Apparatuses, methods and systems for a rule-integrated virtual punch clock

• US 9,396,232 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2010
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iqor US Inc. (IQOR Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IQOR Holdings Incorporated, Iqor US Inc. (IQOR Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kapoor, Vikas, Madhavarapu, Abhilash
• Primary Examiner(s): Pulliam, Christyann
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ohba, Mellissa M
• Application Number:
  US12/905,247
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24561 Intermediate data storage techniques for performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24564 Applying rules; Deductive queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2477 Temporal data queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes

Abstract

The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A RULE-INTEGRATED VIRTUAL PUNCH CLOCK (hereinafter “RIVPC”) implement efficient and scalable monitoring, regulation, and allocation of computational processing, data, labor, and/or the like resources within an enterprise. The RIVPC may facilitate tracking employee time, such as time worked, time per activity, break time, vacation time, and/or the like, by providing an electronic time clock interface at an employee terminal device. The RIVPC may further be configured to track, implement and/or enforce one or more labor rules, regulations, laws, company policies, wage schedules, and/or the like based on one or more rulesets embedded in and/or interacting with the virtual clock components of the RIVPC. The embedded rules may be selected and/or enforced selectively based on user characteristics, including one or more descriptive business grammar strings associated with a user.

Claims

1. A rule-integrated virtual punch clock processor-implemented method, comprising:

providing a virtual punch clock interface for display to a user;

receiving a clock-in indicator and a user information via the virtual punch clock interface;

incrementing a user work timer following receipt of the clock-in indicator and the user information;

querying a database using the user information to obtain a data-structure-tracking syntax-configured string associated with the user information, wherein the syntax-configured string consists of a plurality of component parts, delimited by syntax separators, and wherein each part of the string tracks a separate data structure;

utilizing the data-structure tracking syntax-configured string and the user information to generate a request to at least one business grammar rule database containing a plurality of business grammar rules for an enterprise;

selectively evaluating and obtaining at least one universal variable based on the user information and the evaluation of the business grammar rules for the enterprise and based on a presence of user-defined associated universal variables for at least one table field, wherein said universal variables comprise user-defined intermediate data objects that allow access and mapping of logically interrelated table fields in a plurality disparate relational databases and external data sources containing enterprise-specific data, and wherein the universal data variables are organized into a hierarchical structure following the business grammar construct for the enterprise, where each segment of the hierarchy follows a user-defined business grammar token type, and wherein the selective evaluation and use of the universal variable for mapping and access is also dependent on the evaluated business grammar rules for the enterprise;

obtaining and evaluating additional data comprising the a user activities based on the presence and evaluation of at least one universal variable and determining at least one application that is used by the user after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

evaluating the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule based on the user work timer, monitoring the progress of the work timer aider the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

determining from the evaluation of said at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule and said at least one universal variable, the application that is used by the user and user work timer whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred, determining whether the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule conflicts with any other business grammar rule for the enterprise;

determining the priority of the conflicting extracted enterprise business grammar rules and revising the determination of whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred based on the priority determination; and

performing a response action based on an outcome of the determination that a violation of the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule has occurred, wherein a response remedies the occurred violation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual punch clock interface is provided a part of a virtualized application at a user computer terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information comprises a descriptive business grammar configured string.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting at least one business grammar rule based on a user information associated with the user further comprises:

querying at least one descriptive business grammar configured string based on the user information;

extracting at least one token from the descriptive business grammar configured string; and

accessing the at least one rule based on the at least one token.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the descriptive business grammar configured string comprises a department code.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the descriptive business grammar configured string comprises a program code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business grammar rule is an at least one labor regulation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one labor regulation enforces a break time requirement.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the response action comprises forcing a break period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one business grammar rule is a company labor policy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one business grammar rule is a pay rate specification.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pay rate specification is activity specific, and wherein requesting at least one business grammar rule is further based on an activity identifier.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the response action comprises processing a payment based on the pay rate and the user work timer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the response action comprises generation of a violation indicator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the violation indicator is provided as a warning message to the user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the violation indicator is provided as a warning message to a supervisor of the user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the at least one business grammar rule based on the user work timer further comprises:

determining at least one work time statistic based on the user work timer; and

evaluating the at least one business grammar rule based on the at least one work time statistic.

