US20200202274A1

US20200202274A1 - Systems and methods for maintaining contract adherence

Info

Publication number: US20200202274A1
Application number: US16/371,897
Authority: US
Inventors: Jeremy Edward Goodsitt; Austin Walters; Reza Farivar; Fardin Abdi Taghi Abad; Kenneth Taylor; Mark Watson; Vincent Pham; Anh Truong
Original assignee: Capital One Services LLC
Current assignee: Capital One Services LLC
Priority date: 2018-12-21
Filing date: 2019-04-01
Publication date: 2020-06-25
Also published as: CA3064122A1; CA3064122C; US10467341B1

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying tasks and other obligations in a contract and ensuring contract adherence are disclosed. The system provides the contract to a recurrent neural network (RNN) for identification of tasks, dates, parties, and other information contained in the contract. The system then receives a plurality of logical rules from the RNN based on the information extracted by the RNN. The system can also generate a plurality of tasks based on the plurality of logical rules. The system can then generate an acyclic graph where each of the plurality of tasks are assigned to a respective node of the acyclic graph. The method also organizes the plurality of tasks in chronological order based on the acyclic graph. The system can be used to ensure tasks are completed on time, to send reminders when necessary, and to accept modifications and exceptions to the contract, subject to user approval.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This Application claims the benefit of, and priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/783,612 and 62/783,731, entitled “Methods and Systems for Determining Document Compatibility” and “Systems and Methods for Maintaining Contract Adherence,” respectively, both filed Dec. 21, 2018, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety as if fully set forth below.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for maintaining contract adherence, and more particularly to systems and methods for identifying a plurality of tasks within a contract to avoid a breach of contract.

BACKGROUND

Legal documents often include numerous clauses and conditions that require various actions to be performed by the parties to the contract. Frequently, the parties' obligations and duties are difficult to understand because events such as a condition precedent or a condition subsequent may alter what is required of a party. As a result, a breach of contract could easily occur.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for ensuring contract adherence. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to this and other considerations.

