Receipts scanner and financial organizer

• US 10,049,410 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bright Capture LLC (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Kris Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Pandipati, Radha K. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku, Negussie
• Application Number:
  US14/878,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20160027128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 358 115, 358473, 358474, 358498, 358501, 235380, 235375, 382313, 345440, 705 2635, 705 30, 705 33, 705 35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/128 Check-book balancing, updating or printing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/04 Scanning arrangements , i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versaH04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3871 the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals

Abstract

A portable device is configured to obtain an image of a document, the document being of no predefined format and containing numerical data. The numerical data is extracted and automatically organized into a report in a predefined or customized format and stored into a database. The database is accessible and searchable by a user to obtain either the numerical data of the image or the report.

Claims

1. A method for processing a paper expense receipt using a computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving at a computer input device the paper expense receipt from an individual incurring an expense;

receiving on a computer processor an electronic image of the expense receipt from the computer input device;

processing the electronic image to automatically obtain expense data by;

using software to retrieve at least the relevant data from the electronic image; and

parsing the relevant data to obtain the expense data within the relevant data; and

populating an electronic expense report with the expense data; and

displaying the electronic expense report to the individual;

wherein the expense receipt has no predefined format for the computer system.

2. A computer system for processing a paper expense receipt comprising:

a computer input device for receiving the paper expense receipt from an individual incurring an expense, and creating an electronic image of the receipt;

a computer processor in communication with the computer input device;

software operating on the computer processor for processing the electronic image to automatically obtain expense data by;

retrieving at least the relevant data from the electronic image;

parsing the relevant data to obtain the expense data within the relevant data; and

populating an expense report with the expense data; and

a display in communication with the computer on which the expense report is displayed to the individual;

wherein the expense receipt has no predefined format for the computer system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer input device is a scanner.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the software for processing the electronic image further obtains the expense data by:

obtaining all data from the electronic image; and

parsing the obtained data to obtain the expense data.

5. In a system having a scanner in communication with a computing device, a method comprising the steps of:

obtaining, by the scanner, an electronic image of a document having no predefined format and containing numerical information;

automatically capturing, in the computing device, the numerical information in the obtained electronic image;

organizing, in the computing device, the captured numerical information;

enabling editing of the captured numerical information;

enabling viewing of the captured numerical information in a desired format; and

combining the captured numerical information with other numerical information previously captured from other documents into a report.

6. A computer-based system which receives a digital image of a document having no predefined format and containing numerical information from a device that captures an image of the document, the computer-based system storing therein computer executable code for performing a method comprising the steps of:

processing the digital image of the document having no predefined format and containing numerical information to automatically extract the numerical information;

enabling editing of the extracted numerical information; and

creating a report based on the extracted numerical information.

7. The computer-based system according to claim 6, wherein the method performed by the computer executable code further comprises the step of:

combining the extracted numerical information with other information stored in the computer-based system that was previously extracted from other documents having no predefined format.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing thereon a program containing instructions to cause a computing device to perform the steps of:

receiving images of documents which have no predetermined format and which contain numerical information;

automatically extracting the numerical information from the documents;

outputting the extracted numerical information to a display as a report to allow a user to view and edit the numerical information.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing thereon a program containing instructions to cause a computing device to perform the steps of:

receiving an electronic image of a document, having no predefined format and containing numerical information, from a device capable of creating the electronic image;

automatically extracting and organizing the numerical information contained in the electronic image of the document;

enabling editing of the numerical information;

enabling viewing of the numerical information in a desired format;

combining the numerical information with other numerical information previously obtained by the device into a report.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

receiving an image of a document, the document being of no predefined format and containing numerical information;

processing the image of the document to automatically extract the numerical information from the image; and

creating report information from the extracted numerical information.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10,

wherein the document is a receipt and the report information summarizes expense information contained in the extracted numerical information on the receipt.

12. A system comprising:

a mobile device configured to obtain an image of a document, the document being of no predefined format and containing numerical data; and

a computer configured to receive the image of the document, automatically extract the numerical data, and automatically organize the numerical data into at least one report in a predefined or customized format and store the at least one report into a database,

wherein the database is accessible by a user to obtain either the numerical data of the image or the at least one report.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a computer; and

a storage database,

wherein the computer is configured to receive an image of a document having no predefined format and containing numerical information,

wherein the computer is further configured to automatically extract the numerical information from the image, and

wherein the computer is further configured to organize the numerical data into at least one report having a predefined or customized format and store into the storage database.

14. A system comprising:

a scanner which obtains an image of a document containing numerical information and having no predefined format; and

a computer which is configured to receive the image of the document and automatically extract the numerical information from the image,

wherein the computer is further configured to create report information from the extracted numerical information.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the document is a receipt and the report information summarizes expense information contained in the numerical information on the receipt.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method of processing expense information, the method comprising:

receiving electronic image information of a plurality receipts having various formats, each of said receipts containing expense information printed thereon;

processing said electronic image information to automatically extract numerical data obtained from each of the receipts to obtain said expense information from said electronic image information;

categorizing said expense information for each of the receipts into one or more predetermined categories to obtain categorized information for each of the receipts,

wherein said categorized information for each of the receipts is combined with categorized information for other said receipts to produce report information for one or more of said predetermined categories.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the electronic image information from the receipts is automatically received from a portable device, and the expense information for each of the receipts is captured from the electronic image information for each of the receipts and categorized into one or more of said predetermined categories.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method of processing expense information, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic image of a receipt, the receipt being of no predefined format and containing expense information printed thereon;

processing said electronic image to automatically obtain said expense information from said electronic image;

categorizing said expense information for the receipt into one or more predetermined categories to obtain categorized information for the receipt,

wherein said categorized information for the receipt is combined with categorized information of other receipts to produce report information for one or more of said predetermined categories.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising the steps of:

receiving electronic information of a receipt having no predefined format;

processing the electronic information to automatically obtain expense information contained on the receipt;

organizing the expense information in the form of a report;

outputting the expense information organized in the form of a report to a display.

20. An apparatus which manages and organizes expense information, comprising:

a scanner to scan various types of receipts, each said receipt containing expense information printed thereon, said scanner scanning each said receipt to obtain scanned information for each receipt; and

a computer in communication with the scanner, said computer executing a software which receives said scanned information for each receipt and which processes the scanned information including numerical data in the receipt to automatically obtain said expense information from said scanned information,

wherein said expense information for each receipt is categorized into one or more predetermined categories to obtain categorized information for each receipt,

wherein said categorized information for each receipt is combined with categorized information for other said receipts to produce and display report information for one or more of said predetermined categories;

wherein the apparatus is configured to process receipts of no predefined format that include grocery receipts, purchase receipts, credit card receipts or bank statements having different widths and thicknesses.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein as the receipts are being scanned, the scanned information from the scanned receipts is automatically received by the computer and the expense information for each receipt is automatically captured from the scanned information for each receipt, and categorized into one or more of said predetermined categories.

22. An apparatus for managing financial information, comprising:

a scanner for scanning various types of receipts of no predefined format, each said receipt containing expense information printed thereon;

a computer in communication with said scanner, said computer receiving a scan of each said receipt, and automatically processing said scan by collecting the expense information from the scan; and

a display device in communication with said computer, wherein said computer organizes said expense information collected from each said scan by categorizing the expense information into one or more predetermined expense categories to obtain report information,

wherein said report information for at least one of said predetermined categories is displayed on said display device.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said scanner is a portable scanner configured to automatically feed the receipt through said scanner while the receipt is being scanned, said receipts of no predefined format including grocery receipts, purchase receipts, credit card receipts or bank statements having different widths and thicknesses.