Cross-Device Tax Document Imaging With Token Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tax preparation systems require users to download separate applications or sign into separate accounts to capture and process tax document images, limiting flexibility and security in data entry across different computing devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allows users to capture tax document images using a second computing device, such as a smartphone, by generating authentication tokens on a first device, enabling secure transfer and processing through an intermediate server, and populating electronic tax returns with recognized data without the need for additional software installations or accounts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users download separate applications or sign into separate accounts to capture and process tax document images, then image processing functionality is provided, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tax preparation application with image capture and processing capabilities into a single integrated system. The tax preparation application directly accesses the device camera to capture images and uses built-in image processing algorithms to extract data, eliminating the need for separate applications or accounts. This integration improves ease of operation by allowing users to complete all tasks within one application interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The tax preparation application is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both the tax preparation tool and the image capture/processing system. It universally handles document imaging, data extraction, and tax return preparation within a single application ecosystem, removing the need for users to switch between different applications or maintain separate accounts.
2Adaptability or versatility
If users capture images using a different computing device than the one used to prepare the tax return, then flexibility and adaptability improve, but security and authentication complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that enables secure communication between different computing devices. When a user captures an image on a mobile device, the system uses authentication data (such as codes or tokens) exchanged between devices to verify user identity and authorize the image transfer to the tax preparation application. This intermediary authentication layer maintains security while enabling cross-device operation.
3Reliability
If the system processes images through an intermediate server, then processing capability and data security improve, but data transmission time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing function into a separate intermediate server component. The mobile device captures images and transmits them to the intermediate server, which performs the computationally intensive image processing and data extraction. This segmentation allows the tax preparation application to remain lightweight while leveraging the intermediate server's processing power and security infrastructure, balancing performance requirements with acceptable transmission times.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure, flexible data entry across different computing devices, enhancing user convenience and security by allowing image capture and processing through a unified online tax preparation application.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging element, such as a camera, to acquire an image signal corresponding to the tax document
Implementation Method 2
processing the image signal to recognized text within the image signal
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for allowing taxpayers to utilize mobile communication or communication devices such as smartphones and tablet devices to upload tax document images and process tax document images such that resulting recognized tax data is incorporated into an electronic tax return. Authentication data is generated and provided to the taxpayer to establishing a connection with an image processor, which provides recognized tax data to the on-line tax preparation application for incorporation into the electronic tax return. Authentication data may be embodied within a URL address to the image processor that is transmitted as a SMS message to the mobile communication or computing device or encoded within a QR code such that the mobile communication or computing device can be used to take an image of and decode the QR code to determine the URL address and authentication data to establish a connection with the image processor.