Methods and systems for intelligent form-filling and electronic document generation

• US 9,430,455 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simpliance Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Simpliance Incorporated
• Inventors: Schuster, James V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Manglesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hasty, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/582,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20100179962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 715/224, 715/226, 715/221, 715/222
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for intelligent form-filling and electronic document generation. One method may include generating a decision tree representing questions which facilitates the completion of a form having one or more data fields. The method may comprise: inputting the questions into a computing device, wherein the questions relate to data to be filled into the one or more data fields of the form; arranging an order of the questions in the computing device based on possible answers given; and using the computing device to automatically generate the decision tree based on the questions, the possible answers, and the order of the questions.

Claims

1. A method for generating a plurality of decision trees comprising one or more atoms of a form description language, the method comprising:

providing an authoring tool that is configured as a graphical editor that provides an author with an interface to input a plurality of questions related to at least one form via a first plurality of shapes, wherein a position of the first plurality of shapes dictates a desired order of the plurality of questions and possible answers that a user might provide, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of questions are different than a field in the form;

receiving the questions and an arrangement of the first plurality of shapes from an author, by the authoring tool via the first plurality of shapes, wherein the questions include a first question that is related to selection of the form selected from a plurality of forms to be used, and a second question that is related to data requested in the form identified by the user in answering the first question;

determining an order of the questions based on the arrangement of the shapes made by the author;

automatically generating, by the computing device utilizing the authoring tool, a first decision tree based on the questions, the data, the possible answers, and the order of the questions;

assigning a plurality of document templates to the first decision tree;

utilizing the authoring tool to automatically generate, by the computing device, a second decision tree, wherein the second decision tree is generated from a second plurality of shapes;

receiving, from the user, user profile data through a second decision tree, wherein the second decision tree is utilized for populating a different form;

providing at least a portion of the plurality of questions to a user;

receiving, from the user, at least one answer associated with the provided questions;

interpreting the answers associated with the questions to determine a value for populating the different form;

generating a populated decision tree from the answers;

determining a conclusion based on the answers;

providing details about the conclusion to the user; and

populating the different form based on the populated decision tree, the plurality of document templates, and the user profile data that was received via the second decision tree.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each question of the first decision tree is represented by an atom, wherein the atom comprises a view attribute that defines a manner in which the atom is presented, a model attribute that defines a manner to collect and store obtained data, a control attribute that defines a next step after a respective question is answered, and a help attribute that provides an explanation of the atom.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the form description language is Extensible Markup Language (XML).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one atom of the form description language comprises a plurality of attributes, wherein:

the at least one atom is associated with one or more questions;

a first attribute associates one or more answers with the field of the form;

a second attribute determines how the one or more questions will appear to the user;

a third attribute determines which question will be posed next, based on answers received; and

a fourth attribute explains the one or more questions to the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the answers to one of the questions is associated with one of the data fields of at least one of the plurality of document templates, wherein the document template is a computer-readable file representing the form, and one of the data fields of the document template corresponds to one of the data fields of the form.

6. A method for generating an electronic document having data fields, comprising:

providing an authoring tool that is configured as a graphical editor provides an author with an interface to input a plurality of questions related to at least one form via a first plurality of shapes, wherein a position of the first plurality of shapes dictates a desired order of the plurality of questions and possible answers that a user might provide, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of questions are different than a field in the form;

receiving the position of the first plurality of shapes from the user;

automatically generating utilizing the authoring tool, a first decision tree based on the questions, the data, the possible answers, and the order of questions;

using a computing device to read and interpret the first decision tree comprising atoms of a form description language, wherein the first decision tree represents the plurality of questions to be posed to a user, the plurality of questions including a first question related to the form selected from a plurality of forms to be used and a second question related to data to be filled into another field of the form identified by the user in answering the first question, wherein at least one of the atoms comprise a view attribute that defines a manner in which the atom is presented, a model attribute that defines a manner to collect and store obtained data, a control attribute that defines a next step after a respective question is answered, and a help attribute that provides an explanation of the atom;

posing at least a portion of the plurality of questions to the user according to an order specified by the decision tree;

