Converting paper invoice to electronic form for processing of electronic payment thereof

• US 8,635,156 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rawllin International Inc.
• Inventors: Oskolkov, Ilya, Shishkov, Rodion
• Primary Examiner(s): Havan, Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/226,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 40
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods are described for remotely processing paper invoices online. In an aspect, a method comprises receiving by a computing device, an electronic image representative of an invoice associated with a user of the device and a payee, sending the electronic image of the invoice to an online accounting system, wherein the online accounting system converts the electronic image of the invoice into an electronic form, accessing accounts associated with the user of the device, accessing the electronic form of the invoice, and authorizing payment of the invoice, including authorizing electronic transfer of money from at least one of the accounts to the payee. The method can further include receiving a list of payees, selecting the payee from the list of payees, and sending the selection of the payee to the online accounting system, wherein the online accounting system links the payee to the invoice.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable components; and

a processor that executes or facilitates execution of the computer executable components, comprising;

a registration component configured to register a device associated with a user identity with an online accounting system and establish a user account for the user identity with the online accounting system;

an invoice image component configured to receive from the device, an electronic image representative of a paper invoice associated with the user identity and a payee identity;

a communication component configured to send the electronic image to the online accounting system over a network, wherein the online accounting system is configured to convert the electronic image into an electronic form of the invoice and associate the electronic form of the invoice with the user account; and

an account management component configured to interface with the online accounting system over the network and enable access to the electronic form of the invoice.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable components further comprise a payee component configured to provide a list of payee identities to the device, receive a selection of the payee identity from the list of payee identities, and link the payee identity to the invoice.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the payee component is further configured determine information including at least one of a deposit account associated with the payee identity, or an affiliation of the user identity with the payee identity and link the information to the invoice.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the payee component is further configured to conduct a search query based on a received key term to generate the list of payee identities.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the payee component is further configured to link the payee identity to the invoice prior to sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer executable components further comprise an authorization component configured to authorize payment of the invoice by the user identity to the payee identity in response to sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the payee component is further configured to link the payee identity to the invoice after the electronic form of the invoice is associated with the user account at the online accounting system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer executable components further comprise a transaction component configured to facilitate electronic payment of the invoice for the user identity via the user account at the online accounting system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic image representative of the invoice is captured by a camera on the device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the account management component is further configured to send a notification to the device when the electronic form of the invoice has been associated with the user account at the online accounting system.

41. The system of claim 8, wherein the user account includes information linking the user identity to a payment account and wherein the transaction component is configured to facilitate the electronic payment of the invoice using the payment account.

44. The system of claim 1, wherein the online accounting system is configured to identify the user identity account based on a phone number associated with the device and wherein the communication component is configured to send the electronic image to the online accounting system using the phone number.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device comprising a processor, an electronic image representative of an invoice associated with a user of the device and a payee;

sending the electronic image of the invoice to an online accounting system via a network, wherein the online accounting system converts the electronic image of the invoice into an electronic form of the invoice and associates the electronic form of the invoice with a user account associated with the user at the online accounting system;

providing the user access to the user account at the online accounting system via the network; and

presenting the electronic form of the invoice via the user account.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a list of payees;

receiving a selection of the payee from the list of payees; and

sending the selection of the payee to the online accounting system, wherein the online accounting system links the payee to the invoice.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating information including at least one of an identity of the payee, a deposit account associated with the payee, or an affiliation of the user with the payee; and

sending the information to the online accounting system, wherein the online accounting system links the information to the invoice.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating the information comprises employing a search engine configured to conduct a search query for the information at one or more external data stores based in part on the selection of the payee.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the selection of the payee from the list of payees is performed prior to the sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising authorizing payment of the invoice by the user to the payee in response to the sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the selection of the payee from the list of payees is performed after the accessing the electronic form of the invoice.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising authorizing payment of the invoice, including authorizing electronic transfer of money from a payment account associated with the user to the payee using the online accounting system.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating the electronic image representative of the invoice with a camera on the computing device.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a notification when the electronic form of the invoice is accessible.

42. The method of claim 18, wherein the authorizing the payment of the invoice comprises authorizing the payment of the invoice in response to the sending the image of the invoice.

45. The method of claim 11, wherein the online accounting system is configured to identify the user account based on a phone number associated with the device and wherein the sending the electronic image includes sending the electronic image to the online accounting system using the phone number.

