Control System Arrangements and Methods for Disparate Network Systems

• US 20090144166A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: US Bank National Association (US Bancorp)
• Original Assignee: US Bank National Association (US Bancorp)
• Inventors: Dickelman, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,147,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Electronic transaction data sets are processed for a multitude of disparate transactions using a plurality of autonomous payment networks. A software-programmed computer type system receives and processes point-of-sale transaction data to select one of the payment networks associated with a participant ID (e.g., for a buyer or seller) in the transaction data. The system includes a plurality of network-specific interface modules, each associated with a specific payment network for interfacing therewith. For point-of-sale transaction data, the interface module corresponding to the selected payment network communicates payment data to the selected payment network to effect electronic payment for the point-of-sale transaction data.

Claims

1. A computer circuit arrangement to facilitate electronic payment between disparate autonomous payment networks respectively having network-specific payment processing protocols, the circuit arrangement comprising:

a point-of-sale interface circuit to receive, for each transaction, electronic point-of-sale transaction data from a remote point-of-sale device;

a plurality of payment network interface modules to electronically communicate with associated payment networks using protocols specific to the associated payment network to which communications are sent; and

a control processor circuit to, for each transaction and point-of-sale transaction data received therefor,

use the point-of-sale transaction data to identify participant ID data for at least one participant in the transaction,

retrieve business rules data electronically associated with the participant ID data,

use the retrieved business rules data to select one of the payment network interface modules to process electronic payment for the transaction, and

control the selected payment network interface module to electronically communicate payment data for the transaction data to the module'"'"'s associated payment network, using protocols specific to the associated payment network, to facilitate payment for the transaction.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of payment network interface modules is a software-programmed computer circuit that is programmed to electronically communicate with associated payment networks using protocols specific to the associated payment network to which communications are sent, and different from protocols used to communicate with another disparate payment network for effecting electronic payment for the transaction.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, further including a software-programmed computer circuit that is programmed to implement all interface modules.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of payment network interface modules communicates with a different, exclusive one of the payment networks, relative to the payment networks to which the other interface modules are assigned.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, further including an audit engine module to audit the electronic point-of-sale transaction data using electronic audit data specific to the selected payment network, wherein the control processor circuit is configured to communicate authorization data to the remote point-of-sale device from which the point-of-sale transaction data was received, via the point-of-sale interface circuit.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control processor circuit is configured to receive electronic transaction authorization data from the associated payment network, and to communicate the received authorization data to the remote point-of-sale device from which the point-of-sale transaction data was received, via the point-of-sale interface circuit.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control processor circuit is configured to

retrieve business rules data, electronically associated with the participant ID data, that identifies a plurality of payment networks associated with the participant ID data and that specifies payment network selection criteria upon which one of the plurality of payment networks can be selected,

use the network selection criteria with the point-of-sale transaction data to select payment network identification data corresponding to one of the payment networks, and

use the selected payment network identification data to select a payment network interface module that is associated with the selected payment network identification data.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control processor circuit is configured to facilitate payment for the transaction by holding payment finds in a holding account in response to holding criteria in the business rules data, and to subsequently release the held payment funds in response to release criteria in the business rules data.

9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control processor circuit is configured to

identify different participant ID data respectively for a buyer and for a seller participating in the transaction,

retrieve different sets of business rules data for the buyer and seller participant ID data,

use the retrieved business rules data to select different payment network interface modules respectively for the buyer and the seller, the interface modules respectively communicating with a payment network for the buyer and a payment network for the seller,

control the selected payment network interface module for the buyer to electronically communicate payment data for the transaction to the buyer'"'"'s payment network, and to receive electronic payment data from the buyer'"'"'s payment network, and

control the selected payment network interface module for the seller to electronically communicate electronic payment data, received from the buyer'"'"'s payment network, to the seller'"'"'s payment network.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control processor circuit is configured to identify different participant ID data respectively for a buyer and for a seller participating in the transaction,

retrieve different sets of business rules data for the buyer and seller participant ID data,

use the retrieved business rules data to select different payment network interface modules respectively for the buyer and the seller, the interface modules respectively communicating with a payment network for the buyer and a payment network for the seller,

control the selected payment network interface module for the seller to electronically communicate payment data to the payment network for the seller to pay the seller for the transaction using electronic funds provided via the control processor, and

after communicating payment data to the payment network for the seller, control the selected payment network interface module for the buyer to electronically communicate payment data for the transaction to the buyer'"'"'s payment network, and to collect electronic payment data from the buyer'"'"'s payment network to cover the electronic funds provided to pay the seller.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control processor circuit is configured to

use the retrieved business rules data to present data indicating available payment networks to the at least one participant in the transaction,

receive payment network selection data, identifying one of the presented available payment networks, from the at least one participant in the transaction, and

select one of the payment network interface modules associated with the payment network identified in the payment network selection data, to process electronic payment for the transaction.

