Identifying and correcting character-recognition errors

• US 8,792,751 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Eftekhari, Amir, Thomas, Erikheath A., Howe, Carol Ann, Ericksen, George Thomas, Huff, Gerald B., Wang, Gang
• Primary Examiner(s): Newman, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US12/509,972
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 382/309, 382/112, 382/137, 382/138, 382/140, 382/181, 382/310, 382/321, 705/31, 705/42
• US Class Current: 382/309
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/125 Finance or payroll
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/987 with the intervention of an operator

Abstract

Embodiments of a computer system, a method and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments allow a user to provide an image of a document for use with software, such as an image of a financial document for use with financial software. In particular, the user can provide the image of the document, for example, by taking a picture of the document using a cellular telephone. This image may be converted into an electronic format that is suitable for text and numerical processing using a character-recognition technique, such as optical character recognition or intelligent character recognition. Errors in the electronic version of the document, if present, may be identified and corrected by comparing the electronic version to information maintained by a third party. This information may be accessed based at least on one or more items in the electronic version of the document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying and correcting errors, comprising, at one or more computers for a financial software provider:

receiving, from a user, an image of a document that includes financial information;

performing character recognition on at least a portion of the image of the document to generate an electronic version of the financial information that is suitable for text and numerical processing;

accessing, from a third party, information stored in a computer readable storage medium based on at least one or more items in the electronic version financial information, wherein at least one or more of the items identifies the user;

comparing a predefined calculated value from the accessed information with a corresponding value from the electronic version of the financial information—

to identify any errors between the two values;

if any errors are identified,

replacing the value from the electronic version with the value from the accessed information; and

using the value from the accessed information to prepare a tax-related document for the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the document includes an image of a financial document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party includes a payroll provider or a financial institution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the character recognition includes optical character recognition or intelligent character recognition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identifier includes a Social Security number of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party identifier includes an employer identification number of an employer of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the document includes an income-tax document.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising completing a field in an income-tax document based at least on the corrected electronic version of the financial information.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein preparing the tax-related document comprises preparing, at the one or more computers for the financial software provider, an income-tax return for the user, and

wherein using the value from the accessed information to prepare the tax-related document comprises using the value from the accessed information to complete, at the one or more computers for the financial software provider, a field in the income-tax return for the user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party comprises a payroll provider.

9. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein for configuring the computer system to identify and correct errors, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for receiving, from a user, at one or more computers for a financial software provider, an image of a document that includes financial information;

instructions for performing, at the one or more computers, character recognition on at least a portion of the image of the document to generate an electronic version of the financial information that is suitable for text and numerical processing;

instructions for accessing, from a third party, information stored in a computer readable storage medium based on at least one or more items in the electronic version financial information, wherein at least one or more of the items identifies the user;

instructions for comparing a predefined calculated value from the accessed information with a corresponding value from the electronic version of the financial information to identify any errors between the two values;

instructions for replacing, at the one or more computers, the errors in the electronic version of the financial information, if any errors are identified, with the value from the accessed information; and

instructions for using, at the one or more computers, the value from the accessed information to prepare a tax-related document for the user.

10. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the image of the document includes an image of a financial document.

11. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the user identifier includes a Social Security number of the user.

12. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the third party identifier includes an employer identification number of an employer of the user.

13. The computer-program product of claim 9, wherein the image of the document includes an income-tax document.

14. The computer-program product of claim 9, the computer-program mechanism further comprising instructions for completing a field in an income-tax document based at least on the corrected electronic version of the financial information.

15. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

memory;

a program module, wherein the program module is stored in the memory and configurable to be executed by the processor to identify and correct errors, the program module including;

instructions for receiving, from a user, at one or more computers for a financial software provider, an image of a document that includes financial information;

instructions for performing, at the one or more computers, character recognition on at least a portion of the image of the document to generate an electronic version of the financial information that is suitable for text and numerical processing;

instructions for accessing, from a third party, information stored in a computer readable storage medium based on at least one or more items in the electronic version financial information, wherein at least one or more of the items identifies the user;

instructions for comparing a predefined calculated value from the accessed information with a corresponding value from the electronic version of the financial document to identify any errors between the two values;

instructions for replacing, at the one or more computers, the errors in the electronic version of the financial information, if any errors are identified, with the value from the accessed information; and

instructions for using, at the one or more computers, the value from the accessed information to prepare a tax-related document for the user.