Universal forms engine

• US 20050080756A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andree J. Hertz, James H. Wolfston Jr, John W. Stedman, Michael D. Hitchcock, Raymond L. Price
• Original Assignee: Andree J. Hertz, James H. Wolfston Jr, John W. Stedman, Michael D. Hitchcock, Raymond L. Price
• Inventors: Stedman, John W., Wolfston, James H. Jr., Hertz, Andree J., Price, Raymond L., Hitchcock, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A forms engine allows data sharing between customizable on-line forms, such as college admissions applications. Before applying, an applicant opens an account with a third party application servicer. After the applicant completes an application for one institution, the data is saved in a data base and automatically populates fields in subsequent application forms. The form for each institution is created from a form description file. Each form is branded for its institution and forms for different institutions differ in appearance and content so that the presence of the third party servicer is transparent to the applicant. The system is extensible without programming, allowing new applicant attributes to be readily incorporated into the system and allowing the content and appearance of the application to be readily changed by changing the description file. The use of aliases for applicant attributes permits data to be readily shared between forms even though labeled and arranged differently on different forms. Information stored about each attribute allows the specification of data validation rules and data sharing and grouping rules, as well as dependency rules that permit application page content to depend on applicant'"'"'s responses on a previous page.

Claims

1-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A method of processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple public forms users to multiple institutions of higher education, the forms being processed by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the institutions of higher education nor one of the public forms users, the method comprising:

presenting to a form user over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user, a form directed to one of the multiple institutions of higher education, the form being generated by a forms generator that generates multiple forms corresponding to multiple institutions of higher education, the forms generator generating forms that are customized in appearance and content in accordance with the preference of the institution to which each of the forms is directed and that include an indication of source corresponding to the institution to which each of the forms is directed so as to provide to the users of the forms the appearance that the forms are associated with the specific institutions to which they are directed, the forms including fields for the forms users to enter user information;

entering user information onto the form;

entering payment information;

receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information and electronic payment information entered by the user;

processing by the third party forms servicer an electronic payment associated with the form, the processed payment being from the user to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed;

storing by the third party forms servicer at least some of the user information entered on the form in a user database; and

making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed, the third party forms servicer providing to public form users customized forms identified with institutions of higher education and providing to the institutions web-based access to the data, while relieving the institution'"'"'s burden of processing forms and payments.

57. The method of claim 56 further comprising storing by the third party forms servicer user information from additional users who have completed forms directed to the one of the multiple institutions and further comprising providing to the one of the multiple institutions web-based viewing or uploading of the stored user information from multiple users.

58. The method of claim 56 further comprising storing by the third party forms servicer user information from additional users who have completed forms directed to the one of the multiple institutions, and in which:

making web-based viewing or uploading available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed includes providing the ability to sort data.

59. The method of claim 56 in which making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed includes making user information available from all or a subset of the forms directed to that institution

60. The method of claim 59 in which making user information available from all or a subset of the forms directed to that institution includes making user information available corresponding to a time period of user submissions specified by the institution.

61. The method of claim 56 in which making web-based viewing or uploading available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed includes making available information about the completion status of forms directed to the institution.

62. The method of claim 56 in which making web-based viewing or uploading available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed includes making at least some of the stored user information in the user database available for performing data analysis.

63. The method of claim 62 in which making at least some of the stored user data available for performing data analysis includes making at least some of the stored user data available for performing correlations between information on the form and information from another source.

64. The method of claim 62 in which making at least some of the stored user data available for performing data analysis includes making at least some of the data available for performing statistical correlations between information on admissions application forms and grades achieved by corresponding applicants, where the form users are admissions applicants and forms are admissions applications.

65. The method of claim 56 in which form users are admissions applicants and forms are admissions applications, and in which making web-based viewing or uploading available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed includes enabling review of admissions applications from a particular geographical area or enabling determination of admissions applicants who play a particular sport or instrument.

66. The method of claim 56 in which entering payment information includes entering payment information onto the form.

67. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

presenting over a computer network by the third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user, a second form directed to one of the multiple institutions of higher education; and

automatically inserting into the second form user information previously entered onto a form by the form user.

68. The method of claim 56 in which receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information and electronic payment information entered by the user includes verifying that the user information satisfies criteria specified by the one of the multiple institutions of higher education to which the form is directed.

69. The method of claim 56 in which presenting to a form user over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user a form directed to one of the multiple institutions of higher education includes presenting a form including multiple pages.

