Time attendance tracking method and system

Abstract

Time attendance tracking methods and systems are described in which a hand-held device is set as a primary device or a secondary device based on an inherent mobile identity of the hand-held device and operable in either a first mode or a second mode. The first mode permits the user to clock-in or clock-out for attendance recording for the user tied account while the second mode restricts the user to clock-in or clock-out for attendance recording for the user tied account.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A time attendance tracking method, comprising the steps of:
 providing a server in communication with a database storing a plurality of registered primary and secondary mobile identity, which are hand-held device specific, that each secondary mobile identity is paired with a preset user name linked to a preset access code, wherein each user name is tied to an account;   setting a hand-held device as a primary device or a secondary device based on inherent mobile identity of the hand-held device sent to the server, upon respectively matching the registered primary or registered secondary mobile identity in the database;   allowing any user to use the primary device to operate in a first mode upon the user provided user name and access code matching with the preset user name and preset access code paired with the first mobile identity; and   allowing a single user to use the secondary device to operate in the first mode upon the user provided user name and access code matching with the preset user name and preset access code paired with the second mobile identity;   wherein the first mode permits the user to clock-in or clock-out for attendance recording, view the recorded attendance, export the recorded attendance or any combination derived thereof for the tied account.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 allowing any user to use the secondary device to operate in a second mode upon the user provided user name and access code failed to pair with the mobile identity while matching with the preset user name and preset access code.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the second mode permits the user to view recorded attendance, export the recorded attendance or any combination derived thereof for the tied account. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 allowing the single user to use the primary or secondary device operated in the first mode to record clock-in or clock-out attendance in an offline condition.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 allowing an administrator to use the primary or secondary device to operate in an administrative mode upon the administrator provided user name and access code matching with preset administrator user name and linked access code without pairing with the mobile identity, wherein the administrative mode permits the administrator to view recorded attendance, export the recorded attendance or any combination derived thereof for all accounts.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 setting a hand-held device as a non-registered device based on inherent mobile identity of the hand-held device sent to the server, upon the provided mobile identity failed to match with any registered mobile identity.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hand-held device comprises a Global Positioning System for detecting location of the user at each clock-in or clock-out occasion and the detected location is tagged with the related clock-in or clock-out occasion. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the access code or the preset access code is generated from alphabetic, numeric, alphanumeric, biometric data or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hand-held device communicates with the server through a program installed onto the hand-held device. 
     
     
         10 . A time attendance tracking system, comprising:
 a server in communication with a database storing a plurality of registered primary and secondary mobile identities, which are hand-held device specific, that each secondary mobile identity is paired with a preset user identity linked to a preset access code, wherein each user identity is tied to an account; and   a hand-held device being set as a primary device or a secondary device based on an inherent mobile identity of the hand-held device sent to the server;   wherein the primary device is operable in a first mode upon any user provided user name and access code matching with the preset user name and preset access code paired with the first mobile identity;   wherein the secondary device is operable in the first mode upon a single user provided user name and access code matching with the preset user name and preset access code paired with the second mobile identity;   wherein the first mode permits the user to clock-in or clock-out for attendance recording, view the recorded attendance, export the recorded attendance or any combination derived thereof for the tied account.   
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the secondary device is operable in a second mode upon any user provided user name and access code failed to pair with the mobile identity while matching with the preset user name and preset access code. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the second mode permits the user to view recorded attendance, export the recorded attendance or any combination derived thereof for the tied account.