Unified data entry for generating multiple forms

• US 8,656,273 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Tifford, Alan, Barrett, Dave Curtis, Blank, Bennett R., Mori, Kenchi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Velez-Lopez, Mario M
• Application Number:
  US12/499,057
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 715/226, 715/224, 705/1.1, 705/3, 702/180
• US Class Current: 715/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for populating forms based on a user interview. The method includes generating, using a computer processor, binary questions according to a first rule, receiving answers to the binary questions from the user, adjusting, using the computer processor, a binary question based on answers according to a second rule during the user interview, and identifying, using the computer processor, forms from a forms library based on the answers according to a third rule. The method also includes presenting based on the answers, data entry fields of forms to the user in a unified format, where related data entry fields are grouped together to form data entry menus in the unified format, receiving data from the user for the data entry fields, populating a portion of the forms to generate populated forms based on the data, and storing the populated forms in a repository on behalf of the user.

Claims

1. A method for populating forms based on a user interview, comprising:

generating, using a computer processor, a plurality of binary questions according to a first rule to form a top level menu;

receiving a plurality of binary answers corresponding to the plurality of binary questions from the user;

adjusting, using the computer processor, at least one of the plurality of binary questions based on the plurality of binary answers according to a second rule during the user interview;

identifying, using the computer processor, a plurality of forms from a forms library based on the plurality of binary answers according to a third rule, wherein the plurality of forms comprises a Federal tax return form and a state tax return form associated with a first State;

extracting, based on the plurality of binary answers, a plurality of data entry fields from the plurality of forms by at least;

excluding any duplicate data entry field in the plurality of forms, and

combining at least two related data entry fields based on a pre-determined criterion;

presenting the plurality of data entry fields to the user in a unified format by;

grouping related data entry fields of the plurality of data entry fields based on the plurality of binary answers to form a plurality of data entry menus, wherein the plurality of data entry menus are organized as multiple levels in lower level menu structures associated with the top level menu; and

selectively presenting the plurality of data entry menus to the user based on a condition of the plurality of binary answers;

receiving data from the user for the plurality of data entry fields, wherein the lower level menu structures of the unified format are further generated and added to the user interview based on the data, wherein further generating the lower level menu structures of the unified format comprises;

identifying an additional state tax return form associated with a second State based on the data; and

grouping additional binary questions associated with all data entry fields for a particular deduction required by the Federal tax return form, the State tax return form, and the additional State tax return form together in a single data entry menu for the particular deduction;

populating at least a portion of the plurality of forms to generate a plurality of populated forms; and

storing the plurality of populated forms in a repository on behalf of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, using the computer processor, a structure of the plurality of forms to generate at least one selected from a group consisting of the first rule, the second rule, and the third rule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of binary questions are embedded in at least one of the plurality of data entry menus.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, using the computer processor, a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule; and

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data,

wherein presenting the plurality of data entry fields to the user in the unified format comprises presenting at least one of the plurality of data entry menus to the user based on the context.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, using the computer processor, a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data; and

adjusting, using the computer processor, at least one of the plurality of data entry fields presented to the user based on the context according to the context based rule.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, using the computer processor, a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data; and

further identifying the plurality of forms from the forms library based on the context according to the context based rule.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, using the computer processor, a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data; and

identifying the portion of the plurality of forms to be populated based on the context according to the context based rule.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of forms comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a federal income tax return form, a state income tax return form, a child adoption application form, a mortgage application form, and a credit card application form.

23. The method of claim 1,

wherein the data received from the user for the plurality of data entry fields comprises an answer relating to a second home,

wherein the additional state tax return form is identified based on an address of the second home, and

wherein the particular deduction comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of marital status related deduction and dependent related deduction.

24. The method of claim 1,

wherein the data received from the user for the plurality of data entry fields comprises an answer relating to a second home, and

wherein further generating the lower level menu structures of the unified format comprises adjusting, solely in response to the answer relating to the second home, a data entry menu of the plurality of the data entry menus that is related to real estate properties.

9. A computer readable medium storing instructions for populating forms based on a user interview, the instructions when executed by a computer processor comprising functionality for:

generating a plurality of binary questions according to a first rule to form a top level menu;

receiving a plurality of binary answers corresponding to the plurality of binary questions from the user;

adjusting, using the computer processor, at least one of the plurality of binary questions based on the plurality of binary answers according to a second rule during the user interview;

identifying, using the computer processor, a plurality of forms from a forms library based on the plurality of binary answers according to a third rule, wherein the plurality of forms comprises a Federal tax return form and a state tax return form associated with a first State;

extracting, based on the plurality of binary answers, a plurality of data entry fields from the plurality of forms by at least;

excluding any duplicate data entry field in the plurality of forms, and

combining at least two related data entry fields based on a pre-determined criterion;

