Tax Application Image Import and Pre-population

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Solution Overview

Problem

Filing online tax returns on smartphones is arduous due to the screen and keyboard size limitations, making it difficult to enter large amounts of text required for third-party tax forms like W2 forms.

Innovation Solution

A method that imports personal and financial information from images of third-party tax forms using text recognition software, assigns a user class based on this information, and pre-populates online tax return fields, allowing users to access and file their tax returns through a graphical user interface on smartphones.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If users manually enter data from third-party tax forms on a smartphone, then the tax return can be completed, but the process becomes arduous and time-consuming due to screen and keyboard size limitations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetax return completion efficiencyVSAvoiddata entry difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology to capture an image of the third-party tax form and automatically extract data from it. This creates a digital copy of the form data that can be directly imported into the tax return fields, eliminating the need for manual typing on the smartphone's limited keyboard.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary data extraction and validation by processing the tax form image before the user needs to complete the return. Data is pre-populated into the appropriate fields based on the extracted information, so the user only needs to review and confirm rather than enter data from scratch.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the smartphone is used as the sole computing device, then data plan costs and space are saved, but privacy protection for sensitive documents is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidcomputing device configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The smartphone's built-in camera and processing capabilities are used to capture and process the tax form image locally. The data extraction and encryption processes occur on the device itself, allowing the smartphone to serve its own privacy protection needs without requiring external secure computing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic encryption parameters and security protocols that adapt to the sensitivity of the data being processed. Sensitive information is encrypted during capture, storage, and transmission, with encryption strength and methods adjusted based on the specific data type and user preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11030705B1Quick serve tax application

Publication Date: 2021.06.08 INTUIT INC

AI summary

A method includes importing personal and financial information from an image of a third-party tax form associated with a taxpayer. The method further includes assigning, based at least in part on the personal and financial information, the taxpayer to one of a plurality of user classes. The user class of the taxpayer determines at least one subsequent interaction between the taxpayer and an online tax application. And the method includes using at least some of the personal and financial information to pre-populate one or more fields of an online tax return for the taxpayer. The online tax return is presented in a view in a graphical user interface displayed by the online tax application.