US 8,301,554 B2 · System and method for managing meetings budgets and allocating and reconciling expenditures

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for managing meetings and allocating and reconciling expenditures. Scheduling information for a plurality of meetings is stored in a database. A plurality of budgets is stored in the database, each of the budgets being associated with and defining budget items for one of the plurality of meetings. Transaction data are received describing a plurality of expenditures made using at least one transaction account, wherein the transaction data comprise an amount expended for each of the plurality of expenditures. A selection of an expenditure, from the plurality of expenditures, and a selection of a meeting related to the selected expenditure from the plurality of meetings are accepted from a user. An allocation of at least a portion of the amount of the selected expenditure to a budget item for the selected meeting is accepted.

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Claims10

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

generating, by a computer based system for managing expenditures associated with a meeting, scheduling information for a plurality of meetings associated with an organization, wherein each meeting is associated with a spending period, and wherein the spending period comprises a time period before the meeting event, the meeting event, and a time period after the meeting event, and wherein the computer based system comprises a processor and a non-transitory memory;
generating, by the computer based system, a plurality of budgets, each of the budgets being associated with a meeting and defining at least one budget item, wherein the budget item for the meeting is associated with a vendor name, an expected initial cost, an actual cost and a category code that is selected from a plurality of categories;
opening, by the computer based system, a spending time period associated with a meeting duration, wherein travel associated with a travel expense falls within the spending time period, and wherein the spending time period is less than a plurality of reoccurring budgeting time periods of the organization;
receiving, by the computer based system, transaction data describing a plurality of expenditures made using at least one transaction account, wherein the transaction data comprise an amount expended for each of the plurality of expenditures;
analyzing, by the computer based system, the transaction data describing the plurality of expenditures, wherein the transaction data for each of the plurality of expenditures comprises a date, and wherein the date is compared to the time period before the meeting and the time period after the meeting;
assigning, by the computer based system, a status to each of the plurality of expenditures, wherein the status includes at least one of related to a meeting and un-reconciled;
assigning, by the computer based system, the meeting identifier in response to the status of the expenditures being related to the meeting, wherein the expenditures are associated with the meeting identifier, and wherein the expenditures are selectable based on the meeting identifier and a selected date range that is within the time period before the meeting and the time period after the meeting;
accepting, by the computer based system, a first portion of the plurality of expenditures in response to the first portion having a status of related to a meeting, wherein each expenditure of the first portion of the plurality of expenditures is respectively associated with at least one budget item;
accruing, by the computer based system, the expenditure with the budget item as an actual cost, wherein the actual cost is comparable with the expected initial cost to determine real time performance;
identifying, by the computer based system, a second portion of the plurality of expenditures in response to the second portion having a status of un-reconciled;
closing, by the computer based system, the budget for the meeting in response to the spending time period lapsing;
and
capturing, by the computer based system, transaction data outside the budget in response to the budget being closed.

10 more elements

A computer based system comprising:

a network interface communicating with a memory;
the memory communicating with a processor for managing expenditures associated with a meeting;
and
the processor, when executing a computer program, is configured to:
generate, by the processor, scheduling information for a plurality of meetings associated with an organization, wherein each meeting is associated with a spending period, and wherein the spending period comprises a time period before the meeting event, the meeting event, and a time period after the meeting event, and wherein the computer based system comprises a processor and a non-transitory memory;
generate, by the processor, a plurality of budgets, each of the budgets being associated with a meeting and defining at least one budget item, wherein the budget item for the meeting is associated with a vendor name, an expected initial cost, an actual cost and a category code that is selected from a plurality of categories;
open, by the processor, a spending time period associated with a meeting duration, wherein travel associated with a travel expense falls within the spending time period, and wherein the spending time period is less than a plurality of reoccurring budgeting time periods of the organization;
receive, by the processor, transaction data describing a plurality of expenditures made using at least one transaction account, wherein the transaction data comprise an amount expended for each of the plurality of expenditures;
analyze, by the processor, the transaction data describing the plurality of expenditures, wherein the transaction data for each of the plurality of expenditures comprises a date, and wherein the date is compared to the time period before the meeting and the time period after the meeting;
assign, by the processor, a status to each of the plurality of expenditures, wherein the status includes at least one of related to a meeting and un-reconciled;
assign, by the processor, the meeting identifier in response to the status of the expenditures being related to the meeting, wherein the expenditures are associated with the meeting identifier, and wherein the expenditures are selectable based on the meeting identifier and a selected date range that is within the time period before the meeting and the time period after the meeting;
accept, by the processor, a first portion of the plurality of expenditures in response to the first portion having a status of related to a meeting, wherein each expenditure of the first portion of the plurality of expenditures is associated with at least one budget item;
accrue, by the processor, the expenditure with the budget item as an actual cost, wherein the actual cost is comparable with the expected initial cost to determine real time performance;
identify, by the processor, a second portion of the plurality of expenditures in response to the second portion having a status of un-reconciled
close, by the processor, the budget for the meeting in response to the spending time period lapsing;
and
capture, by the processor, transaction data outside the budget in response to the budget being closed.

