System and method for locating a document containing a selected number and displaying the number as it appears in the document

• US 20030225745A1
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Inc. (S&P Global Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Capital IQ (Standard & Poor's Investment Advisory Services LLC)
• Inventors: Goldman, Neal D., Murphy, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,089,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for locating a number in a source document by presenting and manipulating data on private and public companies. A central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information is established. A target entity is entered within the central database by a user, and financial information of the target entity from the central database is displayed. Once a number within the display of financial information is clicked on, the system and method determines which document is the source document containing the numbers, searches through the source document for the number, identifies the location of the number in the source document and highlights and displays the number as it appears in the source document to the user.

Claims

1. A method for locating a number in a source document comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. determining which document is the source document containing said number;

f. searching through said source document for said number;

g. identifying the location of said number in said source document; and

h. highlighting and displaying said number as it appears in said source document to said user.

13. A method according to any of the preceding claims where determining which document is the source document containing said number, target number or component number further comprises the step of searching for said source document that has a date that is closest to the end of the 3-month quarter in which said number is reported by said target entity or company.

14. A method according to any of the preceding claims where determining which document is the source document containing said number, target number or component number further comprises the step of searching for said source document that has a date that falls within a predetermined specified date range.

15. A method according to any of the preceding claims where determining which document is the source document containing said number, target number or component number further comprises the step of searching for said source document that has a date that falls within at least one of the following date ranges:

a. a time period extending before and after said target entity'"'"'s filing date for said source document containing said number,

b. a time period extending before said target entity'"'"'s filing date for said source document containing said number; and

c. a time period extending after said target entity'"'"'s filing date for said source document containing said number.

16. A method according to any of the preceding claims where determining which document is the source document containing said number, target number or component number further comprises the step of searching for said source document that has a date that falls within at least one of the following date ranges:

a. a time period extending before and after a company'"'"'s filing date for said source document containing said number;

b. a time period extending before a company'"'"'s filing date for said source document containing said number; and

c. a time period extending after a company'"'"'s filing date for said source document containing said number.

17. A method according to any of the preceding claims where determining which document is the source document containing said number, target number or component number further comprises the steps of:

a. searching for the SEC filings or other relevant filing databases that have a date that falls within 30 days of the end of the 3 month quarter for which said source document containing said number is filed by said target entity or company; and

b. selecting the most recent of said filings as said source document.

18. A method according to any of the preceding claims where determining which document is the source document containing said number, target number or component number further comprises the steps of:

a. searching for the SEC filings or other relevant filing databases that have a date that falls within a date range surrounding the target entity'"'"'s or company'"'"'s filing date for said source document containing said number; and

b. selecting the most recent of said filings as said source document.

19. A method according to any of the preceding claims where determining which document is the source document containing said number, target number or component number further comprises the steps of:

a. searching for the SEC filings or other relevant filing databases relating to said number, target number or component number;

b. selecting the most recent of said filings as said source document.

20. A method according to any of the preceding claims further comprising the step of maintaining said database.

21. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein said financial information comprises financial numbers including dollar values, ratios and multiples.

22. A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein said financial information comprises financial numbers including Net Debt, Revenue, EBIDTA, EBIT, EPS and Book Value.

2. A method for locating in a source document a first component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said client database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying a window containing the first component numbers used to calculate said number;

f. clicking on said first component number by said user;

g. determining which document is the source document containing said first component number;

h. searching through said source document for said component number;

i. identifying the location of said first component number in said source document; and

j. highlighting and displaying said first component number as it appears in said source document to said user.

3. A method for locating in a source document a second component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying a window containing first component numbers used to calculate said number;

f. clicking on said first component number by said user;

g. displaying a window containing the second component numbers used to calculate said first component number;

h. clicking on said second component number by said user;

i. determining which document is the source document containing said second component number;

j. searching through said document for said second component number;

k. identifying the location of said second component number in said source document; and

l. highlighting and displaying said second component number as it appears in said source document to said user.

4. A method for locating in a source document a third component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying a window containing first component numbers used to calculate said number;

f. clicking on said first component number by said user;

g. displaying a window containing the second component numbers used to calculate said first component number;

h. clicking on said second component number by said user;

i. displaying a window containing the third component numbers used to calculate said second component number;

j. clicking on said third component number by said user;

k. determining which document is the source document containing said third component number;

l. searching through said document for said third component number;

m. identifying the location of said third component number in said source document; and

n. highlighting and displaying said third component number as it appears in said source document to said user.

5. A method for locating a number in a source document comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. searching through documents for said source document containing said number;

f. if no source document is found containing said number, then creating a series of alternative number representations for said number;

g. searching through documents for said source document with said series of alternative number representations;

h. stopping said search when a source document containing a number representation from said series of alternative number representations is located;

i. locating said source document within said central database containing said number representation;

j. searching through said source document for said number representation;

k. identifying the location of said number representation in said source document; and

l. highlighting and displaying said number representation as it appears in said source document to said user.

