Patent ID: 6185514
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: B21B,G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
A computer-implemented automatically-operated user-activity monitoring system for automatically collecting and analyzing information about time and continuous work performed on a computer without manually starting and stopping a clock or having a user specify that work is being performed prior to the user beginning the work, comprising:automatic data collector means for monitoring certain portions of a user's computer activity;a hardware abstraction layer for providing monitoring and detection of activity of various types of input devices;automatic data collector means for logging into a log file certain portions of a user's computer activity;data analyzer means for determining, by means of rules defining work previously defined by a user, which portions of a user's computer activity constitutes work;wherein the log file includes a series of events including file activity and one or more external user input activities;wherein the data analyzer means include means for reading the series of chronologically ordered events from the log file and for categorizing activities as belonging to a certain predetermined task;wherein for each task a respective timer is provided by the data analyzer means for accumulating actual time worked on a task for time intervals greater than an idle time limit interval;wherein a respective timer is started by the data analyzer means when an activity for a task is detected and wherein the timer stops after expiration of a preset idle time limit interval;wherein the timer is restarted when another subsequent activity for a task is detected; andsuch that when an idle time limit interval is determined to have elapsed in the log file between activities belonging to a work task, means are provided for totaling the time for the task as a work period.