Point of Service Transaction Management for Service Facilities

• US 20100257064A1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ImageVision.net, LLC
• Original Assignee: ImageVision.net, LLC
• Inventors: Blessing, Ken, Clementoni, Brian, Millary, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/00 ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention enables the collection by credit/debit card payment of customer co-pay and self-pay charges via an integrated point-of-service transaction management system and method. The system and method of the present invention may assist health care facilities in the collection of co-pay and self-pay charges at the time service is rendered. The present invention can be implemented anywhere cash, checks, credit cards or debit cards are accepted for payment.

Claims

1. A computerized, integrated point of service transaction management system, comprising:

at least two points of service within at least one service facility;

at least one computing terminal, each having associated therewith at least one processor, at each of the at least two points of service at the at least one service facility;

at least one computerized transaction database associated with each of the at least one processors for relationally and electronically tracking, within said database, remotely from each of the at least one computing terminal;

at least one bag containing at least one legal tender collected at one of the at least one computing terminal; and

at least one virtual bag correspondent to at least one bag identifier within said database, wherein the bag identifier is associated with an originating one of the points of service, a location and a custody of the at least one bag; and

wherein at least one of the virtual bag and the bag are uniquely associated with at least one of the bag identifiers; and

wherein the location and custody of the at least one bag is continuously updated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the service facility is a health care facility.

3. The system of claim 1, where the legal tender consists of one of the group selected from cash and checks.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one bag collection point for the consolidation of a plurality of the bags, wherein at least one new bag is associated with at least one new virtual bag and another of the bag identifiers.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one bag collection point is located within the at least one service facility.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein contents of the at least one bag is posted to an accounting system of the service facility.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein contents of the at least one bag were not collected at the at least two points of service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction database is updated with a confirmation that the bag location is remote from the service facility.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction database is updated with a confirmation that the at least one legal tender was deposited in a bank.

10. A method of accounting for transactions, comprising the steps of:

providing at least two points of service within at least one service facility;

providing at least one computing terminal, each having associated therewith at least one processor, at each of the at least two points of service at the at least one service facility;

providing at least one computerized transaction database associated with each of the at least one processors for relationally and electronically tracking, within said database, remotely from each of the at least one computing terminal;

providing at least one bag containing at least one legal tender collected at one of the at least one computing terminal; and

creating at least one virtual bag correspondent to at least one bag identifier within said database, wherein the bag identifier is associated with an originating one of the points of service, a location and a custody of the at least one bag; and

wherein at least one of the virtual bag and the bag are uniquely associated with at least one of the bag identifiers; and

wherein the location and custody of the at least one bag is continuously updated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the service facility is a health care facility.

12. The method of claim 10, where the legal tender consists of one of the group selected from cash and checks.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising at least one bag collection point for the consolidation of a plurality of the bags, wherein at least one new bag is associated with at least one new virtual bag and another of the bag identifiers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one bag collection point is located within the at least one service facility.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein contents of the at least one bag is posted to an accounting system of the service facility.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein contents of the at least one bag were not collected at the at least two points of service.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the transaction database is updated with a confirmation that the bag location is remote from the service facility.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the transaction database is updated with a confirmation that the at least one legal tender was deposited in a bank.