device activities to hard disk activities, selection activities to keystroke activities, and pointer device activities to mouse activities.

12. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said predefine activity is work activity.

13. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said predefined activity constitutes activity on a distributed basis, such as cable TV.

14. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said predefined activity is study activity.

15. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said predefined activity is disk duplication.

16. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said predefined activity is traffic between a particular application and internet/intranet.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said activity record is a log file.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said user'"'"'s activity is a computing activity or a wireless device activity.

19. A user-activity monitoring system for a computing device comprising:

a data collector adapted for monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity;

a software module interposed between said data collector and a user input device, said software module for monitoring and detecting activity of various types of input devices;

a data analyzer for determining which portions of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity; and

a timer provided by said data analyzer for a task, said timer for accumulating actual time the user is engaged in said task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task, said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.

20. A user-activity monitoring system for a computing device comprising:

a data collector and analyzer adapted for monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity and determining which portions of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity; and

a timer provided by said data analyzer for a task, said timer adapted to accumulate actual time the user is engaged in said task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.

21. A method for monitoring computer use, comprising:

monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity;

determining which of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a work activity; and

accumulating an actual time for said work activity with a timer, wherein said timer stops accumulating said actual time upon the expiration of an idle time limit.

22. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising:

maintaining records of the computer'"'"'s file activities.

23. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising recording into an activity record said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity.

24. The method recited in claim 23, wherein said activity record includes information about file activity, keystroke activity, mouse activity, and user notes.

25. A computer use monitoring method comprising:

monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity with a data collector;

interposing between said data collector and a user input device, a software module for monitoring and detecting activity of various types of input devices;

using a data analyzer to determine which portions of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity; and

providing a timer for a task, said timer for accumulating actual time the user is engaged in said task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task, said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.

26. A method for monitoring user-activity on a computing device comprising:

monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity and determining which portions of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity; and

accumulate with a timer, an actual time the user is engaged in a task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task, said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.

27. A method for automatically collecting and analyzing information about time and activity performed on a computer comprising:

monitoring certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity with a data collector;

interposing between said data collector and a user input device, a software module for monitoring and detecting activity of various types of input devices;

using a data analyzer to determine which portions of said certain portions of a user'"'"'s activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity; and

providing a timer for a task, said timer for accumulating actual time the user is engaged in said task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task, said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.