Method and system for providing network search results based in part on a user's financial data

• US 7,877,402 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Fitch, Todd M., Gevelber, Lisa Cohen, Del Favero, James Robert, Weiss, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/014,711
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 707/709, 707/710, 707/723, 707/759, 707/765, 707/770, 705/1, 705/9, 705/10, 705/26, 705/36, 705/14.17, 705/35
• US Class Current: 707/759
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method and system for providing relevant search results using financial data includes a process for providing relevant search results using financial data whereby a user'"'"'s financial transaction data is obtained from one or more sources. A user then initiates a network search using one or more network search parameters such as one or more keywords and/or phrases. The scope of the one or more network search parameters, and therefore the scope of the network search, are then determined and/or modified based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s financial data.

Claims

1. A computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

modifying the definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data;

performing the user initiated network search using the modified definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the modified definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

2. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 1, wherein;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data using a computing system implemented financial management system.

3. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 1, wherein;

the network is the Internet.

4. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 1, wherein;

one or more of one or more of the one or more network search parameters is a keyword or keyword phrase.

5. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 1, wherein;

modifying the definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data comprises narrowing the scope of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data.

6. A computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

performing the user initiated network search using the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the a list of the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the one or more network search parameters in an algorithmic search results display, the specific order of the listings of the search results in list of the search results being determined based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s financial data;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

7. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 6, wherein;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data using a computing system implemented financial management system.

8. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 6, wherein;

the network is the Internet.

9. A computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

performing the user initiated network search using the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the a list of the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the one or more network search parameters in an sponsored search results display, the specific location of a given search result being based, at least in part, on an owner of the given search result providing consideration for the specific location of the given search result, the consideration for the specific location of the given search result being determined based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s financial data;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

10. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 9, wherein;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data using a computing system implemented financial management system.

11. The computing system implemented process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 9, wherein;

the network is the Internet.

12. A computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

and computer program code, encoded on the computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable instructions for;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

modifying the definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data;

performing the user initiated network search using the modified definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the modified definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

13. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 12, wherein;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data using a computing system implemented financial management system.

14. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 12, wherein;

the network is the Internet.

15. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 12, wherein;

one or more of one or more of the one or more network search parameters is a keyword or keyword phrase.

16. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 12, wherein;

modifying the definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data comprises narrowing the scope of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data.

17. A computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

and computer program code, encoded on the computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable instructions for;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

performing the user initiated network search using the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the a list of the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the one or more network search parameters in an algorithmic search results display, the specific order of the listings of the search results in list of the search results being determined based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s financial data;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

18. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 17, wherein;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data using a computing system implemented financial management system.

19. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 17, wherein;

the network is the Internet.

20. A computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

and computer program code, encoded on the computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable instructions for;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

performing the user initiated network search using the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the a list of the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the one or more network search parameters in an sponsored search results display, the specific location of a given search result being based, at least in part, on an owner of the given search result providing consideration for the specific location of the given search result, the consideration for the specific location of the given search result being determined based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s financial data;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

21. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 20, wherein;

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data using a computing system implemented financial management system.

22. The computer program product for providing a process for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 20, wherein;

the network is the Internet.

23. A computer-implemented method for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

modifying the definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data;

performing the user initiated network search using the modified definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the modified definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

24. The method for providing relevant search results using financial data of claim 23, wherein;

modifying the definition of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data comprises narrowing the scope of one or more of the one or more network search parameters based on the user'"'"'s financial data.

25. A computer-implemented method for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

performing the user initiated network search using the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the a list of the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the one or more network search parameters in an algorithmic search results display, the specific order of the listings of the search results in list of the search results being determined based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s financial data;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.

26. A computer-implemented method for providing relevant search results using financial data comprising:

obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data, the user'"'"'s financial data being associated with the user;

the user initiating a network search request and providing one or more network search parameters;

performing the user initiated network search using the one or more network search parameters; and

providing the user with the a list of the search results from the user initiated network search performed using the one or more network search parameters in an sponsored search results display, the specific location of a given search result being based, at least in part, on an owner of the given search result providing consideration for the specific location of the given search result, the consideration for the specific location of the given search result being determined based, at least in part, on the user'"'"'s financial data;

wherein obtaining a user'"'"'s financial data comprises obtaining financial data associated with a user from the group of financial data associated with a user including;

data representing one or more specific financial transactions;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total assets;

data indicating the user'"'"'s total liabilities;

data indicating the user'"'"'s net worth;

data indicating the user'"'"'s average discretionary spending;

data indicating the user'"'"'s age group; and

demographic data regarding the user or the user'"'"'s spending.