System and method for digital bill presentment and payment

• US 20020023055A1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomas Charles Antognini, Walter G. Antognini
• Original Assignee: Thomas Charles Antognini, Walter G. Antognini
• Inventors: Antognini, Thomas Charles, Antognini, Walter Gerard
• Application Number:
  US09/862,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20020023055A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/123 for colour code marks
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/126 by photographic or thermographic registration recording apparatus for measuring instruments G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06046 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06225 using wavelength selection, e.g. colour code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0166 by means of clock-signals derived from the code marks, e.g. self-clocking code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1443 locating of the code in an image
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1473 error correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1491 the method including a reconstruction step, e.g. stitching two pieces of bar code together to derive the full bar code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments

Abstract

A system of bill presentment and bill payment. The parties to the process, which typically include the bill presenter, bill payer, and bank, credit card company or other intermediary, select from a number of choices in the selection of information to include in the bill, preparation of the bill, acceptable payment methods, means to send the bill and bill payment instrument, means of signing the bill, bill payment instrument, receipt acknowledging deposit and payment, method of recording and reconciling payments, and further actions. An accumulation of choices by the involved parties can include digital information in each step that represents all of the significant data accumulated up to and including that step. That digital data preferably includes digital signatures of each party at each step so as to provide an audit trail in purely digital form. Where digital data is chosen for each step, the digital data can be electronic or, using machine readable code, printed on paper, regardless of the form chosen in prior or later steps.

Claims

1. A method of bill presentment comprising the steps of:

accessing information concerning the bill,

selecting information to include in the bill where at least one available choice in the selection consists of digital data sufficient to pay the bill, and where at least some of the information selected consists of information accessed,

selecting at least one means for sending the bill,

preparing the bill in accordance with the information selected to be included, and

sending the bill in accordance with the at least one means selected for sending the bill.

2. A method of payment comprising the steps of:

selecting a means for payment where at least one available choice consists of digital data sufficient to pay,

selecting a means for sending the payment,

selecting a person to receive the payment,

preparing a payment in accordance with the means selected for paying, and

sending the bill so prepared consistent with the means selected for sending the bill to the person selected to receive the bill.

3. A bill that contains in digital form that contains in digital form sufficient information to pay the bill.

4. A bill payment instrument which contains in digital form sufficient information to pay a bill.