Method and system for time and location tracking

• US 9,020,848 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eznova Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Eznova Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Ridge, Jason, Khashab, Raya
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US14/328,170
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/125 Finance or payroll
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method for tracking time and location of an employee based on a predefined schedule. This method may uses time tracking software installed on a mobile device to detect the presence (or lack of presence) of an electronic signal emitted by a NFC (near field communication), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), or other wireless device. The detection may trigger the mobile application to communicate to a server to determine if the employee is scheduled to work at a work zone, which may result in the mobile application clocking in/out the employee. Also, geofencing may be used in combination with scheduling to clock in/out employees when entering a geofenced area determined by the employer. These location detection embodiments of the present invention may be used individually or in combination to improve location accuracy. A supervisor may also use this system to review the timesheets, make changes and integrate the data into a Payroll system.

Claims

1. A method of tracking an employee at work where the work is performed in at least one work zone, comprising the steps:

inputting a work schedule for the employee;

tracking, via at least one low energy device, an employee'"'"'s location within the at least one work zone, wherein the employee'"'"'s location is determined by scanning, via a mobile device associated with the employee, for a wireless signal emitted from the at least one low energy device, wherein the wireless signal indicates the location of the employee within the at least one work zone, and wherein the at least one work zone has predefined boundaries detectable via a low energy device;

retrieving, via the mobile device, the work schedule from a server connected to the mobile device via a network;

in response to the wireless signal detected by the employee'"'"'s mobile device, automatically clocking in if the employee is currently scheduled to work according to the work schedule;

recording a work time spent by the employee in the at least one work zone during the work schedule; and

reporting the recorded work time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting the employee with a message to clock in/out.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying a supervisor if the employee'"'"'s location does not match the at least one work zone.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining at least one prohibited work zone that is distinct from the at least one work zone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising randomly prompting the employee to validate the employee'"'"'s actual attendance in the work zone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a mobile device associated with the employee to communicate with the at least one low energy device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting the employee to clock in or clock out with an email sent to the employee.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising prompting the employee to manually clock in or clock out, wherein manually clocking in or clocking out comprises opening an application on the mobile device and pressing a clock in or a clock out button.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving a notification to prompt the employee to clock in or clock out.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the mobile device is enabled for Near Field Communication, the low energy device is enabled for Near Field Communication, and communication between the mobile device and the low energy device comprises tapping the mobile device to the low energy device.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein using the mobile device comprises using a Bluetooth enabled mobile device.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising caching data on the mobile device, wherein data comprises the employee'"'"'s location, the employee'"'"'s clock in time, and the employee'"'"'s clock out time.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically clocking in or clocking out the employee when the employee enters/exits the work zone.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking the employee'"'"'s location within a work zone comprises using Global Positioning System coordinates, wherein the work zone is “

marked off”

with Global Positioning System coordinates and the employee'"'"'s location is Global Positioning System coordinates and the low energy device comprises a mobile device.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising tracking departures from and entrances into the work zone by the employee during the scheduled work shift.

16. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

prompting the employee to confirm overriding the work zone; and

overriding the scheduled work zone with the employee'"'"'s location.

17. A method for accurately and automatically tracking an employee'"'"'s time spent working according to the employee'"'"'s schedule and presence within a work zone, comprising the steps:

scanning, via a mobile device associated with an employee, for a wireless signal emitted from a low energy device, wherein the wireless signal indicates the location of the employee within a work zone, and wherein the work zone has predefined boundaries detectable via a low energy device;

if the wireless signal is detected by the mobile device, sending a request to a server from a mobile application on the mobile device, wherein the server is connected to the mobile device via a network;

receiving at the mobile application a response from the server, the response comprising a work schedule for the employee;

recording, via the mobile application, an entrance time;

triggering a clock-in event on the mobile application (i) if the mobile application determines, based on the detected wireless signal, that the employee is located within the work zone, and (ii) if the entrance time occurred within a scheduled work shift according to the received work schedule.

18. A mobile device for accurately and automatically tracking an employee'"'"'s time spent working according to the employee'"'"'s schedule and presence within a work zone, comprising:

a processor;

a network interface;

a low energy device receiver configured to scan for a wireless signal emitted from a low energy device, wherein the mobile device is associated with an employee, wherein the wireless signal indicates the location of the employee within a work zone, and wherein the work zone has predefined boundaries detectable via a low energy device;

a mobile application executing on the processor, wherein the mobile application is configured to;

communicate with the low energy device receiver;

send a request to a server via the network interface if the wireless signal is detected by the low energy device receiver;

receive a response from the server, the response comprising a work schedule for the employee;

record an entrance time;

trigger a clock-in event (i) if the mobile application determines, based on the detected wireless signal, that the employee is located within the work zone, and (ii) if the entrance time occurred within a scheduled work shift according to the received work schedule.

19. The mobile device of claim 18 wherein the low energy device is a Global Positioning System, and wherein the predefined boundaries of the work zone are defined in terms of Global Positioning System coordinates.

20. The mobile device of claim 18 wherein the low energy device sends and receives signals using Near Field Communication technology.

21. The mobile device of claim 18 wherein the low energy device communicates using Bluetooth, and wherein at least one boundary of the predefined boundaries of the work zone is defined by the signal range of the low energy device located within the work zone.

22. An employee tracking system for accurately and automatically tracking an employee'"'"'s time spent working, comprising:

a low energy device;

a work zone having boundaries defined according to a wireless signal emitted by the low energy device;

a network;

a database configured to store event data, the event data comprising a work schedule for the employee;

a server connected to the network, the server configured to communicate with the database and retrieve the event data upon request; and

a mobile device associated with the employee, the mobile device configured to

scan for a wireless signal emitted from the low energy device, wherein the wireless signal indicates the location of the employee within the work zone;

send a request to the server via the network if the mobile device detects a wireless signal from the low energy device;

receive a response from the server, the response comprising a work schedule for the employee;

record an entrance time; and

trigger a clock-in event (i) if the mobile device determines, based on the detected wireless signal, that the employee is located within the work zone, and (ii) if the entrance time occurred within a scheduled work shift according to the received work schedule.

23. The employee tracking system of claim 22 wherein the low energy device is a Global Positioning System, and wherein the predefined boundaries of the work zone are defined in terms of Global Positioning System coordinates.

24. The employee tracking system of claim 22 wherein the low energy device sends and receives signals using Near Field Communication technology.

25. The employee tracking system of claim 22 wherein the low energy device communicates via Bluetooth, and wherein at least one boundary of the predefined boundaries of the work zone is defined by the signal range of the low energy device located within the work zone.