System and method for processing receipts and other records of users

• US 8,861,861 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Expensify Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Expensify Incorporated
• Inventors: Barrett, David M., Kuchta, Kevin Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Chan
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICE, ELISA M
• Application Number:
  US13/469,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20130129218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• US Class Current: 382/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/98 Detection or correction of errors, e.g. by rescanning the pattern or by human intervention; Evaluation of the quality of the acquired patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/224 of printed characters having additional code marks or containing code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/413 Classification of content, e.g. text, photographs or tables

Abstract

A service can perform optical character recognition (OCR) on an image of a record to determine a first set of information items about the record. A second set of information items can be identified that are likely part of the record but not determinable from performing OCR on the image. Another resource can be utilized to determine the second set of information items. A classification for the record can be determined based on first and second sets of information items. The record can be associated with a financial resource of the user based at least in part on the classification.

Claims

1. A method for determining record information, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising the steps of:

receiving a low quality image of a record from a user;

performing optical character recognition on the image to determine a first set of information items about the record;

identifying a second set of information items that are likely part of the record but not determinable from performing optical character recognition on the image;

utilizing another resource to determine the second set of information items;

determining a classification for the record based on first and second sets of information items; and

associating the record with a financial resource of the user based at least in part on the classification;

wherein utilizing another resource includes;

(i) scanning a plurality of transactions recorded with one or more financial accounts of the user;

(ii) identifying at least a first transaction that is relevant to the record, based on the first set of information items; and

(iii) identifying the second set of information items from information provided with the at least first transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of information items includes one or more of a merchant, a transaction value, or a date of a transaction from scanning the plurality of transactions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing another resource includes querying a merchant or entity database using information that is determined from the first set of information items.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the image to a human resource in order to determine the second set of information items.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein communicating the image to the human resource includes receiving information from a first human operator about the record, receiving information from a second human operator about the record, then programmatically comparing the information received from the first human operator and the second human operator in order to determine the first set of information items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein communicating the image to the human resource includes receiving information from a third human operator in response to the information from the first human operator and the second human operator being in conflict.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the record corresponds to an image of a financial receipt or an image of an odometer reading.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the classification includes determining that the record is either the financial receipt or the odometer reading.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the classification includes determining that the record is a particular type of financial receipt.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the record with a financial resource includes associating the record with a financial account of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the record with a financial resource includes identifying the record as being a cash transaction.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for determining record information, the computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a low quality image of a record from a user;

performing optical character recognition on the image to determine a first set of information items about the record;

identifying a second set of information items that are likely part of the record but not determinable from performing optical character recognition on the image;

utilizing another resource to determine the second set of information items;

determining a classification for the record based on first and second sets of information items; and

associating the record with a financial resource of the user based at least in part on the classification;

wherein utilizing another resource includes;

(i) scanning a plurality of transactions recorded with one or more financial accounts of the user;

(ii) identifying at least a first transaction that is relevant to the record, based on the first set of information items; and

(iii) identifying the second set of information items from information provided with the at least first transaction.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second set of information items includes one or more of a merchant, a transaction value, or a date of a transaction from scanning the plurality of transactions.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein utilizing another resource includes querying a merchant or entity database using information that is determined from the first set of information items.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

communicating the image to a human resource in order to determine the second set of information items.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein communicating the image to the human resource includes receiving information from a first human operator about the record, receiving information from a second human operator about the record, then programmatically comparing the information received from the first human operator and the second human operator in order to determine the first set of information items.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein communicating the image to the human resource includes receiving information from a third human operator in response to the information from the first human operator and the second human operator being in conflict.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the image of the record corresponds to an image of a financial receipt or an image of an odometer reading.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining the classification includes determining that the record is either the financial receipt or the odometer reading.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the classification includes determining that the record is a particular type of financial receipt.