U.S. patent application number 11/747727 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-27 for professional time tracking and recouping system and software.
Invention is credited to Daniel A. Greenberg, Mark Winwood, Charles J. Zapiec.
Application Number | 20070226003 11/747727 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33455888 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070226003 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zapiec; Charles J. ; et
al. |
September 27, 2007 |
Professional Time Tracking and Recouping System and Software
Abstract
An apparatus and a method for tracking time spent on one or more
Internet sites. The tracked information may then be used to
generate detailed records containing the Uniform Resource Locators
(URLs) of the sites visited, the exact time spent on each site, and
a record of any downloads, file transfers, or other activities
performed by the user. One or more reports may be generated from
the detailed records and list the activity by each user, tabulating
the web site accessed and the time spent on that web site. This
information may then be utilized to generate an invoice for the
work performed. The reports may be generated are stored
electronically, and may be accessed by an invoicing program which
uses stored hourly rates in conjunction with the information in the
report to generate a detailed invoice for the client. The invention
may be deployed on a personal computer, and enabled by a service
operator who provides the time tracking and recouping system (e.g.,
a software means).
Inventors: |
Zapiec; Charles J.;
(Yardley, PA) ; Greenberg; Daniel A.; (Kendell
Park, NJ) ; Winwood; Mark; (Longwood, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
IP STRATEGIES
12 1/2 WALL STREET
SUITE I
ASHEVILLE
NC
28801
US
|
Family ID: |
33455888 |
Appl. No.: |
11/747727 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09636448 |
Aug 11, 2000 |
7222293 |
|
|
11747727 |
May 11, 2007 |
|
|
|
60148491 |
Aug 12, 1999 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/34 ;
714/E11.195 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/22 20130101;
G06F 11/3438 20130101; H04L 12/1439 20130101; H04L 69/329 20130101;
G06Q 30/04 20130101; H04L 67/02 20130101; G06F 2201/875 20130101;
G06F 11/3476 20130101; G06F 11/3419 20130101; G06Q 10/1091
20130101; H04L 29/06 20130101; H04L 12/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/001 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 99/00 20060101
G06Q099/00 |
Claims
1. In an Internet use environment, wherein the Internet is accessed
and used by a user for one or more client matters, a professional
time tracking and recouping system for tracking usage time and for
creating reports based on the usage time, the system comprising: a
tracker for tracking the usage time by the user in one Internet
session, wherein the functionality of the tracker is automatically
launched upon a success logon by the user; a processor for
processing the usage time; and a report generator for generating
one or more reports based on the processed usage time.
2. The system of claim, 1 further comprising a module for creating
Internet access history ledger.
3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a logon module for
authenticating the user identification.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reports are based on one or
more pre-determined parameters.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the reports are sorted by the
client matters.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the reports are sorted by the
user identification.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for
electronically transmitting the reports to the client.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a printer for printing
the reports to be subsequently transmitted to the client.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system functionality resides
on a personal computer of the user.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system functionality resides
on a network server to be accessed by the user.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system functionality is
realized by software means.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the usage time is based on a
plurality of Internet sessions.
13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analyzer for
analyzing the usage time.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the analyzer further determines
if the Internet is used effectively.
15. In an Internet use environment, wherein the Internet is
accessed by a user for one or more client matters, a professional
time tracking and recouping method for tracking usage time and for
creating reports based on the usage time, the method comprising:
receiving a logon request from the user; authenticating the user
login ID and password; launching a time tracking function upon a
successful user logon; recording the usage time associated with
each URL visited by the user; and processing the usage time data to
create one or more reports, wherein the reports are formatted in
accordance with predetermined parameters.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage time data is based on
a single Internet session.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage time data is based on
repeated for a plurality of Internet sessions.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating an
invoice, based on the usage time data, to be transmitted to the
client.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the invoice is electronically
transmitted to the client.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the invoice is printed via a
printer and subsequently transmitted to the client.
