Mechanism for indicating and resolving the trust level of information

• US 7,899,757 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Slattery, James A., Pfeiffer, Jefrey O., Talan, Jonathan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss; John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCORMICK, GABRIELLE A
• Application Number:
  US11/700,580
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/319
• 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: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing trust level of a collection of information having a first input data and a derived data. The method involves obtaining the first input data from a data source, generating the derived data from at least the first input data, determining a derived trust level of the derived data from at least a first input trust level based on the data source, and indicating validity of the derived data based on the derived trust level.

Claims

1. A method for managing trust level of a collection of information having a first calculation data and a second calculation data, comprising:

obtaining, using a processor of a computer system, the first calculation data from a data source;

calculating, using the processor, the second calculation data from at least the first calculation data according to a first relationship of a calculation engine;

determining, using the processor and based on a trust structure, a second trust level of the second calculation data from at least a first trust level based on the data source; and

indicating validity of the second calculation data based on the derived second trust level,

wherein the trust structure comprises an ordered graph structure comprising;

a first node corresponding to the first calculation data,

a second node corresponding to the second calculation data, and

a first edge connecting the first node and the second node, wherein the second node is a parent node of the first node,

wherein the second trust level is determined from the first trust level according to a weight associated with the first edge, and

wherein the weight associated with the first edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the first calculation data and is determined from the first relationship of the calculation engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of information comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of financial information, medical information, inventory information, business operation information, sales forecasting information, and distribution channel management information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the first trust level for indicating validity of the first calculation data; and

displaying the second trust level for indicating validity of the second calculation data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of information comprises a third calculation data, the method further comprising:

determining a third trust level of the third calculation data;

further calculating the second calculation data from at least the third calculation data according to a second relationship of the calculation engine; and

further determining the second trust level from at least the third trust level according to a weight associated with a second edge of the trust structure,

wherein the trust structure further comprises a third node corresponding to the third calculation data and the second edge connecting the second node and the third node, wherein the second node is a parent node of the third node,

wherein the weight associated with the second edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the third calculation data and is determined based on the second relationship of the calculation engine, and

wherein the weight associated with the first edge and the weight associated with the second edge are normalized for the second node.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying the first trust level and the third trust level for indicating validity of the first calculation data and the third calculation data;

reviewing the first trust level and the third trust level for confirming the validity of the second calculation data; and

modifying the second trust level according to confirmation of the second calculation data.

6. A method for managing trust level of a collection of information having a first calculation data and a second calculation data, comprising:

generating an ordered graph structure associated with a calculation engine of a financial software product (FSP), wherein the second calculation data is calculated from at least the first calculation data, within the FSP, using the calculation engine according to a first relationship of the calculation engine, wherein the ordered graph structure comprises a first node corresponding to the first calculation data, a second node corresponding to the second calculation data, and a first edge connecting the first node and the second node, wherein the second node is a parent node of the first node; and

determining, using a processor of a computer system, a second trust level of the second calculation data from at least a first trust level of the first calculation data according to a weight associated with the first edge,

wherein the weight associated with the first edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the first calculation data and is determined based on the first relationship of the calculation engine, and

wherein the first calculation data is obtained from a data source and the first trust level is determined based on a trust level of the data source.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the collection of information comprises financial information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the collection of information further comprises a third calculation data, and wherein the second calculation data is further generated from the third calculation data according to a second relationship of the calculation engine, the ordered graph structure further comprising:

a third node corresponding to the third calculation data; and

a second edge connecting the second node and the third node, wherein the second node is a parent node of the third node;

wherein the second trust level is further determined from at least a third trust level of the third calculation data according to a weight associated with the second edge;

wherein the weight associated with the second edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the third calculation data and is determined based on the second relationship of the calculation engine; and

wherein the weight associated with the first edge and the weight associated with the second edge are normalized for the second node.

9. A system for managing trust level of a collection of information having a first calculation data, a second calculation data, and a third calculation data, comprising:

a processor;

memory storing instructions when executed by the processor comprise functionality for;

obtaining the first calculation data from a data source;

calculating the second calculation data from at least the first calculation data according to a first relationship of a calculation engine;

determining, based on a trust structure, a second trust level of the second calculation data from at least a first trust level based on the data source; and

modifying the second trust level according to user confirmation of validity of the second calculation data,

wherein the trust structure comprises an ordered graph structure comprising;

a first node corresponding to the first calculation data,

a second node corresponding to the second calculation data, and

a first edge connecting the first node and the second node, wherein the second node is a parent of the first node,

