Calculating and recording user interaction times with selected web sites or application programs

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide for systems and methods to track and calculate user interactivity time with one or more specified websites or application programs. A list of websites and/or application programs for tracking may be created and maintained, and when a user accesses and interacts with one of the websites or application programs, the user interactivity time with that particular application program or website is tracked. Periods of user inactivity with the particular application program or website are not counted towards the user interactivity time. The resulting user interactivity time data with each specified website and specified application program can be utilized in various manners, such as for generating reports, displays, or may be analyzed in numerous ways depending upon the particular implementation.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for tracking interactivity time by a user with a web site, comprising:
 providing for selecting by the user one or more websites to track the user's interactivity with said websites;   detecting access by the user with the selected one or more websites;   tracking an amount of interactivity times that the user is interacting with each of the selected one or more web sites;   detecting inactivity by the user with each of the selected one or more websites, wherein the inactivity suspends accumulation of the amount of interactivity times; and   storing the interactivity times.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing operation includes providing a control in a graphical user interface for the user to selectively enable recording of interactivity time with each of the selected one or more websites. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of detecting access includes detecting an initiation of a browser program that loads a URL corresponding to the selected one or more websites. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tracking operation includes accumulating a plurality of periods of times that the user is interacting with the selected one or more websites. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation of detecting inactivity further comprises loading a reloadable timer with a countdown amount. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising approximating an amount of time required for the user to absorb content of a website based upon an amount of the content, and forming the countdown amount based on said approximating operation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising approximating an amount of time required for the user to absorb content of a website based on a size of an application window displaying said content, and forming the countdown amount based on said approximating operation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a list of categories, wherein each of said one or more websites corresponds to at least one of said categories. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the interactivity time of the user with each of said selected websites. 
     
     
         10 . A system for a tracking of interactivity time by a user with a web site, comprising:
 at least one processor;   a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory for storing instructions; and   an interactivity tracking engine operating with the processor, including:
 a module for providing for selecting by the user one or more websites to track the user's interactivity with said websites; 
 a module for detecting access by the user with the selected one or more websites; 
 a module for tracking an amount of interactivity times that the user is interacting with each of the selected one or more web sites; 
 a module for detecting inactivity by the user with each of the selected one or more websites, wherein the inactivity suspends accumulation of the amount of interactivity times; and 
 a module for storing the interactivity times. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the module for providing includes a control in a graphical user interface for the user to selectively enable recording of interactivity time with each of the selected one or more websites. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the module for detecting access includes detecting an initiation of a browser program that loads a URL corresponding to the selected one or more websites. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the module for tracking accumulates a plurality of periods of times that the user is interacting with the selected one or more websites. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the module for detecting inactivity further comprises loading a reloadable timer with a countdown amount. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a module for approximating an amount of time required for the user to absorb content of a website based upon an amount of the content, and a module for forming the countdown amount based on the module for approximating. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a module for approximating an amount of time required for the user to absorb content of a website based on a size of an application window displaying said content, and a module for forming the countdown amount based on the module for approximating. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a module for providing a list of categories, wherein each of said one or more websites corresponds to at least one of said categories. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a module for displaying the interactivity time of the user with each of said selected websites. 
     
     
         19 . A method for tracking interactivity time by a user with an application program, comprising:
 providing for selecting one or more application programs to track the user's interactivity with said application programs;   detecting access by the user with the one or more application programs;   tracking an amount of interactivity time that the user is interacting with the one or more application programs;   detecting inactivity by the user with the one or more application programs, wherein the inactivity suspends accumulation of the amount of interactivity time; and   storing the interactivity time.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising displaying the interactivity time of the user with each of said selected application programs.