Communications network interface for user friendly interactive access to online services

• US 20050125348A1
• Filed: 01/12/2005
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DataTreasury Corporation
• Original Assignee: DataTreasury Corporation
• Inventors: Fulton, John W., Shepard, Marianne, Shafer, Thomas N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

In a communications network for accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining services or obtaining information from a remote location, a programmable user interface is adapted to provide a multiplicity of separate choices perceptible to a user on a user operable terminal. The terminal is capable of registering for transmission to a service platform, a user'"'"'s input to the terminal corresponding to at least one choice from the multiplicity, including banking, bill paying, shopping, travel, flowers and gifts and information. The user interface includes means for communicating the user selected choice to a service platform, means for communicating by voice, TDD or data transmission through the service platform, and means in the terminal for permitting the user to communicate directly by at least one of an interactive voice, TDD or data transmission communication with respect to a provider in the user'"'"'s selection from the multiplicity.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating transaction processing over a network of interconnected users, providers and a payment and settlement mechanism utilizing a visually perceptible screen display interface, said method comprising:

providing a network, said network having a user operable terminal for connecting with and sending and receiving communications at a remote location, the terminal being interconnected with a gateway service platform processor, which, in turn, is interconnected with a payment and settlement mechanism and one or more provider of transactions, the terminal being further capable of processing and transmitting communications to and from the terminal and to and from at least one computer associated with the one or more provider of the transactions;

providing a screen display, on said user operable terminal, of informational menus which provide access through connection indicia displayed on said screen to a variety of information, goods, and services transactions offered by the one or more] provider of transactions, said connection indicia providing a variety of user selectable choices changeable in accordance with different informational menus transmitted from said one or more provider of transactions;

communicating to the service platform the user'"'"'s input corresponding to the user'"'"'s selection from said variety of information, goods, and services represented by said connection indicia on said screen display;

displaying on the screen display data concerning the information, goods, or services received from the computer through the service platform in response to the user'"'"'s selection from the variety of choices represented by said connection indicia;

providing an option, on a screen display of informational menus, selectable by the user to communicate through the service platform to a representative of the provider of transactions with regard to the user selected information, goods, or services;

enabling the user to communicate with the representative of the provider of transactions upon the user'"'"'s selection of said option; and

enabling the user to make a selection of the information, goods, or services corresponding to the indicia displayed on the screen and transmitting that selection through the gateway processor to the one or more provider and to the payment and settlement mechanism;

whereby, upon receipt of the selection,

     1) the gateway processor transmits the selection to the payment and settlement mechanism and to the provider;

     2) the payment and settlement mechanism debits funds in the amount of the transaction from the user and credits the funds debited from the user to the provider; and

     3) the provider delivers the selected information, goods or services to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the payment and settlement mechanism is interconnected with one or more financial institution and the step of providing a screen displayed interface comprises displaying informational menus providing means for enabling the user to:

enter at least one of the group consisting of a user identification number, a secret code and a service password;

instruct a financial institution to initiate settlement of debits and credits with respect to charges incurred or funds acquired by the user as a result of a transaction with the provider;

request a confirmation number following successful completion of the transaction with the provider.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the payment and settlement mechanism is interconnected with one or more financial institutions that maintain accounts of the user and the one or more provider and in which, upon receipt of the selection from the gateway processor, the payment and settlement mechanism processes the debit in the amount of the transaction by transferring funds from the account of the user to the account of the provider.

7. The method of claim 3 including the display of a choice on the screen interface to provide means for enabling the user to repeat the transaction in the event of interruption or error in the data transmissions or error in the transaction.

9. The method of claim 1 in which the payment and settlement mechanism is interconnected with a credit card system with which the user'"'"'s account and an account of the one or more provider are associated and in which upon receipt of the user'"'"'s selection from the gateway processor, the payment and settlement mechanism debits the user'"'"'s credit card in the amount of the transaction and credits the account of the provider with the funds of the transaction.

11. The method of claim 1 in which the variety of information, goods, and services displayed on the interface comprises a merchandise catalog.

13. The method of claim 1 in which the variety of information, goods, and services displayed on the interface comprises travel services linked to an airline reservation system.