70. The method of claim 69 further comprising verifying in accordance with validation criteria user information on each of the multiple pages as they are posted.

71. The method of claim 70 in which verifying in accordance with validation criteria user information on each of the multiple pages as they are posted includes verifying the user information at a client computer or at a server computer.

72. The method of claim 70 in which the validation criteria is specified by the school to which the form is directed.

73. The method of claim 70 further comprising verifying in accordance with first validation criteria user information on each of the multiple pages as they are posted and verifying in accordance with second validation criteria user information when a completed form is submitted.

74. The method of claim 73 in which verifying user information in accordance with first validation criteria includes verifying user information at a client computer and in which verifying user information in accordance with second validation criteria includes verifying user information at a server computer.

75. The method of claim 56 in which presenting to a form user over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user a form directed to one of the multiple institutions of higher education includes presenting the form in response to activation by the form user of a hyperlink to the form, the hyperlinking to the form occurring from an individual institution'"'"'s web site without any visible intervening linkage to any page naming another institution.

76. The method of claim 56 in which the forms generator generates forms using form data and further comprising:

altering the form data over the world wide web by the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed, and

presenting to a second form user over a computer network by the third party forms servicer in response to a request from the second form user, a second form directed to that institution, the second form being generated by the forms generator from the altered form data, the second form customized in appearance and content in accordance with the preference of that institution so as to provide to the second form user the appearance that the second form is associated with that institution.

77. The method of claim 76 in which altering the form data over the world wide web by the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed includes altering the form data without manual intervention by the third party forms servicer.

78. The method of claim 76 in which altering the form data includes altering deadline dates related to submission of the form.

79. A computer readable media comprising computer instructions for performing the steps of claim 56.

80. A method of processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple public forms users to multiple institutions of higher education, the forms being processed by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the institutions of higher education nor one of the public forms users, the method comprising:

presenting to a form user over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user, a form directed to one of the multiple institutions of higher education, the form being generated by a forms generator that generates multiple forms corresponding to multiple institutions of higher education, the forms generator generating forms that are customized in appearance and content in accordance with the preference of the institution to which each of the forms is directed and that include an indication of source corresponding to the institution to which each of the forms is directed so as to provide to the users of the forms the appearance that the forms are associated with the specific institutions to which they are directed, the forms including fields for the forms users to enter user information;

entering user information onto the form;

entering payment information;

receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information and electronic payment information entered by the user;

processing by the third party forms servicer an electronic payment associated with the form, the processed payment being from the user to the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed;

storing by the third party forms servicer at least some of the user information entered on the form in a user database; and

viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database over the world wide web by the one of the multiple institutions to which the form is directed

the third party forms servicer providing to public form users customized forms identified with institutions of higher education and providing to the institutions web-based access to the data, while relieving the institution of the administrative burden of processing forms and payments.

81. A method of processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple public forms users to multiple higher education entities, the forms being processed by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the higher education entities nor one of the public forms users, the method comprising:

presenting to a form user over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user, a form directed to one of the higher education entities, the form being generated from form data by a forms generator that generates multiple forms corresponding to higher education entities, the forms generator generating forms that are customized in appearance and content in accordance with the preference of the entity to which each of the forms is directed and that include an indication of source corresponding to the entity to which each of the forms is directed so as to provide to the users of the forms the appearance that the forms are associated with the specific entities to which they are directed, the forms including fields for the forms users to enter user information;

entering user information onto the form;

receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information entered by the user;

storing by the third party forms servicer at least some of the user information entered on the form in a user database; and

altering the form data over the world wide web by the one of the multiple entities to which the form is directed without manual intervention by the third party forms servicer,

presenting to a second form user over a computer network by the third party forms servicer in response to a request from the second form user, a second form directed to the one of the higher education entities, the second form being generated from the altered form data by the forms generator, the second form customized in appearance and content in accordance with the preference of the one of the multiple entities so as to provide to the second form user the appearance that the second form is associated with the one of the multiple entities, the forms including fields for the forms users to enter user information;

the third party forms servicer providing to public form users customized forms identified with higher education entities and providing to the entities web-based access to the alter the form, while relieving the entity of the administrative burden of processing forms and payments

82. The method of claim 81 in which presenting a form generated from form data includes presenting a form generated from an XML file that describes form.