21. The method of claim 15, further comprising sorting the reports
by the client matter.
22. The method of claim 15, further comprising sorting the reports
by the user identification.
23. The method of claim 15, further comprising analyzing the usage
time data to determine if the Internet is used effectively.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) for provisional application No. 60/148,491 filed on
Aug. 12, 1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The Internet provides a vast array of materials, which are
essential for legal, scientific, medical, accounting, consulting
financial, business evaluation, and insurance work. These materials
include textual documents, multimedia materials, databases, and
other forms of information.
[0003] In the legal field, the types of information being placed
online (on the Internet) include court decisions, federal, state,
and local statutes, and other governmental information. Law firms
make extensive use of the Internet and need to obtain this
information to conduct business for their clients. Similarly, the
accounting consulting firms and business consulting firms
extensively perform business research and competitive intelligence
analysis on the Internet. Scientists and engineers often perform
scientific and technical research on the Internet.
[0004] In many professions, including law firms, accounting firms,
management consulting firms, investigators, and financial and
business analysts, the expenses incurred in obtaining the
information from the Internet must be recovered from the client.
The client, in many instances, will insist on a detailed record of
the time spent performing research on the Internet. The clients
generally require a detailed list of the work performed including
the web sites visited, the time spent on each web site, and what
was accomplished.
[0005] Traditional methods for time tracking include manually
entering 1/4 hour increments on time sheets, or manually entering
time increments into a time tracking program running on a mainframe
or a personal computer. Some traditional time tracking systems
utilize computers and allow lawyers, and other professionals, to
select client matter numbers that allocate time to the appropriate
client matter, and generate the corresponding charge on an invoice
in an electronic manner. Yet, even in these computer-based systems,
the time entries and associated charges must be manually entered as
a direct interface to the Internet, for the purpose of time
tracking does not exist.
[0006] In addition to time tracking systems, professionals such as
lawyers have access to proprietary commercial databases, which they
can use for research. These databases contain information that is
commonly termed primary source material, and includes court
decisions and other critical information. In the past, the time
spent researching on these databases and the database charges were
tracked and charged to the client.
[0007] Thus, as primary source materials migrate onto the Internet
and as more and more professionals (users) use the Internet for
access to these materials, the difficulty in tracking and billing
for this time increases tremendously, due to the lack of
appropriate systems. This results in lost billable time and the
increase of costs for manual entry of time records, for the
companies and law firms using the Internet.
[0008] For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a system and
method that can be used to track time spent on the Internet or
other network, to monitor sites visited, and to report back the
amount of time spent at each site.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for
tracking time spent on one or more Internet sites. The tracked
information may then be used to generate detailed records
containing the Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) of the sites
visited, the exact time spent on each site, and a record of any
downloads, file transfers, or other activities performed by the
user.
[0010] One or more reports may be generated from the detailed
records and list the activity by each user, tabulating the web site
accessed and the time spent on that web site. This information may
then be utilized to generate an invoice for the work performed. In
one embodiment, the reports are stored electronically and are
accessed by an invoicing program, which uses the stored data in
conjunction with the established hourly rate to generate a detailed
invoice for the client.
[0011] The present invention may be deployed on a personal
computer, and enabled by a service operator who provides the time
tracking and recouping system (i.e., a software means). In this
implementation, files with web site usage information are sent
periodically to the service provider which charges the user of the
software based on the amount of time which they spent accessing web
sites. The service provider subsequently receives periodic payments
for the use of the software. The actual software may be distributed
to users free of charge, and revenues can be collected as recurring
payments for the use of the system.
[0012] In another embodiment, the service provider may charge the
user based on Internet usage and the size of the entity (company or
law firm) using the software. This charge is generally based on the
usage time that is comparatively lower to the hourly rates being
charged to the client. Alternatively, a percentage of the charge
received from the client by the user may be forwarded to the
service provider for the actual use of the system and the
software.
