Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CODE GENERATION AND TRACKING FOR AUTOMATIC DATA
SYNCHRONIZATION IN A DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent App!. No.
16/664,592 filed
October 25, 2019 and U.S. Patent App!. No. 16,664,694 October 25, 2019, which
are
incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present application generally relates to data tracking through a
networked
control system and more specifically to alphanumeric code generation and image
processing for automatic allocation of receipt data to stored data in a
transactional
database.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Organizations, such as businesses and companies, require various
types of
data to be tracked, such as through the user of expense management software,
hardware,
and other infrastructure to manage expenses and control user transactions.
This includes
issues with establishing and issuing payment instruments, tracking expenses
and other
accounting requirements, enforcing expense policies, and collecting auditing
information,
including receipts and other transaction history data. However, present
networked
systems and available company infrastructure merely provide for a few specific
gatekeepers who are manually required to review and approve payments, as well
as
collect auditing information and allocate expenses to particular categories,
clients, and
other classifications. These accounting teams or company officers are then
required to
personally review expenses, auditing data, and assign expenses to
categorizations. This is
taxing for small companies that may have limited employees and offices, and
large
companies, where expenses may come from a wide range of employees that are
difficult
to track and properly receive data. However, without receiving auditing data
and expense
allocation information, the company may be at risk of fraud or legal issues.
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[0004] Present systems used to track and manage transactions within a
company may
require submission of reimbursement requests or use of company payment
instruments.
Reimbursement requests require a large amount of manpower and may present
issues
with employee abuse of the system and non-compliant expense categorization by
employees. However, use of company payment instruments may place the company
at
risk of fraud if proper auditing and expense categorization procedures are not
implemented. However, collecting this data, such as receipts, employee
activities and
work, and other information is difficult and requires active employee
participation. Thus,
these present systems fail to identify users and company attributes during
transaction
processing, allocate expenses to particular expense categories, and collect
auditing data
without the need for employee input, thereby presenting difficulties and
potential lack of
necessary accounting data.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need to address deficiencies with conventional
systems
used by companies to better allocate incoming data to particular data
categorizations and
classifiers for processing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a networked system suitable for
implementing
the processes described herein, according to an embodiment;
[0007] FIG. 2A is an exemplary receipt including an authorization code and
transaction identifier used for receipt capture and data tracking with an
expense
management system, according to an embodiment;
[0008] FIG. 2B is an exemplary system environment for matching receipt data
to
expense data in a transactional database, according to an embodiment;
[0009] FIG. 3 is an exemplary system environment for synchronizing
application
scheduling data with expense data in a transactional database, according to an
embodiment;
[00010] FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart for performing receipt code
generation and
tracking through image processing for receipt data synchronization in an
expense
management system, according to an embodiment;
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[00011] FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart for performing application data
synchronizations based on application integrations for automatically
categorizing expense
data, according to an embodiment; and
[00012] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computer system suitable for
implementing one
or more components in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment.
[00013] Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best
understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be
appreciated
that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in
one or more
of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating
embodiments of
the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00014] Provided are methods for code generation and tracking for automatic
data
synchronization in a data management system. Systems suitable for practicing
methods of
the present disclosure are also provided.
[00015] An online expense management system may provide data aggregators that
monitor an organization's bank accounts and other financial accounts to
perform data
aggregation and categorizations for expense data. This expense data may be
required for
auditing and expense management services, such as receipt data tracking and
assigning of
expenses to organization, company, or employee clients, expense categories,
and the like.
The financial accounts may include one or more credit accounts, debit cards,
direct
debit/credit through automated clearing house (ACH), wire transfers, gift
cards, and other
types of funding sources that may be issued to the organization by the online
expense
management system and/or other financial service providers. Thus, a networked
expense
management system and provider may include a framework and architecture to
provide
payment gateways, billing platforms, eCommerce platforms, invoicing, and
additional
services. For example, a service provider may offer services, software, online
resources
and portals, and infrastructure used to manage an organization's (e.g., a
business or
company) expenses, purchases, and other financial transactions. The system may
provide
an electronic framework that integrates into a payment network and company
computing
infrastructure at a point that allows for automatic categorization and
matching of data for
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auditing and expense management services. For example, integration of the
framework at
a point between issuing and acquiring bank may allow transaction data may be
received
in real-time, and thus the framework may perform real-time processes for data
matching
and categorization. This allows for real-time data processing necessary for
receipt
auditing. Additionally, the system's framework may integrate with one or more
client
devices (e.g., personal computers, mobile devices, etc.), online scheduling
resources,
personal management systems, and/or enterprise business software to receive
scheduling,
calendar, and/or other time allotment systems for use with expense data
categorization.
[00016] For example, the expense management system may provide variable user
settings, class designations, and expense policies, including expense
categorizations to
organizational expense categories (e.g., travel, business expenses (including
payroll,
office supplies and technology, etc.), client expenses (including travel,
food, drink,
gifting, meetings, etc.), information technology, and other expenses). A user
class may
correspond to one or more users within a group at the organization, such as
sales,
management, company officers, information technology, etc. There may also be
sub-
designations within a class, such as by title, team, role, location, or
another attribute. The
organization may further generate expense policies, which may include expense
attributes
such as global limits, approval limits, restricted/prohibited merchant or
purchase types,
time period specific limits, approved transaction types, and other
limitations, permissions,
or rules. The expense policies may correspond to a broader category of the
aforementioned expense categories and may be organization wide or by user
class. The
expense policies may also include the aforementioned sub-categories of
expenses, for
example, by type of expense, clients, etc. Finally, the organization may be
required to
select payment networks utilind for issuance of payment instruments and
transaction
processing, which may include payment cards, direct debit, payment wires, or
other types
of funding sources. The payment networks may correspond to resolution networks
for
payment processing of expenses purchased using an account identifier, payment
card, or
the like during electronic and in-person transaction processing. Some
embodiments of
payment networks and expense management are discussed in further detail in
U.S. Patent
Application No. 16/238,498, filed January 2, 2019, entitled, "Electronic
Framework and
Networked System for Variable Class Designations and Policies," and U.S.
Patent
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Application No. 16/238,503, filed January 2, 2019, entitled, "Intelligent
Recommendations for Dynamic Policies Used in Real-Time Transactions," which
are
incorporated herein by reference
[00017] One or more payment instruments may be issued to users or employees of
the
organization, including sales, management, information technologies, or other
employees. The payment instruments may correspond to various types of payment
cards
and/or account identifiers, which may be issued by the expense management
system or by
an associated partner (e.g., an issuing bank that provides credit cards or
another financial
instrument). During the course of business, an employee may engage in commerce
with
one or more merchants using a payment instrument, such as by making an in-
person (e.g.,
at a merchant location or store) or online purchase from the merchant. Thus,
the user may
request electronic transaction processing through the account number or
payment
instrument identifier(s) provided to the user. Merchants (e.g., a seller or
payment
receiver, such as a business, fundraiser, healthcare provider, landlord, etc.)
may
correspond to any person or entity selling goods and/or services (referred to
herein as an
"item" or "items") to the company's employees. Due to integration between an
organization's enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and infrastructure,
banks used
by the organization, individual cardholders of the organization, and issuers
(e.g., the
financial source of the provided payment instruments on the payment network),
the
expense management system's framework may receive real-time data of the
transaction,
for example, prior to the transaction being approved and resolving through
such entities.
Thus, the expense management system may approve or decline the transaction in
real-
time based on expense policies and categorizations.
[00018] Additionally, the expense management system may generate, receive,
and/or
request auditing data in real-time with the transaction. The auditing data may
include
alphanumeric or other code generation and input the data into a receipt or
other
transaction history or record, as well as match receipt data to transactional
or expense
management data. Receipt matching may be performed through code matching
between
codes stored with transaction data determined at the time of a transaction
processing
request and subsequently received data from the organization and/or user
requesting the
transaction, such as an image of a physical receipt or a copy of an electronic
receipt. This
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may allow the system to quickly receive data on the network, perform data
matching, and
store auditing data for expenses with merchants when payments are requested
and
processed.
