Time keeping and expense tracking server that interfaces with a user based upon a user's atomic abilities

• US 6,747,679 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Journyx, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, William, Finch, Curtis L. II, Anderson, Chris V., Leake, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartuska, F. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rudy, Andrew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US09/606,439
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/102, 707/104, 710/100, 395/201, 345/700, 345/776, 345/777, 713/200, 713/201, 705/32, 705/11, 709/203, 709/224, 709/230
• US Class Current: 715/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system and method for building GUI screens for a time keeping and expense tracking system includes a time keeping and expense tracking (TKET) server that includes computer instructions that define logic for building GUI screens according to user definitions, communication channel throughput capacity, and terminal capacity. Initially, the TKET server examines a user'"'"'s ID to determine his group affiliations and ability levels for modifying the parameters, objects and layout of a GUI screen. Thereafter, the TKET server allows the user to make changes according to his defined abilities. For subsequent sessions, the TKET server builds a GUI screen according to the previously defined parameters. One embodiment of the present invention, the TKET server is operable to receive communication signals transmitted by way of a wireless communication channel and to generate corresponding display screens that are responsive to the user terminal type. By way of example, if the user terminal is a mini laptop having wireless communication capability, the TKET server transmits GUI display signals in a lap protocol for display thereon the user terminal. On the other hand, if the user terminal is merely a cellular phone, then the TKET server is operable to transmit a very limited set of display signals primarily comprising text and control characters. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the TKET server is operable to act as a remote time clock. Accordingly, the TKET server is formed to receive and interpret signals that define the user ID, an account code, and whether a start or stop time-keeping event has been selected. Thus, by way of example, a user may dial a specified number and may respond to, either questions generated by an IVR or to text generated by the TKET server to enter his ID, his account code, and whether he is selecting for the time-keeping function to start or stop. The TKET server then tracks time and stores the user time entries according to user ID, and according to account code. The TKET server further is operable to generate reports totaling the same.

Claims

1. A time keeping and expense tracking server comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

data storage coupled to the processor for storing user selected GUI screen parameters and user entered data;

a network interface coupled to the processor that couples to a packet data network and that sends and receives data across the packet data network; and

the memory storing a plurality of instructions for execution by the processor for creating a GUI screen, comprising computer instructions that define logic for;

maintaining an access list of users and an access level of each user in the list of users;

maintaining a mapping between modifiable fields and users of the list of users according to access level;

maintaining a mapping of modified field names and default field names

examining a user ID for a first user to determine user group affiliations and capacities based on assigned access level;

receiving from the first user an indication of a modified atomic ability for a second user wherein the second user is a lower level user than the first user;

storing the modified atomic ability for the second user;

receiving a user ID for the second user indicating the second user is logged in;

examining the second user'"'"'s atomic abilities;

examining a user terminal capacity for the second user; and

building and transmitting a GUI page having based upon the atomic abilities of the user and wherein the tabs displayed for the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of prompting the user to select from a plurality of defined GUI pages.

3. The time keeping and expense tracking server of claim 1 further including the logic for implying the arrangement of a GUI page based upon a defined GUI page.

4. The time keeping and expense tracking server of claim 1 further including the step of implying the arrangement of a GUI page based upon user terminal capabilities.

5. The time keeping and expense tracking server of claim 1 further including the step of implying the arrangement of a GUI page based upon network characteristics.

6. The time keeping and expense tracking server of claim 1 further including determine what objects are to be displayed for second user based upon his access level and his atomic abilities.

7. The time keeping and expense tracking server of claim 1 further including determining what objects are to be displayed in a manner indicating they may be modified by the second based upon his access level and his atomic abilities.

12. The server of claim 7 wherein the time keeping and expense server generates GUI screens not only based upon a user'"'"'s atomic abilities, but also based a throughput capacity of a communication link between the time keeping and expense server and the user terminal.

13. The server of claim 7 wherein the time keeping and expense server generates GUI screens not only based upon a user'"'"'s atomic abilities, but also based a user'"'"'s terminal graphics ability.

8. A time keeping and expense tracking server for tracking expense and time information and for generating a corresponding GUI screen, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

data storage coupled to the processor for storing user selected GUI screen parameters and user entered data;

a network interface coupled to the processor that couples to a packet data network and that sends and receives data across the packet data network; and

the memory storing a plurality of instructions for execution by the processor for creating a GUI screen, comprising computer instructions that define logic for;

receiving GUI screen layout information from a first user having a first access level with a corresponding set of atomic abilities;

receiving an indication that a plurality of lower level users have logged in and determining, for each of the plurality of lower level users;

the lower level user'"'"'s access level;

the lower level user'"'"'s atomic abilities;

what objects may be displayed to the lower level user;

of the objects that may be displayed, which objects may be displayed in a modifiable format;

of the objects that may be displayed, which objects may be displayed in a non-modifiable format; and

generating a corresponding GUI screen to the user having a plurality of tabs for display on one side of the GUI screen wherein the tabs that are displayed are based upon the atomic abilities of the user and wherein the tabs displayed for the second user are a subset of the tabs displayed for the first user.

9. The server of claim 8 further including a first user modifying the atomic abilities of a second (lower level) user.

10. The server of claim 8 further including the second user modifying the atomic abilities of a third (lower level) user.

11. The server of claim 10 wherein the method is performed by a time keeping and expense server for maintaining and receiving time and expense entries for a plurality of users.

14. The server of claim 8 further including, for at least one user, receiving an indication of modified atomic abilities for a lower level user.