83. The method of claim 81 in which altering the form data includes altering the form submission deadline dates.

84. A method of processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple form users to multiple academic entities, the forms being processed by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the academic entities nor one of the forms users, the method comprising:

presenting to a form user over a computer network by a third party forms servicer a form directed to one of the multiple academic entities, the forms including fields for the form user to enter user information;

receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information and electronic payment information entered by the user;

storing by the third party forms servicer at least some of the user information entered on the form in a user database;

processing by the third party forms servicer an electronic payment associated with the form, the processed payment being from the user to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed; and

making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed,

the third party forms servicer providing to form users customized forms identified with the academic entity and providing to the academic entities web-based access to the data, while relieving the academic entity'"'"'s burden of processing forms and payments.

85. The method of claim 84 in which storing at least some of the user information entered on the form in a user database comprises storing user information from multiple users who have completed forms directed to one of the multiple academic entities and further comprising providing to the one of the multiple academic entities web-based viewing or uploading of the stored user information from multiple users.

86. The method of claim 84 further comprising storing by the third party forms servicer user information from additional users who have completed forms directed to the one of the multiple academic entities and in which:

storing by the third party forms servicer at least some of the user information entered on the form in a user database includes storing the user information in data fields, and

making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed includes providing to the one of the multiple academic entities the ability to sort data by fields.

87. The method of claim 84 in which making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed includes making user information available from all or a subset of the data entered on forms directed to the one of the multiple academic entities.

88. The method of claim 84 in which making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed includes making information available about the status of forms directed to the academic entities.

89. The method of claim 84 in which making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed includes making at least some of the user data available for performing data analysis.

90. The method of claim 89 in which making at least some of the user data available for performing statistical analysis includes making at least some of the user data available for performing statistical correlations between information on the form and information from another source.

91. The method of claim 89 in which making at least some of the user data available for performing statistical correlations includes making at least some of the user data available for performing statistical correlations between information on an admissions application form and grades achieved by admitted applicants.

92. The method of claim 84 in which making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed includes making at least some of the user data available to review applications of students from a particular geographical area or students who play a particular sport or instrument.

93. The method of claim 84 in which entering payment information includes entering payment information onto the form.

94. The method of claim 84 further comprising:

presenting over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user, a second form directed to one of the multiple academic entities; and

automatically inserting into the second form user information previously entered onto a form by the form user.

95. The method of claim 84 in which receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information and electronic payment information entered by the user includes verifying that the user information satisfies criteria specified by the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed.

96. The method of claim 95 in which verifying in accordance with validation criteria includes verifying the user information at a client computer or at a server computer.

97. The method of claim 84 in which presenting a form to a form user over a computer network includes presenting a form including multiple pages.

98. The method of claim 97 further comprising verifying in accordance with validation criteria user information on each of the multiple pages after each page is completed.

99. The method of claim 95 in which the validation criteria is specified by the academic entity to which the form is directed.

100. The method of claim 95 further comprising verifying in accordance with first validation criteria user information on each of the multiple pages as they are completed and verifying in accordance with second validation criteria user information when the completed form is submitted.

101. The method of claim 100 in which the first validation criteria, the second validation criteria, or both validation criteria are specified by the entity to which the application is directed.

102. The method of claim 100 in which verifying user information in accordance with first validation criteria includes verifying user information at a client computer and in which verifying user information in accordance with second validation criteria includes verifying user information at a server computer.

103. A computer readable media including computer instructions for performing the steps of claim 84.

104. A method of processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple form users to multiple academic institutions, the forms being processed by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the academic institutions nor one of the forms users, the method comprising:

presenting over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to activation of a hyperlink to the form by a form user a form directed to one of the multiple academic institutions, the form including fields for the form user to enter user information and the hyperlinking to the form occuring from an individual institution'"'"'s web site without any visible intervening linkage to any page naming another institution;

receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information and electronic payment information entered by the user;

storing by the third party forms servicer at least some of the user information entered on the form in a user database;

processing by the third party forms servicer an electronic payment associated with the form, the processed payment being from the user to the one of the multiple academic institutions to which the form is directed; and

making web-based viewing or uploading of at least some of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic institutions to which the form is directed,

the third party forms servicer providing to form users customized forms identified with the academic entity and providing to the academic entities web-based access to the data, while relieving the academic entity'"'"'s burden of processing forms and payments.

