Time and activity tracker

A user-activity monitoring system for a computing device comprising:

• a data collector adapted for monitoring certain portions of a user's activity;
• a software module interposed between said data collector and a user input device, said software module for monitoring and detecting activity of various types of input devices;
• a data analyzer for determining which portions of said certain portions of a user's activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity;
• and
• a timer provided by said data analyzer for a task, said timer for accumulating actual time the user is engaged in said task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task, said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.

A method for monitoring computer use, comprising:

• monitoring certain portions of a user's activity;
• determining which of said certain portions of a user's activity constitutes a work activity;
• and
• accumulating an actual time for said work activity with a timer, wherein said timer stops accumulating said actual time upon the expiration of an idle time limit.

A computer use monitoring method comprising:

• monitoring certain portions of a user's activity with a data collector;
• interposing between said data collector and a user input device, a software module for monitoring and detecting activity of various types of input devices;
• using a data analyzer to determine which portions of said certain portions of a user's activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity;
• and
• providing a timer for a task, said timer for accumulating actual time the user is engaged in said task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task, said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.

A method for automatically collecting and analyzing information about time and activity performed on a computer comprising:

• monitoring certain portions of a user's activity with a data collector;
• interposing between said data collector and a user input device, a software module for monitoring and detecting activity of various types of input devices:
• using a data analyzer to determine which portions of said certain portions of a user's activity constitutes a continuous predefined activity;
• and
• providing a timer for a task, said timer for accumulating actual time the user is engaged in said task for time intervals greater than an idle limit time interval, said timer starting when an activity for said task is detected and stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval, said timer restarting when another subsequent activity for said task is detected such that, when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed between activities belonging to said task, said time for said task as an activity period is totaled.