AUTOMATED BILLING SYSTEM

• US 20140188577A1
• Filed: 01/02/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jonathan L. Gerber
• Original Assignee: Jonathan L. Gerber
• Inventors: Gerber, Jonathan L.
• Application Number:
  US13/733,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188577A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1091 Recording time for administrative or management purposes

Abstract

The present invention is an automated billing system that streams data from an employee'"'"'s computer screen to a remote server and analyzes the data to determine the type of activities being performed on the employee'"'"'s computer. The remote server will utilize various tools and functions (e.g., machine learning, text recognition, and computer vision) to determine the type of activity is being performed and attribute the activity to an appropriate client and assigning an appropriate billing code to the activity. The automated billing system will also broadly describe the activity being performed in a few sentences and track the time spent working on each event by the employee. In situations where memos or emails are being drafted, the automated billing system will summarize the correspondence and add the correspondence as a record to a database.

Claims

1. An automated billing system, the system comprising:

one or more electronic data processing units;

one or more software applications; and

a server;

wherein said one or more electronic data processing units are configured for one or more work-related activities and are used by at least one employee;

wherein said one or more software applications are installed in said one or more electronic data processing units and are configured to capture a plurality of data from said one or more electronic data processing units;

wherein said one or more software applications transmits said plurality of data to said server;

wherein said server analyzes said plurality of data to calculate a plurality of billing information;

wherein said server generates a timesheet; and

wherein said timesheet is based upon said plurality of billing information.

2. The automated billing system of claim 1, wherein said one or more electronic data processing units are comprised of one or more display screens;

wherein said plurality of data is a plurality of screen data from said one or more display screens of said one or more electronic data processing units.

3. The automated billing system of claim 2, wherein said server analyzes said plurality of data by utilizing one or more machine learning algorithms, one or more text recognition methods, and one or more computer vision algorithms.

4. The automated billing system of claim 3, wherein said plurality of billing information is selected from the group of information consisting of:

a client matter;

a work code; and

a description of said one or more work-related activities.

5. The automated billing system of claim 4, wherein said server is configured to provide:

an alert; and

a productivity report;

wherein said alert is sent to a manager and said at least one employee when said at least one employee performs one or more improper activities; and

wherein said productivity report is a graphical representation of a work performance of said at least one employee.

6. The automated billing system of claim 5, wherein said server provides one or more invoicing templates based upon said timesheet.

7. The automated billing system of claim 6, wherein said server automatically sends one or more invoices to one or more clients.

8. The automated billing system of claim 7, wherein said server verifies said one or more work-related activities when said server analyzes an engagement letter of said one or more clients.

9. The automated billing system of claim 1, wherein said one or more electronic data processing units are one or more mobile phones, such that said plurality of data is one or more caller information;

and

wherein said one or more caller information is comprised of;

one or more telephone numbers;

one or more time stamps; and

a time period.

10. The automated billing system of claim 9, wherein said one or more mobile phones are comprised of one or more display screens;

wherein said plurality of data is a plurality of screen data from said one or more display screens of said one or more mobile phones.

11. A computer-based method for automated billing, the method comprising:

providing one or more electronic data processing units;

providing one or more software applications;

providing a server;

wherein said one or more electronic data processing units are configured for one or more work-related activities;

wherein said one or more software applications are installed in said one or more electronic data processing units and are configured to capture a plurality of data from said one or more electronic data processing units;

using said one or more electronic data processing units by at least one employee to perform said one or more work-related activities, such that said plurality of data is generated;

capturing said generated plurality of data from said one or more electronic data processing units by said one or more software applications;

transmitting said plurality of generated and captured data to said server by said one or more software applications;

analyzing said plurality of generated, captured, and transmitted data by said server to calculate one or more billing information; and

providing a timesheet by said server;

wherein said timesheet is based upon said one or more billing information.

12. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 11, wherein said one or more electronic data processing units are comprised of a one or more display screens;

wherein said plurality of data is a plurality of display screen data of said one or more electronic data processing units.

13. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 12, wherein said analyzing by said server is performed by said server via one or more machine learning algorithms, one or more text recognition methods, and one or more computer vision algorithms.

14. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 13, wherein said one or more billing information is selected from the group of information consisting of:

a client matter;

a work code; and

a description of said one or more work-related activities.

15. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

issuing an alert by said server; and

issuing a productivity report by said server;

wherein said alert is sent to a manager and said at least one employee when said at least one employee performs one or more improper activities; and

wherein said productivity report is a graphical representation of a work performance of said at least one employee.

16. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

providing by said server one or more invoicing templates for said timesheet.

17. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

sending by said server one or more invoices to one or more clients.

18. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

verifying by said server said one or more work-related activities when said server analyzes an engagement letter of said one or more clients.

19. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 11, wherein said one or more electronic data processing units are one or more mobile phones, such that said plurality of data is one or more caller information;

wherein said one or more caller information is comprised of;

one or more telephone numbers;

one or more time stamps; and

a time period; and

wherein said plurality of data is comprised of a display screen activity of said one or more mobile phones.

20. The computer-based method for automated billing of claim 11, wherein said one or more work-related activities are related to drafting an email;

wherein said server summarizes said email.