User interface for tax-return preparation

• US 20070033116A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TaxNet, Inc. (H&R Block, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TaxNet, Inc. (H&R Block, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,726 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission

Abstract

A method is implementable in an electronic system coupled to an electronic device, which is, in turn, coupled to a display device. A web page displayable on the display device is served to the electronic device. The displayed web page includes a user interface, which, in turn, includes a frame and at least one stile defining a plurality of panes within the frame. In a first one of the panes, at least one field into which a tax-data provider can input tax data is displayed. In a second one of the panes, information of a first type of a plurality of information types operable to assist the provider in performing a first operation of a set of operations using the user interface is displayed. Input tax data is received from the electronic device.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

generating in a user interface a frame and at least one stile defining a plurality of panes within the frame;

displaying in a first one of the panes at least one field into which a tax-data provider can input tax data;

displaying in a second one of the panes information of a first type of a plurality of information types operable to assist the provider in performing a first operation of a set of operations using the user interface; and

preparing a tax return using the input tax data.

2. The medium of claim 1 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of displaying in a third one of said panes information of a second type of the plurality of information types operable to assist the provider in performing a second operation of the set of operations using the user interface.

3. The medium of claim 1 wherein the first-type information is operable to characterize at least one type of the tax data to be input by the provider.

4. The medium of claim 1 wherein the first-type information is operable to characterize a quantity of the tax data to be input by the provider.

5. The medium of claim 1 wherein the first-type information is operable to characterize a tax-refund amount.

6. The medium of claim 1 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of generating in the user interface at least one item selectable by the provider, wherein selection of the at least one item causes a type, different from the first type, of the plurality of information types to be displayed in the second one of the panes.

7. The medium of claim 2 wherein the second-type information comprises at least one selectable frequently asked question (FAQ) corresponding to an operation of the set of operations.

8. The medium of claim 2 wherein the FAQ comprises a hyperlink to informational data.

9. The medium of claim 8 wherein:

the user interface is generated by a first electronic device; and

the informational data is stored on a second client device coupled to the first electronic device through a network.

10. The medium of claim 2 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of generating in the user interface at least one item selectable by the provider, wherein selection of the at least one item causes a type, different from the second type, of the plurality of information types to be displayed in the third one of the panes.

11. The medium of claim 1 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of generating in the user interface at least one item selectable by the provider, wherein selection of the at least one item causes an operation of the set of operations to be performed.

12. A method implementable in an electronic system coupled to an electronic device, the electronic device being coupled to a display device, the method comprising:

(a) serving to the electronic device a web page displayable on the display device, the displayed web page including a user interface comprising a frame and at least one stile defining a plurality of panes within the frame, wherein;

(1) in a first one of the panes, at least one field into which a tax-data provider can input tax data is displayed; and

(2) in a second one of the panes, information of a first type of a plurality of information types operable to assist the provider in performing a first operation of a set of operations using the user interface is displayed; and

(b) receiving the input tax data from the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising preparing a tax return using the received input tax data.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the web page is served to the electronic device through a network.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the display device includes a display characteristic; and

the method further comprises configuring display of the user interface in accordance with the display characteristic.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically detecting the display characteristic.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the user interface is displayed within a window displayable on the display device, the window having a display area adjustable by the provider; and

the method further comprises configuring display of the user interface in accordance with adjustment of the display area.

18. A method of transferring a computer program product from at least one first electronic device to at least one second electronic device connected to the at least one first electronic device through a communication medium, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing, on the at least one first electronic device, computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a data-processing system, perform at least the steps of;

(1) generating in a user interface a frame and at least one stile defining a plurality of panes within the frame;

(2) displaying in a first one of the panes at least one field into which a tax-data provider can input tax data; and

(3) displaying in a second one of the panes information of a first type of a plurality of information types operable to assist the provider in performing a first operation of a set of operations using the user interface; and

(b) transferring a set of the computer-executable instructions from the at least one first electronic device to the at least one second electronic device through the communications medium.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the computer-executable instructions further perform the step of preparing a tax return using the input tax data.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the communications medium comprises a network.