Electronic financial assistant

• US 7,580,873 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silver, Edward Michael, Roberts, Linda Ann, Nguyen, Hong Thi
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US10/200,876
• Time in Patent Office: 2,590 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 705/35, 705/37, 705/40, 705/400, 382/313, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

Preferred embodiment of electronic financial assistant systems includes a device adapted to capture information from a financial record and a computing device that is operatively coupled to the device. The computing device is adapted to compare financial transactions incurred by a user with the information captured from the financial record. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. An electronic financial assistant system, comprising:

a handheld device adapted to capture information from a financial record, the handheld device comprising a scanner for scanning a paper receipt financial record of a user to capture an image of the paper receipt financial record;

a computing device operatively coupled to the handheld device, the computing device adapted to compare the information from the financial record to financial statement information;

the financial record further comprises a bar code;

the handheld device is a portable, battery powered device for use at a merchant location; and

the handheld device is configured to provide for modifying the information captured from the financial record.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the information from the financial record is at least one of a dollar amount, date, store location, merchant name, store number or time.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a docking station operatively interposed between the handheld device and the computing device, the docking station adapted to upload information from the handheld device to the computing device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the handheld device is releasably coupled to the docking station.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to provide an exception report when the information from the financial record does not match the a bank statement of the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld device is configured to automatically add a gratuity to a dollar amount included in the information captured from the financial record.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld device is adapted to confirm the information to be saved in the handheld device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to import the financial statement information from a processor that includes the financial transactions incurred by the user such that the imported financial statement information is compared to the information captured from the financial record.

9. A method for automatic transaction verification using an electronic financial assistant, comprised of:

scanning a paper receipt comprising a financial record of a user into a handheld device to capture an image of the paper receipt financial record;

capturing information from the financial record into the handheld device;

comparing the information from the scanned financial record to a bank statement of the user;

modifying the information from the scanned financial record;

the handheld device is a portable, battery powered device for use at a merchant location;

the scanning a paper receipt comprising a financial record into a handheld device further comprises reading a bar code on the paper receipt; and

the modifying the information captured from the financial record further comprises modifying an amount captured from the financial record.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the modifying the information captured from the financial record further comprises automatically computing a gratuity amount to be added to the information captured from the financial record.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the modifying the information captured from the financial record further comprises adding text to the information captured from the financial record.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the information captured from the financial record.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising confirming an amount displayed from information captured from the financial record.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising saving the information captured from the financial record.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising uploading the information captured from the financial record from the handheld device to a computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the uploading the information captured from the financial record from the handheld device to a computing device is performed using a docking station adapted to communicate with the handheld device and the computing device.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising importing the a bank statement of the user from a financial institution.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a notification when the information from the financial record does not match the a bank statement of the user.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising assigning the information from the financial record to an account.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the capturing information from the financial record into the handheld device is performed with the information comprising at least one of a dollar amount, date, name of institution where transaction occurred, or time.

21. The method of claim 9, further comprising reviewing the a bank statement of the user and confirming the financial transactions incurred by the user.

33. The method of claim 9, further comprising automatically computing a gratuity amount to be added to the information captured from the financial record.

22. A computer-readable medium having logic for an electronic financial assistant utilizing a hand held device, comprising:

logic configured in a first computer readable medium to scan a paper receipt of a user comprising a financial record to capture an image of the paper receipt financial record and to capture information from the financial record into a device;

logic configured in a second computer readable medium to compare the information from the scanned financial record to a bank statement of the user and to modify the information from the scanned financial record;

the logic configured to scan the paper receipt comprising the financial record further comprises logic configured to read a bar code affixed on the financial record;

the logic configured to modify the information captured from the financial record further comprises logic configured to modify an amount captured from information on the financial record; and

the handheld device is a portable, battery powered device for use at a merchant location.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the logic configured to modify the information captured from the financial record further comprises logic configured to automatically compute a gratuity amount to be added to the information captured from the financial record.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the logic configured to modify the information captured from the financial record further comprises logic configured to add text to the information captured from the financial record.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising logic configured to display the information captured from the financial record.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising logic configured to confirm an amount displayed from information captured from the financial record.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising logic configured to save the information captured from the financial record.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising logic configured to upload the information captured from the financial record from the device to a computing device.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising logic configured to import the a bank statement of the user from a financial institution.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising logic configured to provide an exception notification when the information from the financial record does not match the a bank statement of the user.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising logic configured to assign the information from the financial record to an account.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising logic configured to review the a bank statement of the user and to confirm financial transactions incurred by the user.