Context-driven transaction reports

• US 20060241962A1
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Del Favero, James Robert, Hively, Glynis, Hansen, George Albert, Reeth, Kevin M. II, Flora, John Reed
• Application Number:
  US11/266,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20060241962A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems

Abstract

Reports are automatically generated based on data currently displayed in a user interface such as a transaction register. The report generation is unobtrusive, allowing the user to continue to work with the current portion of the user interface before, during, and after the report is displayed. The report generation is also context-driven, obtaining parameters used to construct the report from the current user context.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a report, comprising:

displaying a user interface for displaying a plurality of transaction entries;

receiving user input associated with at least one of the transaction entries;

responsive to the user input, and responsive to at least one attribute of the associated transaction, selecting a report type and determining at least one report parameter;

generating a report of the selected type, according to the at least one determined report parameter; and

displaying the generated report within the context of the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the report comprises overlaying the report on the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the report comprises displaying the report in a location that at least partially overlaps the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries comprises a transaction register.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries comprises a transaction register of a personal financial software application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries comprises a transaction register of an accounting software application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each transaction entry comprises a numeric value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each transaction entry comprises a monetary amount.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the generated report comprises an average of the numeric values for transaction entries associated with the report.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the generated report comprises a sum of the numeric values for transaction entries associated with the report.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a report comprises generating a report comprising transaction entries that satisfy a given selection criterion.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a report comprises generating a report comprising transaction entries having dates that fall within a predefined date range.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a report comprises generating a report comprising a number of transaction entries not exceeding a predefined maximum.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a report comprises generating a report comprising a number of transaction entries having a field value matching a predefined value.

15. The method of claim 14, where the field value comprises a category.

16. The method of claim 14, where the field value comprises a payee.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the generated report comprises displaying the report at a location anchored to a portion of the user interface associated with the transaction entry associated with the user input.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input comprises detecting user activation of an on-screen user interface element associated with generating reports.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to user input associated with a portion of the generated report, displaying a more detailed report describing an information item located at the portion associated with the user input.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed report is modeless.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed report comprises a budget amount corresponding to the at least one report parameter.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input indicating a budget amount corresponding to the at least one report parameter; and

storing the budget amount.

23. A computer program product for displaying a report, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, encoded on the medium, for;

displaying a user interface for displaying a plurality of transaction entries;

receiving user input associated with at least one of the transaction entries;

responsive to the user input, and responsive to at least one attribute of the associated transaction, selecting a report type and determining at least one report parameter;

generating a report of the selected type, according to the at least one determined report parameter; and

displaying the generated report within the context of the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for displaying the report comprises computer program code for overlaying the report on the user interface.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for displaying the report comprises computer program code for displaying the report in a location that at least partially overlaps the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries comprises a transaction register.

27. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries comprises a transaction register of a personal financial software application.

28. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries comprises a transaction register of an accounting software application.

29. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein each transaction entry comprises a numeric value.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein each transaction entry comprises a monetary amount.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the generated report comprises an average of the numeric values for transaction entries associated with the report.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the generated report comprises a sum of the numeric values for transaction entries associated with the report.

33. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for generating a report comprises computer program code for generating a report comprising transaction entries that satisfy a given selection criterion.

34. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for generating a report comprises computer program code for generating a report comprising transaction entries having dates that fall within a predefined date range.

35. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for generating a report comprises computer program code for generating a report comprising a number of transaction entries not exceeding a predefined maximum.

36. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for generating a report comprises computer program code for generating a report comprising a number of transaction entries having a field value matching a predefined value.

37. The computer program product of claim 26, where the field value comprises a category.

38. The computer program product of claim 26, where the field value comprises a payee.

39. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for displaying the generated report comprises computer program code for displaying the report at a location anchored to a portion of the user interface associated with the transaction entry associated with the user input.

40. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program code for receiving user input comprises computer program code for detecting user activation of an on-screen user interface element associated with generating reports.

41. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising, computer program code for, responsive to user input associated with a portion of the generated report, displaying a more detailed report describing an information item located at the portion associated with the user input.

42. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the displayed report is modeless.

43. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the displayed report comprises a budget amount corresponding to the at least one report parameter.

44. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for:

receiving user input indicating a budget amount corresponding to the at least one report parameter; and

storing the budget amount.

45. A system for displaying a report, comprising:

a display device, for displaying a user interface for displaying a plurality of transaction entries;

an input device, for receiving user input associated with at least one of the transaction entries; and

a processor for;

responsive to the user input, and responsive to at least one attribute of the associated transaction, selecting a report type and determining at least one report parameter; and

generating a report of the selected type, according to the at least one determined report parameter;

wherein the display device displays the generated report within the context of the user interface displaying the plurality of transaction entries.