System and method for facilitating billing allocation within an access controlled environment via a global network such as the internet

• US 20020107792A1
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: West Services
• Original Assignee: West Services
• Inventors: Anderson, Harvey
• Application Number:
  US09/775,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107792A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments

Abstract

System and method for facilitating transaction (e.g., a lawsuit, etc.) processing and disposition within an access controlled environment which are accessible via a global data processing network such as the Internet and WWW. The system and method include and involve an access control facility accessible via a global data processing network and configured to maintain user information, and to permit or deny user(s) to enter an access controlled environment within a data processing environment and to perform user operations within the access controlled environment. A transaction management facility is operable within the access controlled environment, is coupled to the access control facility, and is configured to store and maintain transaction data based on the transaction, the user operations, and a security scheme. An authentication facility is operable within the access controlled environment and is configured to authenticate the transaction data based on an authentication scheme corresponding to the transaction. A billing facility is configured to permit the user(s) to establish a billing allocation scheme to be used to control the billing of services provided within the access controlled environment, and to consolidate data related to internal operations performed by the access control facility, the transaction management facility, and the authentication facility to generate and process billing data and to send a billing notice to a responsible party via the global data processing network.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating processing and disposition of a transaction within an access controlled environment, comprising:

an access control facility accessible via a global data processing network and configured to maintain user information, and to permit or deny a user to enter an access controlled environment within a data processing environment and to perform user operations within said access controlled environment;

a transaction management facility operable within said access controlled environment, coupled to said access control facility, and configured to store and maintain transaction data based on said transaction, said user operations, and a security scheme;

an authentication facility operable within said access controlled environment and configured to authenticate said transaction data based on an authentication scheme corresponding to said transaction; and

a billing facility configured to permit said user to establish a billing allocation scheme to be used to control the billing of services provided within said access controlled environment, and to consolidate data related to internal operations performed by said access control facility, said transaction management facility, and said authentication facility to generate and process billing data based on said billing allocation scheme, to send a billing notice to a responsible party via said global data processing network.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said global data processing network is the Internet.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said billing facility generates a billing record related to said user operations within said access controlled environment.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said billing allocation scheme defines a percentage allocation of the costs associated with said transaction to be borne by said responsible party.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said billing allocation scheme is based on a predetermined billing scheme.

6. A system for facilitating transaction processing and disposition within an access controlled environment, comprising:

an access control facility accessible via a global data processing network and configured to maintain user information and to permit or deny users to login into an access controlled environment maintained within a data processing environment, said user information including a profile relating to each user of said users, each said profile including a user-specific level of security;

a transaction management facility operable within said access controlled environment, coupled to said access control facility, and configured to store and maintain data related to a transaction involving at least one of said users based on a predetermined security level to facilitate disposition of said transaction within said access controlled environment, and to determine accessibility related to said data for said each user based on said each user'"'"'s profile;

an authentication facility operable within said access controlled environment and configured to authenticate said data related to said transaction based on a predetermined authentication level set to correspond to said transaction;

a connectivity and communications facility coupled to said access control facility, said transaction management facility, and said authentication facility, said connectivity and communications facility configured to communicate with said access control facility, said transaction management facility, said authentication facility, and external transaction party systems to facilitate disposition of said transaction based on said data stored and maintained by said transaction management facility; and

a billing facility configured to permit said users to establish a billing allocation scheme to be used to control the billing of services provided within said access controlled environment, and to consolidate data related to internal operations performed by said access control facility, said transaction management facility, and said authentication facility to generate and process billing data and to send a billing notice to a responsible party via said global data processing network.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said global data processing network is the Internet.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said billing facility generates a billing record related to each operation performed by said users within said access controlled environment.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein said billing allocation scheme defines a percentage allocation of the costs associated with said transaction to be borne by said responsible party.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein said billing allocation scheme is based on a predetermined billing scheme.

11. A method for facilitating transaction processing and disposition within an access controlled environment, comprising the steps of:

at an access control facility accessible via a global data processing network, maintaining user information and permitting or denying a user to login into an access controlled environment maintained within a data processing environment;

at a transaction management facility coupled to said access control facility, storing and maintaining data related to a transaction based on a predetermined security level to facilitate disposition of said transaction within said access controlled environment;

at an authentication facility, authenticating said data related to said transaction based on a predetermined authentication level;

permitting said user to establish a billing allocation scheme to be used to control the billing of services provided within said access controlled environment;

at a billing facility, consolidating data related to internal operations performed by said access control facility, said transaction management facility, and said authentication facility based on said billing allocation scheme; and

at said billing facility, generating and processing said billing data and sending a billing notice to a responsible party via said global data processing network.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said global data processing network is the Internet.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said billing data is generated and processed relating to each operation performed by said user within said access controlled environment.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said billing allocation scheme defines a percentage allocation of the costs associated with said transaction to be borne by said responsible party.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said billing allocation scheme is based on a predetermined billing scheme.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said global data processing network is the Internet.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprises the step of:

at said billing facility, generating a billing record related to each operation performed by said user within

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said billing allocation scheme defines a percentage allocation of the costs associated with said transaction to be borne by said responsible party.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein said billing allocation scheme is based on a predetermined billing scheme.

16. A method for facilitating transaction processing and disposition within an access controlled environment, comprising the steps of:

at a user system operated by a user, accessing an access control facility via a global data processing network, said access control facility configured to maintain user information related to said user;

permitting or denying said user system operable access to an access controlled environment maintained within a data processing environment based on a profile related to said user including a user-specific level of security;

at a transaction management facility coupled to said access control facility and operating within said access controlled environment, storing and maintaining data related to a transaction involving said user based on a predetermined security level to facilitate disposition of said transaction within said access controlled environment, said transaction management facility determining accessibility related to said data for said user based on said user'"'"'s profile;

at an authentication facility operating within said access control environment, authenticating said data related to said transaction based on a predetermined authentication level set to correspond to said transaction;

at a communications facility coupled to said access control facility, said transaction management facility, said authentication facility, and operating within said access controlled environment, communicating with external systems to facilitate disposition of said transaction based on said data stored and maintained by said transaction management facility;

permitting said user to establish a billing allocation scheme to be used to control the billing of services provided within said access controlled environment; and

at a billing facility operating within said access controlled environment, consolidating data related to internal operations performed by said access control facility, said transaction management facility, and said authentication facility, generating and processing billing data, and sending a billing notice based on said billing data and said billing allocation scheme to a responsible party via said global data processing network.

21. A system for facilitating processing and disposition of a transaction within an access controlled environment, comprising:

an access control facility accessible via a global data processing network and configured to permit or deny a user to enter an access controlled environment within a data processing environment and to utilize services offered within said access controlled environment; and

a billing facility configured to permit said user to establish a billing allocation scheme to be used to control billing related to said services provided within said access controlled environment to generate and process billing data based on said services offered within said access controlled environment and said billing allocation scheme, and to send a billing notice to a responsible party via said global data processing network.

22. The system according to claim 22, wherein said billing facility generates a billing record related to each operation related to said services performed by said user within said access controlled environment.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein said billing allocation scheme defines a percentage allocation of the costs associated with said transaction to be borne by said responsible party.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein said billing allocation scheme is based on a predetermined billing scheme.