12. The arrangement of claim 1, the participant ID data including payment account data, and the control processor circuit being configured to use the retrieved business rules data to select one of the payment network interface modules to process electronic payment for the transaction by selecting a payment network interface module independently from any association between the payment account data and the selected network.

13. The arrangement of claim 1, the participant ID data including payment account data, and the control processor circuit being configured to use the retrieved business rules data to select one of the payment network interface modules to process electronic payment for the transaction by selecting a payment network interface module for a payment account that is different from the payment account for the payment account data.

14. A software-programmed circuit arrangement for use in a system that facilitates payment between users of the system, the users including sellers providing goods or services to buyers paying for the goods or services, the payment being provided between disparate, autonomous payment networks of the buyers and sellers, the arrangement comprising:

an input to receive, for a particular transaction, transaction data from at least one of a routing network for a point-of-sale device at which transaction data is input, a buyer payment network and a seller payment network that is disparate from the buyer payment network; and

a control processor to perform one of auditing, fee calculation and fraud monitoring of the transaction for transaction data received from at least one of the disparate payment networks.

15. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control processor is configured to compare transaction data from a routing network, transaction data from a buyer payment network and transaction data from a seller payment network to identify inconsistencies in the transaction data.

16. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control processor is configured to

audit the transaction data by comparing transaction data from different sources and generating audit data indicative of a transaction data matching condition, and

send the audit data to one of the buyer payment network and the seller payment network.

17. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control processor is configured to

generate cost option data for each of at least two disparate payment networks that are available to a buyer participating in the transaction, for providing payment for the transaction data,

communicate the generated cost option data to the buyer, and

in response to receiving data from the buyer identifying one of the cost options, communicate transaction data to the one of the disparate payment networks to which the cost option applies, to facilitate payment for the transaction therefrom.

18. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control processor is configured to

process the transaction data with fraud detection rule data to generate fraud data indicative of a fraud characteristic in the transaction data, and

in response to the fraud data indicating a probability of fraud, generating and communicating an alert indicative of the same to at least one party to the transaction.

19. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control processor is configured to

process the transaction data with legal requirement rule data to generate requirement data indicative of a legal requirement characteristic in the transaction data, and

in response to the legal requirement data indicating a probability of violation of a legal requirement, generating and communicating an alert indicative of the same to at least one party to the transaction.

20. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control processor includes a matrix circuit arranged to interact with a multitude of disparate payment networks and bank-specific electronic payment systems on each network, the matrix circuit being configured to

select one of the payment processing networks and a user-based electronic payment account operated by one of the bank-specific electronic payment systems using received transaction data and stored profile data for the at least one of a buyer and seller party to which the transaction data applies, and

process electronic payment for the at least one of a buyer and seller party by transmitting transaction data to the bank-specific electronic payment system for the selected payment account, via one of the disparate payment networks.

21. The circuit arrangement of claim 14, wherein the matrix circuit includes a plurality of software-programmed interface modules, each interface module being programmed to communicate with a specific one of the disparate payment networks using protocols specific to that network, and transmits the transaction data by implementing the interface module for the one of the disparate payment networks to configure and transmit the transaction data according to protocols for the one of the disparate payment networks.

22. A processor-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for performing steps to facilitate electronic payment between disparate autonomous payment networks respectively having network-specific payment processing protocols, the steps including:

receiving, for each transaction, electronic point-of-sale transaction data from a remote point-of-sale device;

electronically communicating with associated payment networks using protocols specific to the associated payment network to which communications are sent; and

for each transaction and point-of-sale transaction data received therefor,

using the point-of-sale transaction data to identify participant ID data for at least one participant in the transaction,

retrieving business rules data electronically associated with the participant ID data,

using the retrieved business rules data to select one of the payment network interface modules to process electronic payment for the transaction, and

controlling the selected payment network interface module to electronically communicate payment data for the transaction data to the module'"'"'s associated payment network, using protocols specific to the associated payment network, to facilitate payment for the transaction.