Automated transaction processing system and process with emulation of human error resolution

• US 5,758,341 A
• Filed: 01/17/1995
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Outsourced Administrative Systems Inc. (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Anthem Healthcare Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Voss, William W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US08/373,628
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/204, 395/500, 395/200.47, 395/200.49, 707/10, 705/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

The present invention involves a personal computer based system that emulates actions of a human technician correcting mainframe computer transactional records. The system performs analysis functions and update processing of mainframe transaction processing records transparent to the mainframe transaction application system. The automatic transaction processing system acts as a virtual terminal while supplying logic and control functions to sign onto the mainframe computer to access particular pre-selected mainframe transaction records and traverse through the mainframe application correcting transactional records that have been flagged as errors. After correcting the errors on the mainframe computer, the system automatically logs off the mainframe computer.

Claims

1. A process for automated transaction review by a local computer of transaction data records used with a transaction processing program on a remote computer comprising the steps of:

establishing communication between the remote computer and the local computer;

initiating the transaction processing program by the local computer; and

performing error resolution processing by the local computer emulating a human operator interacting with the transaction processing program, the local computer using logic programming to perform error analysis to determine an appropriate interaction with the transaction processing program, if needed, to resolve each error.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said establishing step includes the local computer emulating a human operator logging on to the mainframe computer.

3. The process of claim 1, the transaction processing program producing transaction data records with associated transaction error codes for each data record that cannot be processed wherein said performing error resolution step includes accessing a list of error transactions related to the transaction error codes produced by the transaction processing program whereby error resolution processing is completed without involving any human operator.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein said accessing step includes selecting ones of said error transactions according to an error transaction code related to the error transactions.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said error resolution step includes accessing a data base to resolve inconsistencies in a transaction data record.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said error resolution step includes using a predetermined set of procedural rules to evaluate and correct a transaction data record.

7. The process of claim 1 further including the step of logging off the mainframe computer after said error resolution processing step.

8. The process of claim 1 further including the step of creating a log file indicating error resolution processing which occurred in said error resolution processing step.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said error resolution step includes generating and sending keystroke sequences to the mainframe computer to alter an element of a transaction data record.

10. An apparatus for automated transaction review of transaction data records used with a transaction processing program on a remote computer, said apparatus comprising:

communication means for communicating with the remote computer;

means for initiating the transaction processing program on the remote computer via said communication means, and

error resolution means for emulating a human operator interacting with the transaction processing program to correct errors in the transaction data records, said error resolution means including logic means for performing error analysis to determine an appropriate interaction with the transaction processing program, if needed, to resolve each error, whereby error resolution processing is completed without involving any human operator.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said communication means includes means for emulating a human operator logging on to the mainframe computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, the remote computer transaction processing program producing transaction data records with associated transaction error codes for each data record that cannot be processed wherein said error resolution means includes means for accessing a list of error transactions related to the transaction error codes produced by the transaction processing program.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said accessing means includes means for selecting ones of said error transactions according to an error transaction code.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said error resolution means includes means for accessing a data base to resolve inconsistencies in a transaction data record.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said error resolution means includes a predetermined set of procedural rules used to evaluate and correct a transaction data record.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 further including means for logging off the mainframe computer.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 further including means for creating a log file indicating error resolution accomplished by said error resolution means.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said error resolution means includes means for generating and sending keystroke sequences to the mainframe computer to alter an element of a transaction data record.

19. In a personal computer system having means for operating on a predetermined mainframe computer database containing transaction error codes and data and a set of relationships among the transaction error codes and data, a method for processing transactions on the mainframe computer comprising the steps of:

logging on the mainframe computer;

reading a transaction from the mainframe;

the personal computer system performing analysis functions on a transaction on the mainframe processing system, the personal computer system using logic programming to perform error analysis to determine an appropriate interaction with the transaction processing program, if needed, to resolve each error;

performing update processing on the transaction data in accordance with the determined interaction of the logic programming, on the mainframe processing system; and

logging off the mainframe computer.

20. A computer system including a central processing unit and associated memory for emulating the actions a human being performs while working at a mainframe computer terminal to perform analysis functions on a mainframe transaction processing system, comprising:

means for initiating a mainframe application of the transaction processing system;

means for accessing transaction data elements from the mainframe transaction processing system;

means for analyzing the transaction data elements using a preselected set of procedures, said analyzing means including logic means for performing error analysis to determine an appropriate interaction with the transaction processing program, if needed, to resolve each error; and

means for performing update functions on the transaction data element on the mainframe transaction processing system in accordance with the interaction determined by said logic means.

21. The computer system of claim 20 further including means for logging on the mainframe computer and means for logging off the mainframe computer.

22. The computer system of claim 20 wherein said means accessing transaction data elements include searching said transaction data elements that contain a preselected error code.

23. The computer system of claim 20 in which said means for performing update functions are keystroke sequences generated by the computer system and sent to the mainframe computer to alter specific mainframe transaction data elements.

24. The computer system of claim 20 in which if insufficient data is available to correct said transaction data elements, a request for more information is created.

25. A computer system including a central processing unit and associated memory for emulating the actions a human being performs while working at a mainframe computer terminal to perform analysis functions on a mainframe insurance claim transaction processing system, the insurance claim transaction processing system including a transaction processing program producing insurance claim transaction data records with associated transaction error codes for each data record that cannot be processed, said computer system comprising:

means for initiating the transaction processing program;

means for accessing data elements from insurance claim transaction data records stored on the mainframe system;

a predetermined database stored in the associated memory, said database containing transaction error codes and set of procedures related to each transaction error code for correcting data elements from said insurance claim transaction data records having a matching error code;

means for comparing said data elements to transaction error codes stored within said database to find a matching error code and insurance claim transaction data record; and

means for performing update functions on the mainframe required by said set of procedures related to said matched error code and said insurance claim transaction data record whereby update functions are completed without involving any human operator.

26. The computer system of claim 25 further including means for logging on the mainframe computer and means for logging off the mainframe computer.

27. The computer system of claim 25 in which said means for performing update functions are keystroke sequences generated by the computer system and sent to the mainframe computer to alter specific mainframe insurance claim transaction records.

28. The computer system of claim 25 in which if insufficient data is available to correct said insurance claim transaction record, a request for more information is created.