Electronic financial management and analysis system and related methods

Abstract

A computing system facilitating electronic bill presentment and payment features for authorized users via a user interface is introduced including an analysis engine. The analysis engine, in response to user interaction with the user interface, selectively performs user-defined analysis on at least a subset of retrieved billing information associated with one or more billers. The analysis engine further generates one or more user-defined report(s) based, at least in part, on the user-defined analysis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing system, comprising:
 an analysis engine, operating on one or more processors to generate a user-defined report that is provided to a user by performing a user-defined statistical analysis on at least a subset of billing information from one or more billers, wherein the user-defined statistical analysis utilizes at least user-defined statistical analysis parameters that create a statistical analysis protocol, being defined by a user; and   a user interface, coupled to the analysis engine, to enable the user to interact with and control the analysis engine, wherein the user defines the user-defined statistical analysis parameters using the user interface that employees at least the subset of the billing information, and wherein the user is different from the one or more billers.   
     
     
         2 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface enables the user to compare statistical analysis results between different billers. 
     
     
         3 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the statistical analysis parameters include at least one of a mean, maximum, minimum, or a variation. 
     
     
         4 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user-defined report includes at least one of textual information, graphical information, or geographical distribution information for the one or more billers' call information. 
     
     
         5 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface enables the user to modify a user-defined definition field usable to perform the user-defined statistical analysis. 
     
     
         6 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user is a master-user in a hierarchy of users that includes at least one master-user and basic-users. 
     
     
         7 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface enables the user to modify or remove at least one of a default analysis profile or report. 
     
     
         8 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface enables the user to perform at least one verification diagnostic on the statistical analysis protocol. 
     
     
         9 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface enables the user to create analysis protocols. 
     
     
         10 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface enables the user to update a user analysis and report profile based on the generated user-defined report. 
     
     
         11 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein user-defined analysis parameters include at least one of a geographic distribution parameter, or an account distribution parameter. 
     
     
         12 . A network device, comprising:
 a transceiver for communicating with a customer of a customer device over a network; and   a processor, coupled to the transceiver, for enabling actions, the actions comprising:
 receiving over the transceiver, from a customer of the customer device, customer-defined fields for at least a subset of billing information from one or more billers, and customer-defined statistical analysis parameters for creating a statistical analysis protocol, wherein the customer is different from the one or more billers; 
 enabling the customer to modify the customer-defined statistical analysis parameters; 
 generating a customer-defined report by performing a customer-defined statistical analysis on the subset of the billing information, wherein the customer-defined statistical analysis utilizes the customer-defined fields, customer-defined statistical analysis parameters, and the statistical analysis protocols; and 
 providing the customer-defined report to the customer. 
   
     
     
         13 . The network device of  claim 12 , wherein the processor further enables actions, the actions comprising:
 wherein analyzing the subset of the billing information comprises: retrieving at least the subset of the received billing information required to perform the analysis based, at least in part, on one or more customer-defined statistical analysis parameters; and computing desired metrics based, at least in part, on the selected one or more customer-defined statistical analysis parameters.   
     
     
         14 . The network device of  claim 12 , wherein the customer-defined report includes at least one of textual information, graphical information, or geographical distribution information for the desired metrics. 
     
     
         15 . The network device of  claim 12 , wherein the customer is a master-customer in a hierarchy of customers that includes at least one master-customer and basic-customers. 
     
     
         16 . The network device of  claim 12 , wherein a user interface enables the customer to modify or remove at least one of a default analysis profile or report. 
     
     
         17 . The network device of  claim 12 , wherein the processor performs actions, further including performing at least one verification diagnostic on the statistical analysis protocol. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for use in analyzing billing information, the computer-executable instructions causing a server apparatus to perform actions comprising:
 receiving from a customer, customer-defined fields for at least a subset of billing information from one or more billers, and customer-defined statistical analysis parameters for creating a statistical analysis protocol, wherein the customer is different from the one or more billers;   enabling the customer to modify the customer-defined fields and customer-defined statistical analysis parameters;   generating a customer-defined report by performing a customer-defined statistical analysis on the subset of the billing information, wherein the customer-defined statistical analysis utilizes the customer-defined fields, customer-defined statistical analysis parameters, and the statistical analysis protocols; and   providing the customer-defined report to the customer.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the customer-defined report displays one or more of a chart, a textual report, or a geographic map denoting call information. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the customer is enabled to create statistical analysis protocols. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein billing information is obtained from one or more of an independent service provider's servers.