Aggregated postal billing and payment methods and systems

• US 20040230523A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• 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 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for a trusted entity such as a Post Office to process bills from a plurality of billers includes generating aggregated listings of bills to be submitted each identified customer and making the aggregated listings available to each identified customer. The trusted entity may then receive orders to effectuate payment of selected ones of the bills in the aggregated listings from customers. The first trusted entity may request that a second trusted entity designated by each identified customer (such as a bank) guarantee availability of funds sufficient to cover payment of the bills selected for payment. A third trusted entity (a central bank) may then be instructed to carry out the payments specified in each of the received orders in batch mode by transferring the payments from the second trusted entities designated by the customers to respective fourth trusted entities (e.g., banks) designated by the billers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a Post Office to process bills, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first list of bill recipients and corresponding first amounts owed by each bill recipient from a first biller;

receiving a second list of bill recipients and corresponding second amounts owed by each bill recipient from a second biller;

generating, for each bill recipient, an aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed by each of the first and second billers;

making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient;

receiving, from one of the bill recipients, an order instructing the Post Office to cause a payment of at least one of the first and second amounts listed in the aggregated listing, and

instructing a financial service provider to effectuate the payment specified in the received order.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instructing step instructs the financial service provider to transfer the ordered payment from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient to at least one of a first numbered account designated by the first biller and a second numbered account designated by the second biller.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the financial service provider in the instructing step is the Federal Reserve Bank.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the making available step includes generating and sending an email message that includes the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed by each of the first and second billers.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the making available step includes printing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed by each of the first and second billers and mailing the printed aggregated listing to each of the each of the first and second billers.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the email message is secure.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the generated email message is sent in encrypted form according to a certificate issued from a trusted certificate issuing authority.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the trusted certificate issuing authority is the Post Office.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the making available step makes the generated aggregated listing available via a web site.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the order received in the receiving step includes detailed payment instructions including at least one of:

an amount to be paid;

a date on which the central bank is to be instructed to effectuate the payment, and

an indication as to whether the first and/or second amount owed is disputed.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of charging a fee from each of the first and second billers.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generated aggregated listing is made available to each bill recipient in electronic form and includes a link to the predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient, the link being effective to enable the bill recipient to access at least an account balance of the designated numbered account.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instructing step is carried out in batch mode, to instruct the financial service provider to effectuate a plurality of payments specified in a corresponding plurality of received orders.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second lists received from the first and second billers are machine-readable.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received first and second lists are in electronic form.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the order in the receiving step is configured as a multipart draft that details amounts to be paid to each of the first and second billers.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generating step includes a step of including a promotional message along with the aggregated listing.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generated aggregated listing and the promotional message are generated in electronic form.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the received order instructs the Post Office to cause the payment of at the least one of the first and second amounts listed in the aggregated listing at a predetermined date in the future.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the generating step is carried out at a predetermined date that is selected by each bill recipient.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sequestering or debiting an amount of money at least equal to the payment specified in the received order from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient to insure that sufficient funds are available when the payment is effectuated.

22. A machine-readable medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more computers coupled to a secure network, causes at least one of said computers to perform the steps of:

receiving a first list of bill recipients and corresponding first amounts owed by each bill recipient from a first biller;

receiving a second list of bill recipients and corresponding second amounts owed by each bill recipient from a second biller;

generating, for each bill recipient, an aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed by each of the first and second billers;

making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient;

receiving, from one of the bill recipients, an order instructing the Post Office to cause a payment of at least one of the first and second amounts listed in the aggregated listing, and

instructing a financial service provider to effectuate the payment specified in the received order.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the instructing step instructs the financial service provider to transfer the ordered payment from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient to at least one of a first numbered account designated by the first biller and a second numbered account designated by the second biller.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the financial service provider in the instructing step is the Federal Reserve Bank.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the making available step includes generating and sending an email message that includes the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed by each of the first and second billers.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the making available step includes printing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed by each of the first and second billers and mailing the printed aggregated listing to each of the each of the first and second billers.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the email message is secure.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the generated email message is sent in encrypted form according to a certificate issued from a trusted certificate issuing authority.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the trusted certificate issuing authority is the Post Office.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the making available step makes the generated aggregated listing available via a web site.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the order received in the receiving step includes detailed payment instructions including at least one of:

an amount to be paid;

a date on which the central bank is to be instructed to effectuate the payment, and

an indication as to whether the first and/or second amount owed is disputed.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising the step of charging a fee from each of the first and second billers.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the generated aggregated listing is made available to each bill recipient in electronic form and includes a link to the predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient, the link being effective to enable the bill recipient to access at least an account balance of the designated numbered account.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the instructing step is carried out in batch mode, to instruct the financial service provider to effectuate a plurality of payments specified in a corresponding plurality of received orders.

35. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the first and second lists received from the first and second billers are machine readable.

36. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the received first and second lists are in electronic form.

37. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the order in the receiving step is configured as a multipart draft that details amounts to be paid to each of the first and second billers.

38. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the generating step includes a step of including a promotional message along with the aggregated listing.

39. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the generated aggregated listing and the promotional message are generated in electronic form.

40. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the received order instructs the Post Office to cause the payment of at the least one of the first and second amounts listed in the aggregated listing at a predetermined date in the future.

41. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the generating step is carried out at a predetermined date that is selected by each bill recipient.

42. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising the step of sequestering or debiting an amount of money at least equal to the payment specified in the received order from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient to insure that sufficient funds are available when the payment is effectuated.

43. A computer-implemented method for a first trusted entity to process bills, comprising the steps of:

receiving a list from each of a plurality of billers, each list including bills to be submitted to identified customers;

from the received lists, generating an aggregated listing for each identified customer, the aggregated listing including the bills to be submitted by each of the plurality of billers to each identified customer;

making each generated aggregated listing available to each corresponding identified customer;

receiving, from the identified customers, orders to effectuate payment of selected ones of the bills in the aggregated listings;

for each received order, instructing a second trusted entity designated by each identified customer to guarantee availability of funds sufficient to cover payment of the bills selected for payment;

instructing a third trusted entity to carry out the payments specified in each of the received orders by transferring the payments from the second trusted entities designated by the customers to respective fourth trusted entities designated by the billers.

44. The computer implemented method of claim 43, wherein the first trusted entity is a Post Office.

45. The computer implemented method of claim 43, wherein the second and fourth trusted entities are banks.

46. The computer implemented method of claim 43, wherein the third trusted entity is a Federal Reserve Bank.

47. The computer implemented method of claim 43, wherein the second trusted entity designated by each identified customer guarantees availability of funds sufficient to cover payment by one of sequestering the funds, extending credit or debiting a designated account.