User interface for lenient exception feedback

• US 7,965,275 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Lew, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US11/332,416
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/10, 345/28, 345/501, 345/534, 345/535, 345/565, 345/571, 715/503, 715/505, 715507-509, 715/206, 715/760, 715/239, 715/853, 715/255, 709/206, 709/245, 709/234, 709/224, 707/102, 707/103, 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/204, 702/150, 719/315, 719/328, 705/31, 717100-105
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A method for contextually representing errors during data entry, including obtaining an expandable and collapsible tree (ECT) having a first node and a second node corresponding to multiple tasks for data entry; displaying a portion of the ECT including the second node, where the first node stems from the second node; presenting a record, corresponding to a task represented by the first node, including a data field for entry of data; receiving a data entry error for input to the data field of the record, where the data entry error is inconsistent with a predetermined range of acceptable data; and displaying, on the ECT and in association with the second node, an error indicium indicative of the data entry error while allowing further progression through the multiple tasks.

Claims

1. A method for contextually representing errors during data entry, comprising:

obtaining, using a processor of a computer system, an expandable and collapsible tree (ECT) corresponding to a data entry process, wherein the ECT comprises a first node, a second node, and a third node,

wherein the first node corresponds to a tax data entry task of the data entry process, and

wherein the third node corresponds to a transaction data entry task of the data entry process;

displaying, using the processor, an expanded display of the ECT,

wherein the first node, the second node, and the third node are visible in the expanded display of the ECT, and

wherein the first node and the third node are children of the second node;

presenting, using the processor, a tax record corresponding to the tax data entry task, wherein the tax record includes a data field for entry of data;

receiving a data entry for the data field, wherein the data field is associated with an acceptable data range;

determining that the data entry comprises a data entry error when the data entry is not within the acceptable data range;

displaying, in association with the data field, a first error indicium indicating the data entry error;

displaying, on a collapsed display of the ECT, in association with the second node, a second error indicium indicating the data entry error corresponding to the first node, wherein the second node is visible in the collapsed display of the ECT, and the first node is not visible in the collapsed display of the ECT when the second error indicium is displayed; and

upon displaying the second error indicium, presenting a transaction record corresponding to the transaction data entry task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the second error indicium comprises:

temporarily delaying progression through the plurality of tasks while displaying the second error indicium.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to selecting the second error indicium, presenting a list of records including the tax record having the data entry error; and

displaying the second error indicium in association with the tax record having the data entry error.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to selecting the second error indicium, presenting the tax record including the data entry error.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing error information including a location of the data entry error within the context of the plurality of tasks.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user that the data entry is unreliable; and

displaying a confirm indicium.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on the ECT in association with the first node, the second error indicium of the data entry error corresponding to the first node, wherein the portion of the ECT further includes the first node.

8. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program performing a method for contextually representing errors during data entry, comprising the steps of:

obtaining, using a processor of a computer system, an expandable and collapsible tree (ECT) corresponding to a data entry process, wherein the ECT comprises a first node, a second node, and a third node,

wherein the first node corresponds to a tax data entry task of the data entry process, and

wherein the third node corresponds to a transaction data entry task of the data entry process;

displaying, using the processor, an expanded display of the ECT,

wherein the first node, the second node, and the third node are visible in the expanded display of the ECT, and

wherein the first node and the third node are children of the second node;

presenting, using the processor, a tax record corresponding to the tax data entry task, wherein the tax record includes a data field for entry of data;

receiving a data entry for the data field, wherein the data field is associated with an acceptable data range;

determining that the data entry comprises a data entry error when the data entry is not within the acceptable data range;

displaying, in association with the data field, a first error indicium indicating the data entry error;

displaying, on a collapsed display of the ECT, in association with the second node, a second error indicium indicating the data entry error corresponding to the first node, wherein the second node is visible in the collapsed display of the ECT, and the first node is not visible in the collapsed display of the ECT when the second error indicium is displayed; and

upon displaying the second error indicium, presenting a transaction record corresponding to the transaction data entry task.

9. The computer readable storage medium computer program of claim 8, wherein displaying the second error indicium comprises:

temporarily delaying progression through the plurality of tasks while displaying the second error indicium.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

responsive to selecting the second error indicium, presenting a list of records including the tax record having the data entry error; and

displaying the second error indicium in association with the tax record having the data entry error.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user that the data entry is unreliable; and

displaying a confirm indicium.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying, on the ECT in association with the first node, the second error indicium of the data entry error corresponding to the first node, wherein the portion of the ECT further includes the first node.

13. A system for contextually representing errors during data entry, comprising:

a processor;

a configuration module executing on the processor and configured to;

obtain, using the processor, an expandable and collapsible tree (ECT) corresponding to a data entry process, wherein the ECT comprises a first node, a second node, and a third node,

wherein the first node corresponds to a tax data entry task of data entry process, and

wherein the third node corresponds to a transaction data entry task of the data entry process;

display, using the processor, an expanded display of the ECT,

wherein the first node, the second node, and the third node are visible in the expanded display of the ECT, and

wherein the first node and the third node are children of the second node; and

present a tax record, corresponding to the tax data entry task represented by the first node, wherein the tax record includes a data field for entry of data; and

an error module executing on the processor and configured to;

receive a data entry error for input to the data field of the tax record, wherein the data field is associated with an acceptable data range;

determine that the data entry comprises a data entry error when the data entry is not within the acceptable data range;

display, in association with the data field, a first error indicium indicating the data entry error;

display, on a collapsed display of the ECT, in association with the second node, a second error indicium indicating the data entry error corresponding to the first node while allowing further progression through the plurality of tasks, wherein the second node is visible in the collapsed display of the ECT, and the first node is not visible in the collapsed display of the ECT when the second error indicium is displayed; and

upon displaying the second error indicium, present a transaction record corresponding to the transaction data entry task.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein displaying the second error indicium comprises:

temporarily delaying progression through the plurality of tasks while displaying the second error indicium.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

responsive to selecting the second error indicium, presenting a list of records including the tax record having the data entry error; and

displaying the second error indicium in association with the tax record having the data entry error.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user that the data entry is unreliable; and

displaying a confirm indicium.

17. A system for contextually representing errors during data entry, comprising:

means for obtaining an expandable and collapsible tree (ECT) corresponding to a data entry process, wherein the ECT comprises a first node, a second node, and a third node,

wherein the first node corresponds to a tax data entry task of the data entry process, and

wherein the third node corresponds to a transaction data entry task of the data entry process;

means for displaying an expanded display of the ECT,

wherein the first node, the second node, and the third node are visible in the expanded display of the ECT, and

wherein the first node and the third node are children of the second node;

means for receiving a data entry for a data field, wherein the data field is associated with an acceptable data range;

means for presenting a tax record, corresponding to the tax data entry task, wherein the tax record includes the data field for entry of data;

means for determining that the data entry comprises a data entry error when the data entry is not within the acceptable data range;

means for displaying, in association with the data field, a first error indicium indicating the data entry error;

means for displaying, on a collapsed display of the ECT, in association with the second node, a second error indicium indicating the data entry error corresponding to the first node, wherein the second node is visible in the collapsed display of the ECT, and the first node is not visible in the collapsed display of the ECT when the second error indicium is displayed; and

means for, upon displaying the second error indicium, presenting a transaction record corresponding to the transaction data entry task.