Automatic time tracking based on user interface events

• US 7,881,990 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Slattery, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Champagne; Luna
• Application Number:
  US11/565,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20080133287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes

Abstract

In various embodiments, an application may automatically track the amount of time a user spends performing activities on one or more computer applications. The tracked time may be used, for example, to bill a client for the activities performed. To automatically track time for a user, a time tracking application may monitor a user'"'"'s activities and store time tracking entries with the types of activities performed and the time spent performing the activities. These activity types may be correlated against billing codes.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically tracking time for client billable activities, comprising:

determining, based on a user input, a first association between a first billable activity and a first user application activity,

wherein the first association is stored in a look up table, and

wherein the first user application activity corresponds to an initiation of the first billable activity;

determining, based on the user input, a second association between the first billable activity and a companion user application activity associated with the first user application,

wherein the second association is stored in the look up table, and

wherein the companion user application activity corresponds to a conclusion of the first billable activity;

determining, based on the user input, a third association between a second billable activity and a second user application activity,

wherein the third association is stored in the look up table,

wherein the second user application activity is associated with a duration of the second billable activity, and

wherein the first user application activity, the companion user application activity, and the second user application activity are associated with a user application executing on a user computer;

detecting, at the user computer, the first user application activity;

identifying the first billable activity, by using the lookup table, based on the first user application activity;

generating a first time tracking entry associated with the first billable activity, wherein the first time tracking entry comprises a first activity identifier and a first time indicator indicating the initiation of the first billable activity; and

automatically storing the first time tracking entry;

detecting, at the user computer and subsequent to detecting the first user application activity, the second user application activity;

generating a second time tracking entry comprising a second activity identifier and a second time indicator indicating the duration of the second billable activity;

storing the second time tracking entry automatically;

detecting, at the user computer and subsequent to detecting the second user application activity, the companion user application activity;

generating a third time tracking entry comprising a third activity identifier and a third time indicator indicating the conclusion of the first billable activity;

storing the third time tracking entry automatically; and

facilitating preparation of a bill for a client,

wherein the bill is based on;

the first, second, and third time indicators, and

the first, second, and third activity identifiers, and

wherein the bill comprises;

a first billable time period based on the duration, and

a second billable time period based on subtracting the duration from a time period between the first and second time indicators.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first time tracking entry further comprises a client identifier that corresponds to a client identity,

wherein the bill is further based on a billing code associated with the first activity identifier, and

wherein the billing code is accessed from a file on which the user is working and stored in the first time tracking entry.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the client identity is indicated by a user through a user interface.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein detecting the first user application activity comprises detecting a voice command from the user, and

wherein detecting the second user application activity comprises determining the duration associated with the second user application activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first user application activity comprises a time tracking application intercepting a message from an operating system to the user application.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the application program is a tax return preparation application,.

wherein the first user application activity comprises activating a file open command within the tax return preparation application, the companion user application activity comprises activating a file close command within the tax return preparation application, and the second user application activity comprises completing a tax form within the tax return preparation application, and

wherein the first billable activity comprises review file activity and the second billable activity comprises data entry activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user application activity is selected from a group consisting of selecting a menu option using a mouse cursor and clicking an icon on using a mouse cursor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user application activity corresponds to at least one selected from a group consisting of opening a file, closing a file, inputting data into a data panel, and printing a file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically storing an indication of user inactivity after a predetermined amount of time of detected user inactivity, wherein the indication of user inactivity includes a time indicator for the detected user inactivity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein storing an indication of user inactivity comprises disregarding detected user inactivity that a user has indicated should be disregarded.

11. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to;

determine, based on a user input, a first association between a first billable activity and a first user application activity,

wherein the first association is stored in a look up table, and

wherein the first user application activity corresponds to a beginning of the first billable activity;

determine, based on the user input, a second association between the first billable activity and a companion user application activity associated with the first user application,

wherein the second association is stored in the look up table, and

wherein the companion user application activity corresponds to an ending of the first billable activity;

determine, based on the user input, a third association between a second billable activity and a second user application activity,

wherein the third association is stored in the look up table,

wherein the second user application activity is associated with a duration of the second billable activity, and

wherein the first user application activity, the companion user application activity, and the second user application activity are associated with a user application executing on a user computer;

detect, at the user computer, the first user application activity;

identify the first billable activity, by using the lookup table, based on the first user application activity;

generate a first time tracking entry associated with the first billable activity, wherein the first time tracking entry comprises a first activity identifier and a first time indicator indicating the beginning of the first billable activity; and

store the first time tracking entry automatically;

detect, at the user computer and subsequent to detecting the first user application activity, the second user application activity;

generate a second time tracking entry comprising a second activity identifier and a second time indicator indicating the duration of the second billable activity;

store the second time tracking entry automatically;

detect, at the user computer and subsequent to detecting the second user application activity, the companion user application activity;

generate a third time tracking entry comprising a third activity identifier and a third time indicator indicating the ending of the first billable activity;

store the third time tracking entry automatically; and

facilitate preparation of a bill for a client,

wherein the bill is based on;

the first, second, and third time indicators, and

the first, second, and third activity identifiers,

wherein the bill comprises;

a first billable time period based on the duration, and

a second billable time period based on subtracting the duration from a time period between the first and second time indicators.

