Time tracking system and method of use

Abstract

A system and method of managing time and, more particularly, to a system and method for automatically tracking time in an electronic system. The system includes a time tracking tool is configured to be integrated with an instant messaging system. The time tracking tool is configured to associate a received instant message with one or more projects and track a session time in which the received instant message is active.

1 . A system comprising a time tracking tool stored on a computer readable medium and configured to be integrated with an instant messaging system, the time tracking tool configured to associate a received instant message with one or more projects and track a session time in which the received instant message is active. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time tracking tool comprises a project association engine configured to make the association between the received instant message and the one or more projects. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the project association engine is configured to make an association between the received instant message and the one or more projects by at least one of:
 making an association with a sender and the one or more projects;   making an association between text within the received instant message and defined keywords for the one or more projects; and   making an association between a previous project of the one or more projects and the sender of the received instant message.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time tracking tool comprises a project settings component which is configured to manage settings created by a user or service provider. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the project settings includes a dynamic group of senders so that as a group changes, a linkage to the dynamic group and the one or more projects does not change. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time tracking tool comprises a saved time history component which is configured to store individual time tracking records for separate projects of the one or more projects. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the saved time history component is configured to report the session time for the one or more projects. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time tracking tool is configured to export the session time to a billing program. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time tracking tool is configured to calculate an invoice amount based on the session time and a billing rate of a recipient of the received instant message. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an information directory which is configured to contain information related to the received instant message and the one or more projects. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the time tracking tool is configured to begin, pause and stop tracking of time for the session time. 
     
     
         12 . A system of tracking time stored on computer readable medium, the system comprising:
 a computing infrastructure operable to:
 receive an instant message; 
 associate the instant message with one or more projects; and 
 track time for the associated one or more projects and a time the instant message is actively displayed on a display. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the computing infrastructure is further operable to stop or pause the time tracked. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the computing infrastructure is further operable to associate a sender or text of the instant message with the one or more projects in order to track the time. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the computing infrastructure is maintained, deployed, serviced and/or created by a service provider. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the computing infrastructure is operable to save the tracked time and at least one of update the tracked time with previous time for the one or more project and calculate an invoice based on the tracked time and a billing rate of a recipient of the instant message. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the computing infrastructure is operable to display the one or more projects and the tracked time on a display. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the computing infrastructure is operable to store user settings for associating the instant message with the one or more projects. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the computing infrastructure is operable to associate the instant message with the one or more projects by at least one of:
 associating a sender's ID with the one or more projects;   associating text of the instant message with predefined keywords for the one or more projects; and   associating the sender's ID with past projects and using a most often or most current of the past projects for the associating the one or more projects with the instant message.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer program product includes at least one component to perform the processes of associating a received instant message with one or more projects and tracking a session time for the associated project in which the received instant message is active. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system correlates the received instant message with the one or more projects for purposed of billing and the billing is based on an amount of time spent on the one or more projects for a particular period of time. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system calculates a duration of the session time to determine an amount to invoice a customer for the session time of the received instant message. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the system displays on the display billing information which is based on a duration of the session time. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system automatically associates the received instant message with the one or more projects, displays the association, and allows a user to change the association. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, after the received instant message is associated with the one or more projects and is determined by a user to be correct, the time tracking tool tracks the session time in which the received instant message is active.