Wireless time attendance system and method

• US 9,436,933 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exaktime Innovations, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exaktime Innovations, Inc.
• Inventors: Pappas, Anthony H., O'Hara, John K., Powers, Casey P., Renken, Eric R., Prewett, Scott K., Christensen, Myles, Dunham, Matthew K., Anderson, Christopher M., Morris, Dustin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilder, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US14/163,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 705/32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/00 Registering, indicating or recording the time of events or elapsed time, e.g. time-recorders for work people registering or indicating the working of machines or vehicles G07C3/00, G07C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity

Abstract

A system and method for tracking and communicating time and attendance data for workers at a remote worksite is disclosed. A portable time and attendance device is configured to receive and store worker time attendance data and transmit the data to a remote computer via a wireless network, such as a wireless cellular communications network. In order to conserve battery power, a main unit of the device periodically queries an electronic time and attendance clock of the device according to a pre-established schedule to determine if new worker time and attendance data has been received. If so, according to the pre-established schedule, the new worker time and attendance data is transmitted to the remote computer via the wireless network. Otherwise, certain functions and components of the device remain in a low battery usage sleep mode.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and communicating time attendance data for workers at a remote worksite, the system comprising:

a remote computer; and

a portable time and attendance device configured to receive and store worker time attendance data and transmit the data to the remote computer via a wireless network;

wherein the portable time and attendance device comprises;

a portable housing;

a power module comprising a primary battery disposed within the housing;

a main unit at least partially disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the primary battery comprising an electronic controller, an electronic memory and a communications module for transmitting and receiving data via the wireless network;

an electronic time clock at least partially disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the primary battery and in electronic communication with the main unit and comprising a user interface for entering worker time attendance data, an internal clock, a memory for storing the entered worker time attendance data; and

a second battery disposed within the housing for powering only the electronic time clock to receive and store worker time attendance data when the electronic time clock does not receive power or the primary battery has a charge below a predetermined threshold;

wherein the main unit is configured to periodically request recorded time and attendance data from the time and attendance clock according to a preset schedule, and forward the recorded time and attendance data to the remote computer via the wireless network only if there is new time and attendance data since a prior transmission to conserve primary battery power.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications module is configured to receive and transmit data via a wireless cellular communications network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote computer comprises a gateway cloud server that receives the data from the wireless cellular communications network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable time and attendance device includes a status notification interface comprising a plurality of LEDs which are illuminated in combination and/or flash to alert a user of the status of the device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power module of the portable time and attendance device comprises an adapter for receiving alternating current power.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the time and attendance device includes a GPS module for determining the location of the time and attendance device.

7. A method for tracking and communicating worker time and attendance data associated with workers assigned to a remote worksite, comprising the steps of:

providing a portable time and attendance tracking device at the remote worksite comprising a portable housing, a primary battery disposed within the housing, a second battery disposed within the housing, a main unit at least partially disposed within the housing, an electronic controller, an electronic memory, and a communications module for transmitting and receiving data via a wireless communications network, and an electronic time clock at least partially disposed within the housing and in electronic communication with the main unit comprising a user interface for entering worker time attendance data, an internal clock, and an electronic controller;

receiving on the electronic time clock time and attendance data for a worker;

storing the time and attendance data for the worker on the electronic memory of the electronic time and attendance clock;

the main unit periodically querying the electronic time and attendance clock according to a pre-established schedule to determine if new worker time and attendance data has been stored on the electronic memory of the electronic time and attendance clock;

only if there is worker time and attendance data since a prior transmission, transmitting the new worker time and attendance data to a remote computer via a wireless network according to the pre-established schedule in order to conserve primary battery power; and

using power from the second battery to only power the electronic time clock to receive and store worker time and attendance data when sufficient power is not available from the primary battery.

8. The method of claim 7, including the step of associating a worker identity and a time that the worker clocked in or clocked out with the time and attendance data stored on the time and attendance clock electronic memory.

9. The method of claim 7, including the step of at least the communications module of the main unit entering a sleep mode between scheduled query and transmission times.

10. The method of claim 7, including the step of retrieving new worker time and attendance data from the electronic memory of the time and attendance clock and storing the new worker time and attendance data on the main unit prior to transmitting the new worker time and attendance data to the remote computer.

11. The method of claim 7, including the step of transmitting device GPS data with the time and attendance data.

12. The method of claim 7, including the step of conveying device status notifications via a predetermined pattern of illumination of a plurality of LEDs.

13. The method of claim 7, including the step of transmitting a text message when time and attendance data is transmitted to the remote computer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the text message comprises a Twitter notification Tweet.

15. The method of claim 7, including the step of transmitting status data of the time and attendance device when transmitting time and attendance data, including device power data.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving and storing the time and attendance data of a worker on the electronic time and attendance clock and the transmitting of time and attendance data from the main unit occur asynchronously.

17. The method of claim 7, including the step of sending from a remote computer text messages to the portable time and attendance device to provide device updates or device status queries.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the remote computer comprises a gateway cloud server that receives the data from the wireless cellular communications network.