12. The system of claim 11,

wherein the first time tracking entry further comprises a client identifier that corresponds to a client identity,

wherein the bill is further based on a billing code associated with the first activity identifier, and

wherein the billing code is accessed from a file on which the user is working and stored in the first time tracking entry.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the client identity is indicated by a user through a user interface.

14. The system of claim 11,

wherein detecting the first user application activity comprises detecting a voice command from the user, and

wherein detecting the another second user application activity comprises determining the duration associated with the second user application activity.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting the first user application activity comprises a time tracking application intercepting a message from an operating system to the user application.

16. The system of claim 11,

wherein the application program is a tax return preparation application,.

wherein the first user application activity comprises activating a file open command within the tax return preparation application, the companion user application activity comprises activating a file close command within the tax return preparation completing a tax form within the tax return preparation application, and

wherein the first billable activity comprises review file activity and the second billable activity comprises data entry activity.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first user application activity is selected from a group consisting of selecting a menu option using a mouse cursor and clicking an icon using a mouse cursor.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first user application activity corresponds to at least one selected from a group consisting of opening a file, closing a file, inputting data into a data panel, and printing a file.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to automatically store an indication of user inactivity after a predetermined amount of time of detected user inactivity, wherein the indication of user inactivity includes a time indicator for the detected user inactivity.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein storing an indication of user inactivity comprises disregarding detected user inactivity that a user has indicated should be disregarded.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to:

determine, based on a user input, a first association between a first billable activity and a first user application activity,

wherein the first association is stored in a look up table, and

wherein the first user application activity corresponds to a beginning of the first billable activity;

determine, based on the user input, a second association between the first billable activity and a companion user application activity associated with the first user application,

wherein the second association is stored in the look up table, and

wherein the companion user application activity corresponds to an ending of the first billable activity;

determine, based on the user input, a third association between a second billable activity and a second user application activity,

wherein the third association is stored in the look up table,

wherein the second user application activity is associated with a duration of the second billable activity, and

wherein the first user application activity, the companion user application activity, and the second user application activity are associated with a user application executing on a user computer;

detect, at the user computer, the first user application activity;

identify the first billable activity, by using the lookup table, based on the first user application activity;

generate a first time tracking entry associated with the first billable activity, wherein the first time tracking entry comprises a first activity identifier and a first time indicator indicating the beginning of the first billable activity; and

store the first time tracking entry automatically;

detect, at the user computer and subsequent to detecting the first user application activity, the second user application activity;

generate a second time tracking entry comprising a second activity identifier and a second time indicator indicating the duration of the second billable activity;

store the second time tracking entry automatically;

detect, at the user computer and subsequent to detecting the second user application activity, the companion user application activity;

generate a third time tracking entry comprising a third activity identifier and a third time indicator indicating the ending of the first billable activity;

store the third time tracking entry automatically; and

facilitate preparation of a bill for a client,

wherein the bill is based on;

the first, second, and third time indicators, and

the first, second, and third activity identifiers, and

wherein the bill comprises;

a first billable time period based on the duration, and

a second billable time period based on subtracting the duration from a time period between the first and second time indicators.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21,

wherein detecting the first user application activity comprises detecting a voice command from the user, and

wherein detecting the second user application activity comprises determining the duration associated with the second user application activity.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein detecting the first user application activity comprises a time tracking application intercepting a message from an operating computer readable medium to the user application.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21,

wherein the application program is a tax return preparation application,.

wherein the first user application activity comprises activating a file open command within the tax return preparation application, the companion user application activity comprises activating a file close command within the tax return preparation application, and the second user application activity comprises completing a tax form within the tax return preparation application, and

wherein the first billable activity comprises review file activity and the second billable activity comprises data entry activity.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable to automatically store an indication of user inactivity after a predetermined amount of time of detected user inactivity, wherein the indication of user inactivity includes a time indicator for the detected user inactivity.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein storing an indication of user inactivity comprises disregarding detected user inactivity that a user has indicated should be disregarded.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 21,

wherein the first time tracking entry further comprises a client identifier that corresponds to a client identity,

wherein the bill is further based on a billing code associated with the first activity identifier, and

wherein the billing code is accessed from a file on which the user is working and stored in the first time tracking entry.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the client identity is indicated by a user through a user interface.