14 more elements

A tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer based system for managing expenditures associated with a meeting, cause the computer based system to perform a method comprising:

generating, by a computer based system, scheduling information for a plurality of meetings associated with an organization, wherein each meeting is associated with a spending period, and wherein the spending period comprises a time period before the meeting event, the meeting event, and a time period after the meeting event, and wherein the computer based system comprises a processor and a non-transitory memory;
generating, by a computer based system, a plurality of budgets, each of the budgets being associated with a meeting and defining at least one budget item, wherein the budget item for the meeting is associated with a vendor name, an expected initial cost, an actual cost and a category code that is selected from a plurality of categories;
opening, by the computer based system, a spending time period associated with a meeting duration, wherein travel associated with a travel expense falls within the spending time period, and wherein the spending time period is less than a plurality of reoccurring budgeting time periods of the organization;
receiving, by the computer based system, transaction data describing a plurality of expenditures made using at least one transaction account, wherein the transaction data comprise an amount expended for each of the plurality of expenditures;
analyzing, by the computer based system, the transaction data describing the plurality of expenditures, wherein the transaction data for each of the plurality of expenditures comprises a date, and wherein the date is compared to the time period before the meeting and the time period after the meeting;
assigning, by the computer based system, a status to each of the plurality of expenditures, wherein the status includes at least one of related to a meeting and un-reconciled;
assigning, by the computer based system, the meeting identifier in response to the status of the expenditures being related to the meeting, wherein the expenditures are associated with the meeting identifier, and wherein the expenditures are selectable based on the meeting identifier and a selected date range that is within the time period before the meeting and the time period after the meeting;
accepting, by the computer based system, a first portion of the plurality of expenditures in response to the first portion having a status of related to a meeting, wherein each expenditure of the first portion of the plurality of expenditures is associated with at least one budget item;
accruing, by the computer based system, the expenditure with the budget item as an actual cost, wherein the actual cost is comparable with the expected initial cost to determine real time performance;
identifying, by the computer based system, a second portion of the plurality of expenditures in response to the second portion having a status of un-reconciled;
closing, by the computer based system, the budget for the meeting in response to the spending time period lapsing;
and
capturing, by the computer based system, transaction data outside the budget in response to the budget being closed.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,488 words

Summary1,197 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention generally relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for meetings management, allocation, and reconciliation, and more particularly to an automated solution for managing billing, reconciliation, and payment of financial transaction instruments for meetings.

#2. Related Art

Brief description of the drawings9 figures

#The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears.

#FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an exemplary system for meetings management, allocation, and reconciliation, in which the present invention, in one embodiment, would be implemented.

#FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a user for managing meetings and allocating and reconciling expenditures, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description6,969 words

#The present invention is directed to a system, method, and computer program product for managing meetings and allocating and reconciling expenditures. The present invention is now described in more detail herein in terms of the above exemplary system, method, and computer program product. This is for convenience only and is not intended to limit the application of the present invention. In fact, after reading the following description, it will be apparent to one skilled in relevant arts how to implement the following invention in alternative embodiments.

#In general, a user is any person or entity capable of accessing, using, being affected by and/or benefiting from the tool that the present invention provides for managing meetings and allocating and reconciling expenditures. In particular, users may be employees of business organizations, managers within business organizations, event planners, or the like.

#Also in general, a meeting is an event or project in which individuals from one or more business organizations participate. Meetings may be, but are not limited to, technical conferences, sales conferences, trade shows, customer visits, board meetings, press conferences, marketing demonstrations, exhibitions, and corporate retreats. Meetings generally take place over limited periods of time. A business organization generally makes expenditures on a particular meeting while the meeting is being prepared and planned, while the meeting is taking place, and shortly thereafter.

Facts

Application

11/289,228Filed 28 Nov 2005 · us provisional application

Priority

30 Jun 2005

Published

US 2007/0192199 A116 Aug 2007

Granted

30 Oct 2012

Term ends

11 Jul 2028

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 956 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification4 codes

G06Q 30/08
Buying, selling or leasing transactions: auctions
G06Q 10/10
Administration; Management: office automation; Time management
G06Q 30/0601
Buying, selling or leasing transactions: electronic shopping [e-shopping]
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial

Timeline

30 Jun 2005Priority claimedParent application 60/695,729
28 Nov 2005Application filedUS 11/289,228
21 Feb 2006Assigned to American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.assignment of assignor's interest
16 Aug 2007PublishedUS 2007/0192199 A1
30 Oct 2012GrantedUS 8,301,554 B2
21 Apr 2014Assigned to III Holdings 1, LLCassignment of assignor's interest
16 Mar 2018Assigned to Liberty Peak Ventures, LLCassignment of assignor's interest
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
11 Jul 2028Term endsEstimated, includes 956 days of adjustment

System and method for managing meetings budgets and allocating and reconciling expenditures

Life of this patent

System and method for managing meetings budgets and allocating and reconciling expenditures

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims10

Description8,488 words

Drawings

Classification4 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,488 words