[0013] One embodiment of the present invention requires the user to
enter a user ID and a client matter number upon initiation of the
browser or other software used to access the Internet. Entering the
user ID and client matter ensures that the usage time will be
charged to clients.
[0014] A software means in accordance with the principles of the
present invention, may operate invisibly in the background,
recording each entry including all URLs entered and sites visited.
The software means may automatically record all the Internet
activity and corresponding usage time. As an optional feature, the
user may be provided with a capability to disable the functionality
of the software, when the user does not wish to track the Internet
usage time.
[0015] The file containing Internet usage information may be stored
locally or on a server accessible via a network. The system
administrator may generate, based on the Internet usage
information, a variety of reports that summarize the amount of time
spent by each user at each site. This information may be manually
uploaded or electronically downloaded directly into the firm's time
and billing software, which permits recovery of the costs from the
client.
[0016] One of the features of the present invention is that privacy
of the users and the clients is protected and the confidential
information associated with the user and the client is not
distributed. The information transmitted to the service provider
includes the user ID and the history of the searches with
sufficient detail to calculate and create an invoice having service
charges for using the time tracking and recouping system. This
allows the specific and detailed information in reference to that
bill to remain protected and precludes the dissemination of the
information over the network. The information including the
client/matter number, the record of the downloaded files, and any
other information related to the client matter remains at the law
firm or at other professional sites, and is not disseminated.
[0017] In another embodiment of the invention, the principles of
the present invention are used to track Internet usage of employees
or contractors which are working remotely, including the
individuals working at home. The Internet access history may also
be used to determine if the employee or contractor has used time
searching the Internet appropriately. In some circumstances the
remuneration to the employee or contractor may be linked to the
effective use of the Internet.
[0018] These and other features and objects of the invention will
be more fully understood from the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments which should be read in light of the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the
present invention and, together with the description serve to
explain the principles of the invention.
[0020] In the drawings:
[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary context diagram representing
the system in use;
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary use-case model
representation of the system;
[0023] FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary time tracking and recouping
system logon window;
[0024] FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary time tracking and recouping
system icon in a system tray;
[0025] FIG. 3C illustrates an exemplary time tracking and recouping
system menu presented to the user;
[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary computer system on which the
present invention can be implemented;
[0027] FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary report sorted by client
matter number;
[0028] FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary report sorted by user
ID;
[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart for the logon function;
[0030] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for the track and create
Internet access history function;
[0031] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart for the report generation
function; and
[0032] FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart for the revenue calculation
function.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0033] In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention
illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be used for
the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be
limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be
understood that each specific term includes all technical
equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a
similar purpose.
[0034] With reference to the drawings, in general, and FIGS. 1
through 9 in particular, the system of the present invention is
disclosed.
[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates a time tracking and recouping system 100
in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The
system is employed at a client side represented as the Personal
Computer (PC) 101 to be used by a user 103 shown in the upper
left-hand corner. In a law firm environment, the principles of the
present invention may be implemented as a software means, resident
on the lawyer's PC, paralegal's PC, or a centralized PC (i.e., a
library PC). The software may be used to track attorney, paralegal
and other professional's research time on the Internet. This may be
accomplished by providing functionality that requires the lawyer or
other professional to logon and enter a client matter number before
using the PC to access the Internet.
[0036] Although the PC 101 shown is connected directly to the
Internet 105 in FIG. 1, the PC 101 may be part of a network or
series of networks that subsequently access the Internet or other
information databases that contain source material as shown on the
right side of FIG. 1. The source material may be primary or
secondary source material. When used herein the term primary source
material refers to information directly accessible to the public
including case law, statutes, recent court decisions, or other
materials of use to the professional. The secondary source material
includes literature, articles, or reports and other information
that are generated based on primary source material, and which may
be of use to the professional. For the purposes of the principles
of the present invention, the primary and secondary source material
may be information compiled by a service provider, who may charge
an access fee for using or accessing the material.
