Transaction dispute management system and method

• US 20030135453A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trintech Ltd. (Trintech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Trintech Ltd. (Trintech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: OʼConnor, William, Caulfield, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/322,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20030135453A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A system (1) receives data for a transaction dispute (12) and applies rules (13) to determine a recommended action. These rules involve processing a list of possible recommended actions in sequence until a match is found. The probability values are used for matching most instances, and a final recommended action in the list is selected by default. A decision tree (12) may be executed to progress a dispute. Each node has one or more parameter values, each parameter value directing retrieval of an answer using a particular mechanism. Each answer for a node is automatically written to a trace log. As execution progresses through the nodes, the trace log is built up. The trace log is used for execution of rules associated with an end node (53, 54, 56, 58, 61, 62, 63). The end nodes provides an output instruction for an action module (20).

Claims

1. A transaction dispute management system comprising:

means for receiving dispute data from a transaction processing system;

a recommended action rule processing means for determining a recommended action in response to the received dispute data;

a decision tree execution means for automatically executing a decision tree selected according to a recommended action, said decision tree execution being for determining an instruction for an action; and

a plurality of dispute resolution action modules each comprising means for automatically performing an action in response to said input instruction and for generating an output indicating the action performed.

2. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decision tree execution means comprises means for determining a parameter value associated with each successive node of the decision tree, each parameter value indicating the manner in which the associated node is to be executed.

3. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decision tree execution means comprises means for determining a parameter value associated with each successive node of the decision tree, each parameter value indicating the manner in which the associated node is to be executed;

and wherein the parameter value indicates if an answer is to be retrieved from a database, if a user is to be prompted to input an answer, or if rules are to be executed to determine an answer.

4. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein there are a plurality of parameter values associated with at least some nodes, and the decision tree execution means comprises means for obtaining an answer for each parameter value for each such node.

5. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a parameter value includes a database table address for a table fetch to retrieve an answer.

6. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a parameter value includes an address for a database table of user questions to prompt input of an answer.

7. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rules for determining an answer are goal-driven inferencing rules.

8. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decision tree execution means comprises means for capturing each answer of each node in a trace log.

9. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the decision tree execution means comprises means for capturing each answer of each node in a trace log;

and wherein the decision tree execution means comprises means for using the trace log as an input to a rule set associated with an end node to determine the decision tree output.

10. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recommended action rule processing means comprises means for testing compliance with possible recommended actions of a list selected from a plurality of lists.

11. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recommended action rule processing means comprises means for testing compliance with possible recommended actions of a list selected from a plurality of lists;

and wherein the recommended action rule processing means comprises means for ceasing testing when a possible recommended action tests positive.

12. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tests comprise matching conditions associated with the recommended action.

13. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recommended action rule processing means comprises means for testing compliance with possible recommended actions of a list selected from a plurality of lists;

and wherein the recommended action processing means comprises means for determining a positive test result if a probability value exceeds a threshold.

14. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recommended action rule processing means comprises means for testing compliance with possible recommended actions of a list selected from a plurality of lists;

and wherein the recommended action rule processing means comprises means for selecting a final recommended action in the list if processing reaches that recommended action.

15. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises a rule processing means for processing a recommended action without use of a decision tree.

16. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises a rule processing means for processing a recommended action without use of a decision tree;

and wherein said rule processing means comprises means for performing actions leading to closure of a dispute.

17. A transaction dispute management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises means for dynamically updating decision trees to reflect changes in prescribed dispute handling requirements.

18. A computer program product comprising software code portions for providing a transaction dispute management system as claimed in any preceding claim when loaded on a digital computer.

19. A transaction dispute management method implemented by a transaction dispute management system linked to a transaction processing system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving dispute data from the transaction processing system;

determining a recommended action in response to the received dispute data and according to stored rules;

selecting a stored decision tree according to the determined recommended action;

executing the decision tree to determine an instruction for an action; and

executing a dispute resolution action module to perform an action in response to said instruction and to generate an output indicating the action performed.