21. A method comprising:

using a processor to execute or facilitate execution of computer executable instructions stored in a memory to perform operations, comprising;

registering a computing device associated with a user identity of an online accounting system with the online accounting system;

establishing a user account for the user identity with the online accounting system;

receiving from the computing device, an electronic image representative of a paper invoice associated with the user identity and a payee identity;

sending the electronic image to the online accounting system via a set of network devices, wherein the online accounting system is configured to convert the electronic image into an electronic form of the invoice and associate the electronic form of the invoice with the user account;

interfacing with the online accounting system over via the set of network devices; and

enabling access to the electronic form of the invoice for the user identity.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a list of payee identities;

providing the list of payee identities to the computing device;

receiving a selection of the payee identity from the list of payee identities; and

linking the payee to the invoice.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining information including at least one of a deposit account associated with the payee identity, or an affiliation of the user identity with the payee identity; and

linking the information to the invoice.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the determining the information includes employing a search engine configured to conduct a search query for the information at one or more external data stores based in part on the selection of the payee identity.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving the selection of the payee from the list of payee identities is performed prior to the sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising authorizing payment of the invoice by the user identity to the payee identity in response to the sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the receiving the selection of the payee from the list of payee identities is performed after the enabling the access to the electronic form of the invoice.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising authorizing payment of the invoice, including authorizing electronic transfer of money from a payment account associated with the user identity to the payee identity using the online accounting system.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the electronic image representative of the invoice is captured by a camera on the computing device.

30. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

sending a notification to the device in response to association of the electronic form of the invoice with the user account.

43. The method of claim 28, wherein the authorizing the payment of the invoice comprises authorizing the payment of the invoice in response to the sending the image of the invoice.

46. The method of claim 21, wherein the online accounting system is configured to identify the user account based on a phone number associated with the device and wherein the sending the electronic image includes sending the electronic image to the online accounting system using the phone number.

31. A system comprising:

means for receiving an electronic image representative of an invoice associated with a user of the device and a payee;

means for sending the electronic image of the invoice to an online accounting system via a network, wherein the online accounting system converts the electronic image of the invoice into an electronic form of the invoice and associates the electronic form of the invoice with a user account associated with the user at the online accounting system;

means for enabling the user to access the user account via the online accounting system accessible via the network; and

means for presenting the user with the electronic form of the invoice via the user account.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

means for generating a list of payees;

means for receiving selection of the payee from the list of payees; and

means for sending the selection of the payee to the online accounting system,

wherein the online accounting system links the payee to the invoice.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for generating information including at least one of an identity of the payee, a deposit account associated with the payee, or an affiliation of the user with the payee; and

means for sending the information to the online accounting system, wherein the online accounting system links the information to the invoice.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for wherein the receiving the selection of the payee from the list of payees is performed prior to the sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

35. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for authorizing payment of the invoice, including authorizing electronic transfer of money from a payment account associated with the user to the payee using the online accounting system.

36. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing system to perform operations, comprising:

registering a computing device associated with a user identity of an online accounting system with the online accounting system;

establishing a user account for the user identity with the online accounting system;

receiving from the computing device, an electronic image representative of a paper invoice associated with the user identity and a payee identity;

sending the electronic image to the online accounting system over a network, wherein the online accounting system is configured to convert the electronic image into an electronic form of the invoice and associate the electronic form of the invoice with the user account;

interfacing with the online accounting system over the network; and

providing the user identity access to the electronic form of the invoice.

37. The computer-readable storage device of claim 36, the operations further comprising:

generating a list of payee identities;

providing the list of payee identities to the device;

receiving a selection of the payee identity from the list of payee identities; and

linking the payee identity to the invoice.

38. The computer-readable storage device of claim 37, the operations further comprising:

determining information including at least one of an identity of the payee, a deposit account associated with the payee identity, or an affiliation of the user identity with the payee identity; and

linking the information to the invoice.

39. The computer-readable storage device of claim 37, wherein the receiving the selection of the payee identity from the list of payee identities is performed prior to the sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

40. The computer-readable storage device of claim 36, the operations further comprising authorizing payment of the invoice by the user identity to the payee identity in response to the sending of the electronic image to the online accounting system.

47. A method comprising:

capturing, by a camera of a computing device, an electronic image of a paper invoice requesting payment to a payee;

sending, by the computing device, the electronic image of the invoice to an online accounting system via a network, wherein the online accounting system converts the electronic image of the invoice into an electronic form of the invoice and associates the electronic form of the invoice with a user account associated with the computing device at the online accounting system;

accessing, by the computing device, the electronic form of the invoice via the user account at the online accounting system;

selecting the payee from a list of payees; and

managing electronic payment of the invoice to the payee using the online accounting system the online accounting system.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising authorizing payment of the invoice to the payee from a payment account associated with the user using the online accounting system.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising receiving a notification in response to association of the electronic form of the invoice with the user account.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

employing a search engine to find account information for the payee at one or more external data stores; and

linking the account information with the payee.