Intelligent auto-fill transaction data

• US 20060218088A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Homier, Matthew James, Flora, John Reed
• Application Number:
  US11/389,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218088A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A menu of candidate entries for a category field of a transaction is presented. A best candidate is identified based on partial user input in a category field and on additional descriptive information about the transaction, such as whether it is an expense transaction or an income transaction. The category field is tentatively populated according to the identification of best candidate. The user can accept the suggested entry, or override it.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically presenting a best candidate entry for a field for a transaction, the method comprising:

obtaining a list of candidate entries for the field;

receiving user-entered input for the field, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character;

receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying at least one best candidate entry from the list of candidate entries;

displaying a menu comprising a plurality of candidate entries including the identified at least one best candidate entry; and

highlighting, within the menu, at least one identified best candidate entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises receiving an indication of income or expense transaction type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying at least one best candidate entry comprises identifying a candidate entry associated with the indicated transaction type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises a transaction amount, and wherein the at least one best candidate entry is identified based on the transaction amount.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises descriptive information about a payee, and wherein the at least one best candidate entry is identified based on the descriptive information about the payee.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises descriptive information about a payor, and wherein the at least one best candidate entry is identified based on the descriptive information about the payor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one best candidate entry is identified based on heuristic analysis of user behavior.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the heuristic analysis of user behavior comprises an analysis of past spending habits by the user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the heuristic analysis of user behavior comprises an analysis of category usage by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the field comprises a transaction category field, and wherein each candidate entry comprises a transaction category.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying at least one best candidate entry comprises identifying exactly one best candidate entry; and

highlighting, within the menu, at least one identified best candidate entry comprises highlighting exactly one best candidate entry.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

presenting, within the field, the best candidate entry.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating acceptance of a highlighted candidate entry; and

populating the field with the highlighted candidate entry.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting a candidate entry other than a highlighted candidate entry; and

updating the menu to highlight the user-selected candidate entry.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input comprising at least one additional character to add to the character string;

responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying at least one best candidate entry from a list;

updating the displayed menu to highlight the at least one identified best candidate entry.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input comprising at least one additional character to add to the character string;

responsive to the character string not matching any candidate entries in the list, updating the displayed menu to not highlight any candidate entry.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises receiving user-entered information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises receiving information from an online source of transaction information.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein each identified best candidate entry matches, at least in part, both the user-entered character string and the additional descriptive information.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each identified best candidate entry begins with a substring that matches the user-entered character string.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction comprises a financial transaction.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises a transaction amount.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises an indication of a pattern of user input.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises an indication as to whether the transaction is a memorized transaction.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises an indication as to an account associated with the transaction.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu consists only of candidate entries that match, at least in part, the user-entered input.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising sorting the plurality of candidate entries in the menu so that the identified at least one best candidate entry appears at the top of the menu.

28. A computer-implemented method for automatically populating a field for a transaction, the method comprising:

receiving user-entered input for the field, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character;

receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying a best candidate entry from a list;

populating the field with the identified best candidate entry.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises receiving an indication of income or expense transaction type.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein identifying a best candidate entry comprises identifying a candidate entry associated with the indicated transaction type.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the field comprises a transaction category field, and wherein each candidate entry comprises a transaction category.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving user input comprising at least one additional character to add to the character string;

responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying a new best candidate entry from a list; and

populating the field with the new identified best candidate entry.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving user input comprising at least one additional character to add to the character string;

responsive to the character string not matching any candidate entries in the list, updating the field to include only the user input.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises receiving user-entered information.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises receiving information from an online source of transaction information.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the identified best candidate entry matches, at least in part, both the user-entered character string and the additional descriptive information.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein the identified best candidate entry begins with a substring that matches the user-entered character string.

38. The method of claim 28, wherein the transaction comprises a financial transaction.

39. The method of claim 28, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises a transaction amount.

40. The method of claim 28, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises an indication of a pattern of user input.

41. The method of claim 28, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises an indication as to whether the transaction is a memorized transaction.

42. The method of claim 28, wherein the additional descriptive information comprises an indication as to an account associated with the transaction.

43. A computer-implemented method for selecting a candidate entry for a field for a transaction, the method comprising:

receiving user-entered input for the transaction, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character;

receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

identifying at least two candidate entries containing the character string; and

identifying a default among the candidate entries, based on the additional descriptive information; and

tentatively populating the field using the default candidate entry.

44. The computer-implemented method of claim 43, further comprising:

displaying a list of candidate entries other than the default candidate entry.

45. The computer-implemented method of claim 44, further comprising:

responsive to user selection of a candidate entry from the list, replacing the default candidate entry with the user-selected candidate entry.

46. A computer-implemented method for presenting a list of candidate entries for a field for a transaction, the method comprising:

receiving user-entered input for the transaction, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character;

receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

identifying at least two candidate entries containing the character string; and

sorting the identified candidate entries according to the user-entered additional descriptive information; and

displaying a list containing the identified candidate entries.

47. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, further comprising:

receiving user input selecting one of the displayed candidate entries; and

populating the field for the transaction using the selected entry.

48. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating that a default entry should be used; and

populating the field for the transaction using a topmost entry in the list.

49. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises a transaction type.

50. A computer program product for automatically presenting a best candidate entry for a field for a transaction, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, encoded on the medium, for;

obtaining a list of candidate entries for the field;

receiving user-entered input for the field, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character;

receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying at least one best candidate entry from the list of candidate entries;

displaying a menu comprising a plurality of candidate entries including the identified at least one best candidate entry; and

highlighting, within the menu, at least one identified best candidate entry.

51. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the computer program code for receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises computer program code for receiving an indication of income or expense transaction type.

52. The computer program product of claim 50, wherein the field comprises a transaction category field, and wherein each candidate entry comprises a transaction category.

53. A computer program product for automatically populating a field for a transaction, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, encoded on the medium, for;

receiving user-entered input for the field, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character;

receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying a best candidate entry from a list;

populating the field with the identified best candidate entry.

54. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein the computer program code for receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises computer program code for receiving an indication of income or expense transaction type.

55. The computer program product of claim 54, wherein the computer program code for identifying a best candidate entry comprises computer program code for identifying a candidate entry associated with the indicated transaction type.

56. The computer program product of claim 53, wherein the field comprises a transaction category field, and wherein each candidate entry comprises a transaction category.

57. A system for automatically presenting a best candidate entry for a field for a transaction, the system comprising:

a user interface module, for obtaining a list of candidate entries for the field;

an input device, for receiving user-entered input for the field, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character, and for receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

a processor for, responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying at least one best candidate entry from the list of candidate entries; and

an output device, for displaying a menu comprising a plurality of candidate entries including the identified at least one best candidate entry, and for highlighting, within the menu, at least one identified best candidate entry.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises an indication of income or expense transaction type.

59. The system of claim 57, wherein the field comprises a transaction category field, and wherein each candidate entry comprises a transaction category.

60. A system for automatically populating a field for a transaction, the system comprising:

an input device, for receiving user-entered input for the field, the user-entered input comprising a character string comprising at least one character, and for receiving additional descriptive information for the transaction;

a processor for, responsive to both the character string and the additional descriptive information, identifying a best candidate entry from a list;

an output device, for populating the field with the identified best candidate entry and for displaying the populated field.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the additional descriptive information for the transaction comprises an indication of income or expense transaction type.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the processor identifies a best candidate entry by identifying a candidate entry associated with the indicated transaction type.

63. The system of claim 60, wherein the field comprises a transaction category field, and wherein each candidate entry comprises a transaction category.