Time attendance clock and system

• US 7,298,673 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exaktime Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exaktime Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Karten, Stuart A., Prewett, Scott K., Doran, Valerie L., Milligan, John L., Pappas, Anthony Henryk
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAYES, SEAN PHILLIP
• Application Number:
  US11/306,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20060146649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, D10/15, 235/377, 346/20
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity

Abstract

A time attendance system, including a time attendance clock, designed to be used in harsh conditions, such as outdoor job sites. A portable touch button, including a passively readable code, is brought into contact with the time attendance clock so as to create a time attendance record stored in the clock. Visual indicators and audible notification alert the employee of the acceptance of the act. Periodically, the time attendance records are retrieved from the time attendance clock, such as by using a hand-held electronic device which communicates in a wireless manner with the time attendance clock.

Claims

1. A time attendance system, comprising:

a portable touch button including a passively readable code;

a time attendance clock, comprising;

a housing sealed against water intrusion, the housing including a front housing member and a back housing member and a gasket disposed between the front and back housing members to provide a water tight seal therebetween;

a housing guard having a plurality of prongs adapted to be snap-fit over the front housing member;

a first plate attached to the back housing member, and a second plate attached to the front housing member, the first and second plates having alignable apertures for hanging the time attendance clock from an object;

a touch button contact extending through, in electrically insulated relation, the front housing member;

an electronic circuit disposed within the housing and electrically connected to the touch button contact so as to receive signals therefrom as the touch button interfaces with the touch button contact, the electronic circuit including a real time clock, a processor and memory and adapted to store a time attendance record comprising a touch button code received from the touch button contact and a time of touch button interface;

a plurality of visual indicators operably connected to the electronic circuit, the plurality of visual indicators being spaced from the touch button contact so as to be viewable through the front housing member as the touch button is moved into proximity to the touch button contact, wherein the plurality of visual indicators comprise different colored light emitting diodes disposed in a lens assembly abutting a window formed in the front housing member, wherein a first light emitting diode emits a green light to visually notify that the touch button has been properly interfaced with the touch button contact, and wherein a second light emitting diode emits a red light to visually indicate that the touch button has been improperly interfaced with the touch button contact;

a transceiver disposed adjacent to the visual indicators and adapted to receive and transmit IrDA signals;

a multi-tone speaker operably connected to the electronic circuit and adapted to emit an audible notification upon occurrence of predetermined events, including an audible notification that the touch button has been properly interfaced with the touch button contact, and another audible notification that the touch button was not properly interfaced with the touch button contact;

means for communicating with the time attendance clock for retrieving stored time attendance records therefrom, wherein the communicating means comprises a hand held electronic device having an infrared signal protocol to communicate with the transceiver of the time clock so as to extract time attendance records;

wherein the back housing member includes a plurality of apertures generally aligned with the speaker to facilitate the transmission of the audible notification from the speaker, and an air permeable, but liquid impermeable, membrane disposed over the apertures of the back housing member to prevent water from entering the housing therethrough; and

wherein the back housing member includes projections on a rear face thereof to permit the audible notification to be heard when the time clock is placed against a flat surface.