Financial documents examination methods and systems

Abstract

A user is able to extract financial data, particularly tables, from a document. The table is stored and the user can compare the data in this table with data from similar tables from previous documents. The user can see how financial data has changed historically by looking only at financial tables from the same type of document, for example, only balance sheet tables from annual reports for a specific public company, over many years, and see how the values have changed or whether any new categories or types of data have been added or deleted. From the time series of financial data, the user can gain real intelligence into an entity's financial health.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system comprising:
 a memory storing instructions to be executed by one or more hardware processors; and   one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the system to:
 receive a first document and a second document, each containing tabular financial data; 
 in response to receiving a selection identifying a selected table from within the first document, extract data from the selected table; 
 identify a previous version of the selected table within the second document, wherein the identification of the previous version of the selected table is based on a matching algorithm that identifies a match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table; and 
 cause the previous version of the selected table to be displayed on a graphical user interface of a computing device associated with a user of the system, wherein the previous version of the selected table is displayed separately from the second document. 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to extract data from the previous version of the selected table from the second document. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table is identified when a table name of the selected table matches a table name of the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table is identified when one or more terms associated with rows of the selected table match one or more terms associated with rows of the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table is identified when one or more data headers associated with columns of the selected table match one or more data headers associated with columns of the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to generate a time series output for the selected table using the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to generate a user alert when a new document that contains data that is similar to data in the selected table is received by the system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to identify non-matching rows between the selected table and the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to:
 generate a new table that combines the selected table with the previous version of the selected table, wherein the selected table and the previous version of the selected table are combined such that data is arranged in the new table in chronological order by row; and   export the new table in an output document that has a standardized file type to the computing device for use outside of the system, wherein the standardized file type is different from a file type of the first document and the second document.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to cause the new table to be displayed on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first document and a second document, each containing tabular financial data;   in response to receiving a selection identifying a selected table from within the first document, extracting data from the selected table;   identifying a previous version of the selected table within the second document, wherein the identification of the previous version of the selected table is based on a matching algorithm that identifies a match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table; and   causing the previous version of the selected table to be displayed on a graphical user interface of a computing device associated with a user of the system, wherein the previous version of the selected table is displayed separately from the second document.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising extracting data from the previous version of the selected table from the second document. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table is identified when a table name of the selected table matches a table name of the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table is identified when one or more terms associated with rows of the selected table match one or more terms associated with rows of the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the match between one or more portions of the selected table and one or more portions of the previous version of the selected table is identified when one or more data headers associated with columns of the selected table match one or more data headers associated with columns of the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising generating a time series output for the selected table using the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising generating a user alert when a new document that contains data that is similar to data in the selected table is received. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising identifying non-matching rows between the selected table and the previous version of the selected table. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 generating a new table that combines the selected table with the previous version of the selected table, wherein the selected table and the previous version of the selected table are combined such that data is arranged in the new table in chronological order by row; and   exporting the new table in an output document that has a standardized file type to the computing device for use outside of the system, wherein the standardized file type is different from a file type of the first document and the second document.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , further comprising causing the new table to be displayed on the graphical user interface.