Simplified form interface system and method

• US 10,733,364 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MFTB Holdco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DotLoop LLC (Zillow Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allison, G. Austin, Hu, Justin, Pinciotti, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapp, Amelia L
• Application Number:
  US14/842,267
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Technologies for simplifying visual organization of form information include a form simplification server. A virtual transaction form including editable input fields visually organized in an initial format is displayed. In response to a request for a simplified version of the virtual transaction form, the form simplification server generates a simplified virtual transaction form including editable input fields that correspond to the editable input fields of the virtual transaction form. The editable fields of the simplified virtual transaction form are visually organized in a format different from the initial format of the virtual transaction form. The simplified virtual transaction form is displayed. The form simplification server may also receive a user-specified data element input into one of the editable input fields of the virtual transaction form. The corresponding editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form can be populated with the user-specified data element. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for simplifying visual organization of form information, the method comprising:

by a form simplification server, causing to be displayed on a remote computing device a virtual transaction form that comprises a first visual representation of a first plurality of editable input fields and a first visual representation of a second editable input field;

receiving, by the form simplification server, a request to view a simplified version of the virtual transaction form sent by the remote computing device; and

generating a simplified virtual transaction form, wherein the simplified virtual transaction form comprises a second visual representation of the first plurality of editable input fields of the virtual transaction form, wherein the second visual representation of the first plurality of editable input fields of the virtual transaction form is a single editable input field such that there is a one-to-many correspondence of the single editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form to the first plurality of editable input fields of the virtual transaction form, and a second visual representation of the second editable input field of the virtual transaction form, wherein the second visual representation of the second editable input field of the virtual transaction form comprises multiple editable input fields such that there is a many-to-one correspondence of the multiple editable input fields of the simplified virtual transaction form to the first visual representation of the second editable input field of the virtual transaction form, wherein the second visual representation of the first plurality of editable input fields is visually distinct from the first visual representation of the first plurality of editable input fields, and wherein the second visual representation of the second editable input field is visually distinct from the first visual representation of the second editable input field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual transaction form is an electronic representation of a corresponding physical transaction form and is visually similar to the physical transaction form.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual transaction form comprises a virtual real estate transaction form.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a file format of the virtual transaction form is one of a portable document format and a word processor document format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the simplified virtual transaction form comprises:

determining, by the form simplification server, whether a first user-specified data element corresponding to a first editable input field of the first plurality of editable input fields is stored in a data store;

retrieving, by the form simplification server, the first user-specified data element in response to a determination that the first user-specified data element corresponding to the first editable input field is stored in the data store; and

populating, by the form simplification server, a third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form with the retrieved first user-specified data element.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the form simplification server and from the remote computing device, a first user-specified data element input into the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form;

storing, by the form simplification server, the received first user-specified data element in a record of a data store that corresponds to the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form; and

populating, by the form simplification server and subsequent to receiving the request, a third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form with the received and stored first user-specified data element.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the form simplification server and from the remote computing device, a first user-specified data element input into a third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form;

storing, by the form simplification server, the received first user-specified data element in a record of a data store that corresponds to the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form;

receiving, by the form simplification server and from the remote computing device, a request to view the virtual transaction form; and

populating, by the form simplification server, the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form with the received and stored first user-specified data element.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

applying, by the form simplification server, a rule to the received first user-specified data element, wherein the rule specifies population and storage conditions for received user-specified data element; and

wherein storing the received first user-specified data element in the record of the data store and populating the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form comprises storing the received first user-specified data element in the record of the data store and populating the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form based on application of the rule to the received first user-specified data element.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the form simplification server and from the remote computing device, a first user-specified data element input into a third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form; and

determining, by the form simplification server, whether a second user-specified data element corresponding to the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form is stored in a data store;

storing, by the form simplification server and in response to determining that a second user-specified data element corresponding to the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form is not stored in the data store, the received first user-specified data element in a record of a data store that corresponds to the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form; and

populating, by the form simplification server, the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form with the received and stored first user-specified data element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a third editable input field and a fourth editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form are visually organized based on relevance.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the form simplification server, a format with which to visually organize third and fourth editable input fields of the simplified virtual transaction form based on at least one characteristic of a communication medium across which the remote computing device and the form simplification server communicate.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing to be displayed, on the remote computing device, an option to use a simplified form interface.

