Active transaction generation, processing, and routing system

• US 20020184103A1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infonox On The Web
• Original Assignee: Infonox On The Web
• Inventors: Bajwa, Narinder, Shah, Safwan, Chandran, Rohan, Maskatiya, Vali
• Granted Patent: US 6,947,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

A method and computer system are provided for interfacing between customers and independent service providers. Customer information and transaction data are collected for transactions that may be divided into at least two subsets, with transactions in each subset being initiated with transaction devices associated with a different independent service providers. For each transaction request, a determination is made which of the independent service providers should receive the transaction request, based on the collected customer information, and it is then transmitted to the determined independent service provider.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing between a plurality of customers and a plurality of independent service providers, the method comprising:

collecting customer information and transaction data for a plurality of transaction requests initiated by at least some of the plurality of customers, wherein a first subset of the plurality of transaction requests is initiated with transaction devices associated with a first of the plurality of independent service providers and a second subset of the plurality of transaction requests is initiated with transaction devices associated with a second of the plurality of independent service providers; and

for each transaction request,

determining which of the plurality of independent service providers should receive the transaction request on the basis of the collected customer information; and

transmitting the transaction request to the determined independent service provider.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising updating a customer profile based on the customer information and transaction data.

3. The method recited in claim 2 wherein both the transaction devices associated with the first and with the second independent service providers are associated with an establishment.

4. The method recited in claim 3 wherein the customer profile comprises information regarding customers of the establishment.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of independent service providers are financial service providers.

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein confirming the identity of the customer comprises comparing stored biometric data for the customer with a biometric feature of the customer.

8. The method recited in claim 7 wherein the biometric feature is the customer'"'"'s voice.

9. The method recited in claim 7 wherein the biometric feature is a facial feature.

10. The method recited in claim 1 wherein generating the list of possible transaction comprises operating a neural network having a layer of input nodes and a layer of output nodes, wherein operating the neural network comprises supplying data to the layer of input nodes and transforming results provided by the output nodes according to a transform function.

11. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the transform function is a sigmoid.

12. The method recited in claim 10 further comprising modifying the neural network to account for the consumer transaction requested from the customer.

13. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising modifying the determination of the customer'"'"'s expected preferences to account for the consumer transaction requested from the customer.

14. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the consumer transaction comprises advancing funds to the customer.

15. The method recited in claim 14 wherein the funds are advanced in the form of cash.

16. The method recited in claim 14 wherein executing the consumer transaction comprises evaluating a risk that the advanced funds will be repaid by the consumer.

17. The method recited in claim 16 wherein evaluating the risk that the advanced funds will be repaid comprises operating a neural network having a layer of input nodes and a layer of output nodes by supplying data to the layer of input nodes and transforming results provided by the output nodes according to a transform function.

18. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising monitoring a machine interface with the computer system used by the customer.

19. The method recited in claim 18 wherein monitoring the machine interface comprises recording the request from the customer.

6. In a computer system configured for interfacing with a customer, a method for conducting a consumer transaction, the method comprising:

confirming the identity of the customer;

generating a list of possible transactions, selections on the list being individually tailored according to a determination of the customer'"'"'s expected preferences, wherein the determination is derived at least in part from past transactions executed for the customer with the computer system and at least in part from information from sources external to the computer system;

presenting the list to the customer;

receiving a request from the customer to execute the consumer transaction; and

executing the consumer transaction in accordance with the request.

20. A method for authorizing a point-of-sale device to provide cash to a customer, the method comprising:

confirming the identity of the customer with data entered at the point-of-sale device;

receiving a cash request from the customer entered at the point-of-sale device;

evaluating a risk of recovering funds provided to the customer by supplying data regarding the customer to a neural network, the neural network being configured to accept data at a layer of input nodes and to transform results provided by a layer of output nodes according to a transform function; and

authorizing the point-of-sale device to dispense cash in accordance with the cash request if the risk is acceptably low, such that the cash may be dispensed by the point-of-sale device as part of a transaction substantially contemporaneous with the cash request.

21. The method recited in claim 20 wherein confirming the identity of the customer comprises comparing stored biometric data for the customer with a biometric feature of the customer.

22. The method recited in claim 21 wherein the biometric feature is the customer'"'"'s voice.

23. The method recited in claim 21 wherein the biometric feature is a facial feature.

24. The method recited in claim 20 wherein the data regarding the customer supplied to the neural network is derived at least in part from past cash requests from the customer.

