Electronic bill processing with multi-level bill information storage

• US 20020002535A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bringardner, Clarence M., Moses, Ginger B., Kitchen, Bill, Bradley, Kenneth W. III, Au, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A method of electronically presenting billing information, includes receiving billing information associated with a plurality of different billers, different portions of which represent bills for different payors. Requests are received from respective payors for current billing information, responsive to which bill presentment information corresponding to the applicable portion of the billing information is transmitted to the requesting payor.

Claims

1. A method of electronically presenting billing information, comprising the steps of:

receiving billing information associated with a plurality of different billers, a first portion of the billing information representing bills for a first payor and a second portion of the billing information representing bills for a second payor;

receiving a first request from the first payor for current billing information representing bills for the first payor and a second request from the second payor for current billing information representing bills for the second payor; and

transmitting first bill presentment information corresponding to the first portion of the billing information to the first payor responsive to the first request and second bill presentment information corresponding to the second portion of the billing information to the second payor responsive to the second request.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first notice to the first payor of the availability of the first bill presentment information and a second notice to the second payor of the availability of the second bill presentment information;

wherein the first request is received responsive to the first notice and the second request is received responsive to the second notice.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein:

the first notice is included in a first e-mail transmission to the first payor; and

the second notice is included in a second e-mail transmission to the second payor.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein:

the first e-mail and the second e-mail are transmitted via the Internet.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first notice to the first payor of the availability of the first bill presentment information, wherein the first request is received subsequent to the transmission of the first notice; and

transmitting, subsequent to the receipt of the first request, a second notice to the first payor of the availability of the first bill presentment information if the bills represented by the first portion of the billing information remain unpaid for a specified period of time after transmission of the first bill presentment information to the first payor.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the billing information is first billing information and the plurality of different billers is a plurality of different first billers, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving, subsequent to the receipt of the first billing information, second billing information associated with a plurality of different second billers, a first portion of the second billing information representing bills for the first payor;

receiving a third request from the first payor for then current billing information; and

transmitting third bill presentment information corresponding to the first portion of the first billing information and the first portion of the second billing information to the first payor responsive to the third request.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein a second portion of the second billing information represents bills for the second payor, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving notice of payment of the bills represented by the second portion of the first billing information;

receiving, subsequent to receipt of the notice of payment, a fourth request from the second payor for then current billing information; and

transmitting fourth bill presentment information corresponding to the second portion of the second billing information to the second payor, without transmitting the the second bill presentment information, responsive to the third request.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the billing information is first billing information and the plurality of different billers is a plurality of different first billers, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving, subsequent to the receipt of the first billing information, second billing information associated with a plurality of different second billers, a first portion of the second billing information representing bills for the first payor;

receiving notice of payment of some of the bills represented by the first portion of the first billing information;

receiving, subsequent to receipt of the notice of payment, a third request from the first payor for then current billing information; and

transmitting the first bill presentment information, excluding that corresponding to the first portion of first billing information representing bills for which the notice of payment has been received, and third bill presentation information corresponding to the first portion of the second billing information to the first payor responsive to the third request.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first bill presentment information in association with an identifier of the first payor and the second bill presentment information in association with an identifier of the second payor; and

reading the first bill presentment information from storage responsive to the first request and the second bill presentment information from storage responsive to the second request;

wherein the first bill presentment information read from storage is transmitted to the first payor and the second bill presentment information read from storage is transmitted to the second payor.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the transmitted first bill presentment information includes a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts owed by the first payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers; and

the transmitted second bill presentment information includes a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts owed by the second payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the transmitted first bill presentment information includes a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts paid by the first payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers; and

transmitted second bill presentment information includes a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts paid by the second payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the first portion of the billing information is associated with only one of the plurality of different billers; and

the second portion of the billing information is associated with only one of the plurality of different billers.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the billing information is detailed billing information; and

the first bill presentation information includes a summary of the first portion of the detailed billing information associated with at least two of the plurality of different billers; and

the second bill presentment information includes a summary of the second portion of the detailed billing information associated with at least two of the plurality of different billers.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the billing information is first billing information and the plurality of different billers is a plurality of different first billers, and further comprising the steps of:

