METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING MESSAGES IN A BILL PAYMENT AND PRESENTMENT SYSTEM OVER A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20110251953A1
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: TRENDE, ROBERT G., Mila, Paul J., Stark, Jeffrey M., Holton, Matthew T., Kinnunen, Clifford A. JR., Conforti, Cathleen, Lock, Brian D., Leathrum, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,749,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• 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: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a bill payment and presentation system, a method for electronically routing billing information over a communications network is provided, using an open financial exchange communication protocol. The method provides for a centrally located mainframe system and a switching system for coordinating the routing of messages between customer service providers and biller service providers. In particular, the method collects at the CSPs and at the BSPs mainframe application files comprising the messages, forwards these files in batch mode to the mainframe system and converts with a switching system these mainframe files into web-enabled addresses, allowing for the effective transmission of financial billing information in flat-file and/or Internet-based form.

Claims

1. A method for electronically routing billing information over a communications network, comprising:

allowing first entities and customers to participate in an electronic system for at least one of bill payment and bill presentment, said electronic system having a centrally located computer system;

allowing a plurality of customer service providers to interface with one or more of said customers;

obtaining said billing information from said first entities with respect to one or more of said customers;

providing a centrally located switching system which allows for at least one of server to server, file to server, server to file and file to file connectivity, in part through the use of a file distribution agent, coupled to said electronic system, for coordinating the routing of messages between said customer service providers and said first entities;

generating at a given one of said customer service providers or at a given one of said first entities first application files comprising said messages;

forwarding said first application files to said centrally located computer system; and

converting at said switching system said first application files into an appropriate form for delivery of said messages to one or more intended recipients comprising at least one of;

said customer service providers, and

said first entities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said appropriate form for delivery comprises Internet accessible addresses; and

said converting step comprises;

using said file distribution agent for appending to said first application files an HTTP header; and

using a look-up table to determine the Internet accessible addresses.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

pushing said messages to one or more of said customer service providers; and

bursting said messages to two or more of said plurality of first entities.

4. In a system for at least one of bill payment and bill presentment, a method for electronically routing billing information over a communications network, comprising:

providing a switching system for routing messages including said billing information between one or more customer service providers and one or more first entities;

providing multiple connectivity options into said switching system, said options including an open connection over public lines and a closed-line connection;

forwarding by one of said customer service providers or one of said first entities first application files including said messages with one or more intended recipients over said closed-line connection to said switching system; and

converting at said switching system said first application files into Internet accessible addresses for delivery of said messages to said intended recipients over said public lines.