15. The method of claim 1 in which the payment and settlement mechanism interconnected with the gateway processor is an automated clearinghouse interconnected with a financial institution at which the user is an account holder and the service displayed on the interface comprises a bill pay service that debits funds from the users account upon selection by the user of a payor indicia displayed on the screen and input by the user of a funds amount.

17. The method of claim 1 in which the means for permitting the user to communicate to the provider includes at least one of a voice, TDD or data transmission selected by the user.

2. A method of accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining a service or obtaining information using an interface with a communications network, said communications network including a user operable terminal for connecting with and sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service or information and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one computer associated with the provider of the account, transaction, service or information, and with a payment and settlement mechanism, said method comprising:

providing, on said user operable terminal, a screen displayed interface of connection indicia that are different in accordance with differing modes of operation of the terminal;

providing instructional prompts on the screen displayed interface enabling the user to operate the terminal;

providing, in an internally programmed processing unit in the terminal, a multiplicity of preprogrammed choices represented by a plurality of connection indicia each having a different display characteristic with respect to the account, transaction, service or information, said multiplicity of preprogrammed choices being perceptible on the screen displayed interface to the user;

registering in the terminal the user'"'"'s input corresponding to the user'"'"'s selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices displayed on the screen displayed interface;

communicating to the service platform the user'"'"'s selection registered as the user'"'"'s input from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices;

displaying, on the screen displayed interface, data concerning the account, transaction, service or information received from the computer through the service platform in response to the user'"'"'s selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices, said data having been received from the services platform by the terminal;

simultaneously displaying on the screen displayed interface the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices and an option selectable by the user to communicate through the service platform to a representative of the provider with regard to the user selected account, transaction, service or information;

maintaining in the processing unit of the terminal a record of connection address indicia uniquely associated with a representative of the provider of each account, transaction, service or information displayed that is associated with communication option;

interconnecting the user terminal with the provider at the address associated with the provider in response to user selection of said option to communicate; and

enabling the user to communicate with the representative of the provider upon the user'"'"'s selection of said option through a direct communication link between the user and the provider; and

enabling the user to make a selection of the information, goods, or services corresponding to the indicia displayed on the screen displayed interface and transmitting that selection through the gateway processor to the one or more provider and to the payment and settlement mechanism;

whereby, upon receipt of the selection,

     1) the gateway processor transmits the selection to the payment and settlement mechanism and

     2) the payment and settlement mechanism debits funds in the amount of the transaction from the user and credits the funds debited from the user to the provider.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of providing a multiplicity of choices includes providing means for enabling the user to:

enter at least one of the group consisting of a user identification number, a secret code and a service password;

initiate settlement of debits and credits with respect to charges incurred or funds acquired by the user as a result of a transaction with the provider;

request a confirmation number following successful completion of the transaction with the provider.

5. The method of claim 2 in which, upon receipt of the selection, the gateway processor transmits the selection to the provider and the provider delivers to the user the account, transaction, service or information selected.

8. The method of claim 4 including the display of a choice on the screen interface to provide means for enabling the user to repeat the transaction in the event of interruption or error in the data transmissions or error in the transaction.

10. The method of claim 2 in which the payment and settlement mechanism is interconnected with a credit card system with which the user'"'"'s account and an account of the one or more provider are associated and in which upon receipt of the user'"'"'s selection from the gateway processor, the payment and settlement mechanism debits the user'"'"'s credit card in the amount of the transaction and credits the account of the provider with the funds of the transaction.

12. The method of claim 2 in which the multiplicity of choices having a different display characteristic with respect to the account, transaction, service or information displayed on the interface comprises a merchandise catalog.

14. The method of claim 2 in which the multiplicity of choices having a different display characteristic with respect to the account, transaction, service or information displayed on the interface comprises travel services linked to an airline reservation system.

16. The method of claim 2 in which the payment and settlement mechanism interconnected with the gateway processor is an automated clearinghouse interconnected with a financial institution at which the user is an account holder and the service displayed on the interface comprises a bill pay service that debits funds from the users account upon selection by the user of a payor indicia displayed on the screen and input by the user of a funds amount.

18. The method of claim 2 in which the means for permitting the user to communicate to the provider includes at least one of a voice, TDD or data transmission selected by the user.