105. An apparatus for processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple public forms users to multiple academic entities, the forms being processed by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the multiple entities nor one of the public forms users, the system comprising:

a processor for executing computer instructions, the processor associated with the third party forms servicer; and

computer accessible memory in data communication with the processor and storing computer instructions for;

presenting over a computer network to a form user by the third party forms servicer a form directed to one of the multiple entities, the form including fields for the form user to enter user information;

receiving by the third party forms servicer over the computer network user information and electronic payment information entered by the user;

processing by the third party forms servicer an electronic payment associated with the form, the processed payment being from the form user to the one of the multiple entities to which the form is directed; and

making web-based viewing or uploading of the stored user information in the user database available by the third party forms servicer to the one of the multiple academic entities to which the form is directed,

the third party forms servicer providing to form users customized forms identified with the academic entity and providing to the academic entities web-based access to the data, while relieving the academic entity'"'"'s burden of processing forms and payments.

106. The apparatus of claim 105 in which the computer accessible memory storing computer instructions stores instructions for providing to the one of the multiple entities web-based viewing or uploading of the stored user information from multiple users.

107. The apparatus of claim 105 in which the computer accessible memory storing computer instructions stores instructions for providing to the one of the multiple entities the ability to sort data by fields.

108. The method of claim 105 in which the computer accessible memory storing computer instructions stores instructions for making available all or a subset of the data entered on forms directed to the one of the multiple entities.

109. A method of processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple public forms users to institutions, the forms processing being administered by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the institutions nor one of the public forms users, the method comprising:

web-based viewing or uploading of user information by an institution from a third party forms servicer, the user information being derived from a form customized for the institution and identified primarily with the institution rather than with the third party forms servicer, the customized form being presented to a form user over a computer network by the third party forms servicer, the customized form including fields for data to be inserted manually by the forms user or automatically, the information in the completed form being posted to the third party forms servicer; and

receiving from the form user via the third party form servicer an electronic payment associated with the customized form;

thereby providing to the form user a customized form identified with the institution and providing the institution with web-based viewing or uploading of data and an electronic payment, while relieving the institution'"'"'s burden of processing forms and payments.

110. The method of claim 109 in which web-based viewing or uploading of user information by an institution from a third party forms servicer includes web-based viewing or uploading user information derived from a customized admissions application form branded to the institution.

111. The method of claim 109 in which receiving an electronic payment associated with the customized form includes receiving an electronic payment that includes a form fee minus a form processing fee retained by the third party servicer.

112. The method of claim 109 in which web-based viewing or uploading of user information by an institution includes web-based viewing or uploading of user information derived from a form customized for and primarily identified with the first institution, the user information including information that was:

posted by the form user on a previously completed form customized for and identified primarily with a second institution,

stored by the third party forms servicer, and

automatically inserted into the form customized for and identified with the first institution, thereby allowing the form user to enter information on a form associated with one institution, the information being saved and automatically inserted into a subsequent form associated with a different institution.

113. The method of claim 109 in which web-based viewing or uploading of user information by an institution includes web-based viewing or uploading of information that was verified by the third party forms servicer as satisfying criteria specified by the institution.

114. The method of claim 109 in which web-based viewing or uploading by an institution includes web-based viewing or uploading of information that was derived from a multiple page form directed to the institution by a form user.

115. A computer readable media including computer instructions for performing the steps of claim 109.

116. A method of processing over a computer network forms directed by multiple public forms users to higher education entities, the forms being processed by a third party forms servicer that is neither one of the higher education entities nor one of the public forms users, the method comprising:

presenting to a form user over a computer network by a third party forms servicer in response to a request from the form user, a form directed to one of the higher education entities, the form being generated by a forms generator that generates multiple forms corresponding to higher education entities, the forms generator generating from form data forms that are customized in appearance and content in accordance with the preference of the entity to which each of the forms is directed and that include an indication of source corresponding to the entity to which each of the forms is directed so as to provide to the users of the forms the appearance that the forms are associated with the specific entities to which they are directed, the forms including fields for the forms users to enter user information;

altering the form data over the world wide web by the one of the entities to which the form is directed, and

presenting to a second form user over a computer network by the third party forms servicer in response to a request from the second form user, a second form directed to the one of the higher education entities, the second form being generated by the forms generator from the altered form data, the second form customized in appearance and content in accordance with the preference of the one of the higher education entities so as to provide to the second form user the appearance that the second form is associated with the one of the higher education entities, the forms including fields for the forms users to enter user information.

117. The method of claim 116 in which the form is an admissions application and in which altering the form data includes altering the form submission deadline dates.

118. The method of claim 116 in which altering the form data over the world wide web by the one of the higher education entities to which the form is directed includes altering the form data without manual intervention by the third party forms servicer.

119. The method of claim 116 in which presenting a form generated from form data includes presenting a form generated from an XML file that describes form.