[0037] If in using the system 100, the user 103 via PC 101 searches
the Internet for information for a client matter, the sites visited
and time spent on Internet are recorded by the system 100 and
stored on the hard drive of PC 101 or on another on-site or
off-site storage site such as a remotely located network server
(not shown). The information regarding the Internet usage may be
stored as an Internet access history ledger that may be
subsequently accessed to generate a listing of the time spent
surfing the Internet for the client matter. The user 103, e.g., a
lawyer or law firm can then generate an invoice for the time spent
on the Internet and send that bill to the client.
[0038] In an alternate embodiment, the principles of the present
invention may be used to track Internet usage by employees or
contractors working remotely, including individuals working from
their home. In this case the professional, illustrated as the user
103 in FIG. 1, may be working at home. The professional may also be
an individual who is being paid to perform research on the Internet
as part of their job function. In this embodiment, the client 109
of FIG. 1 is the employer, who receives a record of the Internet
usage from the time tracking service provider. The employer may use
this information to determine if the employee or contractor has
used the time on the Internet appropriately. In some circumstances,
the employee's pay may be dependent on their usage of the Internet.
In addition, the employer may use the information for creating an
invoice for a client of the firm, as previously described.
[0039] One feature of the present invention is that the invoice
generated, based on the collected information, contains detailed
specific information regarding the sites visited and the time spent
on the sites. This ensures the client that the time spent by the
professional was well spent, and was indeed related to the matter
at hand. As shown in FIG. 1 an invoice 113 may be printed via
printer 111 and may be subsequently transmitted to client 109.
Alternatively, an electronic invoice (not shown) may be directly
transmitted from PC 101 to PC 119 for the time spent accessing
information on the network.
[0040] One feature of the system is the ability to generate revenue
for the time tracking services. As shown in FIG. 1 a time tracking
service provider 115 may employ a software means or a system that
provides a service to be used by user 103 to recoup the cost of the
research activity from the client. This may be accomplished by
transmitting a film from the user 103 to the time tracking service
provider 105 indicating the amount of time spent on the Internet.
The transmitted file may be a copy of the record created by the
system 100 at the user PC 101. The time tracking service provider
115, in an automated fashion, via the use of a personal computer
(PC) 117 may generate an invoice for the user 103 who then pays the
time tracking service provider 115 for this time tracking and
recouping service system and software.
[0041] It is to be noted that the usage time may be collected over
one Internet session, or alternatively, may be accumulated over a
plurality of Internet sessions and subsequently processed. The
process of billing for the actual use of the service may occur
automatically and transparently to the user 103 who is using the
system, so that payments are in fact made automatically to the time
tracking service provider 115. In an alternate embodiment, the data
files are sent to the tracking service provider 115 automatically,
and in return, the user 103 or other professional receives an
invoice in the mail and pays it using traditional methods.
[0042] In one embodiment, a software means in accordance with the
principles of the present invention resides on the user's PC 101
that automatically transmits the Internet access history of the
Internet usage using an Internet File Transfer Protocol (FTP). This
may occur in real-time while the user accesses the Internet.
Alternatively, the transmission of the Internet access history
ledger to the service provider may occur on a daily/weekly/monthly
basis during off-peak hours. Preferably, the Internet usage data is
collected for one Internet session (i.e., from the time the user
logs on to the time when the user logs out).
[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a use-case diagram for the time tracking
and recouping system and software. In FIG. 2 the same actors as
those described in FIG. 1 are illustrated. As with FIG. 1, the user
103 is a representative of a professional using the system and a
number of other professionals including paralegals, scientific
researchers, accountants, or physicians can use the system for
their research. It is to be noted that the invention is not limited
to one particular professional group but can be utilized by any
professional interested in tracking time.
