Method and system for predictive form completion

• US 7,814,431 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Mori, Kenichi, Creed, Anthony, Marr, Justin C., Quinn, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Pillai; Namitha
• Application Number:
  US11/796,309
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 715/224, 715/223, 715/221, 715/804, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A method for completing a form including selecting a first topic appearing on the form, receiving a first panel within a graphical user interface (GUI), where the first panel is associated with the first topic and is used to complete a section of the form, assigning a first panel relevance rating to the first panel, supplying a response to the first panel, receiving a second panel predicted based on the first topic and the first panel relevance rating, assigning a second panel relevance rating to the second panel, and receiving the section of the form after the section is completed based on the response to the first panel.

Claims

1. A method for completing a form comprising:

receiving, from a first user, a selected first topic appearing on the form;

displaying, for the first user, a first panel within a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the first panel poses a first question regarding the selected first topic;

receiving, from the first user, a first panel relevance rating assigned to the first panel;

generating a first output by applying a mapping rule to the selected first topic and the first panel relevance rating;

selecting, based on the first output, a second panel posing a second question regarding the selected first topic;

displaying the second panel for the first user;

receiving, from the first user, a second panel relevance rating assigned to the second panel, wherein the second panel relevance rating is a negative relevance rating;

adjusting, in response to the negative relevance rating, the mapping rule to generate an adjusted mapping rule;

receiving, from a second user and after adjusting the mapping rule, the selected first topic appearing on the form;

displaying the first panel for the second user and after adjusting the mapping rule;

receiving, from the second user and after adjusting the mapping rule, the first panel relevance rating assigned to the first panel;

collecting, from the second user, a response to the first question posed by the first panel;

generating a second output by applying the adjusted mapping rule to the selected first topic and the first panel relevance rating;

selecting, in response to the second output, a third panel posing a third question regarding the first selected topic;

displaying the third panel for the second user;

receiving, from the second user, a third panel relevance rating for the third panel;

collecting, from the second user, a response to the third question; and

completing the section of the form based on the response to the first question and the response to the third question.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the section of the form after completing the section.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting a fourth panel based on the selected first topic, the first panel relevance rating, and the third panel relevance rating; and

receiving a fourth panel relevance rating assigned to the fourth panel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selected second topic appearing on the form;

displaying a second topic panel within the GUI, wherein the second topic panel poses a second topic question and is associated with the selected second topic;

receiving a second topic panel relevance rating assigned to the second topic panel; and

collecting a response to the second topic question, wherein completing the section is further based on the response to the second topic question.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapping rule belongs to a set of mapping rules associated with the selected first topic.

6. A computer readable medium storing instructions for completing a form, the instructions comprising functionality to:

receive, from a first user, a selected first topic appearing on the form;

display, for the first user, a first panel within a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the first panel poses a first question regarding the selected first topic;

receive, from the first user, a first panel relevance rating assigned to the first panel;

generate a first output by applying a mapping rule to the selected first topic and the first panel relevance rating;

select, based on the first output, a second panel posing a second question regarding the selected first topic;

display the second panel for the first user;

receive, from the first user, a second panel relevance rating assigned to the second panel, wherein the second panel relevance rating is a negative relevance rating;

adjust, in response to the negative relevance rating, the mapping rule to generate an adjusted mapping rule;

receive, from a second user and after adjusting the mapping rule, a selected first topic appearing on the form;

display, for the second user and after adjusting the mapping rule, the first panel posing a first question;

receive, from the second user and after adjusting the mapping rule, the first panel relevance rating assigned to the first panel;

collect, from the second user, a response to the first question posed by the first panel;

generate a second output by applying the adjusted mapping rule to the selected first topic and the first panel relevance rating;

select, in response to the second output, a third panel posing a third question regarding the selected first topic;

display the third panel for the second user;

collect, from the second user, a response to the third question; and

complete the section of the form based on the response to the first question and the response to the third question.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

predict a fourth panel based on the selected first topic, the first panel relevance rating, and the second panel relevance rating; and

receive a fourth panel relevance rating assigned to the fourth panel.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, the instructions further comprising functionality to:

receive a selected second topic appearing on the form;

display a second topic panel within the GUI, wherein the second topic panel poses a second topic question and is associated with the selected second topic;

receive a second topic panel relevance rating assigned to the second topic panel; and

collect a response to the second topic question, wherein the section is completed further based on the response to the second topic question.

9. A system for completing a form comprising:

memory; and

a processor for executing;

a panel repository storing a first panel comprising a first question regarding a topic on the form, a second panel comprising a second question regarding the topic, and a third panel comprising a third question regarding the topic;

a mapping agent operatively connected to the panel repository and configured to;

generate a first output by applying a mapping rule to the topic and a positive relevance rating assigned to the first panel, wherein the second panel is selected based on the first output;

adjust the mapping rule, in response to a negative relevance rating assigned to the second panel, to generate an adjusted mapping rule, wherein the negative relevance rating is assigned by a first user;

generate a second output by applying the adjusted mapping rule to the topic and the positive relevance rating, wherein the third panel is selected based on the second output,

wherein the positive relevance rating is assigned by the first user and a second user; and

a form generator operatively connected to the panel repository and configured to complete a section of the form based on a response to the first question from the second user and a response to the third question from the second user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the mapping rule and the adjusted mapping rule are stored in the mapping agent.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the form is stored in the form generator.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the form generator is further configured to electronically transmit the form.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first panel comprises a graphical user interface for use in collecting the response to the first question.