Web based auto bill analysis method

• US 20080275774A1
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Validas LLC
• Original Assignee: Validas LLC
• Inventors: Pepe, Thomas F., Dunphy, Todd M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,904,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Method for automatically analyzing customer'"'"'s bill, such as cell phone bill, received in electronic format for errors and utilization against company'"'"'s published plan by third-party on third-party'"'"'s website for customer. The company'"'"'s published plan is previously stored on third-party'"'"'s website. Third-party advises customer of results, in real-time, and provides blind feedback to billing company by type error and utilization. Results and feedback are specific to each customer and billing company, and also provides security for both. Promotional materials are provided to customer for revenue to third-party.

Claims

1. A method for automatically analyzing a customer'"'"'s bill for errors and utilization from billing companies sending out bills by a third-party on behalf of customer and advising customer of results and providing feed back to billing companies sending out bills which are specific to each customer and each billing company, while providing security for both, and for providing promotional materials to customer comprising;

a. obtaining bill in electronic format by customer,

b. uploading said bill in electronic format to third-party website system,

c. analyzing said customer'"'"'s bill for errors and utilization of billing relative to said billing company'"'"'s billing plans previously stored,

d. displaying reports of results of analyzed company bill to customer,

e. displaying promotional materials to said customer, and

f. sending said reports of results to said billing company for corrective action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein uploading said bill further comprises;

a. going to said third-party'"'"'s website system,

b. providing customer account at said third-party'"'"'s website for entry of ID, password and said bill,

c. transmitting said bill in electronic format to said third-party'"'"'s website for analysis, and

d. loading said bill to said customer'"'"'s account at said third-party'"'"'s website.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said analyzing said customer'"'"'s bill for errors and utilization further comprises;

a. reading fields of data on said electronically formatted bill,

b. arranging said fields of data electronically formatted from said bill for comparison against said company'"'"'s previously stored billing plans,

c. analyzing said arranged fields of electronic data from said bill for errors, and utilization of said customer'"'"'s bill against said previously stored billing plans of said billing company, and

d. generating a report of said errors and utilization of said customer'"'"'s bill against said previously stored plan of said company.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising;

a. collecting a summary from said generated report by categories and type errors by billing company,

b. storing said collection summary for a predetermined time, and

c. generating said error and utilization reports by billing company for said predetermined time.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising;

a. destroying said electronic bill received in an electronic format from said customer for providing security to said customer and said company.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising;

a. paying by said customer to said third-party company for said generated reports for errors and utilization,

b. displaying an option for said promotional materials for said customer to receive said promotional materials,

c. receiving by said customer said generated report for said error and utilization of said customer'"'"'s bill from said billing company, and

d. submitting said error and utilization reports to said billing company for correction.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said submitting of said error and utilization report to sit billing company for correction comprises;

a. submitting by said third-party company of said error and utilization report to said billing company for correction of said bill by said customer'"'"'s name and account number.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said submitting of said validation and optimization report to said billing company for correction comprises;

a. submitting by said customer of said validation and optimization report to say billing company for correction.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising;

a. sending follow up email to said billing company for confirmation that corrections have been made to customer'"'"'s account.

10. The method of claim 9 were in said submitting of said validation and optimization report to said billing company for correction comprises;

a. submitting follow up emails by said third-party company of said validation and optimization report to said billing company for correction in said customer'"'"'s name and account number.

11. The method of claim 9 where in said submitting of said validation and optimization report to said billing company for correction comprises;

a. submitting follow up emails by said third-party company of said error and utilization report to said customer for said customer to send for correction of said billing company.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein displaying an option for said promotional materials for said customer to receive said promotional materials further comprises;

a. optioning in by customer for a marketing message to be received by selected media,

b. accepting terms and conditions of use by said customer,

c. selecting said type of media to receive promotional materials by said customer,

d. viewing promotional materials,

e. receiving promotional code, and

f. entering promotional code for said customer to receive promotional benefit.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein selected media further comprises;

a. selecting from the group of audio, video, email, mobile devices, and on screen.