6. A method for locating in a source document a first component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying a window containing the component numbers used to calculate said number;

f. clicking on said first component number by said user;

g. searching through documents for said source document containing said first component number;

h. if no source document is found containing said first component number, then creating a series of alternative number representations for said first component number;

i. searching through documents for said source document with said series of alternative number representations;

j. stopping said search when a source document containing a number representation from said series of alternative number representations is located;

k. locating said source document within said central database containing said number representation;

l. searching through said source document for said number representation;

m. identing the location of said number representation in said source document; and

n. highlighting and displaying said number representation as it appears in said source document to said user.

7. A method for locating in a source document a second component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying a window containing first component numbers used to calculate said number;

f. clicking on said first component number by said user;

g. displaying a window containing the second component numbers used to calculate said first component number;

h. clicking on said second component number by said user;

i. searching through documents for said source document containing said second component number;

j. if no source document is found containing said second component number, then creating a series of alternative number representations for said second component number;

k. searching through documents for said source document with said series of alternative number representations;

l. stopping said search when a source document containing a number representation from said series of alternative number representations is located;

m. locating said source document within said central database containing said number representation;

n. searching through said source document for said number representation;

o. identifying the location of said number representation in said source document; and

p. highlighting and displaying said number representation as it appears in said source document to said user.

8. A method for locating in a source document a third component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying a window containing first component numbers used to calculate said number;

f. clicking on said first component number by said user;

g. displaying a window containing the second component numbers used to calculate said first component number;

h. clicking on said second component number by said user;

i. displaying a window containing the third component numbers used to calculate said second component number;

j. clicking on said third component number by said user;

k. searching through documents for said source document containing said third component number;

l. if no source document is found containing said third component number, then creating a series of alternative number representations for said third component number;

m. searching through documents for said source document with said series of alternative number representations;

n. stopping said search when a source document containing a number representation from said series of alternative number representations is located;

o. locating said source document within said central database containing said number representation;

p. searching through said source document for said number representation;

q. identifying the location of said number representation in said source document; and

r. highlighting and displaying said number representation as it appears in said source document to said user.

9. A method for locating any target number in a document comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying windows containing at least one target number;

f. clicking on one of said target numbers by said user;

g. determining which document is the source document containing said target number;

h. searching through said source document for said target number;

i. identifying the location of said target number in said source document; and

j. highlighting and displaying said target number as it appears in said source document to said user.

10. A method for locating any target number in a document comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said client database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying windows containing at least one target number;

f. clicking on one of said target numbers by said user;

g. searching through documents for said source document containing said target number;

h. if no source document is found containing said target number, then creating a series of alternative number representations for said target number;

i. searching through documents for said source document with said series of alternative number representations;

j. stopping said search when a source document containing a number representation from said series of alternative number representations is located;

k. locating said source document within said central database containing said number representation;

l. searching through said source document for said number representation;

m. identifying the location of said number representation in said source document; and

n. highlighting and displaying said number representation as it appears in said source document to said user.

23. A method according to claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 or 12:

a. where said series of alternative number representations comprise numerical digits representing billions and/or millions and/or thousands and/or hundreds of dollars (units of money);

b. where said series may use or exclude a “

$”

symbol (unit of money symbol);

c. where said series may use or exclude commas or periods between digits; and

d. where said series may use or exclude a space before and/or after said number.

24. A method according to claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 or 12:

a. where said series of alternative number representations comprise numerical digits representing units of money;

b. where said series may use or exclude a unit of money symbol;

c. where said series may use or exclude commas or periods between digits; and

d. where said series may use or exclude a space before and/or after said number.

25. A method according to claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 or 12 where said series of alternative number representations are arranged in a predetermined hierarchical fashion.

11. A method for locating in a source document any component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying windows containing component numbers;

f. clicking on one of said component numbers by said user;

g. determining which document is the source document containing said component number;

h. searching through said source document for said component number;

i. identifying the location of said component number in said source document; and

j. highlighting and displaying said component number as it appears in said source document to said user.

12. A method for locating in a source document any component number of one or more components used to calculate a number comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of combined public and private information comprising a plurality of financial information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. displaying windows containing component numbers;

f. clicking on one of said component numbers by said user;

g. searching through documents for said source document containing said component number;

h. if no source document is found containing said component number, then creating a series of alternative number representations for said component number;

i. searching through documents for said source document with said series of alternative number representations;

j. stopping said search when a source document containing a number representation from said series of alternative number representations is located;

k. locating said source document within said central database containing said number representation;

l. searching through said source document for said number representation;

m. identifying the location of said number representation in said source document; and

n. highlighting and displaying said number representation as it appears in said source document to said user.

26. A method for locating a number in a source document comprising the steps of:

a. establishing a central database of information;

b. entering a target entity within said central database by a user;

c. displaying financial information of said target entity from said central database;

d. clicking on a number within said financial information by said user;

e. determining which document is the source document containing said number;

f. searching through said source document for said number;

g. identifying the location of said number in said source document; and

h. highlighting and displaying said number as it appears in said source document to said user.