receiving, subsequent to the receipt of the first billing information, second billing information associated with a plurality of different second billers, a first portion of the second billing information representing bills for the first payor;

transmitting, prior to the receipt of the second billing information, a first notice to the first payor of the availability of the first bill presentation information;

transmitting, subsequent to transmission of the first bill presentment information and the receipt of the second billing information, a second notice of the availability of the first bill presentment information and second bill presentment information corresponding to the second billing information;

receiving a third request from the first payor for then current billing information; and

transmitting the first and the second bill presentation information to the first payor responsive to the third request.

15. An electronic bill presentment system, comprising:

a memory configured to store billing information associated with a plurality of different billers, a first portion of the billing information representing bills for a first payor and a second portion of the billing information representing bills for a second payor;

a processor configured to generate first bill presentment information corresponding to the first portion of the billing information, second bill presentment information corresponding to the second portion of the billing information, a first signal directing transmission of the first bill presentment information responsive to a first request for current billing information, and a second signal directing transmission of the second bill presentment information responsive to a second request for current billing information; and

a network interface configured to receive the first request from the first payor and the second request from the second payor, and to transmit the first bill presentment information to the first payor responsive to the first signal and the second bill presentment information to the second payor responsive to the second signal.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the processor is further configured to generate a first notice of availability of current billing information, a second notice of availability of current billing information, a third signal directing the transmission of the first notice of availability and a fourth signal, direction the transmission of the second notice of availability; and

the network interface is further configured to transmit the first notice to the first payor responsive to the third signal and the second notice to the second payor responsive to the fourth signal.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein:

the third signal includes a network e-mail address of the first payor and the fourth signal includes a network e-mail address of the second payor.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein:

the network e-mail address is the Internet e-mail address.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the processor is further configured to generate a first notice of availability of current billing information and a third signal directing the transmission of the first notice of availability and a second notice of availability of current billing information and a fourth signal directing the transmission of the first notice of availability; and

the network interface is further configured to transmit the first notice to the first payor responsive to the third signal and the second notice to the first payor responsive to the fourth signal; and

the first request is received subsequent to the transmission of the first notice and the second notice is transmitted subsequent to the receipt of the of the first request.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein:

the processor is configured to generate the second notice and the fourth signal only if the bills represented by the first portion of the billing information remain unpaid for a period of time after generation of the third signal.

21. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the billing information is first billing information and the plurality of different billers is a plurality of different first billers;

the processor is further configured to;

direct the storage of the first billing information and the second billing information in the memory, and

generate third bill presentment information corresponding to at least a part of the first portion of the first billing information and a first portion of second billing information associated with a plurality of different second billers, the first portion of the second billing information representing bills for the first payor, and

generate a third signal directing the transmission of the third bill presentment information responsive to a third request for then current billing information; and

the network interface is further configured to;

receive the first billing information,

receive the second billing information,

receive the third request from the first payor, and

transmit the third bill presentation information the first payor responsive to the third signal.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein:

a second portion of the second billing information represents bills for the second payor;

the processor is further configured to;

generate fourth bill presentment information corresponding to the second portion of the second billing information and excluding the second bill presentation information, and

generate a fourth signal directing transmission of the fourth bill presentment information, responsive to a fourth request for then current billing information.

the network interface is further configured to;

receive notice of payment of the bills represented by the second portion of the first billing information,

receive, subsequent to receipt of the notice of payment, the fourth request from the second payor, and

transmit the fourth bill presentment information to the second payor without transmitting the second bill presentment information, responsive to the fourth signal.

23. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the billing information is first billing information and the plurality of different billers is a plurality of different first billers, wherein;

the processor is further configured to;

direct the storage in memory of the first billing information and second billing information associated with a plurality of different second billers, the first portion of the second billing information representing bills for the first payor, and

generate third bill presentment information corresponding to the first portion of the first billing information, excluding that representing bills for which notice of payment has been received, and the first portion of second billing information, and

generate a third signal directing the transmission of the third bill presentment information responsive to a third request for then current billing information; and

the network interface is further configured to;

receive, subsequent to the receipt of the first billing information, the second billing information,

receive the notice of payment of some of the bills represented by the first portion of the first billing information,

receive, subsequent to receipt of the notice of payment, the third request from the first payor, and

transmit the third bill presentment information, responsive to the third signal.

24. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the processor is further configured to;

direct storage of the first bill presentment information in association with an identifier of the first payor and the second bill presentment information in association with an identifier of the second payor, and

read the first bill presentment information from storage responsive to the first request and the second bill presentment information from storage responsive to the second request;

the first signal directs the transmission of the first bill presentment information read from storage to the first payor and the second signal directs the second bill presentment information read from storage is transmitted to the second payor.

25. A system according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate the first bill presentment information to include a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts owed by the first payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers, and

generate the second bill presentment information to include a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts owed by the second payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers.

26. A system according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate the first bill presentment information to include a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts paid by the first payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers; and

generate the second bill presentment information to include a listing, displayable as single page, of respective billed amounts paid by the second payor to each of more than one of the plurality of the different billers.

27. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the first portion of the billing information is associated with only one of the plurality of different billers; and

the second portion of the billing information is associated with only one of the plurality of different billers.

28. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the billing information is detailed billing information; and

the processor is further configured to generate the first bill presentation information to include a summary of the first portion of the detailed billing information associated with at least two of the plurality of different billers, and the second bill presentment information to include a summary of the second portion of the detailed billing information associated with at least two of the plurality of different billers.

29. A system according to claim 15, wherein:

the billing information is first billing information and the plurality of different billers is a plurality of different first billers;

the processor is further configured to;

generate third bill presentation information corresponding to a first portion of second billing information associated with a plurality of different second billers, the first portion of the second billing information representing bills for the first payor,

generate, prior to receipt of the second billing information, a first notice of the availability of the first bill presentation information and a third signal directing transmission of the first notice,

generate, subsequent to transmission of the first bill presentment information and the receipt of the second billing information, a second notice of the availability of the first bill presentment information and the third bill presentment information and a fourth signal directing transmission of the second notice, and

generating a fifth signal directing the transmission of the first and third bill presentment information responsive to a third request for current billing information responsive to a third request for then current billing information;

the network interface is further configured to;

receive the first billing information,

receive the second billing information subsequent to receipt of the first billing,

transmit, prior to the receipt of the second billing information, the first notice to the first payor responsive to the third signal,

transmit the second notice to the first payor responsive to the fourth signal,

receive, subsequent to transmission of the second notice, the third request from the first payor, and

transmit the first and the third bill presentation information to the first payor responsive to the fifth signal.

30. An electronic bill presentment network, comprising:

a communications network;

a plurality of biller stations each configured to transmit billing information associated with a respective one of a plurality of different billers via the network;

a network server configured to (i) receive the transmitted billing information, (ii) store the received billing information such that a first portion of the billing information representing bills for a first payor is associated with the first payor and a second portion of the billing information representing bills for a second payor is associated with the second payor;

a first client station configured to transmit, via the network, a first payor request for current billing information;

a second client station configured to transmit, via the network, a second payor request for current billing information;

wherein the network server is further configured to receive the first payor request and to transmit first bill presentment information corresponding to the first portion of the billing information via the network responsive to the first request, and to receive the second payor request and to transmit second bill presentment information and second bill presentment information corresponding to the second portion of the billing information via the network responsive to the second request.

31. A network according to claim 30, wherein:

the network station is further configured to transmit a first notice of availability of current billing information to the first payor via the network and a second notice of availability of current billing information to the second payor via the network subsequent to receipt of the billing information.

32. A system according to claim 30, wherein:

the communications network is the Internet.

33. A system according to claim 30, wherein:

the first client station is configured to transmit, subsequent to the transmission of the first payor request, a second payor request for then current billing information via the network; and

the network server is further configured to receive notification of the payment of some of the bills represented by the first portion of the billing information, to receive the second payor request after receipt of the notice of payment, and to transmit the first bill presentment information corresponding to the first portion of the billing information representing only the remaining unpaid bills via the network responsive to the second payor request.