13. A system for simplifying visual organization of form information, the system comprising:

a form simplification server comprising a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory, wherein the instructions cause the processor to;

cause display of a virtual transaction form that comprises a first editable input field and a second editable input field, the first editable input field and second editable input field being visually organized in a first format;

receive a request to view a simplified version of the virtual transaction form sent by a remote computing device; and

generate a simplified virtual transaction form, wherein the simplified virtual transaction form comprises a third editable input field that corresponds to the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form and multiple editable input fields that corresponds to the second editable input field of the virtual transaction form such that there is a many-to-one correspondence of the multiple editable input fields of the simplified virtual transaction form to the second editable input field of the virtual transaction form, wherein the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form is visually organized in a second format different from the first format.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein generating the simplified virtual transaction form comprises:

determining whether a first user-specified data element that corresponds to the first editable input field is stored in a data store;

retrieving the first user-specified data element in response to a determination that the first user-specified data element corresponds to the first editable input field is stored in the data store; and

populating the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form with the retrieved first user-specified data element.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor of the form simplification server to:

receive, from the remote computing device, a first user-specified data element input into the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form;

store the received first user-specified data element in a record of a data store that corresponds to the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form; and

populate, subsequent to receiving the request, the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form with the received and stored first user-specified data element.

16. A method for simplifying visual organization of form information, the method comprising:

by a form simplification server, causing to be displayed a virtual transaction form that comprises a first editable input field, a first description element visually associated with the first editable input field, a second editable input field, and a second description element visually associated with the second editable input field, wherein the first editable input field, the first description element, the second editable input field, and the second description element are visually organized in a first format; and

generating, by the form simplification server, a simplified virtual transaction form, wherein the simplified virtual transaction form comprises a third editable input field corresponding to the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form and multiple editable input fields corresponding to the second editable input field of the virtual transaction form such that there is a many-to-one correspondence of the multiple editable input fields of the simplified virtual transaction form to the second editable input field of the virtual transaction form, and wherein the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form is visually organized in a second format that is different from the first format and that excludes the first description element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the simplified virtual transaction form comprises:

determining, by the form simplification server, whether a first user-specified data element corresponding to the first editable input field is stored in a data store;

retrieving, by the form simplification server, the first user-specified data element in response to a determination that the first user-specified data element corresponding to the first editable input field is stored in the data store; and

populating, by the form simplification server, the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form with the retrieved first user-specified data element.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by the form simplification server and from a remote computing device, a first user-specified data element input into the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form;

storing, by the form simplification server, the received first user-specified data element in a record of a data store that corresponds to the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form; and

populating, by the form simplification server and subsequent to receiving a request to view a simplified version of the virtual transaction form, the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form with the received and stored first user-specified data element.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, by the form simplification server and from a remote computing device, a first user-specified data element input into the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form;

storing, by the form simplification server, the received first user-specified data element in a record of a data store that corresponds to the third editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form;

receiving, by the form simplification server and from the remote computing device, a request to view the virtual transaction form; and

populating, by the form simplification server, the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form with the received and stored first user-specified data element.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

applying, by the form simplification server, a rule to the received first user-specified data element, wherein the rule specifies population and storage conditions for received user-specified data element; and

wherein storing the received first user-specified data element in the record of the data store and populating the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form comprises storing the received first user-specified data element in the record of the data store and populating the first editable input field of the virtual transaction form based on application of the rule to the received first user-specified data element.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining, by the form simplification server, the second format with which to visually organize the third editable input field and a fourth editable input field of the simplified virtual transaction form based on at least one characteristic of a communication medium across which a remote computing device and the form simplification server communicate.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing a view toggle control to be displayed with the virtual transaction form; and

receiving, by the form simplification server, a request to view a simplified version of the virtual transaction form, wherein the request is sent by a remote computing device in response to user activation of the view toggle control displayed with the virtual transaction form.