18. A rule-integrated virtual punch clock apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor issues instructions to;

provide a virtual punch clock interface for display to a user;

provide an interface to allow entering and revising at least one rule in a database of business grammar rules applicable to a plurality of users for an enterprise;

receive a dock-in indicator and a user information via the virtual punch dock interface;

increment a user work timer following receipt of the dock-in indicator and the user information;

query a database using the user information to obtain a data-structure-tracking syntax-configured string associated with the user information, wherein the syntax-configured string consists of a plurality of component parts, delimited by syntax separators, and wherein each part of the string tracks a separate data structure;

utilize the data-structure tracking syntax-configured string and the, user information to generate a request to at least one business grammar rule database containing a plurality of business grammar rules for an enterprise;

selectively evaluate and obtain at least one universal variable based on the user information and the evaluation of the business grammar rules for the enterprise and based on a presence of user-defined associated universal variables for at least one table field, wherein said universal variables comprise user-defined intermediate data objects that allow access and mapping of logically interrelated table fields in a plurality disparate relational databases and external data sources containing enterprise-specific data, and wherein the universal data variables are organized into a hierarchical structure following the business grammar construct for the enterprise, where each segment of the hierarchy follows a enterprise business grammar token type, and wherein the selective evaluation and use of the universal variable for mapping and access is also dependent on the evaluated business grammar rules for the enterprise;

obtain and evaluate additional data comprising a user activities based on the presence and evaluation of at least one universal variable and comprising determining at least one application that is used by the user after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

evaluate the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule based on the user work timer, monitoring the progress of the work timer after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

determine from the evaluation of said at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule and said at least one universal variable, the application that is used by the user and user work timer whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred,

determine whether the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule conflicts with any other business grammar rule for the enterprise;

determine the priority of the conflicting extracted enterprise user-specific business grammar rules and revising the determination of whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred based on the priority determination; and

perform a response action based on an outcome of the determination that a violation of the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule has occurred.

19. A non-transitory processor readable computer memory for a rule-integrated virtual punch clock processor, said media comprising:

A plurality of processing instructions stored in the medium and issuable by a processor to;

provide a virtual punch clock interface for display to a user;

provide an interface to allow entering and revising at least one rule in a database of business grammar rules applicable to a plurality of users for an enterprise;

receive a clock-in indicator and a user information via the virtual punch clock interface;

increment a user work timer following receipt of the clock-in indicator and the user information;

query a database using the user information to obtain a data-structure-tracking syntax-configured string associated with the user information, wherein the syntax-configured string consists of a plurality of component parts, delimited by syntax separators, and wherein each part of the string tracks a separate data structure;

utilize the data-structure tracking syntax-configured string and the user information to generate a request to at least one business grammar rule database containing a plurality of business grammar rules for an enterprise,

selectively evaluate and obtain at least one universal variable based on the user information and the evaluation of the business grammar rules for the enterprise and based on a presence of user-defined associated universal variables for at least one table field, wherein said universal variables comprise user-defined intermediate data objects that allow access and mapping of logically interrelated table fields in a plurality disparate relational databases and external data sources containing enterprise-specific data, and wherein the universal data variables are organized into a hierarchical structure following the business grammar construct for the enterprise, where each segment of the hierarchy follows a user-defined business grammar token type, and wherein the selective evaluation and use of the universal variable for mapping and access is also dependent on the evaluated business grammar rules for the enterprise;

obtain and evaluate additional data comprising a the user activities based on the presence and evaluation of at least one universal variable and comprising determining at least one application that is used by the user after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

evaluate the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule based on the user work timer, monitoring the progress of the work timer after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

determine from the evaluation of said at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule and said at least one universal variable, the application that is used by the user and user work timer whether a violation of the extracted-rule has occurred, determine whether the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule conflicts with any other business grammar rule for the enterprise same user;

determine the priority of the conflicting extracted enterprise business grammar rules and revising the determination of whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred based on the priority determination; and

perform a response action based on an outcome of the determination that a violation of the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule has occurred.