SUMMARY

Disclosed embodiments provide systems and methods for maintaining contract adherence. In one embodiment, a method for maintaining contract adherence is disclosed. The method may be implemented with a computing device. The method may include receiving, by a processor associated with the computing device, a contract. The method may include providing the contract to a recurrent neural network (RNN). In response, the processor can receive a plurality of logical rules from the RNN. The processor may use the plurality of logical rules to generate an acyclic graph. The processor may also generate a plurality of tasks based on the plurality of logical rules. Further, the method may assign each of the plurality of tasks to a respective node on the acyclic graph and organize the plurality of tasks in chronological order based on the acyclic graph.
Further features of the disclosed design, and the advantages offered thereby, are explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are indicated be like reference designators.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, are incorporated into, and constitute a portion of, this disclosure, illustrate various implementations and aspects of the disclosed technology and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed technology. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example system environment that may be used to implement one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a component diagram of a user device, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a component diagram of a computing device, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for maintaining contract adherence, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a timing diagram of a method for maintaining contract adherence, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a directed acyclic graph, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for analyzing legal contracts; and specifically, to systems and methods for identifying legal obligations in contracts to ensure compliance. The system can automatically review legal contracts, extract legal obligations for one or more parties to the contract, and populate a plurality of tasks with respective deadlines for each. The system can also account for changing legal obligations based on changing conditions—e.g. conditions precedent or conditions subsequent—to ensure the compliance of the one or more parties to the contract.
Some implementations of the disclosed technology will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosed technology may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein. The components described hereinafter as making up various elements of the disclosed technology are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components that could perform the same or similar functions as components described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of the disclosed systems and methods. Such other components not described herein may include, but are not limited to, for example, components developed after development of the disclosed technology.
It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more method steps does not imply a particular order of operation or preclude the presence of additional method steps or intervening method steps between those steps expressly identified. Similarly, it is also to be understood that the mention of one or more components in a device or system does not preclude the presence of additional components or intervening components between those components expressly identified.
Although this disclosure discusses a recurrent neural network (RNN) to identify logical rules within a contract, for example, it is envisioned that a convolutional neural network (CNN), other types of neural networks, or other types of machine learning could replace the RNN. Thus, the use of RNN, acyclic graphs, and other specific examples below is provided merely to facilitate and simplify explanation and not to limit the disclosure to a particular algorithm, type of algorithm, or other tool.
Reference will now be made in detail to example embodiments of the disclosed technology, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and disclosed herein. Wherever convenient, the same references numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
FIG. 1 shows an example system 100 that may implement certain aspects of the present disclosure. The components and arrangements shown in FIG. 1 are not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments as the components used to implement the disclosed processes and features may vary. As shown in FIG. 1, in some implementations the system 100 includes a first user device 110, a second user device 120, a recurrent neural network (RNN) 130, a network 150, one or more computing devices 140, which may include a processor 142, and an application 144. The first user device 110 and the second user device 120 may include respective processors 112 and 122, and respective applications 114 and 124.
As non-limiting examples, the first user device 110 and the second user device 120 may be a personal computer, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a tablet, or other personal computing device. The RNN 130 include instructions and or/ memory used to perform certain features disclosed herein. The network 150 may include a network of interconnected computing devices such as a local area network (LAN), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other type of network and may be connected to an intranet or the Internet, among other things. The computing device 140 may include one or more physical or logical devices (e.g., servers) or drives and may be implemented as a single server or a bank of servers (e.g., in a “cloud”). An example computer architecture that may be used to implement the first user device 110 and the second user device 120 is described below with reference to FIG. 2. An example computer architecture with reference to FIG. 3 is described below. The example computer architecture may be used to implement the computing device 140.
In certain implementations according to the present disclosure, the first user device 110 may include one or more applications 114 and/or one or more processors 112. The second user device 120 may also perform functions similar to the first user device 110 as described herein. The processor 112 may transmit a contract to the computing device 140. In some examples, the application 114 may provide a graphical display indicating an option to select the contract. Accordingly, the user may select the contract via the application 114. The processor 112 may access the contract via the application 114.
The contract may contain a plurality of tasks to be performed (e.g., rendering payment, transferring goods, performing a service). The processor 112 may also transmit a request for a modification and/or a waiver, an indication of whether one of the tasks has been performed, and/or the like. Examples of the modification may include a request to extend the date when one of the plurality of tasks must be performed, and/or a request to adjust details associated with the at least one of the plurality of tasks. A waiver may include a request to excuse performance of one of the plurality of tasks. The contract may also contain two or more parties to the contract and when at least one of the tasks must be performed.
The first user device 110 may also transmit, via the processor 112, an indication of whether the task has been performed. The indication of task performance may be transmitted in response to a request for the task status from the computing device 140. A user may provide an indication of the task performance to the first user device 110. In some embodiments, the first user device 110 may include an algorithm capable of determining whether the task has been performed. Further, based on the determination, the first user device 110 may transmit a second message indicating the status of the task's performance to the computing device 140.
The first user device 110 may also perform certain tasks. The first user device 110 may store, or have access to, the user information necessary to render a payment, for example, and may have user permission to render the payment. Further, the first user device 110 may be connected to a payment server. The first user device 110 may perform the task in response to a request for task performance from the computing device 140, the date, or other factor. The first user device 110 may also perform other tasks associated with the contract including, for example, sending an email, providing access to a system, and/or sharing file(s) and/or data.
Turning to the computing device 140, in some embodiments, the computing device 140 may include the application 144 and the processor 142. According to some embodiments, the computing device 140 may receive the contract, which may be provided by the user, for example, via the application 144. The application 144 may include a graphical user interface (GUI), for example, to enable the user to view documents and select the contract to be provided to the application 144. The computing device 140 may also receive the contract from the first user device 110 and/or the second user device 120 from one of the applications (e.g., applications 114, 124, respectively).
The computing device 140 may provide the contract to the RNN 130. In response, the computing device 140 may receive a plurality of logical rules from the RNN 130. The plurality of logical rules may include terms of the contract deconstructed from text of the contract. The computing device 140 may identify the parties to the contract. According to some embodiments, identifying the parties to the contract may be based on the plurality of logical rules. One of the logical rules may seek a string of characters, for example, associated with the “parties” section of a contract. When the computing device 140 identifies the string, the parties to the contract can be determined based on the identified string.
The computing device 140 may also generate an acyclic graph based on the plurality of logical rules. The acyclic graph may be a finite directed graph with no directed cycles, i.e., it may consist of a finite number of vertices and edges (arcs), with each edge directed from one vertex to another. In other words, starting at any vertex “v” and following a consistently-directed sequence of edges does not eventually loop back to “v” again. Additionally, the acyclic graph may have a topological ordering, or a sequence of the vertices such that every edge is directed from an earlier point to a later point in the sequence.
In terms of contracts, the acyclic graph may include vertices (nodes) representing various task(s) within the contract. The acyclic graph may be used to order the tasks of a contract and to represent collections of tasks (along with each task's influence on other tasks). The acyclic graph can comprise a probabilistic structure, such as a Bayesian network, for example, or a record of historical data, such as family trees or the version histories of distributed revision control systems. The acyclic graph may also be used as a compact representation of sequence data, such as the acyclic word graph representation of a collection of strings, or the binary decision diagram representation of sequences of binary choices. More abstractly, the reachability relation in the acyclic graph may form a partial order, and any finite partial order may be represented by the acyclic graph using reachability.
In some embodiments, the computing device 140 may not be able to generate the acyclic graph. This may occur, for example, when there is a loop, i.e., two nodes are dependent on each other occurring. When both nodes are dependent on one another, it may be impossible to perform either action associated with the respective node (e.g., send money to Jane only if Jane sends money to John, and send money to John only if John sends money to Jane). Further, the inability to generate the acyclic graph may indicate, for example, that the contract contains an unavoidable breach. When the computing device 140 determines a breach of contract is unavoidable, the computing device 140 may transmit a first message to the parties of the contract indicating the breach is unavoidable.
The computing device 140 may generate a plurality of tasks based on the plurality of logical rules. Generating the plurality of tasks may include identifying, by the computing device 140, terms of the contract requiring action. Further, the computing device 140 may assign each of the plurality of tasks to a respective node of the acyclic graph. In some examples, the computing device 140 may also organize the plurality of tasks in chronological order based on the acyclic graph. In other examples, the computing device 140 may also determine the importance of each task and organize them accordingly. Some breaches may be considered a “minor breach,” for example, and others a “major breach.” Minor breaches may include the failure to perform a required task, but the failure does not prevent the remainder of the contract from being performed. In contrast, the failure to perform a required task resulting in a major breach could prevent further performance of the contract. Accordingly, unperformed tasks resulting in a minor breach may be associated with a lower importance than unperformed tasks resulting in a major breach. So, failure to deliver materials on time in a building contract, for example, could be considered a minor breach because, provided the materials are eventually delivered, the building can continue. Failure to obtain a building permit, on the other hand, could be considered a major failure, because unless there is some alternate way to get a permit, building cannot continue.
In some embodiments, the computing device 140 may receive, from the first user device 110 and/or the second user device 120, a request for a modification and/or a waiver, an indication of whether one of the tasks has been performed, etc. The computing device 140 may provide the request for the modification and/or the request for the waiver to the RNN 130. In response, the computing device 140 may receive a second plurality of logical rules. Based on the second plurality of logical rules, the computing device 140 may update the acyclic graph including, for example, deleting one or more existing nodes, generating one or more nodes, replacing an existing node with a newly generated node, and/or adding a newly generated node to the acyclic graph. The computing device 140 may perform a systematic check through each node in the acyclic graph, for example, looking for differences between the existing nodes and the newly generated nodes. Then, based on the second plurality of logical rules, the computing device 140 may update the acyclic graph, such that the new nodes are added to the acyclic graph and existing nodes are modified or deleted. Indeed, the computing device 140 may further organize the plurality of tasks in chronological order based on the acyclic graph.
According to some embodiments, the computing device 140 may determine at least one of the plurality of tasks has not been performed. The computing device 140 may also determine a next action to be performed from amongst the plurality of tasks such as, for example, a payment by a borrower to a lender. According to some embodiments, the computing device 140 may determine a date when the at least one of the plurality of tasks must be performed, for example, or a user responsible for the at least one of the plurality of tasks that has not been performed.
In some embodiments, the computing device 140 may calculate an amount of time left before a task must be performed. According to some embodiments, when the amount of time is less than a predefined amount of time, the computer device 140 may trigger an action associated with the task that must be performed within the predefined amount of time. In some examples, triggering the action may include the computing device 140 performing the action. Similar to the previous example involving the first user device 110, when rendering payment is the next action, the computing device 140 may have sufficient information and permission to render payment on behalf of a party to the contract. In other embodiments, when the amount of time is less than the predefined amount of time, the computing device 140 may transmit the second message to the user responsible for the task that has not yet been performed.
The RNN 130 may reside on various computing devices including a laptop, a mainframe computer, or a server. The RNN 130 may reside on the computing device 140, for example, or on a device distinct from the computing device 140 that receives the contract from the computing device 140. The RNN 130 may deconstruct/parse the text of the contract to generate the plurality of logical rules. The RNN 130 may then transmit the plurality of logical rules to the computing device 140.
An example embodiment of the first user device 110 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2. The second user device 120 may have a similar structure and components that are similar to those described with respect to the first user device 110. As shown, the first user device 110 may include a processor 210, an input/output (“I/O”) device 220, a memory 230 containing an operating system (“OS”) 240 and a program 250. In some examples, the first user device 110 can comprise, for example, a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a sever, or other electronic device. The first user device 110 may be a single server, for example, or may be configured as a distributed, or “cloud,” computer system including multiple servers or computers that interoperate to perform one or more of the processes and functionalities associated with the disclosed embodiments. In some embodiments, the first user device 110 may further include a peripheral interface, a transceiver, a mobile network interface in communication with processor 210, a bus configured to facilitate communication between the various components of the first user device 110, and a power source configured to power one or more components of the first user device 110.
A peripheral interface may include the hardware, firmware, and/or software that enables communication with various peripheral devices, such as media drives (e.g., magnetic disk, solid state, or optical disk drives), other processing devices, or any other input source used in connection with the instant techniques. In some embodiments, a peripheral interface may include a serial port, a parallel port, a general-purpose input and output (GPIO) port, a game port, a universal serial bus (USB), a micro-USB port, a high definition multimedia (HDMI) port, a video port, an audio port, a Bluetooth™ port, a near-field communication (NFC) port, another like communication interface, or any combination thereof.
In some embodiments, a transceiver may be configured to communicate with compatible devices and ID tags when they are within a predetermined range. The transceiver may be compatible with one or more of: radio-frequency identification (RFID), near-field communication (NFC), Bluetooth™, low-energy Bluetooth™ (BLE), WiFi™, ZigBee™ ambient backscatter communications (ABC) protocols or similar technologies.
A mobile network interface may provide access to a cellular network, the Internet, or another wide-area network. In some embodiments, a mobile network interface may include hardware, firmware, and/or software that allows processor(s) 210 to communicate with other devices via wired or wireless networks, whether local or wide area, private or public, as known in the art. A power source may be configured to provide an appropriate alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) to power components.
As described above, the first user device 110 may be configured to remotely communicate with one or more other devices, such as the computing device 140, the second user device 120, and/or the RNN 130. According to some embodiments, the first user device 110 may utilize the RNN 130 (or other suitable logic) to determine a plurality of logical rules.
The processor 210 may include one or more of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a co-processor or the like or combinations thereof capable of executing stored instructions and operating upon stored data. The memory 230 may include, in some implementations, one or more suitable types of memory (e.g. such as volatile or non-volatile memory, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), one or more magnetic disks, one or more optical disks, one or more floppy disks, one or more hard disks, one or more removable cartridges, a flash memory, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), and the like), for storing files including an operating system, one or more application programs (including, for example, a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, and or other applications, as necessary), executable instructions and data. In one embodiment, the processing techniques described herein are implemented as a combination of executable instructions and data within the memory 230.
The processor 210 may be one or more known processing devices, such as a microprocessor from the Pentium™ family manufactured by Intel™ or the Turion™ family manufactured by AMD™. The processor 210 may constitute a single core or multiple core processor that executes parallel processes simultaneously. The processor 210 may be a single core processor, for example, that is configured with virtual processing technologies. In certain embodiments, the processor 210 may use logical processors to simultaneously execute and control multiple processes. The processor 210 may implement virtual machine technologies, or other similar known technologies to provide the ability to execute, control, run, manipulate, store, etc. multiple software processes, applications, programs, etc. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that other types of processor arrangements could be implemented that provide for the capabilities disclosed herein.
The first user device 110 may include one or more storage devices configured to store information used by the processor 210 (or other components) to perform certain functions related to the disclosed embodiments. In one example, the first user device 110 may include the memory 230 that includes instructions to enable the processor 210 to execute one or more applications, such as server applications, network communication processes, and any other type of application or software known to be available on computer systems. Alternatively, the instructions, application programs, etc. may be stored in an external storage or available from a memory over a network. The one or more storage devices may be a volatile or non-volatile, magnetic, semiconductor, tape, optical, removable, non-removable, or other type of storage device or tangible computer-readable medium.
In one embodiment, the first user device 110 may include the memory 230 that includes instructions that, when executed by processor 210, perform one or more processes consistent with the functionalities disclosed herein. Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with disclosed embodiments are not limited to separate programs or computers configured to perform dedicated tasks. The first user device 110 may include the memory 230 including one or more programs 250, for example, to perform one or more functions of the disclosed embodiments. Moreover, the processor 210 may execute the one or more programs 250 located remotely from the first user device 110. For example, the first user device 110 may access the one or more remote programs 250, that, when executed, perform functions related to disclosed embodiments.
The memory 230 may include one or more memory devices that store data and instructions used to perform one or more features of the disclosed embodiments. The memory 230 may also include any combination of one or more databases controlled by memory controller devices (e.g., server(s), etc.) or software, such as document management systems, Microsoft™ SQL databases, SharePoint™ databases, Oracle™ databases, Sybase™ databases, or other relational databases. The memory 230 may include software components that, when executed by the processor 210, perform one or more processes consistent with the disclosed embodiments. In some embodiments, the memory 230 may include an image processing database 260 and a neural-network pipeline database 270 for storing related data to enable the first user device 110 to perform one or more of the processes and functionalities associated with the disclosed embodiments.
The first user device 110 may also be communicatively connected to one or more memory devices (e.g., databases (not shown)) locally or through a network. The remote memory devices may be configured to store information and may be accessed and/or managed by the first user device 110. By way of example, the remote memory devices may be document management systems, Microsoft™ SQL database, SharePoint™ databases, Oracle™ databases, Sybase™ databases, or other relational databases. Systems and methods consistent with disclosed embodiments, however, are not limited to separate databases or even to the use of a database.
The first user device 110 may also include the one or more I/O devices 220 that may include one or more interfaces (e.g., transceivers) for receiving signals or input from devices and providing signals or output to one or more devices that allow data to be received and/or transmitted by the first user device 110. The first user device 110 may include interface components, for example, which may provide interfaces to one or more input devices, such as one or more keyboards, mouse devices, touch screens, track pads, trackballs, scroll wheels, digital cameras, microphones, sensors, and the like, that enable the first user device 110 to receive data from one or more users (such as via second user device 120).
In example embodiments of the disclosed technology, the first user device 110 may include any number of hardware and/or software applications that are executed to facilitate any of the operations. The one or more I/O interfaces may be utilized to receive or collect data and/or user instructions from a wide variety of input devices. Received data may be processed by one or more computer processors as desired in various implementations of the disclosed technology and/or stored in one or more memory devices.
While the first user device 110 has been described as one form for implementing the techniques described herein, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other, functionally equivalent techniques may be employed. As is known in the art, some or all of the functionality implemented via executable instructions may also be implemented using firmware and/or hardware devices such as, for example, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays, state machines, etc. Furthermore, other implementations of the first user device 110 may include a greater or lesser number of components than those illustrated.
FIG. 3 shows an example embodiment of the computing device 140. As shown, the computing device 140 may include the input/output (“I/O”) device 220 for receiving data from another device (e.g., the first user device 110), the memory 230 containing the operating system (“OS”) 240, the program 250, and any other associated component as described above with respect to the first user device 110. The computing device 140 may also have the one or more processors 210, a geographic location sensor (“GLS”) 304 for determining the geographic location of the computing device 140, a display 306 for displaying content such as text messages, images, and selectable buttons/icons/links, an environmental data (“ED”) sensor 308 for obtaining environmental data including audio and/or visual information, and a user interface (“U/I”) device 310 for receiving user input data, such as data representative of a click, a scroll, a tap, a press, or typing on an input device that can detect tactile inputs. User input data may also be non-tactile inputs that may be otherwise detected by the ED sensor 308. For example, user input data may include auditory commands. According to some embodiments, the U/I device 310 may include some or all of the components described with respect to the I/O device 220 above. In some embodiments, the environmental data sensor 308 may include a microphone and/or an image capture device, such as a digital camera.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example of a method 400 for maintaining contract adherence. Method 400 may be performed by one or more of the first user device 110 and the computing device 140 of the system 100. The computing device 140, for example, may ensure contract adherence by determining the plurality of tasks within the contract and performing the plurality of tasks and/or reminding the party responsible to perform the task.
At 405, the computing device 140 may receive the contract. The contract may be uploaded via the U/I device 310 or received from the first user device 110 or the second user device 120. At 410, the computing device 140 may transmit the contract to the RNN 130. Operability and/or training of the RNN 130 may be based on training documents provided to the RNN 130. The training documents may include data between parties, contracts, negotiations, and/or the like that have been prelabeled by a human, for example, or prelabeled by a trained model. The RNN 130 may determine the plurality of logical rules. In some embodiments, an algorithm executed by the processor 210 may determine the plurality of logical rules. Further, in some embodiments the plurality of logical rules may be determined by another means of artificial intelligence that is similar and/or comparable to the RNN 130. After the RNN 130 determines the plurality of logical rules, it may transmit the plurality of logical rules to the computing device 140. At 415, the computing device 140 may receive the plurality of logical rules from the RNN 130.
At 420, the computing device 140 may generate the acyclic graph based on the plurality of logical rules. The ability to generate the acyclic graph may correspond to the compatibility of the contract terms, i.e., generating the acyclic graph may indicate that the contract terms are compatible (i.e., they can be executed without conflict). Further, the acyclic graph may contain the plurality of nodes, where each node represents, for example, the current state of the contract. Moreover, the acyclic graph may be used to determine the next action to be performed within the contract. At 425, the computing device 140 may generate the plurality of tasks based on the plurality of logical rules. At 430, the computing device 140 may assign each of the plurality of tasks to a respective node of the acyclic graph.
It should be noted that other data structures including, for example, a queue, LinkedList, tree, pointer, and/or the like may perform the functions described herein with respect to the acyclic graph. In other words, while the output of the method 400 is described in terms of an acyclic graph, one of skill in the art will recognize that this is merely one type of visualization. Thus, as before, the use of an acyclic graph to describe the method 400 is merely to simplify and clarify the explanation and not to limit the disclosure.
At 435, the method may include organizing the plurality of tasks in chronological order. At 440, the computing device 140 may determine whether one or more of the plurality of tasks has not yet been performed. If all tasks have been performed, then at 445, the computing device 140 may terminate the method—i.e., all of the tasks associated with the terms of the contract have been completed and additional monitoring is not necessary. If, on the other hand, tasks remain that have not been completed, then at 450, the computing device 140 may determine a date when the next task must be performed. At 455, the computing device 140 may identify the user responsible for the at least one of the plurality of tasks that must be performed. At 460, the computing device 140 may calculate, based on a current date and the date the task is to be performed, an amount of time left before the at least one of the plurality of tasks must be performed.
At 465, the computing device 140 may determine if the amount of time left is less than a predefined amount. The method 400 may allow a predefined amount of time to serve as a grace period before taking action, for example, to ensure adherence with a term of the contract or may provide a reminder a predetermined amount of time before the task is due. When the time left is greater than or equal to the predetermined amount of time, then at 470, the method 400 may continue monitoring the contract. If the time left is less than the predetermined time, then at 475, the computing device 140 may generate the second message indicating the at least one of the plurality of tasks must be performed. The second message may include instructions regarding how the task is to be performed, a due date, any associated penalties for not performing the task, etc. At 480, the computing device 140 may transmit the second message to the user responsible for the task. In some embodiments, instead of sending the second message, the computing device 140 may trigger an action associated with the one or more tasks that must be performed within the predefined time. The method 400 can continue iteratively until all tasks identified in the contract have been competed, for example, or the process is stopped by the user.
FIG. 5 illustrates a timing diagram of a method 500 for maintaining contract adherence. The timing diagram represents the perspective of the computing device 140 in communication with the first user device 110, the second user device 120, and the RNN 130. Similar to FIG. 4, the computing device 140 may ensure contract adherence by determining the plurality of tasks within the contract and performing the plurality of tasks and/or reminding the party responsible to perform the task.
At 505, the first user device 110 may transmit the contract to the computing device 140. At 510, the computing device 140 may identify the plurality of parties to the contract. The plurality of parties to the contract may include individuals and/or legal entities obligated to perform under the contract. The plurality of parties to the contract may also include individuals without a legal obligation to perform under the contract (e.g., assignee, assignor, beneficiary). At 515, the computing device 140 may provide the contract to the RNN 130. Providing the contract to the RNN 130 may include transmitting the contract from the computing device 140 to the RNN 130. At 520, after analysis, the RNN 130 may transmit the plurality of logical rules to the computing device 140, as discussed above.
Based on the plurality of logical rules, the computing device 140 may determine that a breach of contract can be avoided (i.e., the logical rules do not conflict). At 525, the computing device 140 may generate the acyclic graph based on the plurality of logical rules. At 530, the computing device 140 may generate the plurality of tasks based on the plurality of logical rules. The plurality of tasks may include actions to be performed by the parties to the contract and/or by the computing device 140. At 535, the computing device 140 may assign each of the plurality of tasks to the respective node of the acyclic graph. At 540, based on the acyclic graph, the computing device 140 may organize the plurality of tasks in chronological order, order of importance, or in some other logical order.
At 545, the computing device 140 may determine that a task of the plurality of tasks has not been performed. At 550, the computing device 140 may determine the action associated with the task that has not been performed. At 555, the computing device 140 may determine the date when the task must be performed. At 560, the computing device 140 may determine the party responsible for the task that has not been performed from amongst the plurality of parties. At 565, the computing device 140 can transmit a second message to the party responsible (e.g., the second user device 120) for the task indicating the task has not been performed. In some embodiments, the second message may also include the date or time when the task must be performed, any penalties for not performing the task, and estimated time to complete the task, and/or any other information relevant to completing the task.
FIG. 6 illustrates a directed acyclic graph. The directed acyclic graph 600 may be used in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor 142 may generate the directed acyclic graph 600 based on the plurality of logical rules received from the RNN 130. Further, the processor 142 may assign each of the plurality of tasks to respective nodes of the directed acyclic graph 600. The directed acyclic graph 600 may provide the processor 142 with an indication of the order to complete each of the plurality of tasks.
As shown, the directed acyclic graph 600 contains nodes 0-10. Each node may contain data representative of a respective task. For example, node 1 may include a “purchase supplies” task. The arrows in the directed acyclic graph 600 represent directed edges illustrating the next possible node from the current node. Nodes having no parents, i.e., no arrow leads to the node are commonly referred to as ancestral nodes. In some embodiments, ancestral nodes may indicate a lack of conditions precedent and/or tasks that must be performed prior to the task associated with the ancestral node. Therefore, nodes 0 and 1 represent ancestral nodes.
Nodes without arrows leading away are commonly referred to as “leaves,” or nodes that have no children. Therefore, leaves may not be associated with a task that is a condition precedent or a one that must be performed before another task. In the directed acyclic graph 600, nodes 9 and 10 represent leaves. The remaining nodes, nodes 2-8 may require conditions and/or tasks to be performed prior and after the task associated with its respective node.
As used in this application, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,” “server,” “processor,” “memory,” and the like are intended to include one or more computer-related units, such as but not limited to hardware, firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on a computing device and the computing device can be a component. One or more components can reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon. The components may communicate by way of local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets, such as data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systems by way of the signal.
Certain embodiments and implementations of the disclosed technology are described above with reference to block and flow diagrams of systems and methods and/or computer program products according to example embodiments or implementations of the disclosed technology. It will be understood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow diagrams, respectively, can be implemented by computer-executable program instructions Likewise, some blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams may not necessarily need to be performed in the order presented, may be repeated, or may not necessarily need to be performed at all, according to some embodiments or implementations of the disclosed technology.
These computer-executable program instructions may be loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the instructions that execute on the computer, processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks.
As an example, embodiments or implementations of the disclosed technology may provide for a computer program product, including a computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code or program instructions embodied therein, said computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. Likewise, the computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational elements or steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide elements or steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks.
Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of elements or steps for performing the specified functions, and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow diagrams, can be implemented by special-purpose, hardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions, elements or steps, or combinations of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.
Certain implementations of the disclosed technology are described above with reference to user devices may include mobile computing devices. Those skilled in the art recognize that there are several categories of mobile devices, generally known as portable computing devices that can run on batteries but are not usually classified as laptops. For example, mobile devices can include, but are not limited to portable computers, tablet PCs, internet tablets, PDAs, ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs), wearable devices, and smart phones. Additionally, implementations of the disclosed technology can be utilized with internet of things (IoT) devices, smart televisions and media devices, appliances, automobiles, toys, and voice command devices, along with peripherals that interface with these devices.
In this description, numerous specific details have been set forth. It is to be understood, however, that implementations of the disclosed technology may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “one implementation,” “an implementation,” “example implementation,” “various implementations,” “some implementations,” etc., indicate that the implementation(s) of the disclosed technology so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every implementation necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one implementation” does not necessarily refer to the same implementation, although it may.
Throughout the specification and the claims, the following terms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “connected” means that one function, feature, structure, or characteristic is directly joined to or in communication with another function, feature, structure, or characteristic. The term “coupled” means that one function, feature, structure, or characteristic is directly or indirectly joined to or in communication with another function, feature, structure, or characteristic. The term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or.” Further, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean one or more unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to a singular form. By “comprising” or “containing” or “including” is meant that at least the named element, or method step is present in article or method, but does not exclude the presence of other elements or method steps, even if the other such elements or method steps have the same function as what is named.
As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.
While certain embodiments of this disclosure have been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and various embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
This written description uses examples to disclose certain embodiments of the technology and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice certain embodiments of this technology, including making and using any apparatuses or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of certain embodiments of the technology is defined in the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.

Example Use Case

The following example use case describes an example of a typical use of the systems and methods described herein for maintaining contract adherence. It is intended solely for explanatory purposes and not for limitation. In one example, a homeowner has an electronic version of a contract on his laptop computer (e.g., second user device 120). In this example, the homeowner has contracted with a builder to have his home renovated. The contract is already executed by all the parties to the agreement. Not being a lawyer, however, each party's obligation, the order in which they may be performed, and which duty arises in the event of non-performance is unclear to the homeowner.
To solve this problem, the homeowner uploads his contract to an application on his laptop, a remote server, or a web application. The homeowner inputs his contact information (e.g., email address, phone number) as well as the information of the contractor. Uploading the contract and entering the associated information also causes the application to send a welcome message to the contractor. The user and the contractor can use the application to check the current status of the contract, receive a list or timeline of tasks, and to “check things off” the task list as they are completed.
After receiving a welcome message from the application, the contractor sends an email to the system providing notice that he purchased certain supplies and the date of purchase. After the grace period provided in the contract expires, the homeowner receives an email notification that he must pay because the contractor for the supplies purchased by the contractor.
Later in the job, the renovation should be ongoing, but the contractor cannot be located. As a result, the application sends the contractor an email and/or a text notifying him that he is at risk of breaching the contract. The contractor responds with a message seeking an extension of time due to unforeseen circumstances. The application then sends a notification to the homeowner seeking his permission to allow this modification. If the user accepts the modification, the application dynamically updates the contract's terms—and any other terms affected by the modification—and allows for this modification without a breach. The parties continue meeting their obligations until all obligations are fulfilled. When all tasks have been performed, the application stops monitoring the contract.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining contract adherence, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a computing device, an existing contract from a remote device;

parsing, with a recurrent neural network (RNN) associated with the computing device, text from the existing contract;

generating, by the RNN, a plurality of logical rules based on the parsed text;

generating, by the processor, a plurality of tasks based on the plurality of logical rules;

determining, by the processor, for each of the plurality of tasks a type of breach resulting from a failure to perform a task, the type of breach being a minor breach or a major breach;

generating, with the processor, an acyclic graph based on the plurality of logical rules;

assigning, with the processor, each of the plurality of tasks to a respective node of the acyclic graph; and

ordering, by the processor, each of the plurality of tasks based on at least one of: the acyclic graph or the type of breach.

2. (canceled).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor using the acyclic graph, that a first task of the plurality of tasks has not been performed.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying, with the processor, a plurality of parties to the existing contract; and

determining, by the processor using the acyclic graph, a responsible party from the plurality of parties for the first task.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining, by the processor using the acyclic graph, a date when the first task must be performed.

6. (canceled).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a request for modification or a waiver from a user device associated with one of the plurality of parties.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending, by the processor, the request to the RNN;

generating, by the RNN, a second plurality of logical rules;

updating, by the processor, the plurality of tasks based on the second plurality of logical rules;

updating, by the processor, at least one node of the acyclic graph based on the second plurality of logical rules; and

ordering, by the processor, the plurality of tasks based on at least one of: the acyclic graph or the type of breach.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, based on a difference between a current date and the date when the first task must be performed, that an amount of time remaining before the first task must be performed is less than or equal to a predefined amount of time; and

performing, by the processor, the first task.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, based on a difference between a current date and the date, that an amount of time remaining before the first task must be performed;

is less than or equal to a predefined amount of time;

generating, by the processor, a message indicating the first task must be performed within the predefined amount of time; and

transmitting, by a transceiver of the computing device, the message to the responsible party.

11. A method for maintaining contract adherence, the method comprising:

identifying, by the processor, a plurality of parties to the existing contract;

sending, with a transceiver of the computing device, the existing contract to a recurrent neural network (RNN);

receiving, at the processor, a plurality of logical rules from the RNN;

determining, by the processor, for each of the plurality of tasks a type of breach resulting from a failure to perform the task, the type of breach being a minor breach or a major breach;

assigning, with the processor, each of the plurality of tasks to a respective node of the acyclic graph;

determining, by the processor using the acyclic graph, that a first task of the plurality of tasks has not been performed;

determining, by the processor using the acyclic graph, a date when the first task must be performed;

determining, based on a difference of a current date and the date when the first task must be performed, that an amount of time left before the first task must be performed is less than a predefined amount of time; and

performing, by the processor, the first task.

12-13. (canceled)

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, by the processor, a request for a modification or a waiver from a user device associated with one of the plurality of parties.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending, by the processor, the request to the RNN;

receiving, by the processor, a second plurality of logical rules from the RNN;

16. A system for maintaining contract adherence comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver; and

at least one memory in communication with the processor and the transceiver and storing computer program code that, when executed by the processor, is configured to cause the system to:

receive, from a remote device, an existing contract;

identify a plurality of parties to the existing contract;

send, with the transceiver, the existing contract from the processor to a recurrent neural network (RNN);

receive a plurality of logical rules from the RNN;

determine whether an acyclic graph can be generated from the logical rules; and either:

(i) when the acyclic graph cannot be generated:

determine a breach of contract is unavoidable; and

transmit a first message indicating the breach of contract is unavoidable to one or more user devices associated with the plurality of parties; or

(ii) when the acyclic graph can be generated:

generate a plurality of tasks based on the plurality of logical rules;

generate the acyclic graph based on the plurality of logical rules;

assign each of the plurality of tasks to a respective node of the acyclic graph;

organize the plurality of tasks in chronological order based on the acyclic graph;

determine that a first task of the plurality of tasks has not been performed;

determine a date when the first task must be performed;

determine, based on a difference of a current date and the date when the first task must be performed, that an amount of time left before the first task must be performed is less than a predefined amount of time; and

perform the first task.

17-18. (canceled)

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause the system to:

receive, from one of the one or more user devices associated with the plurality of parties, a request for a modification or a waiver.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein receiving the request further comprises:

sending the request to the RNN;

receiving a second plurality of logical rules from the RNN;

updating the plurality of tasks based on the second plurality of logical rules;

updating at least one node of the acyclic graph based on the second plurality of logical rules; and

organizing the updated plurality of tasks in chronological order based on the acyclic graph.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the first task further comprises:

receiving, by the processor, payment permission from a user device associated with the responsible party for the first task;

retrieving, by the processor, payment information for the responsible party; and

rendering, by the processor, payment based on the payment information and the first task.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the first task further comprises:

receiving, by the processor, payment permission from a user device associated with a responsible party of the plurality of parties for the first task;

rendering, by the processor, payment based on the payment information and first task.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein performing the first task further comprises:

receiving payment permission from a first user device associated with a responsible party of the plurality of parties for the first task, wherein the first user device is one of the one or more user devices;

retrieving payment information for the responsible party; and

rendering payment based on the payment information and the first task.