25. The method recited in claim 20 wherein the transform function is a sigmoid.

26. The method recited in claim 20 further comprising, subsequent to authorizing the point-of-sale device to dispense cash, requesting funds from a financial institution to cover the cash request.

27. The method recited in claim 26 further comprising modifying the neural network in accordance with whether the financial institution honors the request for funds.

28. The method recited in claim 20 further comprising monitoring operation of the point-of-sale device to detect improper functioning.

30. The computer system recited in claim 29 wherein the processor is further configured to update a customer profile on the storage device based on the customer information and transaction data.

31. The computer system recited in claim 30 wherein both the first and second subsets of transaction devices are associated with an establishment.

32. The computer system recited in claim 31 wherein the customer profile comprises information regarding customers of the establishment.

33. The computer system recited in claim 29 wherein at least some of the plurality of independent service providers are financial service providers.

35. The computer system recited in claim 34 wherein the data received to confirm the identity of the customer comprises biometric data.

36. The computer system recited in claim 35 wherein the biometric data is derived from the customer'"'"'s voice.

37. The computer system recited in claim 35 wherein the biometric data is derived from a facial feature.

38. The computer system recited in claim 34 wherein the processor is configured to generate the list of possible transactions by operating a neural network to supply data to a layer of input nodes and to transform data provided by a layer of output nodes according to a transform function.

39. The computer system recited in claim 38 wherein the transform function is a sigmoid.

40. The computer system recited in claim 38 wherein the processor is further configured to modify the neural network to account for the received request from the customer.

29. A computer system for interfacing between a plurality of customers and a plurality of independent service providers, the computer system comprising:

a storage device configured to store data related to customer transactions;

at least one communications device configured to permit exchange of data with a plurality of transaction devices, wherein a first subset of the plurality of transaction devices is associated with a first of the plurality of independent service providers and a second subset of the plurality of transaction devices is associated with a second of the plurality of independent service providers; and

a processor connected with the storage device and the at least one communications device, wherein the processor is configured to;

collect customer information and transaction data for a plurality of transaction requests initiated by at least some of the plurality of customers with the first and second subsets; and

for each transaction request,

determine which of the plurality of independent service providers should receive the transaction request on the basis of the collected customer information; and

transmit the transaction request to the determined independent service provider.

34. A computer system for interfacing with a customer, the computer system comprising:

a storage device configured to store data related to customer transactions;

at least one communications device configured to permit exchange of data with a remote point-of-sale device; and

a processor connected with the storage device and the at least one communications device, wherein the processor is configured to;

confirm the identity of the customer with data received over the at least one communications device;

generate a list of possible transactions, selections on the list being individually tailored according to a determination of the customer'"'"'s expected preferences, wherein the determination is derived at least in part from past transactions executed for the customer by the computer system and at least in part from information sources external to the computer system;

transmit the list to the remote point-of-sale device;

receive a request from the customer over the at least one communications device to execute a consumer transaction; and

execute the consumer transaction in accordance with the request.

41. A computer system for authorizing a remote point-of-sale device to provide cash to a customer, the computer system comprising:

a storage device configured to store data related to customer cash requests;

at least one communications device configured to permit exchange of data with the remote point-of-sale device; and

a processor connected with the storage device and the at least one communications device, wherein the processor is configured to;

confirm the identity of the customer with data received over the at least one communications device from the remote point-of-sale device;

receive a cash request from the customer entered at the point-of-sale device;

evaluate a risk of recovering funds provided to the customer by supplying data regarding the customer to a neural network, the neural network being configured to accept data at a layer of input nodes and to transform results provided by a layer of output nodes according to a transform function; and

authorize the point-of-sale device over the at least one communications device to dispense cash in accordance with the cash request if the risk is acceptably low, such that the cash may be dispensed by the point-of-sale device as part of a transaction substantially contemporaneous with the cash request.

42. The computer system recited in claim 41 wherein the data received to confirm the identity of the customer comprises biometric data.

43. The computer system recited in claim 42 wherein the biometric data is derived from the customer'"'"'s voice.

44. The computer system recited in claim 42 wherein the biometric data is derived from a facial feature.

45. The computer system recited in claim 41 wherein the data regarding the customer supplied to the neural network is derived at least in part from past cash requests from the customer.

46. The computer system recited in claim 41 wherein the transform function is a sigmoid.

47. The computer system recited in claim 41 wherein the processor is further configured, subsequent to authorizing the point-of-sale device to dispense cash, to request funds from a financial institution to cover the cash request.

48. The computer system recited in claim 47 wherein the processor is further configured to modify the neural network in accordance with whether the financial institution honors the request for finds.