20. A rule-integrated virtual punch clock processor-implemented method, comprising:

providing a virtual punch clock interface for display to a user;

receiving a clock-in indicator and a user information via the virtual punch clock interface;

incrementing a user work timer following receipt of the clock-in indicator and the user information;

querying a database using the user information to obtain a data-structure-tracking syntax-configured string associated with the user information, wherein the syntax-configured string consists of a plurality of component parts, delimited by syntax separators, and wherein each part of the string tracks a separate data structure;

utilizing user identifier associated with the user and the data-structure tracking syntax-configured string to extract and access at least one enterprise business grammar rule from a database of business grammar rules comprising labor regulation rules on break time requirements for employees of an enterprise;

selectively evaluating and obtaining at least one universal variable based on the user information and the evaluation of the business grammar rules for the enterprise and based on a presence of user-defined associated universal variables for at least one table field, wherein said universal variables comprise user-defined intermediate data objects that allow access and mapping of logically interrelated table fields in a plurality disparate relational databases and external data sources containing enterprise-specific data, and wherein the universal data variables are organized into a hierarchical structure following the business grammar construct for the enterprise, where each segment of the hierarchy follows a user-defined business grammar token type, and wherein the selective evaluation and use of the universal variable for mapping and access is also dependent on the evaluated business grammar rules for the enterprise;

obtaining and evaluating additional data comprising a user activities based on the presence and evaluation of at least one universal variable and comprising determining at least one application that is used by the user after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

evaluating the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule based on the user work timer, monitoring the progress of the work timer after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

determining from the evaluation of said at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule and said at least one universal variable, the application that is used by the user and user work timer whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred,

determining whether the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule conflicts with any other business grammar rule for the enterprise;

determining the priority of the conflicting extracted enterprise business grammar rules and revising the determination of whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred based on the priority determination; and

performing a response action based on an outcome of the determination of violation of the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule has occurred, wherein such a response remedies the occurred violation.

21. A rule-integrated virtual punch clock processor-implemented method, comprising:

providing a virtual punch clock interface for display to a employee;

providing an interface to allow entering and revising at least one rule in a database of business grammar rules applicable to a plurality of employees for an enterprise;

incrementing an employee work timer following receipt of the clock-in indicator;

receiving a clock-in indicator and the employee information via the virtual punch clock interface;

incrementing an employee work timer following receipt of the clock-in indicator and the employee information;

querying a database using the user information to obtain a data-structure-tracking syntax-configured string associated with the user information, wherein the syntax-configured string consists of a plurality of component parts, delimited by syntax separators, and wherein each part of the string tracks a separate data structure;

utilizing the data-structure tracking syntax-configured string and the employee information to generate a request to at least one business grammar rule database containing a plurality of business grammar rules for an enterprise;

selectively evaluating and obtaining at least one universal variable based on the employee information and the evaluation of the business grammar rules for the enterprise and based on a presence of user-defined associated universal variables for at least one table field, wherein said universal variables comprise user-defined intermediate data objects that allow access and mapping of logically interrelated table fields in a plurality disparate relational databases and external data sources containing enterprise-specific data, and wherein the universal data variables are organized into a hierarchical structure following the business grammar construct for the enterprise, where each segment of the hierarchy follows a user-defined business grammar token type, and wherein the selective evaluation and use of the universal variable for mapping and access is also dependent on the evaluated business grammar rules for the enterprise;

obtaining and evaluating additional data comprising a employee activities based on the presence and evaluation of at least one universal variable and comprising determining at least one application that is used by the employee after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

evaluating the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule based on the employee work timer, monitoring the progress of the work timer after the receipt of a clock-in indicator;

determining whether the at least one extracted specific enterprise business grammar rule conflicts with any other business grammar rule for the enterprise;

determining the priority of the conflicting extracted enterprise business grammar rules and revising the determination of whether a violation of the extracted rule has occurred based on the priority determination; and

performing a response action based on an outcome of the determination that a violation of the at least one extracted enterprise business grammar rule has occurred.