Time tracking technology
AssigneeAccenture Global Services Limited
InventorsJose B. Catipon, Jr., Eli June T. Infante
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Time tracking technology, in which a time tracking tool tracks time spent in completing one or more tasks. The time tracking tool may perform operations related to tracking time based on activity of a computer operating the time tracking tool relative to status of the time tracking tool. In addition, the time tracking tool may track a continuous time an issue has been in need of resolution, track a working time that indicates an amount of time spent working on resolving the issue, and provide alerts based on application of one or more alert trigger rules to the tracked continuous time and the tracked working time. Further, the time tracking tool may provide reports that include category and sub-category information for tracked timing data.
Claims13
A computer-implemented method for performing an operation related to a time tracking tool based on activity of a computer relative to status of the time tracking tool, the method comprising:
- monitoring status of a time tracking tool configured to track time spent in completing one or more tasks by determining whether at least one timer included in the time tracking tool is tracking time;
- in response to determining that the least one timer included in the time tracking tool is tracking time, storing time tracking tool status data indicating the status of the time tracking tool and a time period corresponding to the status as tracking time in association with data identifying the at least one timer that is active;
- monitoring, by a tracking system, activity of a computer associated with the time tracking tool relative to the status of the time tracking tool, wherein monitoring activity of the computer includes monitoring keyboard input, mouse movements and/or whether the computer runs an application and/or performs an action;
- in response to determining that the computer is being actively used, determining that the computer is in an active state and otherwise determining that the computer is in an idle state and storing the computer activity data that indicate the state of the computer and a time period corresponding to the state of the computer in association with the time tracking tool status data to represent the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool;
- evaluating the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool with respect to one or more rules;
- determining whether the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool warrants performance of an operation related to the time tracking tool based on the evaluation, the determining comprising determining that a threshold amount of time has been exceeded by a first time period during which the computer activity data indicates that the computer was in an inactive state while the time tracking tool was tracking time and determining that a threshold amount of time has been exceeded by a second time period during which the computer activity data indicates that the computer was in an active state while the time tracking tool was not tracking time;
- and
- in response to a determination that the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool warrants performance of an operation related to the time tracking tool, performing an operation related to the time tracking tool based on the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool, the operation comprising providing an interface including an indication that during the first time period the computer was in an inactive state while the time tracking tool was tracking time, a control associated with the first time period that removes the first time period from the tracked time, an indication that during the second time period the computer was in an active state while the time tracking tool was not tracking time, and a control associated with the second time period that adds the second time period to the tracked time.
A system comprising:
- one or more computers;
- and
- one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
- monitoring status of a time tracking tool configured to track time spent in completing one or more tasks by determining whether at least one timer included in the time tracking tool is tracking time;
- in response to determining that the least one timer included in the time tracking tool is tracking time, storing time tracking tool status data indicating the status of the time tracking tool and a time period corresponding to the status as tracking time in association with data identifying the at least one timer that is active;
- monitoring, by a tracking system, activity of a computer associated with the time tracking tool relative to the status of the time tracking tool, wherein monitoring activity of the computer includes monitoring keyboard input, mouse movements and/or whether the computer runs an application and/or performs an action;
- in response to determining that the computer is being actively used, determining that the computer is in an active state and otherwise determining that the computer is in an idle state and storing the computer activity data that indicate the state of the computer and a time period corresponding to the state of the computer in association with the time tracking tool status data to represent the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool;
- evaluating the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool with respect to one or more rules;
- determining whether the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool warrants performance of an operation related to the time tracking tool based on the evaluation, the determining comprising determining that a threshold amount of time has been exceeded by a first time period during which the computer activity data indicates that the computer was in an inactive state while the time tracking tool was tracking time and determining that a threshold amount of time has been exceeded by a second time period during which the computer activity data indicates that the computer was in an active state while the time tracking tool was not tracking time;
- and
- in response to a determination that the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool warrants performance of an operation related to the time tracking tool, performing an operation related to the time tracking tool based on the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool, the operation comprising providing an interface including an indication that during the first time period the computer was in an inactive state while the time tracking tool was tracking time, a control associated with the first time period that removes the first time period from the tracked time, an indication that during the second time period the computer was in an active state while the time tracking tool was not tracking time, and a control associated with the second time period that adds the second time period to the tracked time.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
- monitoring status of a time tracking tool configured to track time spent in completing one or more tasks by determining whether at least one timer included in the time tracking tool is tracking time;
- in response to determining that the least one timer included in the time tracking tool is tracking time, storing time tracking tool status data indicating the status of the time tracking tool and a time period corresponding to the status as tracking time in association with data identifying the at least one timer that is active;
- monitoring, by a tracking system, activity of a computer associated with the time tracking tool relative to the status of the time tracking tool, wherein monitoring activity of the computer includes monitoring keyboard input, mouse movements and/or whether the computer runs an application and/or performs an action;
- in response to determining that the computer is being actively used, determining that the computer is in an active state and otherwise determining that the computer is in an idle state and storing the computer activity data that indicate the state of the computer and a time period corresponding to the state of the computer in association with the time tracking tool status data to represent the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool;
- evaluating the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool with respect to one or more rules;
- determining whether the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool warrants performance of an operation related to the time tracking tool based on the evaluation, the determining comprising determining that a threshold amount of time has been exceeded by a first time period during which the computer activity data indicates that the computer was in an inactive state while the time tracking tool was tracking time and determining that a threshold amount of time has been exceeded by a second time period during which the computer activity data indicates that the computer was in an active state while the time tracking tool was not tracking time;
- and
- in response to a determination that the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool warrants performance of an operation related to the time tracking tool, performing an operation related to the time tracking tool based on the activity of the computer relative to the status of the time tracking tool, the operation comprising providing an interface including an indication that during the first time period the computer was in an inactive state while the time tracking tool was tracking time, a control associated with the first time period that removes the first time period from the tracked time, an indication that during the second time period the computer was in an active state while the time tracking tool was not tracking time, and a control associated with the second time period that adds the second time period to the tracked time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.