Community Defined Presentation Structures for Tax Software
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tax preparation applications often present interview segments in a default hierarchical structure that can be confusing for users lacking knowledge of tax terminology, limiting their ability to search for specific topics effectively.
Innovation Solution
Allow users to customize the presentation structure by submitting user-defined tags and labels, which are then aggregated by a community presentation configuration system to create user-friendly presentation structures that can be selected by users, enabling a more intuitive navigation and search experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a default hierarchical structure is used to organize interview segments, then the application maintains a standardized taxonomy, but users lacking knowledge of tax terminology find it confusing and difficult to navigate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (customizable labels and community-defined presentation structures) between the user and the technical hierarchical structure. Users can define their own labels for interview segments, and the system provides these as an intermediate interface that maps user-friendly terms to the underlying tax taxonomy, making navigation easier without sacrificing structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the presentation structure dynamic by allowing users to customize labels and organize interview segments according to their preferences. The system transitions from a static, fixed hierarchical structure to a dynamic one that adapts to individual user needs while maintaining the standardized taxonomy in the background
2Loss of information
If a standardized tax taxonomy is used throughout the application, then consistency is maintained, but users cannot effectively search for topics using their own terminology
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an intermediary mapping layer between user-defined terminology and standardized tax taxonomy. Users can search using their own terms (e.g., 'donating my car'), and the system translates these to the appropriate standardized categories (e.g., 'charitable contribution of an automobile'), preserving both search flexibility and taxonomy consistency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the search function universal by enabling it to work with both user-defined terms and standardized taxonomy terms. The search system serves multiple functions: it accepts natural language input from users, maps it to the standardized taxonomy, and returns relevant results, thereby bridging the gap between user terminology and system terminology
3Adaptability or versatility
If the presentation structure is fixed by default, then the application is easy to implement, but users cannot customize it to their preferences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the fixed presentation structure into a dynamic, customizable one. Users can modify labels and organize interview segments according to their preferences, and the system adapts to these changes while maintaining the underlying standardized taxonomy. This dynamic approach enables customization without requiring complete redesign of the application structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides preliminary customization options by allowing users to define their own labels and presentation structures before completing the tax return. The system prepares customizable templates and community-defined structures in advance, enabling users to select and adapt them to their needs without adding significant complexity during the actual tax preparation process
Data Source
AI summary
A presentation configuration system may receive metadata from multiple users utilizing tax preparation applications. The metadata may be tags or labels of interview segments of the tax preparation applications. The presentation configuration system may create community defined presentation structures from the metadata such that the community defined presentation structure includes an organization of interview segments within a tax preparation application. The community defined presentation structure may indicate how interview segments of a tax preparation application should be presented to a user. Furthermore, a tax preparation application may provide a user (e.g., a taxpayer) with multiple options corresponding to community defined presentation structures. The tax preparation application may receive a selection of one of the options from the user. Thus, the tax preparation application may present the tax preparation interview segments of the tax preparation application to the user according to the community defined presentation structure indicated by the option selected.