[00019] To process a payment, the expense management system may receive
transaction data for the payment request from the payment network, for
example, when
the acquirer (e.g., the acquiring bank for the merchant that processes the
payment
instrument provided by the user) requests processing with the issuer (e.g.,
the issuing
bank of the organization and expense management system that issues the payment
instrument). This occurs when the user causes a transaction to be generated,
and the
merchant generates a total for the transaction request, which the user can pay
for by
providing a payment instrument to the merchant. After receiving the payment
instrument,
the merchant may cause a payment request to be generated for payment of the
transaction. In various embodiments, the user may be required to enter
additional
checkout information, such as a name, delivery location, or other personal or
financial
information that may be included in the transaction data for the transaction.
In some
embodiments, the payment instrument may previously be tokenized by the expense
management system in order to further protect from fraud, where the digital
token allows
for backend identification of the payment instrument to the issuer and/or
expense
management system without exposing payment credentials.
[00020] The expense management system may receive or detect the transaction
data
for the electronic transaction. In response to the receiving or detection of
the transaction
data, the system may cause one or more codes to be generated, such as
alphanumeric
codes, barcodes, quick response (QR) codes, or the like. In some embodiments,
the codes
may correspond to a first authorization code of the transaction, for example,
when the
transaction is approved, and a transaction identifier code that uniquely
identifies the
transaction itself. The codes may correspond to a 6 digit or letter code, or
may be shorter,
longer, or different. In some embodiments, the length and/or type of code may
be
generated to prevent collision (e.g., code matching for two or more different
transactions,
especially transactions that are similar in transaction data) within the
organization's
expenses and/or with other organizations, which facilitates code matching
later for
auditing purposes. The codes may be stored with the transaction data detected
and/or
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received by the system. These codes may then be transmitted to the merchant
device or
server processing the transaction data. Further, the system may cause the
merchant device
or server to output the codes with a transaction history or record for the
transaction, such
as a physical receipt or a digital receipt transmitted electronically to a
device or account
(e.g., the user's email, text messages, etc.). The codes may be placed in
certain areas of
the receipt, which may assist in image processing for identification of the of
the codes on
the receipt. For example, the authorization code and/or transaction identifier
may be place
in line with a "total" line, a "signature" line, a transaction time line, a
merchant identifier
or address, or other line on the receipt so that the expense management system
may more
easily identify the code within the context of the receipt.
[00021] Once the receipt is provided to the user, the user may image the
receipt and
submit the receipt to the expense management system or may submit a digital
receipt
through another communication channel or data submission portal. In some
embodiments, the expense management system may transmit an electronic message
(e.g.,
email, Short Message Service (SMS) or Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) text
message, instant message, etc.) to the user's device that is associated with
the payment
card identifier for the transaction, which requests that the user image the
receipt and send
back the receipt or otherwise submit the digital receipt. However, in other
embodiments,
the user may do so after-the-fact, such as when providing expenses to the
system, and the
organization may not require immediate receipt imaging and submission. Thus,
the
expense management system may receive a digital form of the receipt, which may
be
processed to identify the one or more codes on the receipt.
[00022] Utilizing optical character recognition (OCR) and/or other data
parsing and
image processing, the system may determine and match the codes and data in the
receipt
to the transaction data received over the payment network. For example, where
one or
more codes are used, OCR or other image processing may be used to identify and
locate
the code(s) on the receipt. The OCR process may segment the receipt data to
identify the
code(s) in the data, which may be identified through character recognition and
matching
to stored codes by the system. In some embodiments, during segmentation of the
data,
lines may be traced at particular angles from receipt data to identify the
code(s), such as
parallel or perpendicular to an axis of the receipt. For example, where one or
more codes
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are output on a line containing a "total" for the transaction, a line may be
traced from an
identified "total" line or amount to the right or left in order to identify
code data on the
receipt. Additional receipt data may also be extracted through OCR or other
image
processing, such as a merchant name/identifier, transaction time, total, or
other receipt
data. Once code data is identified on the receipt, the code data may be used
to search a
transactional database of the expense management system and identify matching
transaction data. Matching receipt codes to transaction codes with the
transaction data in
the database may be used to store the receipt image or digital copy, and
further extract
additional receipt data for storage with the previously received/detected
transaction data.
This provides a more robust auditing, expense data collection, and management
system.
[00023] A scoring system may also be implemented, in some embodiments, that
scores
the matching characteristics, codes, and/or transaction data between receipts,
stored
transaction data, and stored codes in order to perform receipt matching to
transaction
data, which provides auditing data based on receipt storage and additional
transaction
data parsing and entry. The scoring system may utilin the codes, times for the
transaction data and on the receipt, and additional extracted transaction data
to determine
a most likely match based on a highest score or value between matching
characteristics of
the receipt and the stored transaction data with transaction codes. In some
embodiments,
one or more of the codes may be missing from the receipt, for example, where
the
merchant's hardware and/or software infrastructure does not permit adding of
the one or
more codes to the receipt. In such embodiments, any identified codes may
further be
processed with other data extracted from the receipt, such as a merchant
identifier,
address, items, total amount, tax, tip, user identifier, card number, and the
like, to identify
matching transaction characteristics, codes, and data in the expense
management's
transactional database. Once matching characteristics are found, each matching
transaction may be scored, for example, by similar features between the stored
transaction data, codes, and extracted receipt data to identify a most likely
match. The
most likely match may then be utilind for storing of the receipt with the
previously
obtained transaction data.
[00024] In some embodiments, a fingerprint database of merchant receipts may
be
generated and utilind to determine where code data may be printed or added to
a
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physical or digital receipt. For example, during merchant integration and/or
as merchants
and organizations utilin the expense management system, merchant receipts may
be
received for the same or similar merchants, or merchants that utilin the same
or similar
point-of-sale devices, online marketplaces, or other processes to provide
users with
receipts. These receipts may be processed through a learning algorithm to
identify
similarities between receipts, as well as receipt formats. Additionally, code
placement
and usage on the same or similar receipts may be used to "fingerprint"
merchants and
identify their receipt type and format. Thus, when a merchant submits a
receipt, the
system may utilin the fingerprint of previous receipts to identify data
placement on the
receipt, which simplifies the OCR or other image processing operation. This
allows for
faster extraction of data from the merchant receipt.
[00025] The receipt data may also be used to extract transaction features used
for
categorization of the transaction with the expense policies of the
organization. For
example, the user submitting the receipt, the receipt items, the receipt time,
the merchant,
and/or the location may each be used to further categorize the transaction
within the
expense policies. Such categorization may be done automatically without user
selection
of the expense category or identification. Moreover, the expense management
system
may provide one or more application or platform integrations with a scheduling
system to
further obtain additional transaction data utilind for categorization of the
transaction. For
example, the expense management system may integrate with one or more mobile
devices or personal computer scheduling, calendar, or other personal
management
applications that include a schedule of an organization's user appointments,
meetings,
travel, and other commitments. The expense management system may also
integrate at a
higher level than the particular application(s), such as an online platform
that tracks user
and/or organization scheduling and provides scheduling for a resident device
application
and/or web application. Such integrations may include those with Outlook ,
Google
Calendar , and the like.
[00026] In this regard, when transaction data for a transaction is
detected, received,
and/or stored/processed by the expense management system, the expense
management
system may pull data from the application, platform, and/or database that
corresponds to
the transaction data for the transaction. In other embodiments, the data may
be pushed to
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the system at the time of the transaction or periodically and/or otherwise
accessed by the
system. The system may utilin the scheduling and calendar data at the time of
the
transaction for the user submitting the transaction for processing and/or
expense reporting
to determine further transaction data and automatically categorize the
transaction. The
data may include a current activity or action of the user, a client name,
phone numbers,
emails, user/client identifiers, email addresses, one or more locations,
activity/meeting
subject matter or name, or other information necessary to define the user
activity at the
time of the transaction. The scheduling data may be matched based on times of
the
activities in the scheduling data and the transaction, as well as additional
information. For
example, a user location at the time of the transaction may further be
determined using a
GP S or other location detection component of a user device for the user
generating and
submitting the transaction, which may further be used to determine a schedule
of the user.
Other data integrations may be used to collect further data for categorizing
the
transaction, such as email/messaging data between users and/or clients,
meeting room
reservations with another scheduling component, travel plans with a travel
reservation
system, and the like.
[00027] The additional data for the transaction determined through the
scheduling data
may be stored with the previously obtained transaction data. Additionally, the
expense
management system may provide automatic categorization and sub-categorization
of the
transaction and expense into expense policies and sub-parameters within
expense
policies. For example, utili7ing the meeting subject matter and client name,
the
transaction may be assigned to a client and added to an expense policy for the
client
associated with the user class that the user is in (e.g., sales expenses).
Other scheduling
information may be used to select sub-categories, such as "food" if the client
was taken to
a lunch or dinner, or "meeting preparation" or "travel" expense
categorizations for a
client and/or user class. The calendar information may be used to assign the
transaction
as an internal expense or an external expense that may be used by the
organization to bill
clients and/or users. For example, an expense during travel may normally be
expensed to
the organization, however, if the location or other scheduling and/or
transaction data
indicates it is not acceptable under an expense policy for the user, the
expense may be
charged to the user instead. The expense classification and categorization may
be done
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automatically using the application, platform, and other data integrations,
which does not
require active user input to select expense categories.
[00028] In various embodiments, other types of card data, transaction data,
messages/communications, or other contextual data may be used to assign an
expense to
a particular category, client, and/or system user. Additional contextual data
may be any
data associated with a transaction that may be detected and/or determined by
an expense
management system. For example, types of card data may include Level 2 (L2 or
Level
II) and/or Level 3 (L3 or Level III) card or transaction data that accompanies
a credit or
debit card transaction when the transaction is processed. L2 and/or L3 card
data may
include a purchase order number, a shipping address or zip code, a billing
address or zip
code, a destination location, a tax indicator and/or an amount, a consumer
and/or
merchant name, an item identifier (including an SKU, barcode, QR code, or the
like), an
item description or name, a price, a number or volume of the item, discounts
or applied
benefits, a merchant name and/or code, merchant information including an
address or
location, and similar data that may be used to further define the transaction
and provide
more detailed transaction information. For example, billing codes may be used
to
determine transaction information and assign that transaction to a category.
Similarly,
this card data may be used to determine where an employee is conducting a
transaction,
making a purchase, travelling, or otherwise performing a transaction on behalf
of the
company that should be expensed to a certain category. For example, a plane
ticket
purchase may include a destination city as part of the card data, which may
inform the
system of a client or other expense category for the purchased ticket.
Similarly, multiple
purchases having consumer/client/employee identity information may be used to
assign
each purchase to a particular category (e.g., two tickets purchased with a
client/employee
name on one ticket may designate both tickets to be expensed to that
particular entity).
[00029] L2 or L3 card data may be provided and processed during a transaction
to
provide more detailed information for the transaction, lower card processing
fees, and/or
enable better authentication and security for fraud analysis and protection.
The L2 or L3
data may therefore provide more granular transaction data that may be matched
to
expense categorizations, including clients, employees, and/or the purpose of
the expense.
Thus, the L2 or L3 card data may be used with data for an organization's
expense
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management system to assign the transaction to a particular category. The L2
or L3 card
data may be intercepted by the expense management system during transaction
processing and/or approval of the transaction so that the transaction may be
assigned to a
specific expense category. For example, when a company credit card is used
that is linked
to or provided by the expense management system, the L2 or L2 card data may be
acquired during transaction processing.
[00030] Communications may be accessed and analyzed (e.g., through keyword
analysis or text extraction and processing) to identify any expense
categorizations and
assign an expense to a category. For example, a member or employee of an
organization
may send a message that states an intent for an expense (e.g., "Would you like
to attend
lunch during our conference?" that is sent to a client). The messages may also
be
exchanged between members when a transaction is processed using the company
credit
card or account. Exchange of these messages (including when within the same
geo-
fenced area or within a proximity distance) may indicate a categorization of
an expense,
such as for a conference or within a certain employee class or group. An
employee or
member of an organization may also message another member or a client of the
organization at an event, which may be used to determine that expenses at the
event are
to be assigned to a particular categorization, such as a particular expense
account
associated with the client. For example, shared messages at an event between a
client and
an employee may indicate that transactions at the event using the company
card/account
are to be expensed to the client or on behalf of the client (e.g., an email
exchange
referencing the event and including a purpose of the expense).
[00031] In some embodiments, other applications on a mobile device associated
with a
user processing a transaction may be queried for data or data may be pulled
from those
applications. These other applications may include location detection and/or
mapping,
voice communication (e.g., telecommunication or VoIP), text or instant
messaging, social
networking, microblogging, media sharing, ticketing, travel, food, and other
mobile
applications. Data from the applications may be used to infer an expense for a
transaction
based on similar past data or may be used to further determine transaction
data (e.g., a
transaction location, messages between employee and client, etc.). For
example, a ticket
purchase to an airport associated with or located near a client and/or with a
person
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associated with a client may be used to categorize the purchase as a travel to
the
particular client. Other examples include a reservation made at a favorite
restaurant of a
client, a reservation made nearby a client, a ticket purchase for an event
(such as a
sporting event, show, or concert) that can be associated with a client (such
as previous
interest from the client or prior similar purchase), a reservation made for
lodging near a
client, and/or a gift purchase that is known to be of interest to a client,
e.g., associated
with a hobby or cause. Using the application data, the expense management
system may
be able to determine more granular data for the transaction for automatic
expense
management and allocation for transactions. Note that the data does not need
to be from
an application on a user device but can be obtained through scraping public
sites for
content, such as a chat board where a user/employee mentions an upcoming trip
to a
client, such as on a travel forum.
[00032] Past data may also be utilind with current contextual data to assign
an
expense to a category. For example, if two or more members of an organization
have
previously bought plane or event tickets together and again buy the same or
similar
tickets, a previous expense category may be determined for the previous
purchase, and
the current expense may be assigned to the same or similar category.
Additionally, travel
or event tickets for the same members (e.g., within the same department) of an
organization may be used to infer an expense categorization based on expense
data
entered by one of the users or a previous expense categorization for a similar
expense.
Similarly, if an employee purchases tickets or attends an event with a client
(including
purchase of tickets or payment of an expense at the event for the client),
expense
categorizations used for the event and/or client for previous expenses may
similarly be
used for the present expense.
[00033] As such, systems and methods are provided to enable a company to
better
manage electronic transaction data, including reimbursement or pre-approval
requests,
from its employees and contractors in real-time to reduce fraud and computing
resources
typically required with conventional systems. Further the system provides real-
time data
aggregation used for auditing purposes so that organizations may better
collect and
monitor data. Additionally, the present expense management system may utilin
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application integrations to assign transaction data to particular
categorizations without
requiring input from users and in real-time.
[00034] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a networked system 100 suitable for
implementing the processes described herein, according to an embodiment. As
shown,
system 100 may comprise or implement a plurality of devices, servers, and/or
software
components that operate to perform various methodologies in accordance with
the
described embodiments. Exemplary devices and servers may include device, stand-
alone,
and enterprise-class servers, operating an OS such as a MICROSOFT OS, a UNIX
OS, a LINUX OS, or another suitable device and/or server-based OS. It can be
appreciated that the devices and/or servers illustrated in FIG. 1 may be
deployed in other
ways and that the operations performed and/or the services provided by such
devices
and/or servers may be combined or separated for a given embodiment and may be
performed by a greater number or fewer number of devices and/or servers. One
or more
devices and/or servers may be operated and/or maintained by the same or
different
entities.
[00035] System 100 includes a user device 110, a card identifier 130, an
expense
management system 140, a payment resolution network 160, and a merchant device
170
in communication over a network 180. A user (not shown) may correspond to an
employee, contractor, shareholder, or other suitable person of a company (not
shown and
generally referred to herein as an "employee") associated with user device
110, which
may utilin card identifier 130 to submit purchase requests for items to be
paid using
company funds. Card identifier 130 may correspond to a payment instrument
allowing
for purchase of items using company funds, which may be provided and managed
by
expense management system 140. Expense management system 140 may process
payments using payment resolution network 160. Further, expense management
system
140 may receive receipt and scheduling data from user device 110 for use in
audit data
collecting and expense categorization.
[00036] User device 110, expense management system 140, payment resolution
network 160, and merchant device 170 may each include one or more processors,
memories, and other appropriate components for executing instructions such as
program
code and/or data stored on one or more computer readable mediums to implement
the
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various applications, data, and steps described herein. For example, such
instructions may
be stored in one or more computer readable media such as memories or data
storage
devices internal and/or external to various components of system 100, and/or
accessible
over network 180.
[00037] User device 110 may be utilind by an employee of an organization or
company that employs one or more users, for example, to provide receipt and
scheduling
data to expense management system 140. For example, in one embodiment, user
device
110 may be implemented as a personal computer (PC), telephonic device, a smart
phone,
laptop/tablet computer, wristwatch with appropriate computer hardware
resources,
eyeglasses with appropriate computer hardware (e.g. GOOGLE GLASS (ID), other
type of
wearable computing device, implantable communication devices, and/or other
types of
computing devices capable of transmitting and/or receiving data. In this
regard, user
device 110 includes one or more processing applications which may be
configured to
interact with expense management system 140 to manage payment instruments
provided
by expense management system 140 and further provide data utilind by expense
management system 140. Although only one communication device is shown, a
plurality
of communication devices may function similarly.
[00038] User device 110 of FIG. 1 contains a receipt capture component 120, a
scheduling application 112, other applications 114, a database 116, and a
network
interface component 118. Receipt capture component 120, scheduling application
112,
and other applications 114 may correspond to executable processes, procedures,
and/or
applications with associated hardware. In other embodiments, user device 110
may
include additional or different modules having specialized hardware and/or
software as
required.
[00039] Receipt capture component 120 may be implemented as specialized
hardware
and/or software utilind by user device 110 to capture a receipt of a user and
transmit the
receipt to expense management system 140 for processing. For example, receipt
capture
component 120 may correspond to a software application with a corresponding
camera
122 that allows user device 110 to capture images of physical or digital
receipts, which
may include camera functionalities such as still/video image capture, zoom,
image
adjustment, and other image rendering processes. In other embodiments, a
digital receipt
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may be received by user device 110, such as through a text message, email, or
other
communication channel. In response to receiving or capturing a digital copy of
the
receipt, receipt capture component 120 may transmit the receipt to expense
management
system 140. The receipt may then be processed based on one or more codes
entered on
the receipt by expense management system 140, as discussed herein. In various
embodiments, receipt capture component 120 may include a general browser
application
configured to retrieve, present, and communicate information over the Internet
(e.g.,
utilin resources on the World Wide Web) or a private network. For example,
receipt
capture component 120 may provide a web browser, which may send and receive
information over network 180, including retrieving website information,
presenting the
website information to the user, and/or communicating information to the
website,
including payment information. However, in other embodiments, receipt capture
component 120 may include a dedicated application of expense management system
140
or other entity, which may be configured to assist in establishing and
maintaining user
classes, expense policies, and payment networks.
[00040] Scheduling application 112 may be implemented as specialized hardware
and/or software utilind by user device 110 to scheduling information to
expense
management system 140 for use in assigning expenses to particular
categorizations. In
this regard, scheduling application 112 may correspond to personal management
software, hardware, and data utilind by a user associated with user device 110
to enter,
store, and process data associated with a schedule, calendar, or other
personal
management information. Scheduling application 112 may include appointments,
travel,
meetings, reservations, and other types of calendar information for a user.
Scheduling
application 112 may be integrated with expense management system 140 so that
data
may be shared with expense management system 140 for transactions, for
example, by
providing scheduling data of the user at the time of a transaction. In some
embodiments,
scheduling application 112 may store and process scheduling data store
directly to user
device 110. However, in other embodiments, scheduling application 112 may
access an
online platform and database that provides the scheduling operations and data.
[00041] In various embodiments, user device 110 includes other applications
114 as
may be desired in particular embodiments to provide features to user device
110. For
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example, other applications 114 may include security applications for
implementing
device-side security features, programmatic client applications for
interfacing with
appropriate application programming interfaces (APIs) over network 180, or
other types
of applications and processes. Other applications 114 may contain software
programs,
executable by a processor, including a graphical user interface (GUI),
configured to
provide interfaces to a user when accessing one or more processes or receiving
and
displaying data associated with user device 110 and/or expense management
system 140.
[00042] User device 110 may further include database 116 stored in a
transitory and/or
non-transitory memory of user device 110, which may store various applications
and data
and be utilind during execution of various modules of user device 110. Thus,
database
116 may include, for example, identifiers such as operating system registry
entries,
cookies associated with receipt capture component 120, scheduling application
112
and/or other applications 114, identifiers associated with hardware of user
device 110, or
other appropriate identifiers, such as identifiers used for
payment/user/device
authentication or identification. Database 116 may include data received from
expense
management system 140, such as payment request data, cardholder statements,
approval
requests, and the like, as well as data transmitted to expense management
system 140
(e.g., data from receipt capture component 120 and/or scheduling application
112).
[00043] User device 110 includes at least one network interface component 118
adapted to communicate with expense management system 140, payment resolution
network 160, and/or merchant device 170. In various embodiments, network
interface
component 118 may include a DSL (e.g., Digital Subscriber Line) modem, a PSTN
(Public Switched Telephone Network) modem, an Ethernet device, a broadband
device, a
satellite device and/or various other types of wired and/or wireless network
communication devices.
[00044] Expense management system 140 may be maintained, for example, by an
online service provider, which may provide payment instruments and expense
management services to companies and other organizations. In this regard,
expense
management system 140 includes one or more processing applications which may
be
configured to interact with user device 110, payment resolution network 160,
and
merchant device 170 to facilitate processing of payments and enforcement of
expense
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policies for payment instruments, such as ones associated with card identifier
130. In one
example, expense management system 140 may be provided by BREX , Inc. of San
Francisco, CA, USA. However, in other embodiments, expense management system
140
may be maintained by or include other types of credit providers, financial
services
providers, and/or other service provider, which may provide expense management
services to companies.
[00045] Expense management system 140 of FIG. 1 includes an expense management
application 150, other applications 142, a database 144, and a network
interface
component 146. Expense management application 150 and other applications 142
may
correspond to executable processes, procedures, and/or applications with
associated
hardware. In other embodiments, expense management system 140 may include
additional or different modules having specialized hardware and/or software as
required.
[00046] Expense management application 150 may correspond to specialized
hardware and/or software to allow companies to receive payment instruments
associated
with a bank account and funding of the company, such as one or more company
credit
cards, and provide expense management for those issued payment instruments and
additional funds/accounts of the company. In this regard, a company may first
establish
an account with expense management system by providing company data and
onboard
through expense management application 150. Such information may include bank
account and funding information, such as verified funding from investors,
available funds
directly in an account, and burn rate of company funds over a time period. If
qualified,
expense management system 140 and/or another issuing entity may provide a
payment
instrument that is managed by expense management application 150. For example,
expense management system 140 may issue card identifier 130 for a real or
virtual credit
card or may issue other types of payment instruments and instrument
identifiers that may
be used for company payments.
[00047] Expense management application 150 may provide one or more processes
accessible by an administrator of an organization to establish settings and
preferences
necessary for the enforcement of expense policies and approvals/denials of
payment
requests using an issued payment instrument, such as card identifier 130. In
this regard,
the administrator may establish user classes and select expense policies,
which
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correspond to attributes for allowable spend under that policy, such as
maximum
purchase amount, maximum spend over a time period, merchant/item types,
location,
hours of purchase, etc. Expense management application 150 may further provide
additional processes for use with an expense management policy for an
organization,
such as receipt matching operation 152 and schedule allocation operation 154.
The
additional functionality and processes provided by expense management
application 150
are described in more detail with regard to the additional Figures of the
application, such
as FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3,4, and 5.
[00048] Receipt matching operation 152 may correspond to a process whereby
codes
may be generated for output on a receipt for a transaction, which may later be
used for
receipt matching. Receipt matching operation 152 may detect a transaction
occurring
using card identifier 130 with merchant device 170, for example, by expense
management application 150 receiving transaction data for processing based on
an
organization's expense policy. The code(s) may include an authorization code
based on
authorizing the transaction for processing and a transaction identifier that
identifies the
transaction. Receipt matching operation 152 may cause the code(s) to be output
or
displayed on a receipt, for example, by communicating the code(s) to merchant
device
170 for printing on a receipt and/or entry on a digital receipt. Thereafter, a
digital copy of
the receipt may be received by expense management system 140 and receipt
matching
operation 152 may be used to determine the codes on the receipt. The codes may
be
identified through OCR or other image processing, text processing of text data
on a
digital receipt, or other process. Once the codes are identified, the codes
may be used to
match the digital copy of the receipt to the stored transaction data from
transaction
processing. Receipt matching operation 152 may further provide a process to
score the
matches between codes, transaction data, and additional data extracted from a
digital
copy of a receipt, which may occur when one or more codes are not identified
on the
received receipt data.
