Bill paying with the aid of a scanner

• US 20010037297A1
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward Parry Mcnair
• Original Assignee: Edward Parry Mcnair
• Inventors: McNair, Edward Parry
• Application Number:
  US09/802,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037297A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A payee (a vendor) creates bill 46 with account information 14 and activity 22 printed in alphanumeric characters and in a barcode symbol 42. Bill 46 is sent in the mail to a payer (a customer). The payer scans symbol 42 into a PC 52 (personal computer). Scanning wand 48 decodes symbol 42 and transmits it to PC 52. An editor 54 is installed on PC 52. Editor 54 interprets signals and displays interactive visual image 60 on a display terminal 62. The payer verifies that the information on image 60 is the same as on bill 46. The payer clicks the next button with a mouse 66 to show a transaction display 68 on terminal 62. The payer determines that he or she wishes to pay amount 73 and enters amount 73 on display 68. The payer instructs editor 54 to transfer a payment order 82 either to an electric banking software program 58 installed on PC 52 or to an online program 59 accessible through a modem 55 of PC 52.

Claims

1. A method of a payee facilitating the payment of bills by payers, said bills being comprised of:

(a) printing in human readable format, said printing comprised of payee identification and a payment due from each of said payers to said payee,

(b) coded indicia comprised of payee identification means, said payee having a means of sending said bill and said indicia through the mail to each of said payers, whereby at least some of said payers use peripheral means to decode said indicia into data, each said peripheral means transferring said data to a computer, said computer having a control instructions editor for identifying said payee from said data, said editor selecting a file about said payee from an electronic banking data base storage means accessible to said computer.

2. The coded indicia of

claim 1

, said indicia further comprised of said payment due.

3. The coded indicia of

claim 1

, said indicia further comprised of a date that said payment is due.

4. The coded indicia of

claim 2

, said indicia further comprised of said payee'"'"'s address and an account number used by said payee to identify each said payer.

5. The coded indicia of

claim 1

, said indicia further comprised of an access code, said code being converted into a part of said data by said peripheral, said code being understood by said editor, whereby said editor selectively processes said data only when said code is included in said data.

6. A bill paying apparatus comprising:

(a) a document comprised of payee identification and payment due in human readable format, and coded indicia comprised of a payee identification means, said document having been received in the mail by a payer;

(b) a peripheral means to read said indicia;

(c) a decoder to convert said indicia into decoded data;

(c) a control instruction editor that can, at least, determine said payee identification,

(d) a computer;

(e) a display terminal.

7. The apparatus of

claim 6

, comprised of said display terminal, further comprised of a computerized payment disbursement means.

8. The display terminal of

claim 7

further comprised of:

(a) a visual image of said payee identification displayed on said display terminal;

(b) a user interface control means to input instruction data, said instruction data comprised of a payment amount;

wherein said computer merges said payee identification with said instruction data and outputs the merged data to said payment disbursement means.

9. The display terminal of

claim 8

said instruction data further comprised of a send date instruction whereby said financial institution will transfer said payment amount to said payee in accordance with said merged data.

10. The control instructions editor of

claim 6

, said editor further routing said decoded data to select said payee'"'"'s file from an electronic banking data base accessible to said editor.

11. The editor of

claim 10

, said editor further identifying payment due data embedded in said decoded data, said editor merging said payment due data with an address of said payee and an account number that said payee uses to identify said payer, said editor processing said payment due data, said address, and said account number into image data, said image data being displayed as a visual image on said display terminal, said image having, in part, a display area for user payment instructions.

12. The apparatus of

claim 8

wherein said payment disbursement means is a printer, whereby said printer is caused to print a check, said printing on said check being comprised of an order to pay to said payee, and an amount to pay.

13. The editor of

claim 6

, said editor further identifying an access code embedded in said decoded data, said editor selectively processing said decoded data only when identifying said access code.

14. A computer assisted method of transacting the payment of bills, each said bill comprised of a human readable document and coded indicia, said bills sent through the mail by payees to payers, said indicia comprised of a payee identification means, at least some of said payers each having:

(a) a computer,

(b) a display terminal,

(c) a peripheral means to read said indicia,

(d) a decoder to convert said indicia into decoded data,

(e) a control instruction editor that can, at least determine said payee identification,

wherein at least some of said payers can process said indicia to assist in the implementation of the payment of said bills.

15. The computer assisted method of

claim 14

, said editor further acquiring said payee'"'"'s identification from said decoded data, said editor displaying said payee identification on said display terminal, wherein each of some said payers, using a user interface control means, inputs a payment instruction comprised of a payment amount and a send date to said display terminal to create a visual display of a payment order.

16. The computer assisted method of

claim 15

, each said decoded data further comprised of a payment due date wherein each said editor can determine a send date by merging predetermined data with said payment due date said editor creating a visual image of said send date and said payee identification on said display terminal.

17. The computer assisted method of

claim 15

, said payer further having a modem means to transfer data to a financial institution, said payer routing said payment order to said financial institution whereby said financial institution transfers said payment amount to said payee in accordance with said payment instruction.

18. The computer assisted method of

claim 15

wherein said payment disbursement means is a printer, whereby said printer is caused to print a check, said printing on said check being comprised of an order to pay to said payee, and an amount to pay.

19. The computer assisted method of

claim 15

, said editor further routing said decoded data to select said payee'"'"'s file from an electronic banking data base accessible to said editor, said payee'"'"'s file being comprised of said payee'"'"'s address, a payer account number, and whether payee is EFT enabled.

20. The editor of

claim 15

, said editor further identifying an access code embedded in said decoded data, said editor selectively processing said decoded data only when identifying said access code.