Abstract: The invention relates to a method for documenting subjects using hash chains. The method includes receiving a subject data write request including one or more subject attribute values, generating a fingerprint from a current last block of a hash chain, and generating a payload from the subject data, the payload including the one or more subject attribute values and one or more keys identifying the one or more subject attribute values. The method further includes appending a block to the hash chain. The appended block includes the payload and the fingerprint.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for overseeing execution of graph-based contracts using hash chains. The method includes obtaining a graph-based contract. The graph-based contract is configured to enforce a contract for performing a transaction between at least two parties. The method also includes obtaining event data associated with an execution of the graph-based contract, and performing, governed by the graph-based contract, a first state transition from a first state to a second state by making a determination that a first state transition criterion is met by the event data, with the first state transition connecting the second state to the first state, and based on the determination transitioning to the second state. The method further includes appending a first block to a hash chain. The first block includes a documentation of the first state transition.

Abstract: An application determines an emotional state of a user based on evaluating facial recognition data of the user captured from the user interacting with the application. The application receives a request from the user to initiate a support call. The request identifies the emotional state of the user. The application predicts, from a set of outcomes of support calls processed by support agents interacting with users having different emotional states, an emotional state that increases a likelihood of achieving a specified outcome for the support call based on the emotional state of the user. The application identifies an available support agent having the predicted emotional state, and assigns the user to interact with the identified support agent for the support call.

Abstract: A user's physiological status is monitored and the resulting physiological status data is obtained and analyzed to determine whether a user would benefit from user support intervention. If it is determined that the user would benefit from intervention, an intervention notification is provided to a user support service. The user support service may then provide dynamic and responsive user support. To provide effective, efficient user support, different types of user support can be provided to the user.

Abstract: An application determines an emotional state of a user based on evaluating facial recognition data of the user captured from the user interacting with the application. The application receives a request from the user to initiate a support call. The request identifies the emotional state of the user. The application predicts, from a set of outcomes of support calls processed by support agents interacting with users having different emotional states, an emotional state that increases a likelihood of achieving a specified outcome for the support call based on the emotional state of the user. The application identifies an available support agent having the predicted emotional state, and assigns the user to interact with the identified support agent for the support call.

Abstract: A method to manage screen sharing includes receiving a screen sharing request of a shareable interface displayed on a first computing device of a first end user, conducting, in response to the session sharing request, an inventory of secured assets in the shareable interface, and generating a shared interface from the shareable interface. Generating the shared interface includes obtaining a first secured asset in the inventory of the secured assets, modifying the first secured asset based on a first end user permission defined for the first secured asset to generate a modified secured asset, and adding the modified secured asset to the shared interface. The method further includes transmitting the shared interface to a second computing device of a second end user.

Abstract: An application determines an emotional state of a user based on evaluating facial recognition data of the user captured from the user interacting with the application. The application receives a request from the user to initiate a support call. The request identifies the emotional state of the user. The application predicts, from a set of outcomes of support calls processed by support agents interacting with users having different emotional states, an emotional state that increases a likelihood of achieving a specified outcome for the support call based on the emotional state of the user. The application identifies an available support agent having the predicted emotional state, and assigns the user to interact with the identified support agent for the support call.

Abstract: Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for generating interface elements of an electronic tax preparation application to allow a taxpayer or user to view a portion of an image of a tax document that is a source of data for a field of a screen generated by the electronic tax application. The image portion displayed may be a particular box or field of a tax document for a corresponding particular field of the screen generated by the electronic tax preparation or a bounding region including one or more adjacent or surrounding boxes or fields. Embodiments allow taxpayers to view an image of a source document while viewing the data that was entered in the field from within the tax preparation application without having to consult paper copies of the tax documents.

Abstract: Biometric data is collected to obtain more detailed, connected, and reliable feedback data from users of an interactive software system that has a more empirical and objective basis. The biometric data is then used to create emotional pattern predictive model data representing emotional pattern predictive models associated with users of the interactive software system. The individual emotional pattern predictive models associated with multiple users of the interactive software system are then analyzed and processed to generate emotional pattern profile data for categories of users. These biometric data based predictive models are then used for targeted product diagnosis, targeted interventions, targeted marketing/upsell attempts, and grouping and analysis of feedback and user categories and feedback sources.

Abstract: An application determines an emotional state of a user based on evaluating facial recognition data of the user captured from the user interacting with the application. The application receives a request from the user to initiate a support call. The request identifies the emotional state of the user. The application predicts, from a set of outcomes of support calls processed by support agents interacting with users having different emotional states, an emotional state that increases a likelihood of achieving a specified outcome for the support call based on the emotional state of the user. The application identifies an available support agent having the predicted emotional state, and assigns the user to interact with the identified support agent for the support call.