receiving answers from the user for at least a portion of the question posed, wherein each answer is associated with one or more of the fields of the form;

receiving, from the user, user profile data through a second decision tree, wherein the second decision tree, wherein the second decision tree is generated from a second plurality of shapes, wherein the second decision tree is made available to a different form;

determining conclusions from the answers;

providing details about the conclusions to the user;

recording answers to the questions from the user in the computing device;

using the computing device to automatically generate a populated decision tree comprising atoms of the form description language, wherein the populated decision tree represents the questions of the decision tree, the user profile data, and the corresponding answers from the user;

associating the answers from the user to one or more data fields of the document template;

interpreting the answers associated with the questions to determine a value for populating the different form; and

using the computing device to generate a completed electronic document by populating a blank document template that represents the form with at least one of the associated answers, wherein the completed electronic document is generated using the populated decision tree, the document template, and the user profile data that was received via the second decision tree.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein each question and corresponding answer of the populated decision tree are represented by an atom.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the form description language is Extensible Markup Language (XML).

9. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one atom of the form description language comprises a plurality of attributes, wherein:

the at least one atom is associated with one or more questions;

a first attribute associates one or more answers with one or more of the fields of the form;

a second attribute determines how the one or more questions will appear to the user;

a third attribute determines which question will be posed next, based on answers received; and

a fourth attribute explains the one or more questions to the user.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the populated decision tree is searchable by a search engine.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising storing the electronic document in an archive, wherein the archive is operable to store one or more versions of the same electronic document.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

associating one of the answers received from the user with one or more data fields of a second electronic document;

recognizing the one or more data fields of the second electronic document must be modified, based on the associated answer received from the user; and

modifying the one or more data fields of the second electronic document, based on the associated answer received from the user.

13. A system comprising a storage device readable by a computer, wherein:

the storage device embodies one or more instructions executable by the computer for performing the following;

providing an authoring tool that is configured as a graphical editor that provides an author with an interface to input a plurality of questions related to at least one form via a first plurality of shapes, wherein a position of the first plurality of shapes dictates a desired order of the plurality of questions and possible answers that a user might provide, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of questions are different than a field in the form; and

receiving the position of the first plurality of shapes from the user; and

generating a plurality of decision trees comprising one or more atoms of a form description language, wherein the plurality of decision trees represent the plurality of questions facilitating completion of the form having one or more data fields, wherein at least one of the atoms comprise a view attribute that defines a manner in which the atom is presented, a model attribute that defines a manner to collect and store obtained data, a control attribute that defines a next step after a respective question is answered, and a help attribute that provides an explanation of the atom; and

wherein the generation of the plurality of decision trees comprises the steps of;

receiving the plurality of questions by the computing device, wherein the plurality of questions relate to data requested in the form;

arranging an order of the questions, based on an arrangement of the first plurality of shapes;

using the computing device to automatically generate a first decision tree based on the plurality of questions, the possible answers, and the order of the questions; and

receiving user profile data through a second decision tree, wherein the second decision tree is made available to a different form, wherein the second decision tree is generated utilizing a second plurality of shapes;

assigning a plurality of document templates to the first decision tree;

receiving answers associated with the questions;

determining conclusions related to the answers;

providing details of the conclusions to the user;

interpreting the answers associated with the questions to determine a value for populating the different form; and

populating the different form based on the populated first decision tree, the plurality of document templates, and the user profile data that was received via the second decision tree.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein each question of the first decision tree is represented by an atom.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the form description language is Extensible Markup Language (XML).

16. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one atom of the form description language comprises a plurality attributes, wherein:

the at least one atom is associated with one or more questions;

a first attribute associates one or more answers with one or more data fields of the form;

a second attribute determines how the one or more questions will appear to the user;

a third attribute determines which question will be posed next, based on answers received; and

a fourth attribute explains the one or more questions to the user.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein one of the answers to one of the questions of the first decision tree is associated with one of the data fields of a document template, wherein the document template is a computer-readable file representing the form, and one of the data fields of the document template corresponds to one of the data fields of the form.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the second decision tree is available to populate the different form with the user profile data.