Personal digital account register

• US 20040108376A1
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accubalance Corporation
• Original Assignee: Accubalance Corporation
• Inventors: Witherspoon, Glenn Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,044,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A method for reconciling a financial account of a user on a user device. A user list of transactions that have been entered by the user are accessed. A list of transactions from a financial institution is downloaded. The financial institution list is stored on the user device, and then compared with the user list, item by item. A reconciliation function is provided for each item on both of the lists. In one embodiment, a separate display of the cleared balance is provided, a single link button is provided to enable the upload of the register contents to a computer for reconciliation or for archiving and a memory attachment, such as a USB memory key, is also provided for archiving and/or additional program capabilities.

Claims

1. A method for reconciling a financial account of a user on a user device, comprising:

accessing a user list of transactions entered by said user;

downloading a financial institution list of transactions from a financial institution;

storing said financial institution list of transactions on said user device;

comparing said user list and said financial institution list item by item; and

providing a reconciliation function for each item on both of said lists.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing said transactions to match transactions on said financial institution list to transactions on said user list;

identifying unmatched transactions;

attempting to match said unmatched transactions, absent user input, according to predetermined criteria to provide proposed matches;

presenting said proposed matches to said user; and

accepting, on an item by item basis, a confirmation of said proposed matches by said user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said comparing compares a description field corresponding to said transactions.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said presenting comprising presenting said transactions to said user in the following groupings:

transactions with a proposed match;

transactions on said user list, but not on said financial institution list; and

transactions on said financial institution list but not on said user list.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said user device is a personal computer, and said accessing a user list of transactions comprises uploading said user list from an electronic account register.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said user device is an electronic account register.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting to said user a first group of transactions on said user list, but not on said financial institution list;

presenting to said user a second group of transactions on said financial institution list but not on said user list; and

providing a user input capability for matching items from said first and second groups.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing an indication whether an item has been cleared for each item upon completion of said reconciliation function.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

downloading cleared items, and items on said financial institution list of transactions but not on said user list, from a computer to an account register device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing said transactions to match transactions on said financial institution list to transactions on said user list;

identifying unmatched transactions;

accepting a user input indicating an acceptable number of days between transactions for indicating a possible match;

attempting to match said unmatched transactions according to said user input.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

exporting data regarding said transactions to a money management program.

12. A method for reconciling a financial account of a user on a user device, comprising:

accessing a user list of transactions entered by said user;

downloading a financial institution list of transactions from a financial institution;

storing said financial institution list of transactions on said user device;

comparing said user list and said financial institution list item by item;

providing a reconciliation function for each item on both of said lists;

comparing said transactions to match transactions on said financial institution list to transactions on said user list;

identifying unmatched transactions;

attempting to match said unmatched transactions, absent user input, according to predetermined criteria to provide proposed matches;

presenting said proposed matches to said user;

accepting, on an item by item basis, a confirmation of said proposed matches by said user;

presenting to said user a first group of transactions on said user list, but not on said financial institution list;

presenting to said user a second group of transactions on said financial institution list but not on said user list;

providing a user input capability for matching items from said first and second groups; and

providing an indication whether an item has been cleared for each item upon completion of said reconciliation function.

13. An electronic account register comprising:

a touch screen for displaying a register of transactions;

an alphanumeric keyboard;

a numeric keypad;

a cleared balance display;

an up/down scrolling input; and

an on/off switch.

14. The electronic account register of claim 13 further comprising:

a processor programmed to allow exporting transaction data to an external money management program.

15. The electronic account register of claim 13 wherein said alphanumeric keyboard and numeric keypad are designated areas on said touch screen.

16. The electronic account register of claim 13 further comprising:

a link input for linking said account register to another electronic device.

17. The electronic account register of claim 13 further comprising:

a description field in said account register; and

a drop down list of preferred payees in said description field.

18. The electronic account register of claim 17 further comprising:

a memory for storing payees;

a processor programmed to determine if a payee has been entered for a second time in a predetermined period and, if so, adding said payee to said list of preferred payees.

19. The electronic account register of claim 13 further comprising:

a transaction number field;

means for populating said transaction number field with a next sequential transaction number; and

means for overriding said next sequential transaction number.

20. An electronic account register comprising:

a touch screen for displaying an account register;

an alphanumeric keyboard;

a numeric keypad;

a cleared balance display;

an up/down scrolling input; and

an on/off switch;

a link input for linking said account register to another electronic device;

a description field in said account register;

a drop down list of preferred payees in said description field;

a transaction number field;

means for populating said transaction number field with a next sequential transaction number; and

means for overriding said next sequential transaction number.