Using mobile phone data to log activities and generate activity records

Abstract

Various embodiments concern obtaining mobile device data and generating activity logs. More specifically, mobile device data such as data indicating the location and time of a mobile device is obtained. The time and location may be automatically obtained and recorded using location service APIs on the mobile device. The obtained data is then used to generate a report including the time, duration, and location of activities associated with the user of the mobile device. Thus, an activity log is automatically generated using the time and location data.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 identifying user identifier data and user location data at a processor of a shared pool of computing resources, the user identifier data representing a user identifier associated with a user and the user location data representing a position of the user;   identifying duration data representing a duration over which the position of the user is associated with a location, the duration data being based on time data;   receiving device data including one or more of the user identifier, the user location data, the duration data, and the time data via a network connection as a function of availability of a data connection;   accessing project data including data representing a project location at which the user performs an activity associated with a project to create a record;   determining data representing the location matches the project location subsequent to the availability of the data connection;   creating the record based on the device data; and   transmitting data representing the record via the data connection to cause display of the record in a graphical user interface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the device data comprises:
 receiving the device data originating at a mobile device associated with the user identifier data.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein creating the record comprises:
 generating data representing a timecard.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying one or more of the user location data and the duration data are determined at one or more of the device and the shared pool of computing resources. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the user location data comprises:
 identifying a plurality of location data points, each location data point including a device location at a corresponding time.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein at least one location data point corresponding to the device is associated with at least one position of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the user location data comprises:
 identifying a first subset of the time data including a first subset of location data points associated with entering the project location; and   identifying a second subset of the time data including a second subset of location data points associated with exiting the project location.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein identifying the first subset of the time data associated with entering the project location comprises:
 classifying a first portion of the timing data as an entry time.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein identifying the second subset of the time data associated with exiting the project location comprises:
 classifying a second portion of the timing data as an exit time.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 calculating a duration time constituting at least a portion of the duration data at the processor based on an amount of time elapsed between an entry time and an exit time.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the duration data:
 receiving a duration time constituting at least a portion of the duration data via the data connection, the duration time being an amount of time calculated at the device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein creating the record comprises:
 formatting the device data and the project data to create the record.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 mapping the device data and the project data to fields of the record.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein formatting the device data and the project data comprises:
 modifying the record to form a timecard record that matches a predetermined platform; and   identifying the modified timecard record as associated with the predetermined platform.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the data to display the record in the graphical user interface comprises:
 transmitting data representing the record to cause display of the record in a tune card graphical user interface.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the data representing the location matches the project location comprises:
 matching the user location data with the project location data as a function of the project identifier.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the user identifier data and the user location data at the shared pool of computing resources comprises:
 identifying the user identifier data and the user location data in a multi-tenant network associated with the shared pool of computing resources.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 identify user identifier data and user location data at a processor of a shared pool of computing resources, the user identifier data representing a user identifier associated with a user and the user location data representing a position of the user; 
 identify duration data representing a duration over which the position of the user is associated with a location, the duration data being based on time data; 
 receive device data including one or more of the user identifier, the user location data, the duration data, and the time data via a network connection as a function of availability of a data connection; 
 access project data including data representing a project location at which the user performs an activity associated with a project to create a record; 
 determine data representing the location matches the project location subsequent to the availability of the data connection; 
 create the record based on the device data; and 
 transmit data representing the record via the data connection to cause display of the record in a graphical user interface. 
   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions to receive the device data comprise the instructions to:
 receive the device data originating at a mobile device associated with the user identifier data.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further comprise additional instructions to:
 identify one or more of the user location data and the duration data are determined at one or more of the device and the shared pool of computing resources.