[0044] The use-case diagram of a professional time tracking and
recouping system 200, as illustrated in FIG. 2, contains the
function modules of logon 201, track and create Internet access
history ledger 203, report generation 205, revenue calculation 207,
add users 209, Internet access history management 211, add
client/matters 213, and Internet access history ledger transmission
215.
[0045] The logon function module 201 describes the way in which a
user logs on using a user ID and identifies a client for which the
work will be performed. The track and create Internet access
history ledger module 203 represents the function of tracking the
Internet sites visited and monitoring and calculating the time
spent on each site. This includes the ability to monitor each
individual Web page visited and can include monitoring of downloads
and other Web based operations. The report generation module 205
generates the detailed list of sites visited and the time spent on
each site based on the tracking, which is recorded by the track and
create Internet access history ledger function.
[0046] The revenue calculation module 207 is used by the time
tracking service provider to determine the fee for using the system
and software and to invoice the lawyer or other professional. The
add users module 209 is used by the user 103 or other
administrative staff of the professional organization to add users
to the system. The Internet access history management module 211 is
used by the system administrator to control specifics of the
Internet access history ledger, including tracking of the sites
visited, filtering the sites visited and reading the ledger itself.
The add clients/matters module 213 allows an administrator or
professional to add client matter numbers and clients to a log
file. The Internet access history transmission module 215 can be
used to transmit the Internet access history ledger to the time
tracking service provider for revenue calculation.
[0047] One feature of the system of FIG. 2 is the ability of the
add clients/matters function to interface with other time billing
and management systems such that once clients/matters are added to
the master time billing system they can be automatically input into
the time tracking and recouping system. Another feature of the
invention is the ability of the time tracking and recouping system
200 to interface with docketing systems such that client matters
can be retrieved from a patent or other legal matter docking
system.
[0048] In accordance with the principles of the present invention,
the system may require user authentication prior to permitting the
use of the system. FIG. 3A represents an exemplary logon window 300
for a system operating in accordance with the principles of the
present invention. For example, FIG. 3 illustrates how the user 103
may be presented with a request to enter an ID number 301, enter
the client matter for the session 303 and enter any optional text
in a notes field 305, such as a name of a current matter or
project.
[0049] FIG. 3B represents an exemplary icon 315 for the system,
which in this case is labeled "aE". This icon may appear in a
system tray when the user is using the operating system sold by the
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash., under the trademark WINDOWS.
Although this embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as
being part of a WINDOWS-based system, the invention is not limited
to a specific operating system embodiment but can in fact be used
on other operating systems including Macintosh, Unix, or Linux.
[0050] FIG. 3C represents an exemplary menu that may be presented
to the user 103 after the user has clicked on the icon in the
system tray. The menu 325 presents different options to the user
103 including minimizing the window 327, logging out of the system
329, the client matter number 331, generating a report 333, looking
for help 335 (i.e., determining the revision number), and obtaining
details regarding the system software 337.
[0051] In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented as a
time tracking and recouping software that may be downloaded to the
computer of a user, such as a lawyer or other professional, wherein
the software operates transparently in conjunction with the
existing browser on the user's computer. The software of the
present invention may not be browser-dependent and may work with a
number of browsers including the browser sold and/or distributed by
the Netscape Corporation, Mountain View, Calif., under the
trademark NAVIGATOR or the browser sold by the Microsoft
Corporation, Redmond, Wash., under the trademark INTERNET
EXPLORER.
[0052] In this embodiment, upon installation, the software becomes
active at any point upon when the browser is activated and requires
the user to logon through a logon window such as that shown in FIG.
3A. Although the user may access the functionality through the icon
in the system tray shown in FIG. 3B and may in fact select options
shown in FIG. 3C, generally, surfing of the Internet is not
permitted without entering a user ID and client matter number.
