Electronic transaction processing server with automated transaction evaluation
First Claim
1. An invoice processing system for receiving, validating, and evaluating a client'"'"'s invoices, the invoice processing system comprising:
- a document work flow system receiving invoice data embodied in a document image and comprising;
a character recognition system receiving an electronic representation of the document image and generating a data field value for each of a plurality of data fields, the character recognition system determining each data field value by;
determining field marker characters associated with a data field;
recognizing the field marker characters within the electronic representation of the document image;
identifying a field value location within the electronic representation of the document image, the field value location being within a predetermined displacement from the field marker characters;
recognizing characters located within the field value location to determine the data field value;
writing the data field value with the data field;
a data field value validation engine;
determining, for each data field, a data field value rule associated with each data field; and
applying the data field value rule to the data field value associated with the data field to distinguish between a valid data field value and a suspect data field value, the valid data file value consist of a data field value which complies with a validation rule, the suspect data field value consist of a data field value which fails to comply with the validation rule; and
a correction center, the correction center;
displaying at least a portion of the document image which includes the field value location;
receiving user input of a replacement data field value to replace the suspect field value as the valid data field value;
an invoice hub receiving each valid data field value as a data file comprising records of invoice data, the invoice hub comprising;
a spend management database comprising a plurality of evaluation parameter sets, each evaluation parameter set comprising at least;
identification of a vendor class to which the evaluation parameter set applies;
identification of an invoice line item class to which the evaluation parameter set applies;
an evaluation function;
at least one indicator of a defined action associated with a defined function result;
a spend management evaluation module;
selecting at least one record of invoice data which represents an amount invoiced by a vendor that is both;
i) associated with the vendor within the vendor class of a selected one of the evaluation parameter sets; and
ii) associated with a line item that is within the invoice line item class of the selected one of the evaluation parameter sets;
performing the evaluation function of the selected one of the evaluation parameter sets on the at least one record of invoice data to generate a resulting value;
determining an evaluation field value in accordance with the defined action;
associating the evaluation field value with the at least one record of invoice data; and
a session management module for establishing a secure session with a client system and providing an invoice file through the secure session, the invoice file comprising both the at least one record of invoice data and the evaluation field value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An invoice processing system includes a document system and an invoice hub. The document system receives a document image (either a paper invoice or an image file). A character recognition system generates a data file representation of the invoice data from the document image. A data field value validation engine determines, for each data field, a rule associated with each data field. The rule is applied to the data field value to distinguish between a valid field value and suspect data value. A correction center: i) displays a portion of the document image comprising the suspect field value; ii) receives user input of a replacement value to replace the suspect field value as the data field value. The invoice hub receives the data file which includes all validated data field values and stores the invoice data in a transaction database. A spend management evaluation module performs an evaluation function of a selected one of a plurality of evaluation parameter sets to generate a resulting value. Based on the resulting value, the spend management module may determine an evaluation field value in accordance with the defined action associated with the resulting value. The evaluation field value is then associated with the at least one record of invoice data.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An invoice processing system for receiving, validating, and evaluating a client'"'"'s invoices, the invoice processing system comprising:
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a document work flow system receiving invoice data embodied in a document image and comprising; a character recognition system receiving an electronic representation of the document image and generating a data field value for each of a plurality of data fields, the character recognition system determining each data field value by; determining field marker characters associated with a data field; recognizing the field marker characters within the electronic representation of the document image; identifying a field value location within the electronic representation of the document image, the field value location being within a predetermined displacement from the field marker characters; recognizing characters located within the field value location to determine the data field value; writing the data field value with the data field; a data field value validation engine; determining, for each data field, a data field value rule associated with each data field; and applying the data field value rule to the data field value associated with the data field to distinguish between a valid data field value and a suspect data field value, the valid data file value consist of a data field value which complies with a validation rule, the suspect data field value consist of a data field value which fails to comply with the validation rule; and a correction center, the correction center; displaying at least a portion of the document image which includes the field value location; receiving user input of a replacement data field value to replace the suspect field value as the valid data field value; an invoice hub receiving each valid data field value as a data file comprising records of invoice data, the invoice hub comprising; a spend management database comprising a plurality of evaluation parameter sets, each evaluation parameter set comprising at least; identification of a vendor class to which the evaluation parameter set applies; identification of an invoice line item class to which the evaluation parameter set applies; an evaluation function; at least one indicator of a defined action associated with a defined function result; a spend management evaluation module; selecting at least one record of invoice data which represents an amount invoiced by a vendor that is both;
i) associated with the vendor within the vendor class of a selected one of the evaluation parameter sets; and
ii) associated with a line item that is within the invoice line item class of the selected one of the evaluation parameter sets;performing the evaluation function of the selected one of the evaluation parameter sets on the at least one record of invoice data to generate a resulting value; determining an evaluation field value in accordance with the defined action; associating the evaluation field value with the at least one record of invoice data; and a session management module for establishing a secure session with a client system and providing an invoice file through the secure session, the invoice file comprising both the at least one record of invoice data and the evaluation field value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of operating an invoice processing system for receiving, validating, and evaluating a client'"'"'s invoices, the method comprising:
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receiving invoice data embodied in a document image at a document work flow system; performing a character recognition process on an electronic representation of the document image to generate a data field value for each of a plurality of data fields, the character recognition process determining each data field value by; determining field marker characters associated with a data field; recognizing the field marker characters within the electronic representation of the document image; identifying a field value location within the electronic representation of the document image, the field value location being within a predetermined displacement from the field marker characters; and recognizing characters located within the field value location to determine the data field value; validating the data field value for each of the plurality of data fields by; determining a data field value rule associated with the data field; and applying the data field value rule to the data field value to distinguish between a valid data field value and a suspect data field value, the valid data field value consist of a data field value which complies with a validation rule the suspect data field value consist of a data field value which fails to comply with the validation rule; performing a correction process on each suspect data field value, the correction process comprising; displaying at least a portion of the document image which includes the field value location; receiving user input of a replacement data field value to replace the suspect field value as the valid data field value; loading the validated data field values, as a data file comprising records of invoice data to a transaction database; loading a spend management evaluation parameter set to a spend management database, the spend management evaluation parameter set comprising at least; identification of a vendor class to which the evaluation parameter set applies; identification of an invoice line item class to which the evaluation parameter set applies; an evaluation function; at least one indicator of a defined action associated with a defined function result; performing a spend management evaluation by; selecting at least one record of invoice data which represents an amount invoiced by a vendor that is both;
i) associated with the vendor within the vendor class of a selected one of the evaluation parameter sets; and
ii) associated with a line item that is within the invoice line item class of the selected one of the evaluation parameter sets;performing the evaluation function of the selected one of the evaluation parameter sets on the at least one record of invoice data to generate a resulting value; determining an evaluation field value in accordance with the defined action; associating the evaluation field value with the at least one record of invoice data; and providing, to a client system, an invoice file comprising both the at least one record of invoice data and the evaluation field value. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification