Intuit, Inc.

Benjamin R Weiss

Todd Matthew Fitch

James Robert Del Favero

Marko Rukonic

George A Hansen

John Reed Flora

Jim Del Favero

Thomas Frasher

Lisa Cohen Gevelber

Glynis Hively

Chris Lee

Mary Lunneborg Rosen

Christopher Friedrich Dolezalek

David Wolbert

Roy Goldman

David R Larsen

Todd William Zazelenchuk

Barron R Ernst

Didrik Hoag

A system that performs a financial transaction on behalf of a user is presented. During operation, the system receives parameters for the financial transaction. Next, the system analyzes the parameters to determine financial benefits of using one or more subsets of financial sources from a set of financial sources associated with the user to fulfill the financial transaction. The system then selects a subset of financial sources which substantially maximizes the financial benefits for the user. Next, the system uses the selected subset of financial sources to fulfill the financial transaction on behalf of the user.

Method and apparatus for performing a financial transaction

A method and system for providing consumer defined coupons includes a process for providing consumer defined coupons whereby a consumer proposes/defines the parameters or 'terms' of a proposed coupon and/or marketing offer that the consumer feels would compel the consumer to purchase a product and/or service, shop at a defined store, or perform some other defined action. The consumer defined coupon terms are then provided to a potential coupon provider. The potential coupon provider is then provided the opportunity to review the consumer defined coupon terms. The potential coupon provider is then provided the opportunity to accept the consumer defined coupon terms, reject the consumer defined coupon terms, and/or propose alternative coupon terms. If the potential coupon provider accepts the consumer defined coupon terms, a coupon is then created and provided to the consumer.

Method and system for providing consumer defined coupons

A system that authorizes a financial transaction is presented. During operation, the system receives a request to authorize accounts associated with one or more financial instruments to be used to fulfill the financial transaction. Next, the system determines a transaction location at which the financial transaction is being performed. The system then determines whether the accounts are authorized to be used at the transaction location. If so, the system authorizes the accounts to be used to fulfill the financial transaction.

Method and apparatus for authorizing a financial transaction

A system and method for product market analysis using consumer financial data obtains financial data associated with a given consumer. At least part of the consumer financial data is then stored by the process for product market analysis using consumer financial data, or another party/application, typically in accounts/locations associated with the given consumer. An electronic media based marketing device is then provided by a product marketer, the electronic media based marketing device being capable of activation. When a consumer activates the electronic media based marketing device at least part of the consumer financial data associated with the consumer is transferred to the product marketer. As a result, the product marketer obtains significant amounts of information for market analysis purposes such as creating a potential consumer profile and determining a target market for the given product an/or service.

Method and system for using consumer financial data in product market analysis

The invention relates to a method for representing a transfer of currency during a transaction. The method involves establishing a network connection with a computing device, receiving, from the computing device, transactional data associated with the transaction, receiving currency data associated with a financial account, and displaying a pictorial representation of currency based on the currency data, where a currency type and a currency denomination are depicted as a portion of the pictorial representation. The invention further involves designating an amount of currency from the pictorial representation to obtain image data, where the amount of currency is sufficient to complete the transaction, transmitting the image data to the computing device as part of the transaction, and sending instructions to transfer the amount of currency from the financial account based on the image data and the transactional data.

Method and system for virtual representation of currency

A method for generating an economic indicator involves obtaining financial data from multiple data sources, where the data courses include multiple business applications and/or multiple personal financial management applications. The method further involves aggregating financial data to obtain aggregated financial data, and generating the economic indicator using aggregated financial data.

Method and system for generating an economic indicator using aggregated financial data

A system that determines a standard payee name for a payee is presented. During operation, the system receives a non-standard payee name, wherein the non-standard payee name can be a user-defined payee name, which is defined by a user, or a normalized payee name, which is defined by a financial institution. Next, the system determines whether the non-standard payee name is associated with the standard payee name by using the non-standard payee name to search through data structures containing associations between one or more of the following: user-defined payee names and normalized payee names; user-defined payee names and standard payee names; and normalized payee names and standard payee names. If the non-standard payee name is associated with a standard payee name, the system can perform specified actions.

Method and apparatus for determining a standard name for a payee

A system and method for predictive bill estimation includes a process for predictive bill estimation whereby financial data associated with one or more 'contributing consumers' is obtained from one or more sources. The financial data obtained from the one or more contributing consumers is then aggregated, analyzed, and/or categorized, according to one or more criteria/parameters associated with the financial transaction data and/or the contributing consumer. The aggregated and/or categorized financial data is then stored. A user consumer then initiates a request for cost/bill data associated with a given area and/or event. The aggregated and/or categorized financial data obtained from one or more contributing consumers is then searched based on one or more search parameters and results data representing multiple financial transactions and/or purchases associated the specified area and/or event is obtained. The results data obtained is then presented to the user consumer in any one of various data and/or report formats, and the user consumer may be notified/alerted to predicted fluctuations in his or her bills automatically well in advance of the expected fluctuation in order to provide the user consumer the opportunity to budget for the predicted fluctuations.

Method and system for predictive bill estimation based on financial data from similar users

Financial data associated with one or more 'contributing consumers' is obtained from one or more sources. The financial data includes data associated with specific financial transactions and the specific financial transactions are tagged as sharable by the contributing consumers. The financial data, and/or specific financial transactions are categorized by the contributing consumers, and/or associated with a specific purchase of a parent product and/or service. The financial data obtained from one or more contributing consumers is then aggregated, processed, and/or categorized, according to the parent product and/or service associated with the financial data. A 'user consumer' then initiates a request for financial data associated with the purchase of a specified product and/or service. The financial data obtained from one or more contributing consumers is then searched and data associated with the purchase of the specified product and/or service and any other secondary purchases, is presented to the user consumer.

Method and system for estimating the actual cost of a product or service using financial data

A system and method for determining the actual cost of a product and/or service includes a process for determining the actual cost of a product and/or service whereby financial data associated with one or more 'contributing consumers' is obtained from one or more sources. The financial data includes data associated with specific financial transactions. The financial data, and/or specific financial transactions are categorized and/or associated with a specific purchase of a product and/or service. The financial data obtained from one or more contributing consumers is then aggregated, processed, and/or categorized, according to the identified and specific product and/or service associated with the financial data. A 'user consumer' then initiates a request for financial data associated with the purchase of a specified product and/or service. The financial data obtained from one or more contributing consumers is then searched and actual price paid data associated with the purchase of the specified product is presented to the user consumer.

Method and system for determining the actual cost of a product or service using financial data

A method for matching an unknown product to an offered product profile at a point of sale involves obtaining a first sensory input from the unknown product, where the first sensory input comprises at least a portion of an image, assigning a value to one or more characteristics of the first sensory input, searching a first product repository for a matching product profile using a pre-defined range based on the value of the one or more characteristics of the first sensory input, identifying the matching product profile on the first product repository when the offered product profile is within the pre-defined range, wherein the matching product profile includes a plurality of product information data, and conducting a transaction at the point of sale using the plurality of product information data.

Method and system for matching via an image search query at a point of sale

A method for managing financial data involves parsing a digital file to obtain metadata describing the digital file, where the digital file includes financial data. The method further involves importing the digital file to a financial management application, identifying a record in the financial management application that is associated with the digital file, based on metadata describing the digital file, and linking the digital file to the record in the financial management application.

Method and system for managing financial data

Financial data associated with one or more 'contributing consumers' is obtained from one or more sources and categorized and associated with a specific expense/income category. One or more attributes associated with the contributing consumers are then identified and used to analyze, aggregate, and categorize the financial data according to the attributes. Data representing a user financial transaction is then obtained for categorization and one or more specific user attributes associated with the user are identified. The user financial transaction is then categorized based, at least in part, on the categorization of similar contributing consumer financial transactions by contributing consumers having at least one of the specific user attributes.

Method and system for automatic categorization of financial transaction data based on financial data from similarly situated users

In accordance with one embodiment, a system and method for providing consumers marketing devices based on their use of supplementary income includes obtaining consumer financial data associated with a given 'consumer' from one or more sources. At least part of the consumer financial data is then analyzed to determine if the given consumer typically receives supplementary income and, if so, how the consumer typically treats any supplementary income received. A supplementary income profile is then created for the given consumer. Data representing the supplementary income profile for the given consumer is then stored and at least part of the data representing the supplementary income profile for the given consumer is provided to one or more product marketers. One or more product marketers then provide a marketing device to the given consumer. The marketing device itself, and/or the time when the marketing device is provided to the given consumer, and/or the terms of the marketing device, is/are based, at least in part, on the data representing the supplementary income profile for the given consumer provided to one or more product marketers and analysis of the data representing the supplementary income profile for the given consumer performed by the product marketers.

Growing community of inventors

Portola Valley, CA, United States of America

Benjamin R Weiss