[0053] As an optional feature, the user may can be provided with an
option to disable the functionality of the software (i.e., the user
may surf the Internet without tracking). Alternatively, especially
in the employer_employee environment, the functionality of the
software may not be disabled, i.e., all the Internet activities
conducted by the user at the employer-provided computer will be
recorded and analyzed.
[0054] FIG. 4 shows the block diagram of an exemplary computer
system for the realization of the principles of the present
invention especially the time tracking and recouping. In this
computer system, the system bus 422 transports data amongst the
Central Processing Unit (CPU) 428, the Random Access Memory (RAM)
426, Read Only Memory-Basic Input Output System (ROM-BIOS) 406 and
other components. The CPU 428 accesses a hard drive 400 through a
disk controller 402. The standard input/output devices are
connected to the system bus 422 through the I/O controller 424. A
keyboard is attached to the I/O controller 424 through a keyboard
port 416 and the monitor is connected through a monitor port 418.
The serial port device uses a serial port 420 to communicate with
the I/O controller 424. Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)
expansion slots 408 and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
expansion slots 410 allow additional cards to be placed into the
computer. In a preferred embodiment, a network card is available to
interface a local area, wide area, or other network.
[0055] Although FIG. 4 represents a specific computer design, the
invention may be utilized on a number of different computer types
including distributed processing systems or client-server based
systems. The software for the time tracking and recouping system
may be realized in a number of programming languages known to those
skilled in the art including C, C++, Java, Perl, and other object
oriented or procedural languages. It is to be noted that the use of
the present invention is not limited by choice of a specific
programming language or combination of languages.
[0056] FIG. 5A represents an exemplary report by client matter
number. The exemplary report 501 comprises date log 503, user
information 505, time in 507, time out 509, site 511 (URL or index
of the sites visited), and the actual time spent 513 for a
particular date range. As shown in FIG. 5A, the client matter
numbers are indicated at the top. Because this system operates
across the network, the surfing times may overlap, and a plurality
of users simultaneously accessing the Internet may be recorded and
reported. FIG. 5A an overlap between different users termed CFN,
JOB, and DWF.
[0057] FIG. 5B represents another exemplary report 515, wherein the
matters are sorted according to the user ID 517. The report
comprises date log 519, client matter #521, time in 523, and time
spent 529.
[0058] Although reports illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B represent
printed reports, which can be generated, it is also possible to
generate electronic reports in formats including spreadsheets and
database files. The database files can be used by relational
database or object-oriented database programs. In an alternative
embodiment, the text files may be generated for transmission to
other billing or time tracking software.
[0059] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart for the logon function in
accordance with the principles of the present invention. In this
function, the browser is launched in a launch browser step 600.
Subsequent to launching the browser, the user is presented a logon
window in step 610. The next step 620 is a decision function to
determine if the corresponding window is open or if the window has
been closed by the user. If in step 620 it is determined that the
browser is closed, subsequently in step 630 the window is closed.
This ensures that if a user ID and client matter number have not
been entered it is impossible to use the browser.
[0060] If in step 620 it is determined that the window is open,
then in step 640, the user ID is received. Subsequently, in step
650, a test is performed to determine the validity of the user ID.
If the user ID is not valid an error message is presented in step
660 and the process ends in step 690. If the user ID is valid, a
client matter number is requested and received in step 670.
[0061] In step 680, it is determined whether the client matter is
valid. If the client matter number is invalid, in step 680, an
error message is presented and the process ends in step 690. If the
client matter number is valid, the process moves on to the track
and creates Internet access history ledger as illustrated FIG.
7.
[0062] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart for the track and create
Internet access history ledger function in accordance with the
principles of the present invention. In this function, the URLs for
the sites visited and Web pages presented to the user are
recorded.
[0063] As shown in FIG. 7 the process starts with a launch tracker
step 700 wherein the tracker functionality is launched. Next, in
step 810, the corresponding URL information is received from the
user. Once the URL information has been entered by the user, a
timer is started in step 720. In step 730, the URL start time is
recorded and stored in a storage location. This permits recording
of each interval during which the user browses a Web site.