14. A method for automatically analyzing a customer'"'"'s cell phone bill for errors and utilization from said customer'"'"'s cell phone company provider by providing bill to a third-party on behalf of said customer and advising said customer of results and providing feedback to said cell phone company sending out said bill which is specific to each customer and each cell phone billing company while providing security to both and for providing promotional materials to customer comprising;

a. obtaining cell phone bill in electronic format by customer,

b. uploading said cell phone bill in electronic format to said third-party'"'"'s website system,

c. analyzing said customer'"'"'s cell phone bill for errors and utilization of billing relative to said cell phone company'"'"'s billing plans previously stored,

d. displaying reports of results of analyzed cell phone company bill to customer, displaying promotional materials to said customer, and

e. sending said cell phone report results to said cell phone company for corrective action.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said uploading further comprises;

a. going to said third-party website system,

b. providing cell phone customer an account at said third-party'"'"'s website system for entry of cell phone customer'"'"'s ID, password, and said cell phone bill,

c. transmitting said cell phone customer'"'"'s ID, password and cell phone bill in electronic format to said third-party'"'"'s website for analysis, and

d. loading said cell phone customer'"'"'s ID, password, and cell phone bill to said customer'"'"'s account at said third-party'"'"'s website system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said analyzing said cell phone customer'"'"'s bill for errors and utilization further comprises;

a. reading fields of data on said electronically formatted cell phone bill,

b. arranging said fields of data electronically formatted from said cell phone bill into data for error comparison against said company'"'"'s previously stored billing plans and for collection of utilization of cell phone data,

c. analyzing said arranged fields of electronic data from said cell phone bill for errors of said customer'"'"'s cell phone bill against said previously stored billing plans of said billing company,

d. collecting said arranged fields of electronic data from said cell phone bill for utilization of said customer'"'"'s cell phone, and

e. generating a report of said errors of said cell phone customer'"'"'s bill against said previously stored plan of said company and of said utilization of said customer'"'"'s cell phone bill.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein generating a report further comprises;

a. displaying an indication to said cell phone customer'"'"'s of error, or no error, in customer'"'"'s cell phone bill,

b. providing an option to said cell phone customer for separate report of said errors of said cell phone customer'"'"'s bill against said previously stored plan of said company, and

c. providing an option to said cell phone customer for a separate report of said utilization of said customer'"'"'s cell phone.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein generating a report further comprises;

a. collecting a summary from said generated report by cell phone categories and type errors by billing company,

b. storing said collection summary for a predetermined time, and

c. generating said error and utilization reports by billing company for said predetermined time.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprises;

a. destroying said cell phone bill received in electronic format from said cell phone customer for providing security to said customer'"'"'s in said company.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising;

a. offering said generated reports to said cell phone customer by said third-party company for said generated reports for errors and utilization,

b. displaying an option for said promotional materials for said cell phone customer to receive said promotional materials,

c. displaying to said cell phone customer said generated report for said error and utilization of said customer'"'"'s bill from said cell phone company, and

d. submitting said error and utilization reports to said billing company for correction.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said offering said generated report of said results to said customer further comprising:

a. paying by said customer for said generated report online to said third-party company, and

b. receiving said report by said customer online.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the sending said cell phone report results to said cell phone company for corrective action further comprises,

a. emailing said summary report results to cell phone company for said client'"'"'s account for corrective action.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

a. providing follow up email to said cell phone company for confirmation of corrections having been made to customer'"'"'s account.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the sending said cell phone report results to said cell phone company for corrective action further comprises,

a. providing email summary report results to said client for emailing to said cell phone company for corrective action.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising,

a. providing email follow up to said client to forward to their said cell phone company for confirmation of corrective action having been taken to customer'"'"'s account.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving said generated report by said customer further comprises,

a. creating summary report of said error of said cell phone customer'"'"'s bill against that previously stored plant of said cell phone company.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving said generated report by said customer further comprises;

a. creating summary report of said utilization of said cell phone by said customer.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said creating of summary report of utilization further comprises,

a. creating reports from the group of calls per day, calls per hour, money graph, monthly utilization, current bill percentages, and geographic calling area.