PROCESSING RECEIPT RECEIVED IN SET OF COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090313101A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McKenna, Sean Michael, Ward, Bradley, Marshall, Stuart Henry Seelye, Sacheti, Arun K.
• Application Number:
  US12/138,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.250
• 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 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Receipts may be received at a location that a customer normally uses to receive electronic correspondence, such as an e-mail address, an instant messaging address, etc. Among the items that are sent to that location, those items that contain a receipt may be identified. The identified receipts, or information extracted from such receipts, may be sent to a receipt store. An action, such as displaying the receipts to a customer, may be taken based on content stored in the receipt store. The information that is stored in a receipt store and/or that is displayed to customers may have an arbitrary level of detail.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media that store executable instructions to perform a method of handling a receipt, the method comprising:

receiving a set of communications at a correspondence inbox, there being both items of correspondence and receipts among said set of communications;

identifying one of said communications as containing said receipt;

based on said identifying, sending said receipt to a receipt store; and

taking an action based on receipts stored in said receipt store, said receipt being among the receipts stored in said receipt store.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from a customer whose transaction generated said receipt, a request to view some or all of said receipts,

and wherein said action comprises;

displaying or communicating, to said customer, those ones of said receipts that are responsive to said request.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said action comprises:

mining said receipts stored in said receipt store to obtain information about whether a merchant'"'"'s sales are up or down in a given time period, or whether an advertising campaign of said merchant has been effective.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 3, wherein said receipt store handles receipts for a plurality of customers, and wherein said mining of said receipts comprises:

taking into account receipts of more than one of said customers.

5. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said action comprises:

communicating or storing data from said receipt in an accounting program format.

6. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said action comprises:

publishing, as a feed, purchases represented by said receipts.

7. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said action comprises:

identifying a merchant among said receipts; and

providing, to a customer whose transaction generated said receipt, a survey to rate said merchant.

8. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said action comprises:

identifying a product listed among said receipts; and

providing, to a customer whose transaction generated said receipt, a survey to rate said product.

9. A system to handle receipts, the system comprising:

a processor;

a data remembrance component;

an e-mail program that executes on said processor, that receives a set of communications directed to a customer, the set of communications comprising items of correspondence and receipts;

a receipt-processing component that executes on said processor, that communicates with said e-mail program to evaluate said communications, that identifies one of said communications as containing a receipt, that sends the receipt to a receipt store; and

a template that is stored in said data remembrance component and that is descriptive of a class of receipts, said template being used by said receipt-processing component to identify said receipt from among said communications.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a receipt parser that recognizes content in said communications that is indicative of said content being a receipt.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said e-mail program comprises a server that receives mail on behalf of said customer, and wherein said receipt processing components comprises a plug-in or add-on to said e-mail program or is an integral part of said e-mail program.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said e-mail program comprises a client application that receives e-mail to be viewed by said customer, and wherein said receipt processing component comprises a plug-in or add-on to said client application or is an integral part of said client application.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said receipt processing component provides content based on said receipt in an accounting program format.

14. A method of handling receipts, the method comprising:

using a receipt processing component to identify a receipt among a set of communications that are sent to an address, said set of communications comprising both receipts and correspondence;

sending said receipt to a receipt store;

receiving a request from a customer to view said receipt; and

displaying said receipt to said customer in accordance with said request.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said request comprises a query, said receipt being responsive to said query, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying receipts responsive to said query, including said receipt, wherein said receipt comprises shipping information, warranty information, marketing information, advertising information, or a coupon.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said address is associated with said customer and comprises either an e-mail address, an instant messaging address, or a short message service address.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said using of said receipt processing component comprises:

using a receipt parser to identify content in said set of communications that is indicative of receipts; and

using said receipt parser to extract fields from said receipt.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said using of said receipt processing component comprises:

comparing said set of communications to a template to determine a level of similarity of communications in said set to said template; and

identifying said receipt based on an item that contains said receipt having a level of similarity to said template that exceeds a threshold.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

mining said receipts stored in said receipt store to obtain information.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

publishing, as a feed, purchases represented by said receipts.