TRAVEL EXPENSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20100017314A1
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Clark, Alison, Grayson, Martin, Mortimer, Rimes, Mercuri, Marc, Johnson, Bruce E.
• Application Number:
  US12/274,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017314A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A method for generating an expense report, comprising: receiving an itinerary for travel, generating a description and a cost for one or more travel elements of the itinerary; and generating projected expenses that are expected to be incurred based on historical data associated with the itinerary

Claims

1. A method for generating an expense report, comprising:

receiving an itinerary for travel;

generating a description and a cost for one or more travel elements of the itinerary; and

generating projected expenses that are expected to be incurred based on historical data associated with the itinerary.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical data are based on a previous travel to a destination inside the itinerary.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical data are based on one or more previous travels of one or more travelers to a destination inside the itinerary.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising approving the itinerary for purchase based on the projected expenses.

5. A method for validating an expense item in an expense report, comprising:

receiving an expense item;

reconciling the expense item with a receipt for the expense item;

determining a corporate policy for the expense item; and

determining whether the expense item is valid based on the corporate policy.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending the expense item to a billing system.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the expense item is not valid; and

requesting an approval for an expense corresponding to the expense item.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the approval; and

sending the expense to a billing system.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the expense item is an out of pocket expense.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the expense item is a charge to a corporate credit card.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein reconciling the receipt is obtained through a credit card feed from a bank.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein reconciling the receipt is obtained through an image capture technology or an optical character recognition.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the computer to:

receive an expense item;

reconcile the expense item with a receipt for the expense item;

determine a corporate policy for the expense item;

determine whether the expense item is valid based on the corporate policy; and

if the expense item is not valid, request an approval for an expense corresponding to the expense item.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to:

receive the approval; and

send the expense to a billing system.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to determine that the expense item is valid.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to send the expense item to a billing system in response to determining that the expense item is valid.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the expense item is an out of pocket expense.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the expense item is a charge to a corporate credit card.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the expense item is reconciled with the receipt through a credit card feed from a bank.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the expense item is reconciled with the receipt through an image capture technology or an optical character recognition.