[00049] Schedule allocation operation 154 may further provide a process for
expense
management application 150 to automatically categorize an expense based on
data for a
user at a time of the transaction. Schedule allocation operation 154 may
provide an
application data integration with scheduling application 112 or other
scheduling platform
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so that schedule allocation operation 154 may receive schedule data for a time
that a
transaction occurs that is associated with the user and schedule. In other
embodiments,
schedule allocation operation 154 may integrate with a different application,
process, or
device to detect additional contextual data. The contextual data may include
card data,
such as L2 or L3 card data detected during a transaction based on input by the
merchant
or other transaction data. The additional contextual data may include
communications
between parties, such as employees and/or clients of an organization. In some
embodiments, applications on a mobile device or content from public sites may
be used
to further determine transaction data used for expense categorization.
Moreover, the
current transaction data may be matched to past transaction data and
categorizations so
that expense allocation may be performed without requiring a user to again
select or enter
expense categorization selections.
[00050]
Schedule allocation operation 154 may retrieve the schedule and/or contextual
information for the transaction and may process the information to categorize
the
transaction into an expense type or category. For example, a location, client
name, user
identifier, or other information may be used to determine a type of expense, a
client
associated with the expense, or other information about the expense.
Communications
between parties may be used to determine an expense based on the content of
the
messages or the identities of the parties exchanging the messages. Moreover,
other types
of card data, application data, and/or other contextual data may further be
used to assign
the expense to a particular category. Schedule allocation operation 154 may
further be
used to assign the transaction to an expense policy of the organization for
the user, such
as an amount allowed under the policy and whether the transaction is
authorized under
that expense policy.
[00051] In various embodiments, expense management system 140 includes other
applications 142 as may be desired in particular embodiments to provide
features to
expense management system 140. For example, other applications 142 may include
security applications for implementing server-side security features,
programmatic client
applications for interfacing with appropriate application programming
interfaces (APIs)
over network 180, or other types of applications. Other applications 142 may
contain
software programs, executable by a processor, including a graphical user
interface (GUI),
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configured to provide an interface to the user when accessing expense
management
system 140.
[00052] Additionally, expense management system 140 includes database 144. As
previously discussed, the user, entity, and/or organization corresponding to
user device
110 may establish one or more accounts with expense management system 140,
which
may be used to issue card identifier 130. Payment accounts in database 144 may
include
entity information, such as name, address, payment/funding information,
additional user
financial information, and/or other desired user data. The entity may
establish expense
controls and policies for their company that may be stored in database 144.
Database 144
may also be used to store transaction data and information on issued payment
instruments
to the company and transactions processed using those instruments, including
receipts
matched to transactions and categorization or transactions based on scheduling
information.
[00053] In various embodiments, expense management system 140 includes at
least
one network interface component 146 adapted to communicate user device 110,
payment
resolution network 160, and/or merchant device 170 over network 180. In
various
embodiments, network interface component 146 may comprise a DSL (e.g., Digital
Subscriber Line) modem, a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) modem, an
Ethernet device, a broadband device, a satellite device and/or various other
types of wired
and/or wireless network communication devices.
[00054] Payment resolution network 160 may correspond to a network utilind for
resolution of payment requests and electronic transaction processing, which
may be
governed by permissions (e.g., acceptances and denials) of payment requests
for
transaction processing by expense management system 140. In this regard,
payment
resolution network 160 may correspond to a credit card or debit card network
where an
acquiring bank or entity may interact with an issuing bank or entity for the
resolution of a
payment using card identifier 130. However, in other embodiments, payment
resolution
network may correspond to other types of payment networks and payment types,
such as
direct debit payments (ACH payments), wire exchanges or payments, prepaid card
payments, or regionally/company-specific payments. Payment resolution network
160
may be implemented by expense management system 140 on request by user device
110,
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and may allow authorized users (e.g., users and user classes) to interact with
the network
to submit payments and process transactions, allow third parties (e.g., banks
or other
financial service intermediaries) to interact on the network on behalf of the
user, and/or
access or use data provided to or from the payment network, such as
notifications of
transactions and details that allow authorizing or declining transactions.
Thus, expense
management system 140 may utilin payment resolution network 160 in the
managing,
approval, denial, and data gathering associated with payment requests using
company
issued payment instruments associated with payment resolution network 160,
such as
card identifier 130, which may include transaction data that is audited and
added to
expense categorizations by expense management system 140. In some embodiments,
payment resolution network 160 may include or be connected with an online
banking
resource for a bank utilind by expense management system 140 to resolve fees
and
payments processed by expense management system.
[00055] Merchant device 170 may be maintained, for example, by a merchant or
other
entity selling one or more items to users, which may include single users or
groups of
independent users as well as small and large merchants. Merchant device 170
may
provide the items for sale, such as through use of various software,
infrastructure,
websites, applications, and/or other platforms for advertisement, sale, and
payment
processing. In this regard, merchant device 170 may include a device having
processing
applications, which may be configured to interact with user device 110,
expense
management system 140, and/or payment resolution network 160 to engage in
transactions using card identifier 130. In some embodiments, merchant device
170 may
be implemented as a single or networked personal computers (PCs), a smart
phone,
laptop computer, wearable computing device, and/or other types of computing
devices.
Although only one merchant device is shown, a plurality of merchant devices
may
function similarly.
[00056] Merchant device 170 may be implemented with an application offering
items
for sale that may be accessed by a computing device to present the items for
sale to the
user associated with card identifier. In certain embodiments, the application
may provide
a website available over the Internet and/or online content and/or database
information
accessible through a dedicated application. Thus, the application may provide
item sales
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through an online marketplace using the website of the merchant. The
application may
also correspond to a checkout application at a physical merchant location,
such as the
application(s) of a point-of-sale (POS) device used to provide sales at
physical locations.
Merchant device 170 may be used to establish a transaction once a
user/employee
associated with user device 110 has selected one or more items for purchase.
Once a
payment amount is determined for the item(s) to be purchased by the user,
merchant
device 170 may request payment using card identifier 130. After input,
merchant device
170 may then process a payment to the merchant associated with merchant device
170
using card identifier 130 and payment resolution network 160. Expense
management
system 140 may utilin network integration with payment resolution network 160
to
manage expense policies for the organization associated with card identifier
130. Thus,
expense management system 140 may approve or deny the payment request based on
the
policies for the company associated with user device 110. The transaction data
may also
be provided to expense management system for automatic expense categorization
using a
calendar of a user. The payment request may then be processed, payment
provided to the
merchant account, and notification of payment (or failure, for example, where
the
payment request is non-compliant with the company policies) may be sent to
merchant
device 170. Merchant device 170 may then receive the results of the
transaction
processing and may generate a receipt having one or more codes entered to the
receipt for
expense tracking and auditing purposes.
[00057] Network 180 may be implemented as a single network or a combination of
multiple networks. For example, in various embodiments, network 180 may
include the
Internet or one or more intranets, landline networks, wireless networks,
and/or other
appropriate types of networks. Thus, network 180 may correspond to small scale
communication networks, such as a private or local area network, or a larger
scale
network, such as a wide area network or the Internet, accessible by the
various
components of system 100.
[00058] FIG. 2A is an exemplary receipt including an authorization code and
transaction identifier used for receipt capture and data tracking with an
expense
management system, according to an embodiment. FIG. 2A includes a receipt 200a
that
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include data used for receipt and transaction data tracking by an expense
management
system.
[00059] In this regard, receipt 200a includes one or more codes that may be
used for
receipt matching by an expense management system and policies for an
organization.
Receipt 200a includes transaction data as well, which may be used for receipt
matching
and/or extraction of further transaction data. For example, receipt 200a
includes a
merchant identifier 1000 for a Merchant A that generated the transaction based
on a
transaction request by a user. Receipt 2000a further includes a cashier
identifier 1002, a
store identifier 1004, and a merchant address 1006 that may be included on
receipt 200a
for additional information for the transaction and merchant that generated the
transaction.
Further, transaction data may be added to receipt 200a, which includes
purchased items
1008, tax 1010, tip 1012, a total 1014, and a signature line 1020. In order to
provide
receipt tracking, a transaction identifier 1016 and an authorization code 1018
may be
added to receipt 200a.
