System for maintaining account and product data

• US 20050187841A1
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grear, Michael B., Donlin, Gretchen, Bell, Richard T., Higgins-Mormann, Kimberly, Harrington, Teresa M.
• Application Number:
  US10/971,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20050187841A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, an architecture is provided for a data processing system that processes data for a service provider itself or a client of a service provider as in the case of a third party processor. The elements of the architecture can be managed separately. For example, the architecture can be organized around eight subject areas, such as account, party, communication point, presentation instrument, rules, balances, transactions, and product. Relationships between each of the subject areas as well as between sub-types of each subject area can be established to provide flexibility in the management of the data.

Claims

1. A method for storing data for a service business, said method comprising:

storing account data identifying an account as a separate set of data;

storing balance data identifying a balance as a separate set of data;

associating said account data with said balance data so as to relate said account with said balance.

2. The method as described in claim 1 and further comprising:

storing each of said sets of data on separate databases.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said storing said account data as a separate set of data comprises storing said account data without reference to said balance data and wherein said storing said balance data as a separate set of data comprises storing said balance data without reference to said account data.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said associating said account data with said balance data comprises:

assigning a first identifier with said account data;

assigning a second identifier with said balance data;

associating said first identifier with said second identifier so as to relate said account data with said balance data.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said account data comprises a product type.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said balance data comprises a balance type.

7. A system for storing data for a service business, said system comprising:

an account database for storing account data identifying an account as a separate set of data;

a balance database storing balance data identifying a balance as a separate set of data;

wherein said account data and said balance data identify a balance on said account.

8. The system as described in claim 7 wherein said account database and said balance database each have a separate processor.

9. The system as described in claim 7 wherein said storing said account data as a separate set of data comprises storing said account data without reference to said balance data and wherein said storing said balance data as a separate set of data comprises storing said balance data without reference to said account data.

10. The system as described in claim 7 and further comprising:

an account-balance database for associating said account data with said balance data.

11. The system as described in claim 10 wherein said account-balance database comprises:

a first identifier assigned to said account data and a second identifier assigned to said balance data and wherein said first identifier is further associated with said second identifier so as to relate said account data with said balance data.

12. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said account data comprises a product type.

13. The system as described in claim 7 and further comprising an associative linking database comprising:

a first identifier associated with said account data;

a second identifier associated with said balance data;

wherein said first identifier and said second identifier are associated so as to relate said account data with said balance data.

14. The system as described in claim 7 wherein said balance data comprises a balance type.

15. A method for storing data for a service business, said method comprising:

storing product data identifying a product as a separate set of data;

storing balance data identifying a balance as a separate set of data;

associating said product data with said balance data so as to relate said product with said balance.

16. The method as described in claim 15 and further comprising:

storing each of said sets of data on separate databases.

17. The method as described in claim 15 wherein said storing said product data as a separate set of data comprises storing said product data without reference to said balance data and wherein said storing said balance data as a separate set of data comprises storing said balance data without reference to said product data.

18. The method as described in claim 15 wherein said coupling said product data with said balance data comprises:

assigning a first identifier with said product data;

assigning a second identifier with said balance data;

associating said first identifier with said second identifier so as to relate said product data with said balance data.

19. The method as described in claim 15 wherein said product data comprises a product type.

20. The method as described in claim 15 wherein said balance data comprises a balance type.

21. A system for storing data for a service business, said system comprising:

a product database for storing product data identifying a product as a separate set of data;

a balance database storing balance data identifying a balance as a separate set of data;

wherein said product data and said balance data identify a balance for said product.

22. The system as described in claim 21 wherein said product database and said balance database each have a separate processor.

23. The system as described in claim 21 wherein said storing said product data as a separate set of data comprises storing said product data without reference to said balance data and wherein said storing said balance data as a separate set of data comprises storing said balance data without reference to said product data.

24. The system as described in claim 21 and further comprising:

a product-balance database for associating said product data with said balance data.

25. The system as described in claim 24 wherein said product-balance database comprises:

a first identifier assigned to said product data and a second identifier assigned to said balance data and wherein said first identifier is further associated with said second identifier so as to relate said product data with said balance data.

26. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said product data comprises a product type.

27. The system as described in claim 21 and further comprising an associative database comprising:

a first identifier assigned to said product data;

a second identifier assigned to said balance data;

wherein said first identifier and said second identifier are associated so as to relate said product data with said balance data.

28. The system as described in claim 21 wherein said balance data comprises a balance type.