Method and apparatus for preparing tax information in the trucking industry

• US 20050203816A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comdata SPA (NHI-2, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intertax, Inc. (NHI-2, LLC)
• Inventors: Monsor, Michael A., Fansler, Thomas S., Morgan, Keith P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,778,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission

Abstract

Method and apparatus provide for electronically processing vehicle location data wherein the vehicle location data specifies a sequence of vehicle locations, and wherein the processing determines if the sequence of vehicle locations form a sequence of the vehicle'"'"'s travel that is acceptable for the purposes of filing tax reports relating to the vehicle. Processing further provides for determining the acceptability of the sequence according to one or more criteria, and provides a user tools that enable the user to accept or revise the vehicle location data for the unacceptable part of the sequence.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

electronically processing vehicle location data wherein the vehicle location data specifies a sequence of vehicle locations, wherein the processing determines if the sequence of vehicle locations form a sequence of the vehicle'"'"'s travel that is acceptable for the purposes of filing tax reports relating to the vehicle, wherein the acceptability of the sequence is determined according to one or more criteria;

displaying to a user a potentially or actually unacceptable part of the sequence; and

providing the user one or more graphical user interface tools that the user can employ to assess the unacceptable part of the sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more tools includes displaying a geographic map of the vehicle'"'"'s location with the unacceptable portion indicated on the map.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more tools includes n displaying fuel record data or dispatch data to the user.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more tools includes displaying odometer log data to the user.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more tools includes displaying state log data to the user.

6. The method according to claim 1 further including providing the user one or more graphical user interface tools that enable the user to accept or revise the vehicle location data for the unacceptable part of the sequence.

7. The method according to claim 1 further including preparing tax information formatted for use in filing a tax return.

8. A method comprising:

electronically processing digital vehicle location data specifying a sequence of vehicle locations;

graphically displaying to a user a map showing a part of the sequence that is questionable; and

accepting input from the user to adjust the questionable part of the sequence.

9. The method according to claim 8 further including preparing tax information formatted for use in filing a tax return.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein graphically displaying to a user a map further includes displaying on the map a predictively determined likely route.

11. A method comprising:

electronically processing digital vehicle location data specifying a sequence of vehicle locations;

displaying to a user a part of the sequence that is questionable;

offering the user one or more graphical user interface tools that can be used to analyze the questionable part of the sequence; and

accepting input from the user to adjust the questionable part of the sequence.

12. The method according to claim 11 further including preparing tax information formatted for use in filing a tax return.

13. A method comprising:

electronically processing digital vehicle location data specifying a sequence of vehicle locations defining a trip;

displaying to a user a series of geographic points on the trip that describe the trip'"'"'s path;

highlighting to a user one or more of the geographic points that are of questionable accuracy or reliability; and

accepting input from the user to adjust the questionable part of the sequence.

14. The method according to claim 13 further including preparing tax information formatted for use in filing a tax return.

15. The method according to claim 13 further including offering the user one or more graphical user interface tools that can be used to analyze the questionable part of the sequence.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a computer programmed to electronically process vehicle location data wherein the vehicle location data specifies a sequence of vehicle locations, wherein the processing determines if the sequence of vehicle locations form a sequence of the vehicle'"'"'s travel that is acceptable for the purposes of filing tax reports relating to the vehicle, wherein the acceptability of the sequence is determined according to one or more criteria; and

the computer further programmed to display to a user a potentially or actually unacceptable part of the sequence and to provide to the user one or more graphical user interface tools that the user can employ to assess the unacceptable part of the sequence.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 further wherein the computer is programmed to format information useful for filing tax returns.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the one or more tools includes displaying a geographic map of the vehicle'"'"'s location with the unacceptable portion indicated on the map.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the one or more tools includes displaying fuel record data or dispatch data to the user.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16 further including providing the user one or more graphical user interface tools that enable the user to accept or revise the vehicle location data for the unacceptable part of the sequence.

21. An apparatus comprising a computer system including:

a first software component operable on the computer to electronically processing digital vehicle location data specifying a sequence of vehicle locations;

a second software component operable on the computer system to graphically display to a user a map showing a part of the sequence that is questionable; and

a third software component operable on the computer system to accept input from the user to adjust the questionable part of the sequence.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 further wherein the computer system is programmed to format information useful for filing tax returns.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device storing digital vehicle location data specifying a sequence of vehicle locations;

a display component that displays to a user a part of the sequence that is questionable;

a user interface component that offers the user one or more graphical user interface tools that can be used to analyze the questionable part of the sequence;

a user input component that receives data or command inputs from the user; and

a data adjustment component that uses data or command inputs from the user to adjust the questionable part of the sequence.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 further including a tax return component to format information useful for filing tax returns.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a data storage unit that stores digital vehicle location data specifying a sequence of vehicle locations defining a trip;

graphical display software operable on a computer that generates a display of a series of geographic points on the trip that describe the trip'"'"'s path;

the graphical display software further operable on the computer to highlight one or more of the geographic points that are of questionable accuracy or reliability; and

data input software operable on the computer to accept input from a user to adjust or accept the questionable part of the sequence.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25 further including tax return software operable on the computer to format information useful for filing tax returns.

27. An apparatus according to claim 25 further including the graphical display software operable on the computer to offer the user one or more graphical user interface tools that can be used to analyze the questionable part of the sequence.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable software program stored in a digital storage medium, wherein:

the software program includes software operable on a computer to generates a display of a series of geographic points on a vehicle'"'"'s trip that describe the trip'"'"'s path;

the software program includes software operable on the computer to highlight one or more of the geographic points that are of questionable accuracy or reliability; and

the software program includes software responsive to input data or commands to adjust or accept the questionable part of the sequence.

29. The article of manufacture according to claim 28 further wherein the software program includes software operable on the computer to offer the user one or more graphical user interface tools that can be used to analyze the questionable part of the sequence.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a server programmed to electronically process vehicle location data wherein the vehicle location data specifies a sequence of vehicle locations, wherein the processing determines if the sequence of vehicle locations form a sequence of the vehicle'"'"'s travel that is acceptable for the purposes of filing tax reports relating to the vehicle, wherein the acceptability of the sequence is determined according to one or more criteria; and

the server further programmed to generate display commands or data used by a client computer to display potentially or actually unacceptable part of the sequence and to provide to the user one or more graphical user interface tools that the user can employ to assess the unacceptable part of the sequence.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 further including a tax return component operable on the server to format information useful for filing tax returns.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the one or more tools includes displaying a geographic map of the vehicle'"'"'s location with the unacceptable portion indicated on the map.

33. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the one or more tools includes displaying fuel record data or dispatch data to the user.

34. The apparatus according to claim 30 further including providing the user one more graphical user interface tools that enable the user to accept or revise the vehicle location data for the unacceptable part of the sequence.

35. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable software program stored in a digital storage medium, wherein:

the software program includes software operable on a computer to generates display data or commands used by a client computer to display of a series of geographic points on a vehicle'"'"'s trip that describe the trip'"'"'s path;

the software program includes software operable on the computer to cause the client computer to highlight one or more of the geographic points that are of questionable accuracy or reliability; and

the software program includes software responsive to input data or commands from the client computer to adjust or accept the questionable part of the sequence.

36. The article of manufacture according to claim 35 wherein the software program further includes software operable on the computer to generate data or commands that cause the client computer to offer the user one or more graphical user interface tools that can be used to analyze the questionable part of the sequence.

37. The article of manufacture according to claim 35 wherein the software program further includes software operable on the computer to format information useful for filing tax returns.