[00060] When an image or other digital copy of receipt 200a is provided to an
expense
management system, the system may utilin image processing to identify
transaction
identifier 1016 and authorization code 1018. Transaction identifier 1016 and
authorization code 1018 may be identified through OCR or other image
processing
process and may be identified based on a fingerprint of receipt 200a and/or
receipt
fingerprints for merchant identifier 1000. Transaction identifier 1016 and
authorization
code 1018 may also or instead be identified through utili7ation of lines on
receipt 200a
for particular data and segmentation of receipt 200a by those lines. For
example,
transaction identifier 1016 may be known to be on a line with total 1014 so
that the code
"A12345" may be read as transaction identifier 1016 when the code is on the
same line as
total 1014. The fingerprint associated with receipt 200a and/or merchant
identifier 1000
may also be used to extract code "B67890" as authorization code 1018.
[00061] Once the codes are extracted for transaction identifier 1016 and
authorization
code 1018, the codes may be matched to stored transaction data for the
transaction
associated with receipt 200a. Once matched, receipt 200a may be stored with
the
transaction data. However, if the transaction data cannot be matched and/or
the codes are
not extracted and determined from receipt 200a, additional receipt data may be
extracted
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from receipt 200a, such as the merchant identifier 1000, total 1014, and/or
other data on
receipt 200a. A scoring process may be used to determine a most likely
transaction for
receipt 200a in the expense management system's database. The scoring system
may look
at similar transactions generated for the card identifier if receipt 200a
shows a card
identifier or is received from a user associated with a particular card
identifier. Thus,
other data from receipt 200a may also be used to associate the receipt to
transaction data
and store the receipt for auditing or other management purposes.
[00062] FIG. 2B is an exemplary system environment for matching receipt data
to
expense data in a transactional database, according to an embodiment.
Environment 200b
includes a receipt 1100 matched to data in a receipt database 1110, such as a
transactional
database of an expense management system. Receipt database 1110 may include
data
generated from transaction processing that is used to match the data to a
digital copy of a
receipt for receipt tracking and auditing purposes.
[00063] For example, receipt 1100 includes at least transaction data 1102,
a
transaction identifier 1104, and an authorization code 1106. Transaction data
1102 may
be generated by a merchant device when a transaction is requested to be
processed, which
may include providing a card identifier associated with an expense management
system
that performs receipt matching. Transaction data 1102 may include merchant
identifiers,
items and costs, total, and other information. When receipt 1100 is generated,
transaction
identifier 1104 may be added to the receipt with authorization code 1106 by
the expense
management system so that receipt 1100 may be matched to transaction data in
receipt
database 1110. Receipt database 1110 includes receipt images 1112, processed
transaction data 1114, transaction identifiers 1118, and authorization codes
1120. Receipt
images 1112 may include digital copies of receipts, such as receipt 1100.
Thus, a user
may image receipt 1100 and provide the image to the expense management system,
which may store the receipt and associated the receipt with a particular
transaction in
processed transaction data 1114.
[00064] Transaction identifier 1104 and authorization code 1106 may be
extracted
from the digital copy of receipt 1100 using OCR or other image processing,
including
based on a merchant or receipt fingerprint for receipt 1100. Once extracted,
the expense
management system may perform data matching using transaction identifiers 1118
and
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authorization codes 1120 for processed transaction data 1114 previously
generated based
on electronic transaction processing for a transaction requested by a user
using a card
identifier serviced by the expense management system. Once matched, the
digital copy of
receipt 1100 may be stored with the particular transaction from processed
transaction data
1114. Moreover, transaction data 1102 may be extracted from receipt 1100 and
added to
processed transaction data 1114. For example, merchant information, tax, tip,
or other
data may be added to the transaction data for receipt 1100. This may allow for
further
auditing and expense management or categorization by the expense management
system.
In another embodiment, receipt 1100, either before or after capture, may allow
a user to
enter data, such as a code or a note that can provide additional information
for
management or categorization of the amount. The receipt may have a specific
location,
such as upper right corner, where the data can be entered, which enables more
efficient
capture of the data by eliminating the need for the system to scan the entire
receipt. The
specific location may vary between different types or formats of receipt, such
as based on
where there is the most unused space. Data may identify a purpose for the
expense,
names of individuals and associated company(s), and any other data that may be
requested or helpful to the particular expense management system.
[00065] FIG. 3 is an exemplary system environment for synchronizing
application
scheduling data with expense data in a transactional database, according to an
embodiment. System environment 300 of FIG. 3 includes user device 110 and
expense
management system 140 discussed in reference to systems 100 of FIG. 1. In this
regard,
an integration between user device 110 and expense management system 140 may
be
used to exchange data over a data exchange channel 2100 so that calendar or
schedule
information may be added to transaction data and used to classify or
categorize the data
in an expense management system and according to expense policies.
[00066] In system environment 300, user device 110 includes a scheduling
application
interface 2000 that includes a schedule A 2002 for a user, such as a calendar
having
appointments, meetings, travel, and other obligations or time allotments of
the user.
Schedule A 2002 includes calendar or scheduling information for weekdays, such
as a
shown Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday calendar. As shown in schedule A 2002, the
user
has a staff office meeting 2004 at 10AM on Monday, a lunch appointment 2006
with
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Alice on Tuesday at 12PM, and travel 2008 to city A on Wednesday from 9AM to
6PM.
Each of these appointments may include a time, a location, clients or other
users (e.g.,
company employees, associates, or other acquaintances including friends or
family), a
topic or type of the appointment, or other information about the particular
appointment of
the user. Calendar information for schedule A 2002 may be transmitted to
expense
management system 140 through data exchange channel 2100. For example,
schedule A
2002 may be requested by expense management system 140 based on received
transaction data, which may request all of schedule A 2002 or may request just
particular
portions of schedule A 2002 that match a time or other transaction data for a
transaction.
In other embodiments, schedule A 2002 may be pushed to expense management
system
140 based on a processed transaction or otherwise transmitted to expense
management
system 140.
[00067] Expense management system 140 includes an expense management database
2200 that may be stored on one or more data structures of expense management
system
140 (e.g., database 144 in system 100). Expense management database 2200 may
correspond to a transactional database for transaction data generated from a
processed
transaction of an organization (e.g., using a payment instrument, account, or
card
identifier issued to the organization). Expense management database 2200 may
store the
transaction data, and expense management system 140 may require or provide
expense
categorization and assignment to expense policies for expensing business
costs,
accounting, and auditing purposes. Thus, expense management database 2200
includes
company A expenses 2202 for the transaction data and corresponding expenses of
company A that purchases items and services. For example, company A expenses
2202
may be organized by one or more payment accounts 2204 including a payment
account A
2206. Payment account A 2206 may correspond to a card or account identifier
for a
payment instrument provided to the user associated with user device 110 and
therefore
schedule A 2002. Thus, expense management system 140 may categorize the
expenses of
the user using the transaction data of company A expenses 2202 for payment
account A
2206 and data from schedule A 2002.
[00068] For example, an expense A 2208 may include a time 2210 on Monday at
10AM. Using schedule A 2002 received through data exchange channel 2100,
expense
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management system 2002 may determine that the user was at staff office meeting
2004.
Transaction details 2212 may include details of the transaction, such as items
purchased,
costs, location, etc. Moreover, expense A 2208 may be associated with a
receipt 2214 that
is matched to transaction details, for example, using the receipt data
tracking and
matching through displayable codes discussed herein. However, without
selection of an
expense category, expense A 2208 may not be assigned to an expense policy
and/or
category for company A. Instead, by determining that the user was at staff
office meeting
2004 through the scheduling application and/or platform integration, expense A
2208
may be assigned to expense category A 2216, such as a category or policy
associated
with purchases that are made for specifically for staff office meetings and/or
work
meetings.
[00069] Similarly, expense B 2218 includes a time 2220 of Tuesday, 12PM,
transaction details 2222, a receipt 2224, and an expense category B 2226. As
shown in
schedule A 2002, the user was at lunch appointment 2006 with Alice, a client
of the user
and organization. Since Alice is a client and based on the scheduling data for
schedule A
2002 of the user, expense B 2218 may be assigned to expense category B 2226 to
expense the cost of lunch appointment 2006 or client A 2228 (e.g., the
organization of
Alice or Alice directly). Expense C 2230 is shown with a time 2232 of
Wednesday, 1PM,
transaction details 2234, receipt 2236, and expense category C 2238. The user
is shown
having travel 2008 to city A from 9AM-6PM on Wednesday in schedule A 2002.
