Categorization of summarized information

• US 7,752,535 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yodlee Incorporated (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Yodlee.com, Inc. (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Inventors: Satyavolu, Ramakrishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries; Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US11/293,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715200-202, 715/205, 715/209, 715/210, 715/234, 715/273, 715/760, 715/823, 715/255, 715/256, 707/1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/6, 707/7, 707/10, 707/E17.001, 707/E17.017, 705/6, 705/10, 705/26, 705/29, 705/35, 705/40, 705/42, 705/52, 705/53, 705/77, 705/78, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A system for categorizing transactions includes a collection function gathering information concerning transactions, including at least date, description and amount of the transactions, for a particular person or enterprise, and a processing function categorizing individual ones of the collected transactions according to at least part of the transaction description. In preferred embodiments of the system a variety of categorization methods for collected information may be utilized including at least categorizing by providing individual categories according to category definition entered by a specific user or on behalf of an enterprise. Categorization may also be done for a first plurality of persons or enterprises according to category definition entered by a second plurality of persons or enterprises, or categories are developed from information taken from communication between users and the system. Probability algorithms may also be used in developing categories.

Claims

1. A system tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium for sorting and reporting transaction information, comprising;

a collection function automatically navigating to and retrieving transaction information associated with a specific person or enterprise from third-party Internet-connected web sites and gathering information concerning transactions, the transaction information including at least date, description, and amount of the transactions;

an input function enabling a client to provide to the system a request for a summary of transactions over a specific range of dates, according to a definition of purpose of transaction including at least expenditure types;

a processing function categorizing individual ones of the collected transactions according to at least part of the transaction description for determining the purpose of transaction using pre-stored description characteristics associated with the purpose;

a compilation function summarizing the transactions that meet the purpose and fall into the specific range of dates;

a reporting function for providing the summary of transactions to the specific person or enterprise; and

a function storing past transaction history associated with the particular person or enterprise,

wherein the past transaction history is used to predict future transaction statistical information, and

wherein a probability algorithm is used in developing the description characteristics, wherein the description characteristics are periodically amended according to further information that is collected and processed.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the reporting function provides a total transaction expenditure amount with the summary of transactions.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a summary is provided for a first plurality of persons or enterprises subscribing to the system according to requests entered by a second plurality of persons or enterprises subscribing to the system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the description characteristics are developed from information taken from communication between clients and the system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system reports transactions to clients through the Internet network.

6. In a computer system, a method for sorting and reporting transaction information using proprietary software tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium, comprising:

(a) automatically navigating to and retrieving transaction information associated with a specific person or enterprise from third-party Internet-connected web sites and gathering information concerning transactions by a collection function of the proprietary software said information including at least date, description, and amount of the transactions;

(b) requesting a summary of transactions by a client via an input function of the proprietary software over a specific range of dates, according to a definition of purpose of transactions including at least expenditure types;

(c) categorizing individual ones of the collected transactions according to at least part of the transaction description for determining the purpose, via a processing function of the proprietary software using pre-stored description characteristics associated with the purpose;

(d) summarizing, by a compilation function of the proprietary software, the transactions that meet the purpose and fall into the specific range of dates;

(e) reporting the summary of transactions to the particular person or enterprise by a reporting function;

(f) storing past transaction history associated with the particular person or enterprise,

wherein the past transaction history is used to predict future transaction statistical information, and

wherein a probability algorithm is used in developing the description characteristics, and wherein the description characteristics are periodically amended according to further information that is collected and processed.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the reporting function provides a total transaction expenditure amount with the summary of transactions.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein a summary is provided for a first plurality of persons or enterprises according to category definition entered by a second plurality of persons or enterprises.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the description characteristics are developed from information taken from communication between clients and the system.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the system reports to clients through the Internet network.