[0064] Step 750 is a decision to determine if a new site has been
accessed by the user. If a new site has been accessed, the stop
time is recorded in record stop time step 760 and the process
returns to step 710 wherein the new URL information is
received.
[0065] If a new site has not been entered, next in step 770 it is
determined whether the browser is active. Generally, if an
excessive amount is passed before a new URL information is
received, it is assumed that the user has moved on to perform other
matters. The functionality of step 770 effectively acts as a
"dead-man switch" to ensure that if the user has walked away from
the terminal, opened another window corresponding to another
application, or for whatever other reason is no longer active in
accessing web sites they will be logged out from the system. If the
browser in step 770 is not active, the user is logged out in step
780 and the process ends in step 790. Once logged out the user will
need to log on again to reinitiate the procedure as illustrated in
FIG. 7. If in step 770 it is determined that the browser is still
active, the process returns to step 850 to determine if a new site
has been accessed.
[0066] FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart for report generation
function in accordance with the principles of the present
invention. In step 800 is a user input function wherein the user is
permitted to enter the appropriate date range. Upon receipt of such
information, the process moves to step 810 wherein the
corresponding access history ledger data is retrieved from a
storage location. Step 820, the appropriate type of report is
selected. Generally the report selection is based on pre-determined
parameters set by the user, for example, the user may select to be
added in the report. In step 830, an appropriate output format
based on user selections is chosen. In step 840, an applicable
report is generated that may be printed or electronically
transmitted to the client. Once the report has been generated to be
transmitted or printed, the process ends in step 850.
[0067] FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart for the revenue calculation
function in accordance with the principles of the present
invention. Generally, the revenue calculation function takes place
through software operating at the client side, which may be the
lawyer or other professional professional's site. The software
means or other means on the client side retrieves the data in step
910 from a storage location and transmits the data in step 920. In
this embodiment, the data is transmitted as an FTP file containing
all the relevant information regarding different Web sites the
professional has accessed and the time for spent on each site.
Generally, the FTP transmission takes place transparent to the user
while the user and may occur in real-time is accessing Web sites.
As an example, the data may be collected and transmitted for each
Internet session (i.e., each time the user logs on to the Internet
and searches on the Internet, the session ends when the user logs
out). Alternatively, the data may collected for a plurality of
Internet sessions to the appropriate data processing means, for
example, the usage time may be collected and transmitted on a
daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.
[0068] The corresponding process on the service provider side
termed service includes receiving relevant data and determining the
charge for using the services. In step 930, the service provider
side receives the relevant data and stores the data in step 940 in
storage medium located on the service provider side. In step 950,
the usage is computed in a functionality similar to that provided
by the tracking to the report generation function shown in FIG. 8.
In step 960, a bill is generated, and subsequently, in step 970,
the bill is transmitted to the user, e.g., lawyer or other
professional. The process ends in step 980.
[0069] It is to be noted that the bills generated in step 960 are
based on the amount of time that the professional has accessed
Internet sites and may also incorporate the size and organizational
structure of a professional organization. As an example, when the
system is used by lawyers, the lawyers may be grouped into
categories, and the reports may be generated for these categories.
It is to be noted that instead of bills based on the usage time,
the users may be charged a flat fee for the use of the system of
the present invention.
[0070] Although the various functions of the system have been
illustrated as a procedural functions in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 the
system can operate based on an object-oriented programming, in
which case objects are called upon to perform the equivalent
procedural functions illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9.
Object-oriented programming and the realization of flowcharted
functions is well understood by those skilled in the art.
[0071] Although this invention has been illustrated by reference to
specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the
art that various changes and modifications may be made which
clearly fall within the scope of the invention. The invention is
intended to be protected broadly within the spirit and scope of the
appended claims.
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