wherein the second trust level is determined from the first trust level according to a weight associated with the first edge, and

wherein the weight associated with the first edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the first calculation data and is determined from the first relationship of the calculation engine;

determining a third trust level of the third calculation data;

further calculating the second calculation data from at least the third calculation data according to a second relationship of the calculation engine; and

further determining the second trust level from at least the third trust level according to a weight associated with a second edge of the trust structure,

wherein the ordered graph of the trust structure further comprises a third node corresponding to the third calculation data and the second edge connecting the second node and the third node, wherein the second node is a parent node of the third node,

wherein the weight associated with the second edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the third calculation data and is determined based on the second relationship of the calculation engine, and

wherein the weight associated with the first edge and the weight associated with the second edge are normalized for the second node; and

a display device operatively coupled to the processor and configured to display a graphical user interface comprising;

a first calculation data field for displaying the first calculation data;

a first annotation for annotating the first calculation data based on the first trust level field to indicate validity of the first calculation data;

a second calculation data field for displaying the second calculation data;

a second annotation for annotating the second calculation data based on the second trust level field to indicate validity of the second calculation data;

a third calculation data field for displaying the third calculation data;

a third annotation for annotating the third calculation data field based on the third trust level to indicate validity of the third calculation data; and

a user input field for receiving the user confirmation of the validity of the second calculation data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the collection of information comprises financial information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first trust level is one selected from a group consisting of un-trusted, semi-trusted, and trusted.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first annotation comprises a display format of the first calculation data field, wherein different display formats represents different levels of the first input trust level.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first annotation comprises an icon displayed adjacent to the first calculation data field, wherein different display icons represents different levels of the first input trust level.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first annotation comprises a message window.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the message window comprises a pop-up message window.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

an annotation control for controlling the first annotation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the annotation control comprises a mouse click to the first annotation.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the annotation control comprises a mouse over to the first annotation.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first annotation is displayed in response to the annotation control.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first annotation is expanded to display additional information in response to the annotation control.

21. The system of claim 9, wherein the first trust level is determined based on a trust level of the data source.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first annotation comprises information associated with the data source.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the data source comprises a data source of user inputted data and the trust level of the data source is determined based on a user inputting the user inputted data, wherein the first annotation comprises a name of the person.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the data source comprises a data source of imported data and the trust level of the data source is determined based on a financial application providing the imported data, wherein the first annotation comprises a name of the financial application.

25. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises:

an annotation control for controlling one selected from a group consisting of the first annotation and the second annotation to display information associated with one selected from a group consisting of the first trust level and the second trust level.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the annotation control comprises a navigation control for navigating the trust structure to select a portion of the trust structure, and wherein the annotation control controls one selected from a group consisting of the first annotation and the second annotation to display the portion of the trust structure.

27. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, embodying instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for managing trust level of a collection of information a first calculation data and a second calculation data, the instructions comprising functionality to:

obtain the first calculation data from a data source;

calculate the second calculation data from the first calculation data according to a first relationship of a calculation engine;

determine, based on a trust structure, a second trust level of the second calculation data from at least a first trust level based on the data source; and

indicate validity of the second calculation data based on the second trust level,

wherein the trust structure comprises an ordered graph structure comprising;

a first node corresponding to the first calculation data,

a second node corresponding to the second calculation data, and

a first edge connecting the first node and the second node, wherein the second node is a parent node of the first node,

wherein the second trust level is determined from the first trust level according to a weight associated with the first edge, and

wherein the weight associated with the first edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the first calculation data and is determined from the first relationship of the calculation engine.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further comprise functionality to:

display the first trust level for indicating validity of the first calculation data; and

display the second trust level for indicating validity of the second calculation data.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the collection of information comprises a third calculation data and the instructions further comprise functionality to:

determine a third trust level of the third calculation data;

further calculate the second calculation data from at least the third calculation data according to a second relationship of the calculation engine; and

further determine the second trust level from at least the third trust level according to a weight associated with a second edge of the trust structure,

wherein the trust structure further comprises a third node corresponding to the third calculation data and the second edge connecting the second node and the third node, wherein the second node is a parent node of the third node,

wherein the weight associated with the second edge relates to how the second calculation data is calculated from the third calculation data and is determined based on the second relationship of the calculation engine, and

wherein the weight associated with the first edge and the weight associated with the second edge are normalized for the second node.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions further comprise functionality to:

display the first trust level and the third trust level for indicating validity of the first calculation data and the third calculation data;

review the first trust level and the third trust level for confirming the validity of the second calculation data; and

modify the second trust level according to confirmation of the second calculation data.