System and method for resolving transactions

• US 20060085332A1
• Filed: 10/19/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miritz Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Apollo Enterprise Solutions LLC (Apollo Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: House, William J. III, Imrey, G. Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

A method for the online settling of a transaction in which network communications are established between a user, such as a debtor, and a server is presented. The method comprises receiving information, at the server, regarding the transaction, seeking available information pertinent to the transaction from at least one source external to the server and the user, processing data from the available information using a rules based engine including rules established on behalf of a party to the transaction located at the server, and presenting a transaction settlement offer set to the user based on at least one decision made by the rules based engine. While online, the user/debtor may accept one of the offers or engage in further approved negotiation of other offers.

Claims

1. A method for settling a transaction, comprising:

establishing network communications between a user and a server;

receiving information, at the server, regarding the transaction;

seeking available information pertinent to the transaction from at least one source external to the server and the user;

processing data from the available information using a rules based engine including rules established on behalf of a party to the transaction located at the server; and

presenting a transaction settlement offer set to the user based on at least one decision made by the rules based engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a debtor and the transaction comprises a debt owed by the debtor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the available information comprises a credit report associated with the debtor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein rules in the rules based engine are established by a credit entity having rights to the debt.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules based engine relies on at least one dictionary employed to translate received information into information used within the server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction settlement offer set comprises at least one offer formed according to rules established by a credit entity having an interest in the transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to make a different offer than any offer provided in the transaction settlement offer set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing data from the available financial information comprises parsing the available information to obtain only that information required to produce the transaction settlement offer set.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction settlement offer set comprises an incentive to the user to settle the debt by communications with the server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules engine comprises rules that consider the user'"'"'s ability to sufficiently resolve the transaction.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing an alternative settlement offer set that differs from any offer in the transaction settlement offer set.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising approving the alternative settlement based on predetermined settlement rules.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the user with at least one payment option related to at least one offer in the transaction settlement offer set.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the payment options comprise a discounted immediate payment option and/or a periodic payment of a fixed monetary amount.

15. A method of settling a financial transaction between a user and a party to the financial transaction, comprising:

establishing network communications between the user and a server;

seeking available information regarding the transaction from a source separate from the server and the user, and when information is available regarding the transaction, receiving the available information at the server;

processing available data regarding the transaction at the server using rules established on behalf of the party to the transaction; and

presenting a transaction settlement offer set to the user based on at least one decision made according to the rules established on behalf of the party to the financial transaction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user comprises a debtor and the transaction comprises a debt owed by the debtor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the available information comprises a credit report associated with the debtor.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising enabling the user to make a different offer than any offer provided in the transaction settlement offer set.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein processing data from the available information comprises parsing the available information to obtain only that information required to produce the transaction settlement offer set.

20. A method of settling a financial transaction between a debtor and a creditor, comprising:

establishing network communications between the debtor and a server;

seeking a credit report for the user, and when the credit report is available, receiving the credit report at the server;

processing the credit report at the server using rules established by the creditor; and

presenting a transaction settlement offer set to the debtor based on at least one decision made according to the rules established by the creditor.