Abstract: An application infers emotional states of support agents from facial recognition data collected from support calls processed by the support agents. The application determines an outcome of each of the support calls based on feedback indicating user experience with the support agents. The application correlates outcomes of the support calls based on different topics with the emotional states. Upon receiving a request to initiate a support call, the application predicts, from the correlation, an emotional state that increases a likelihood of achieving a specified outcome for the support call based on a topic identified in the request. The application identifies an available support agent having the predicted emotional state, and assigns the identified support agent to interact with the user for the support call.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of acquiring tax data for use in tax preparation application includes acquiring an image of at least one document containing tax data therein with an imaging device. A computer extracts one or more features from the acquired image of the at least one document and compares the extracted one or more features to a database containing a plurality of different tax forms. The database may include a textual database and/or geometric database. The computer identifies a tax form corresponding to the at least one document from the plurality of different tax forms based at least in part on a confidence level associated with the comparison of the extracted one or more features to the database. At least a portion of the tax data from the acquired image is transferred into corresponding fields of the tax preparation application.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of acquiring tax data for use in tax preparation application includes acquiring an image of at least one document containing tax data therein with an imaging device. A computer extracts one or more features from the acquired image of the at least one document and compares the extracted one or more features to a database containing a plurality of different tax forms. The database may include a textual database and/or geometric database. The computer identifies a tax form corresponding to the at least one document from the plurality of different tax forms based at least in part on a confidence level associated with the comparison of the extracted one or more features to the database. At least a portion of the tax data from the acquired image is transferred into corresponding fields of the tax preparation application.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of acquiring tax data for use in tax preparation application includes acquiring an image of at least one document containing tax data therein with an imaging device. A computer extracts one or more features from the acquired image of the at least one document and compares the extracted one or more features to a database containing a plurality of different tax forms. The database may include a textual database and/or geometric database. The computer identifies a tax form corresponding to the at least one document from the plurality of different tax forms based at least in part on a confidence level associated with the comparison of the extracted one or more features to the database. At least a portion of the tax data from the acquired image is transferred into corresponding fields of the tax preparation application.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of acquiring tax data for use in tax preparation application includes acquiring an image of at least one document containing tax data therein with an imaging device. A computer extracts one or more features from the acquired image of the at least one document and compares the extracted one or more features to a database containing a plurality of different tax forms. The database may include a textual database and/or geometric database. The computer identifies a tax form corresponding to the at least one document from the plurality of different tax forms based at least in part on a confidence level associated with the comparison of the extracted one or more features to the database. At least a portion of the tax data from the acquired image is transferred into corresponding fields of the tax preparation application.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for generating interface elements of an electronic tax preparation application to allow a taxpayer or user to view a portion of an image of a tax document that is a source of data for a field of a screen generated by the electronic tax application. The image portion displayed may be a particular box or field of a tax document for a corresponding particular field of the screen generated by the electronic tax preparation or a bounding region including one or more adjacent or surrounding boxes or fields. Embodiments allow taxpayers to view an image of a source document while viewing the data that was entered in the field from within the tax preparation application without having to consult paper copies of the tax documents.

Abstract: Embodiments of a computer system, a method and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments allow a user to provide an image of a document for use with software, such as an image of a financial document for use with financial software. In particular, the user can provide the image of the document, for example, by taking a picture of the document using a cellular telephone. This image may be converted into an electronic format that is suitable for text and numerical processing using a character-recognition technique, such as optical character recognition or intelligent character recognition. Errors in the electronic version of the document, if present, may be identified and corrected by comparing the electronic version to information maintained by a third party. This information may be accessed based at least on one or more items in the electronic version of the document.

Abstract: A technique for providing feedback about an image of a financial document to a user is described. During this feedback technique, the user provides the image of a financial document, such as W-2 form. For example, the user may take a picture of or may scan the financial document. This image may be analyzed using predefined information in a set of financial documents (such as different types of income-tax documents), and a quality metric for the image may be determined using the analysis. Moreover, the feedback, which is based on the determined quality metric, may be provided to the user. For example, the user may be instructed to retake the image, and the instructions may include an image of the desired orientation and content. In this way, the user may be advised as to how to improve the quality metric in the revised image.

Abstract: A method for operating a tax inference engine involves receiving tax data items, assigning confidence ratings to the tax data items using inference rules, and assigning relevance ratings to tax questions using the inference rules. The method further involves determining tax questions having ratings that exceed a threshold amount, and ordering the tax questions by the relevance ratings, personalizing a tax question using the inference rules, tax data items, and confidence ratings by altering a wording of the tax question, and determining tax advice using the inference rules, the tax data items, and the confidence ratings.