Thus,
the user is expensing all costs during this time to expense category C 2238
for travel, and
expense C 2230 is assigned to expense category C 2238 due to time 2232
occurring
during travel 2008.
[00070] FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart 400 for performing receipt code
generation
and tracking through image processing for receipt data synchronization in an
expense
management system, according to an embodiment. Note that one or more steps,
processes, and methods of flowchart 400 described herein may be omitted,
performed in
a different sequence, or combined as desired or appropriate.
[00071] At step 402 of flowchart 400, transaction data with a merchant is
detected,
such as receiving or detecting a transaction processing request for a
transaction on a
payment resolution network and using a payment instrument issued to a company
that is
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managed by an expense management system. The transaction data may be stored by
the
expense management system for resolution under an expense policy and later
categorization of the expense for the transaction. Thereafter, the expense
management
system generates receipt matching codes for the transaction data, which may
correspond
to at least one alphanumeric, bar, or QR code for the specific transaction
data, at step 404.
For example, an authorization code and a transaction identifier may be
generated. These
codes are then caused to be output on a receipt from the merchant, at step
406. The codes
may be printed onto a physical receipt or may be added to a digital receipt
transmitted to
a device of a user requesting transaction processing or of the organization of
the user.
[00072] At step 408, a receipt image or other digital copy of the receipt
is received
from the user with the entity or organization that utilins the expense
management system
for expense policy enforcement. The receipt may correspond to an image
captured using
a camera of a device, such as a mobile device, or may correspond to the
digital receipt
forwarded to the expense management system over a communication channel. The
receipt's digital copy may be sent in response to the expense management
system
requesting the receipt after detecting transaction processing or may be sent
by the user at
a later point when the user completes expensing the transaction and reporting
the
transaction to the organization or expense management system. Image processing
is then
performed on the receipt image to identify the codes on the receipt image or
other digital
copy, at step 410. For example, the codes may be identified through OCR or
other image
processing and knowledge of a code length or code content. The codes may also
be read
from a printed code image, such as a bar or QR code. Certain image
segmentation or
comparison to receipt fingerprints or models may be used to identify where the
codes are
placed on the receipt, and then utilin OCR or other image processing to
extract the
codes. A code fingerprint may be used to determine that codes are printed in
line with
other data on the receipt or in particular locations of the receipt.
[00073] If no codes are extracted from the receipt or the receipt appears to
be missing
codes, then at step 412, receipt data is determined from the receipt image,
such as
merchant information and identifiers, transaction data (e.g., items, cost,
tax, tip, etc.), and
other information that can be extracted from the receipt. The receipt data is
matched to
stored transaction data with the expense management system, at step 414, which
may
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limit the matching and querying of database information to those transactions
processed
or managed on behalf of the organization. The receipt data matching to stored
transaction
data is also scored, at step 414, which may determine a highest or most likely
match
between the data. Once the most likely match is determined, the receipt data,
including
the extracted data and/or the receipt image or digital copy, is added to the
stored
transaction data, at step 416. In one embodiment, the data is stored only if
the highest or
most likely match exceeds a predetermined threshold.
[00074]
Conversely, if at step 410, the codes are detected in the image, then the
receipt
is matched to the stored transaction data using the codes, at step 418.
Further, the
matching of the codes to the stored transaction data is scored to determine a
most likely
match between the codes (as well as additional receipt data extracted using
image
processing). The most likely match between the receipt and the stored
transaction data is
determined, and at step 420, the receipt data (e.g., the extracted receipt
data and the
receipt image or digital copy) is added to the stored transaction data. As
with the above,
the data is stored only if the highest or most likely match exceeds a
predetermined
threshold, which prevents non-reliable data from being stored and/or used.
[00075] FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart for performing application data
synchronizations based on application integrations for automatically
categorizing expense
data, according to an embodiment. Note that one or more steps, processes, and
methods
of flowchart 500 described herein may be omitted, performed in a different
sequence, or
combined as desired or appropriate.
[00076] At step 502 of flowchart 500, transaction data for a transaction with
a
merchant is received and/or detected. For example, a transaction processing
request for a
transaction on a payment resolution network and using a payment instrument
issued to a
company that is managed by an expense management system may be detected. The
transaction data may be stored by the expense management system for
categorization of
the expense for the transaction using calendar or scheduling information for
the user
generating the transaction. Thus, at step 504, the user that submitted the
transaction is
determined. For example, the card identifier used to process the transaction
may be
linked to a specific user so that the user is identified. The user may also be
identified
through co-locating a mobile device of the user for the organization to the
merchant
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location using a GP S unit or other location detection component of the mobile
device.
Other data matching may also be used, such as mobile communications at the
time of the
transaction or indicating transaction processing.
[00077] At step 506, scheduling data for the user at the transaction time
is accessed.
The scheduling data may be accessed through an application or online platform
integration with a scheduling application and process for the user, such as a
digital
calendar of the user. Additional expense details are then determined based on
the
scheduling data, at step 508. The additional expense details may be determined
based on
information and details in the scheduling data at the time, such as a meeting
name, client
name, user identifiers at the meeting or appointment, travel details, location
of the
appointment or travel, identification of the appointment content or reason, or
other
information. For example, the scheduling data may indicate user names, phone
numbers,
or emails that attended the meeting, a client name for the meeting, or a
location of the
appointment that may be used to add expense details to the transaction and
further
categorize the transaction under an expense policy so that the expense may be
added to
expense limits, client reimbursement, or other expense management. In some
embodiments, step 508 may include a sub-step 508a, where the expense
management
system may further determine whether to process the transaction based on the
calendar
data. For example, during travel, expenses may be expensed to the organization
for
reimbursement to the user. However, certain expenses, such as personal gifts
for friends
or family may not be covered under the expense policy for travel under the
user class.
Thus, if the calendar information indicates that the user is not currently
working or
purchasing items for organizational travel, then the expense may be declined
for
processing or may be categorized as an unauthorized purchase that is the
user's
responsibility for payment.
[00078] At step 510, the additional expense details are added to the
transaction data
stored by the system based on the transaction processing. The additional
expense details
may define the transaction under an expense policy by matching the transaction
to
particular categories for the expense policy. This may allow the expense
management
system to better define the transaction and automate categorizations of
expenses without
requiring user input. The transaction is then categorized based on the
transaction data and
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the additional expense details, at step 512, such that the transaction is
expensed under a
particular expense policy and category.
[00079] Thus, using various embodiments discussed herein, companies can better
(e.g., more efficiently and more accurately) track and manage expenses
incurred by users
associated with a company funding source or account by using data contained
within a
receipt or transaction record to match data within a database for tracking,
approving and
otherwise managing financial transactions conducted by such users.
[00080] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a computer system suitable for
implementing one
or more components in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment. In various
embodiments, the
communication device may comprise a personal computing device (e.g., smart
phone, a
computing tablet, a personal computer, laptop, a wearable computing device
such as
glasses or a watch, Bluetooth device, key FOB, badge, etc.) capable of
communicating
with the network. The service provider may utilin a network computing device
(e.g., a
network server) capable of communicating with the network. It should be
appreciated
that each of the devices utilind by users and service providers may be
implemented as
computer system 600 in a manner as follows.
[00081] Computer system 600 includes a bus 602 or other communication
mechanism
for communicating information data, signals, and information between various
components of computer system 600. Components include an input/output (I/0)
component 604 that processes a user action, such as selecting keys from a
keypad/keyboard, selecting one or more buttons, image, or links, and/or moving
one or
more images, etc., and sends a corresponding signal to bus 602. I/O component
604 may
also include an output component, such as a display 611 and a cursor control
613 (such as
a keyboard, keypad, mouse, etc.). An optional audio input/output component 605
may
also be included to allow a user to use voice for inputting information by
converting
audio signals. Audio I/0 component 605 may allow the user to hear audio. A
transceiver
or network interface 606 transmits and receives signals between computer
system 600
and other devices, such as another communication device, service device, or a
service
provider server via network 180. In one embodiment, the transmission is
wireless,
although other transmission mediums and methods may also be suitable. One or
more
processors 612, which can be a micro-controller, digital signal processor
(DSP), or other
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processing component, processes these various signals, such as for display on
computer
system 600 or transmission to other devices via a communication link 618.