presenting the plurality of data entry fields to the user in a unified format by;

grouping related data entry fields of the plurality of data entry fields based on the plurality of binary answers to form a plurality of data entry menus, wherein the plurality of data entry menus are organized as multiple levels in lower level menu structures associated with the top level menu; and

selectively presenting the plurality of data entry menus to the user based on a condition of the plurality of binary answers;

receiving data from the user for the plurality of data entry fields, wherein the lower level menu structures of the unified format are further generated and added to the user interview based on the data, wherein further generating the lower level menu structures of the unified format comprises;

identifying an additional state tax return form associated with a second State based on the data; and

grouping additional binary questions associated with all data entry fields for a particular deduction required by the Federal tax return form, the State tax return form, and the additional State tax return form together in a single data entry menu for the particular deduction;

populating at least a portion of the plurality of forms to generate a plurality of populated forms based on the data; and

storing the plurality of populated forms in a repository on behalf of the user.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for:

analyzing a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data according to the context based rule; and

adjusting at least one of the plurality of binary questions based on the context according to the context based rule during the user interview.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for:

analyzing a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data according to the context based rule,

wherein presenting the plurality of data entry fields to the user in the unified format comprises presenting at least one of the plurality of data entry menus to the user according to the context.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for:

analyzing a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data according to the context based rule; and

further identifying the plurality of forms from the forms library based on the context according to the context based rule.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for:

analyzing a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data according to the context based rule; and

identifying the portion of the plurality of forms to be populated based on the context according to the context based rule.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of forms comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a child adoption application form, a mortgage application form, and a credit card application form.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of binary questions are embedded in at least one of the plurality of data entry menus.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 9, the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for:

analyzing a structure of the plurality of forms to generate at least one selected from a group consisting of the first rule, the second rule, and the third rule.

15. A system for populating forms based on a user interview, comprising:

a repository for storing a forms library and a rule set;

an interview module executing on a computer processor and configured to present a plurality of binary questions as a top level menu to a user and receive a plurality of binary answers from the user during the user interview;

an interview menu generator executing on a computer processor and configured to generate the plurality of binary questions according to a first rule of the rule set and adjust, during the user interview, at least one of the plurality of binary questions based on the plurality of binary answers according to a second rule of the rule set; and

a memory storing instructions when executed by the computer processor comprising functionality for;

identifying a plurality of forms from a forms library based on the plurality of binary answers according to a third rule, wherein the plurality of forms comprises a Federal tax return form and a state tax return form associated with a first State;

extracting, based on the plurality of binary answers, a plurality of data entry fields from the plurality of forms by at least;

excluding any duplicate data entry field in the plurality of forms, and

combining at least two related data entry fields based on a pre-determined criterion;

presenting the plurality of data entry fields to the user in a unified format by;

grouping related data entry fields of the plurality of data entry fields based on the plurality of binary answers to form a plurality of data entry menus, wherein the plurality of data entry menus are organized as multiple levels in lower level menu structures associated with the top level menu; and

selectively presenting the plurality of data entry menus to the user based on a condition of the plurality of binary answers;

receiving data from the user for the plurality of data entry fields, wherein the lower level menu structures of the unified format are further generated and added to the user interview based on the data, wherein further generating the lower level menu structures of the unified format comprises;

identifying an additional state tax return form associated with a second State based on the data; and

grouping additional binary questions associated with all data entry fields for a particular deduction required by the Federal tax return form, the State tax return form, and the additional State tax return form together in a single data entry menu for the particular deduction;

populating at least a portion of the plurality of forms to generate a plurality of populated forms; and

storing the plurality of populated forms in the repository on behalf of the user.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a forms structure analyzer executing on a computer processor and configured to analyze a structure of the plurality of forms to generate at least one selected from a group consisting of the first rule, the second rule, and the third rule.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of binary questions are embedded in at least one of the plurality of data entry menus.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a context and rule generator configured to analyze a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule,

wherein the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for;

identifying a context of at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data,

wherein presenting the plurality of data entry fields to the user in the unified format comprises presenting at least one of the plurality of data entry menus to the user based on the context according to the context based rule.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a context and rule generator configured to analyze a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule,

wherein the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data; and

adjusting at least one of the plurality of data entry fields presented to the user based on the context according to the context based rule.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a context and rule generator configured to analyze a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule,

wherein the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for;

identifying a context based on at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data; and

further identifying the plurality of forms from the forms library based on the context according to the context based rule.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a context and rule generator configured to analyze a structure of the plurality of forms to generate a context based rule,

wherein the instructions when executed by the computer processor further comprising functionality for;

identifying a context of at least a portion of the plurality of binary answers and the data, and

identifying the portion of the plurality of forms to be populated based on the context according to the context based rule.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of forms comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a child adoption application form, a mortgage application form, and a credit card application form.