Enhanced Automated Capture of Invoices into an Electronic Payment System

• US 20090198599A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BILL Operations LLC (Bill Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bill.com, Inc. (Bill.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Orttung, Mark, Lacerte, Rene, Hui, Tommy
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

The recognition of invoices for multiple issuers and multiple recipients is automated. In one approach, many invoices are received. The received invoices are compared to a database of distinguishing features. These distinguishing features are for known templates of invoices from different issuers. Templates are selected for the invoices based on the comparisons to the distinguishing features. This also identifies the issuers for the invoices. Data is extracted from the invoices based on the selected templates. In this way, invoice capture can be automated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically capturing invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers to a plurality of different recipients, the method comprising:

receiving invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers and issued to a plurality of different recipients;

comparing the invoices to distinguishing features for templates of invoices from different issuers;

selecting templates for the invoices based on the comparisons to distinguishing features, each template identified with an issuer; and

extracting data from the invoices based on the selected templates.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving input from a community of recipients concerning the distinguishing features for templates; and

determining the distinguishing features for templates based at least in part on the community input.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving input from a community of recipients concerning the templates; and

determining the templates based at least in part on the community input.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving invoices comprises receiving invoices on different media.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the distinguishing features depend on the media of the invoice.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include logos of issuers.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include issuers'"'"' names and/or addresses.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include data unique to issuers.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include black and white histograms.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include color histograms.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include sectional signatures.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include sectional histograms.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the invoices to distinguishing features includes:

performing optical character recognition (OCR) on the invoices; and

comparing the OCR'"'"'d invoices to the distinguishing features.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the distinguishing features include metadata in the invoices.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the templates include fields and the step of extracting data from the invoices comprises extracting data from the invoices based on the fields of the selected templates.

16. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded program code, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers and issued to a plurality of different recipients;

program code for comparing the invoices to distinguishing features for templates of invoices from different issuers;

program code for selecting templates for the invoices based on the comparisons to distinguishing features, each template identified with an issuer; and

program code for extracting data from the invoices based on the selected templates.

17. A computer system for automatically capturing invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers to a plurality of different recipients, the computer system comprising:

means for receiving invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers and issued to a plurality of different recipients;

means for comparing the invoices to distinguishing features for templates of invoices from different issuers;

means for selecting templates for the invoices based on the comparisons to distinguishing features, each template identified with an issuer; and

means for extracting data from the invoices based on the selected templates.