Self-healing accounting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11663190-B2
Application number	US-201916520923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2019
Priority date	Jul 24, 2019
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A method includes: detecting, by a computing device, a new entry in one of plural databases; comparing, by the computing device, the new entry to watch entries defined in a watch database; determining, by the computing device, whether the new entry matches a watch entry in the watch database; creating, by the computing device, a new watch in the watch database when the new entry does not match any watch in the watch database; and updating, by the computing device, a watch in the watch database when the new entry matches the watch in the watch database.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
entering a watch entry configured as a dynamic state machine to monitor an open entry in a watch database;
detecting, by a computing device, a new entry in one of plural databases;
comparing, by the computing device, the new entry to watch entries defined in the watch database of at least one open entry in an accounting database, wherein the comparing comprises determining a respective association score for the new entry relative to respective ones of the watch entries defined in the watch database based on attributes of the new entry and the ones of the watch entries defined in the watch database;
determining, by the computing device, whether the new entry matches the watch entry in the watch database;
creating, by the computing device, a new watch in the watch database when the new entry does not match any watch in the watch database; and
updating, by the computing device, the watch in the watch database when the new entry matches the watch in the watch database.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the association score is a quantitative measure of a likelihood that the new entry matches one of the watch entries defined in the watch database.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the association score of the new entry relative to one of the watch entries defined in the watch database is determined based on:
one or more accounting rules; and
comparing attributes of the new entry and the one of the watch entries defined in the watch database.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the attributes comprise:
relative timing of the new entry and the one of the watch entries defined in the watch database;
respective databases of the new entry and the one of the watch entries defined in the watch database;
text included in the new entry and the one of the watch entries defined in the watch database; and
amounts included in the new entry and the one of the watch entries defined in the watch database.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising defining a range based on an amount in the one of the watch entries defined in the watch database, wherein the association score is higher when an amount in the new entry is within the range, and the association score is lower when the amount in the new entry is not within the range.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining different ranges for different ones of the watch entries defined in the watch database.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the watch entries are open entries that are the subject of watches defined in the watch database; and
the watches are dynamic state machines that define respective amounts.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the updating the watch comprises automatically updating the watch without user input.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the updating the watch comprises:
suggesting an update to a user via a user interface;
receiving confirmation of the update from the user; and
updating the watch based on receiving the confirmation from the user.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the updating the watch comprises changing a value of an amount stored in the watch.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising closing the watch when the changing the value of the amount stored in the watch results in a value of zero.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising closing the watch when an open entry associated with the watch expires.

13. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer device to cause the computer device to:
enter a watch entry configured as a dynamic state machine to monitor an open entry in a watch database;
detect a new entry in one of plural databases;
compare the new entry to watch entries defined in the watch database of at least one open entry in an accounting database, wherein the comparing comprises determining a respective association score for the new entry relative to respective ones of the watch entries defined in the watch database based on attributes of the new entry and the ones of the watch entries defined in the watch database;
determine that the new entry matches one of the watch entries; and
update a watch amount associated with the one of the watch entries based on an amount in the new entry.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein:
the association score is a quantitative measure of a likelihood that the new entry matches one of the watch entries; and
the association score of the new entry relative to one of the watch entries is determined based on: one or more accounting rules; and comparing attributes of the new entry and the one of the watch entries.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the updating the watch amount comprises automatically updating the watch amount without user input.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions cause the computer device to:
close a watch that defines the watch amount when the updating the watch amount results in a value of zero; and
keep the watch open and automatically generate a new rectification entry when the updating the watch amount results in a value other than zero.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions cause the computer device to close a watch that defines the watch amount when the one of the watch entries expires.

18. A system, comprising:
a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;
program instructions to enter a watch entry configured as a dynamic state machine to monitor an open entry in a watch database;
program instructions to detect a new entry in one of plural databases;
program instructions to compare the new entry to watch entries defined in the watch database of at least one open entry in an accounting database, wherein the comparing comprises determining a respective association score for the new entry relative to respective ones of the watch entries defined in the watch database based on attributes of the new entry and the ones of the watch entries defined in the watch database;
program instructions to determine whether the new entry matches a watch entry in the watch database;
program instructions to create a new watch in the watch database when the new entry does not match any watch in the watch database; and
program instructions to update a watch in the watch database when the new entry matches the watch in the watch database,
wherein the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein:
the association score is a quantitative measure of a likelihood that the new entry matches one of the watch entries defined in the watch database;
the watch entries are open entries that are a subject of watches defined in the watch database;
the watches are dynamic state machines that define respective amounts;
the updating the watch comprises changing the value of an amount stored in the watch; and
the creating the new watch comprises:
creating a compliance watch requiring a provision in compliance with accounting rules at the expiration of a predetermined time;
detecting a subsequent new entry in one of the plural databases;
determining whether the subsequent new entry matches the compliance watch;
determining whether the compliance watch complies with ac

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Goyal Munish
• E A Balasubramanian
• Singhdeo Sameer
• Ramkumar Nithya
• Karlsson-Dion Anita
• Ezry Raphael

Classifications

• G06Q40/12 Primary

  Accounting · CPC title

• G06F16/23 Primary

  Updating · CPC title