Flexible apparatus and method for applying customized rating adjustments to transaction charges
First Claim
1. A method for implementing custom discount rates for determining charges for a class of transactions, comprising the steps of:
- a) partitioning said class of transactions into cells in accordance with predetermined criteria;
b) defining a plurality of discounts or surcharges applicable to said transactions;
c) providing a user with an apparatus for computing said charges, said apparatus comprising;
c1) means for determining base rates for said transactions; and
,c2) means, responsive to user configuration data defining correspondences between said discounts or surcharges and selected cells, said configuration data being selected independently of said discounts or surcharges and said cells, for applying said discounts or surcharges which correspond to said selected cells to said base rates for particular transactions which satisfy said criteria for said selected cells;
d) updating said user configuration data for said apparatus with updated configuration data defining a selected custom discount rate to implement said selected discount rate; and
,e) calculating the final charge for said class of transactions by applying said plurality of discounts or surcharges determined by said apparatus for computing said charges in accordance with said user configuration data.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and a system for enabling an authorized user of the system to automatically apply customized rating adjustments to transaction charges. To this end, a structure is employed for supplying to a central processor information identifying criteria for rating and for customized rating adjustments. The central processor compares data entered through an input device with information stored in memory. The central processor, after correlating the identifying information with the entered input data, generates a base rate and a modified rate (which incorporates a customized rating adjustment) for a particular transaction and user. The calculated charges are made available for output to the user.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for implementing custom discount rates for determining charges for a class of transactions, comprising the steps of:
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a) partitioning said class of transactions into cells in accordance with predetermined criteria; b) defining a plurality of discounts or surcharges applicable to said transactions; c) providing a user with an apparatus for computing said charges, said apparatus comprising; c1) means for determining base rates for said transactions; and
,c2) means, responsive to user configuration data defining correspondences between said discounts or surcharges and selected cells, said configuration data being selected independently of said discounts or surcharges and said cells, for applying said discounts or surcharges which correspond to said selected cells to said base rates for particular transactions which satisfy said criteria for said selected cells; d) updating said user configuration data for said apparatus with updated configuration data defining a selected custom discount rate to implement said selected discount rate; and
,e) calculating the final charge for said class of transactions by applying said plurality of discounts or surcharges determined by said apparatus for computing said charges in accordance with said user configuration data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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13. An apparatus for determining charges for a class of transactions, comprising:
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a) means for input of values corresponding to particular ones of said transactions for a parameter characterizing said transactions; b) first determining means for determining base charges for said transactions as a function of said parameter; c) a first memory for storing defining criteria for partitioning said class of transactions into cells; d) a second memory for storing configuration data defining correspondences between selected cells and first discounts or surcharges said configuration data being selected independently of said discounts or surcharges and said cells; e) means, responsive to said determining means, said first memory and said second memory, for applying said discounts or surcharges to said base charges, said applying means further comprising; e1) second determining means for determining if a particular transaction satisfies said criteria for one of said selected cells; e2) means, responsive to said second determining means, and said second memory, for applying said discounts or surcharges corresponding to said one of said selected cells to a base charge for said particular transaction in accordance with said configuration data to calculate final charges for said particular transaction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification