System and method for enhanced access and control for connecting entities and effecting payments in a commercially oriented entity network

• US 10,115,137 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BILL Operations LLC (Bill Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bill.com, Inc. (Bill.com Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ceribelli, Henrique Pedreira de Freitas, Chan, Eric, Orttung, Mark, Linscott, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Palavecino, Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US14/284,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Among other things, embodiments of the present disclosure enables corporate entities to connect with each other and enables social networking interactions, credibility rating, identity verification, and/or business transactions between the corporate entities.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by a computer system, a credibility rating for a first corporate entity, wherein the first corporate entity is part of a network of corporate entities;

presenting, by the computer system, a profile of the first corporate entity to a second corporate entity within the network of corporate entities, the profile of the first corporate entity including the credibility rating for the first corporate entity;

receiving, by the computer system, a request to connect with the first corporate entity from the second corporate entity in the network of corporate entities;

in response to the connection request from the second corporate entity, establishing, by the computer system, a connection within the network of corporate entities between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity, wherein the established connection allows the second corporate entity to view inter-network transactional information between the first corporate entity and one or more corporate entities connected with the first corporate entity within the network of corporate entities; and

effecting, by the computer system and subsequent to establishing the connection between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity, a closed-loop payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity in response to receiving a request for a payment via the established connection within the network of corporate entities, wherein the network of corporate entities monitors the closed-loop payment transaction and automatically rejects the closed-loop payment transaction if transaction data does not match system data for both the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the second corporate entity with additional information regarding the first corporate entity in the first corporate entity'"'"'s profile subsequent to establishing the connection between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional information regarding the first corporate entity includes information regarding payment transactions between the first corporate entity and at least one other corporate entity in the network of corporate entities.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional information regarding the first corporate entity includes information regarding a connection between the first corporate entity and at least one other corporate entity in the network of corporate entities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the credibility rating of the first corporate entity based on the payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity; and

displaying the updated credibility rating in the profile of the first corporate entity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving terms defining an agreement between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity that applies to the payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity;

updating the credibility rating of the first corporate entity based on satisfaction of the terms in the agreement by the first corporate entity; and

displaying the updated credibility rating in the profile of the first corporate entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein updating the credibility rating of the first corporate entity includes raising the credibility rating of the first corporate entity in response to the corporate entity satisfying one or more terms of the agreement.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein updating the credibility rating of the first corporate entity includes lowering the credibility rating of the first corporate entity in response to the corporate entity failing to satisfy one or more terms of the agreement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein effecting the payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity further includes:

receiving a payment from the second corporate entity in response to the payment request; and

providing the payment to the first corporate entity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein effecting the payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity further includes charging a fee to the first corporate entity for effecting the payment transaction.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein effecting the payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity further includes charging a fee to the second corporate entity for effecting the payment transaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein effecting the payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity further includes charging a first fee to the first corporate entity, and a second fee to the second corporate entity, for effecting the payment transaction, wherein the first fee and the second fee are different amounts.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the credibility rating is based on one or more of:

a certification of the first corporate entity;

a verification of a payment by the first corporate entity to another corporate entity in the network;

a verification of a payment received by the first corporate entity from another corporate entity in the network;

a connection between the first corporate entity and another corporate entity in the network;

a type of connection between the first corporate entity and another corporate entity in the network; and

a duration of a connection between the first corporate entity and another corporate entity in the network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the profile of the first corporate entity includes presenting a graphical representation of connections between the first corporate entity and other corporate entities in the network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphical representation of connections between the first corporate entity and other corporate entities in the network includes a selectable link for displaying additional information regarding a connection between the first corporate entity and another corporate entity.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the first corporate entity, identification information describing the first corporate entity; and

including at least a portion of the received identification information in the profile of the first corporate entity.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising verifying the received identification information prior to including the at least a portion of the received identification information in the profile of the first corporate entity, wherein verifying the received identification information includes comparing the received identification information to information regarding the corporate entity retrieved from one or more of:

a website, a social network, and a database.

18. A tangible non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

determine a credibility rating for a first corporate entity, wherein the first corporate entity is part of a network of corporate entities;

present a profile of the first corporate entity to a second corporate entity within the network of corporate entities, the profile of the first corporate entity including the credibility rating for the first corporate entity;

receive a request to connect with the first corporate entity from the second corporate entity in the network of corporate entities;

in response to the connection request from the second corporate entity, establish a connection within the network of corporate entities between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity, wherein the established connection allows the second corporate entity to view inter-network transactional information between the first corporate entity and one or more corporate entities connected with the first corporate entity within the network of corporate entities; and

effect, subsequent to establishing the connection between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity, a closed-loop payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity in response to receiving a request for a payment via the established connection within the network of corporate entities, wherein the network of corporate entities monitors the closed-loop payment transaction and automatically rejects the closed-loop payment transaction if transaction data does not match system data for both the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity.

19. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory in communication with the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

determine a credibility rating for a first corporate entity, wherein the first corporate entity is part of a network of corporate entities;

present a profile of the first corporate entity to a second corporate entity within the network of corporate entities, the profile of the first corporate entity including the credibility rating for the first corporate entity;

receive a request to connect with the first corporate entity from the second corporate entity in the network of corporate entities;

in response to the connection request from the second corporate entity, establish a connection within the network of corporate entities between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity, wherein the established connection allows the second corporate entity to view inter-network transactional information between the first corporate entity and one or more corporate entities connected with the first corporate entity within the network of corporate entities; and

effect, subsequent to establishing the connection between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity, a closed-loop payment transaction between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity in response to receiving a request for a payment via the established connection within the network of corporate entities, wherein the network of corporate entities monitors the closed-loop payment transaction and automatically rejects the closed-loop payment transaction if transaction data does not match system data for both the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor further causes the system to:

subsequent to establishing the connection between the first corporate entity and the second corporate entity, generate a virtual space for the connected corporate entities to effect the payment transaction.