Processor(s)
612 may also control transmission of information, such as cookies or IP
addresses, to
other devices.
[00082] Components of computer system 600 also include a system memory
component 614 (e.g., RAM), a static storage component 616 (e.g., ROM), and/or
a disk
drive 617. Computer system 600 performs specific operations by processor(s)
612 and
other components by executing one or more sequences of instructions contained
in
system memory component 614. Logic may be encoded in a computer readable
medium,
which may refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to
processor(s)
612 for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not
limited to,
non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. In various
embodiments,
non-volatile media includes optical or magnetic disks, volatile media includes
dynamic
memory, such as system memory component 614, and transmission media includes
coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, including wires that comprise
bus 602. In
one embodiment, the logic is encoded in non-transitory computer readable
medium. In
one example, transmission media may take the form of acoustic or light waves,
such as
those generated during radio wave, optical, and infrared data communications.
[00083] Some common forms of computer readable media includes, for example,
floppy disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic
medium, CD-
ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical
medium
with patterns of holes, RAM, PROM, EEPROM, FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory
chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer is adapted to
read.
[00084] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, execution of
instruction
sequences to practice the present disclosure may be performed by computer
system 600.
In various other embodiments of the present disclosure, a plurality of
computer systems
600 coupled by communication link 618 to the network (e.g., such as a LAN,
WLAN,
PTSN, and/or various other wired or wireless networks, including
telecommunications,
mobile, and cellular phone networks) may perform instruction sequences to
practice the
present disclosure in coordination with one another.
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[00085] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be described in view
of
the following clauses. However, additional or other embodiments of the present
disclosure may be described herein.
[00086] 1. A system, comprising: a non-transitory memory storing
instructions; and
one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and
configured to
read the instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to
perform
operations comprising: detecting an electronic transaction between a user and
a merchant
at a time of using a payment card associated with the system, wherein the
electronic
transaction comprises transaction data generated during processing the
electronic
transaction by the system; determining, from a calendar application, calendar
information
for the user at the time, wherein the calendar application is accessible
through a device of
the user; determining additional transaction data for the electronic
transaction using the
calendar information; and storing the additional transaction data with the
transaction data
generated by the system for the electronic transaction.
[00087] 2. The system of clause 1, wherein the calendar information comprises
an
appointment or a meeting at the time of using the payment card, wherein the
calendar
information further comprises at least one of a location, a client name, a
meeting name, or
a meeting length, and wherein the additional transaction data comprises an
expense
categorization for the electronic transaction.
[00088] 3. The system of clause 1, wherein the calendar application
comprises travel
details for the user, wherein the calendar information comprises travel data
of the user at
the time, and wherein the additional transaction data comprises a travel
expense
categorization for the electronic transaction.
[00089] 4. The system of clause 3, wherein the operations further comprise:
assigning
the electronic transaction to at least one of a client account or a travel
account associated
with a business entity providing the payment card to the user.
[00090] 5. The system of clause 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
allocating an expense reimbursement payment for the electronic transaction to
a client of
the user based on the additional transaction data.
[00091] 6. The system of clause 5, wherein the allocating the expense
reimbursement
payment to the client is done without user input for identifying the client.
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[00092] 7. The system of clause 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a location of the user at the time of using the payment card using
a location
detection component of a mobile device of the user, wherein the additional
transaction
data is further determined based on the location at the time of using the
payment card.
[00093] 8. The system of clause 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a user activity of the user at the time of using the payment card
based on the
calendar information, wherein the additional transaction data is further
determined based
on the user activity at the time of using the payment card.
[00094] 9. The system of clause 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
determining contextual data for the electronic transaction based on at least
one of level
two card data, level three card data, messaging data, mobile application data,
or past
expense categorization data; and assigning the electronic transaction to an
expense
management category based on the transaction data, the additional transaction
data, and
the contextual data.
[00095] 10. The system of clause 1, wherein the operations further
comprise:
determining at least one of a merchant identifier, a date, or an amount of the
electronic
transaction based on the transaction data; and assigning the electronic
transaction to an
expense policy category based on the additional transaction data and the at
least one of
the merchant identifier, the date, or the amount.
[00096] 11. The system of clause 1, wherein prior to the determining the
calendar
information, the operations further comprise: processing the electronic
transaction with
the merchant based on an expense management policy associated with the payment
card,
wherein the calendar information is determined in response to the processing
the
electronic transaction.
[00097] 12. A method comprising: receiving transaction data for a
transaction
requested for processing by a service provider on behalf of a user with a
merchant,
wherein the user is associated with an entity that provides an account
identifier to the user
for an expense management system of the entity; processing the transaction
with the
merchant based on the account identifier, wherein the processing the
transaction
generates transaction data with the service provider; determining, from a
digital
application utilind by the user, contextual data of one of the user or the
transaction at a
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time of the transaction based on the transaction data; and allocating the
transaction to an
expense management category based on the contextual data and the transaction
data.
[00098] 13. The method of clause 12, wherein the contextual data comprises
one of an
appointment, a meeting, or travel at the time of the transaction.
[00099] 14. The method of clause 12, further comprising: determining
additional
transaction data for the transaction based on the contextual data, wherein the
contextual
data comprises one of expense card data, merchant input data, communications
data, or
past expense data, wherein the allocating the transaction is further based on
the additional
transaction data.
[000100] 15. The method of clause 12, wherein the allocating the transaction
to the
expense management category comprises: identifying a plurality of expense
management
categories for the entity, wherein each of the plurality of expense management
categories
provide an expense categorization for purchases using the account identifier
for the
expense management system; and determining the expense management category for
the
transaction based on the contextual data, the transaction data, and the
plurality of expense
management categories.
[000101] 16. The method of clause 12, further comprising allocating the
transaction to a
specific client of the entity based on the contextual data and the expense
management
category.
[000102] 17. The method of clause 12, further comprising: receiving a receipt
for the
transaction from a user device of the user; determining receipt data on the
receipt using
an image recognition process; and further allocating the transaction to a sub-
category of
the expense management category based on the receipt data.
[000103] 18. The method of clause 17, wherein the sub-category comprises one
or more
of food, drink, travel, or gifting, and wherein the sub-category is further
assigned to a
client based on one of a phone number, an email address, a messenger name, or
a client
name.
[000104] 19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon
machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform
operations
comprising: receiving a transaction request for a transaction between a user
and a
merchant using a payment instrument associated with a company of the user,
wherein the
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payment instrument is associated with an expense management system provided by
a
service provider to the company; in response to the transaction request,
processing the
transaction with the merchant based on the payment instrument and the expense
management system; determining, from a personal information management
application
of the user, a current action of the user at a time of the transaction;
determining expense
management information for the transaction based on the current action; and
storing the
expense management information with transaction data for the transaction.
[000105] 20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of clause 19, wherein
the
determining the current action of the user further comprises receiving an
image of a
receipt for the transaction and determining transaction data from the receipt,
wherein the
expense management information is further determined based on the transaction
data
[000106] Where applicable, various embodiments provided by the present
disclosure
may be implemented using hardware, software, or combinations of hardware and
software. Also, where applicable, the various hardware components and/or
software
components set forth herein may be combined into composite components
comprising
software, hardware, and/or both without departing from the spirit of the
present
disclosure. Where applicable, the various hardware components and/or software
components set forth herein may be separated into sub-components comprising
software,
hardware, or both without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
In addition,
where applicable, it is contemplated that software components may be
implemented as
hardware components and vice-versa.
[000107] Software, in accordance with the present disclosure, such as program
code
and/or data, may be stored on one or more computer readable mediums. It is
also
contemplated that software identified herein may be implemented using one or
more
general purpose or specific purpose computers and/or computer systems,
networked
and/or otherwise. Where applicable, the ordering of various steps described
herein may
be changed, combined into composite steps, and/or separated into sub-steps to
provide
features described herein.
[000108] The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present
disclosure to the
precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. As such, it is
contemplated that various
alternate embodiments and/or modifications to the present disclosure, whether
explicitly
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described or implied herein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Haying
thus described
embodiments of the present disclosure, persons of ordinary skill in the art
will recognize
that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope
of the
present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is limited only by the
claims.
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