Money-transfer techniques
First Claim
1. A method of transferring documents from a party to a transferee, said method comprising:
- distributing transfer devices to a plurality of parties, each said transfer device equipped with a unique device code;
creating a device database comprising a set of device records;
loading each of said unique device codes into a different one of said device records;
loading party data, identifying said parties, into different ones of said device records;
loading transferee data, identifying said transferees, into different ones of said device records; and
initiating a transfer of a particular document from a requesting party to a particular transferee by the step of using said device code on a transfer device previously distributed to said requesting party in said distributing step to obtain the identities of said requesting parties and said particular transferee.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a money-transfer company, and a plurality of selling agents and paying agents. The money-transfer company maintains a server, a database, and a communications interface for communicating, via a telephone network and/or the Internet, with data terminals located at the selling and paying agents'"'"' sites. Customer transaction cards are distributed to customers. These cards have a visible card number and a corresponding alphanumeric card code stored in, e.g., a magnetic strip. In response to a customer'"'"'s request, the money-transfer company activates the customer'"'"'s transaction card by loading customer and beneficiary information into a corresponding transaction card record stored in the database. A selling agent initiates a money-transfer request from a data terminal. Specifically, the selling agent enters a monetary amount and swipes the customer'"'"'s card in a magnetic strip reader located on the data terminal. Upon receiving the money amount and the customer'"'"'s card code, the company creates a corresponding and unique transaction record associating the customer, his (her) card and the beneficiary, in the database and returns a fund pick-up (“folio”) number to the customer. The customer discloses the folio number to the beneficiary, who, with this number and appropriate personal identification, collects the transferred money from a paying agent. The customer can use the same transaction card to make subsequent money transfers, in any amount, to the same beneficiary.
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Citations
87 Claims
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1. A method of transferring documents from a party to a transferee, said method comprising:
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distributing transfer devices to a plurality of parties, each said transfer device equipped with a unique device code;
creating a device database comprising a set of device records;
loading each of said unique device codes into a different one of said device records;
loading party data, identifying said parties, into different ones of said device records;
loading transferee data, identifying said transferees, into different ones of said device records; and
initiating a transfer of a particular document from a requesting party to a particular transferee by the step of using said device code on a transfer device previously distributed to said requesting party in said distributing step to obtain the identities of said requesting parties and said particular transferee. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of transferring money from a customer to a beneficiary via a money-transfer system, said method comprising:
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said money-transfer system distributing money-transfer devices to a plurality of customers, each of said money-transfer devices equipped with a unique device code;
creating a device database at said money-transfer system, said device database comprising a set of device records;
loading each of said unique device codes into a different one of said device records;
loading customer data, identifying said customers, into different ones of said device records;
loading beneficiary data, identifying said beneficiaries, into different ones of said device records;
said money-transfer system initiating a transfer of a particular amount of money from a requesting customer to a particular beneficiary by collecting from said requesting customer one of said money-transfer devices and said particular amount of money, accessing said device code from said one of said money-transfer devices to locate a corresponding one of said device records, and retrieving the identities of said requesting customer and said particular beneficiary from said customer data and said beneficiary data; and
said money-transfer system giving said customer a unique pick-up code for use by said particular beneficiary to collect funds corresponding to said particular amount of money after giving said money-transfer system said pick-up code. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 19, 36, 37)
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16-18. -18. (Cancelled).
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20-22. -22. (Cancelled).
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23. A document-transfer system, for transferring documents between parties and transferees, comprising:
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a plurality of transfer devices each equipped with a unique device code;
a document-transfer company having data-processor means for creating a device database comprising a set of device records, each of said device records containing a different one of said unique device codes, party data identifying one of said parties, and transferee data identifying one of said transferees;
a plurality of transfer agents each comprising transfer means for initiating a transfer of a particular document from a requesting party to a particular transferee by accessing one of said device codes from a transfer device previously distributed to said requesting party to locate a corresponding one of said device records from said data-processor means to obtain the identities of said requesting party and said particular transferee; and
code-pick-up means, responsive to said transfer means, for providing said requesting party with a pick-up code for use by said transferee when collecting said document. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27-35. -35. (Cancelled).
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38. A method for accessing funds associated with a financial instrument, comprising:
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generating a funds-access code;
associating the generated funds-access code with a financial instrument;
supplying the generated funds-access code to a recipient;
presenting the funds-access code by the recipient to a distributor;
activating a funds-access device in response to the recipient presenting the funds-access code to the distributor;
creating and storing a funds-access device record representing the activated funds-access device;
associating the funds-access device record with funds associated with the financial instrument; and
accessing the funds associated with the financial instrument upon utilization of the funds-access device by the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for accessing funds associated with a financial instrument, comprising:
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generating a funds record of funds associated with a financial instrument;
transferring a value of the funds into the funds record;
creating and storing a funds-access device record associated with the funds associated with the financial instrument;
activating the funds-access device;
associating the funds-access device with the funds-access device record; and
accessing the funds associated with the financial instrument by a recipient employing the funds-access device. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for creating an account from funds associated with a financial instrument, comprising:
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generating a funds record of funds associated with a financial instrument;
transferring a value of the funds into the funds record;
creating an account and storing an account record representing the account;
depositing the funds associated with the financial instrument into the account; and
accessing the funds in the account. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method for creating an account from funds associated with a financial instrument, comprising:
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generating a funds-access code for accessing funds associated with a financial instrument;
associating the funds-access code with the financial instrument;
providing the funds-access code to a recipient;
creating an account and storing an account record representing the account in response to the recipient providing the funds-access code;
depositing the funds associated with the financial instrument into the account; and
accessing the funds in the account by the recipient. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A document-transfer system, for transferring documents between parties and transferees, comprising:
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a plurality of transfer devices each equipped with a unique device code;
a document-transfer company having data-processor means for creating a device database comprising a set of device records, each of said device records containing a different one of said unique device codes, party data identifying one of said parties, and transferee data identifying one of said transferees;
a plurality of transfer agents each comprising transfer means for initiating a transfer of a particular document from a requesting party to a particular transferee by accessing one of said device codes from a transfer device previously distributed to said requesting party to locate a corresponding one of said device records from said data-processor means to obtain the identities of said requesting party and said particular transferee; and
code-pick-up means, responsive to said transfer means, for providing said requesting party with a pick-up code for use by said transferee when collecting said document;
said transfer devices each comprise a data-storage medium having said unique device code therein;
the data-storage medium stores the unique device code in machine-readable form;
said transfer agents comprising data terminal means for reading said unique device code from said magnetic strip, and for transmitting a description of said document and said unique device code to said document-transfer company.
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87. A document-transfer system for transferring documents between parties and transferees, comprising:
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a plurality of transfer devices each having a respective data-storage medium and a respectively unique device code stored in the respective data-storage medium, the respective data-storage medium storing the respective unique device code in machine-readable form;
a document-transfer company having a data-processor for creating a device database comprising a set of device records, each of the device records containing a different one of the unique device codes, party data identifying one of the parties, and transferee data identifying one of the transferees;
a plurality of transfer agents each having a transfer device for initiating a transfer of a particular document from a requesting party to a particular transferee by accessing one of the device codes from a transfer device previously distributed to the requesting party to locate a corresponding one of the device records from the data-processor to obtain the identities of the requesting party and the particular transferee, each of the transfer agents including a data terminal for reading the unique device code from the magnetic strip, and for transmitting a description of the document and the unique device code to the document-transfer company; and
code-pick-up means, responsive to the transfer device, for providing the requesting party with a pick-up code for use by the transferee when collecting the document.
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Specification