Method and system for automatically harmonizing access to a software application program via different access devices

• US 5,867,153 A
• Filed: 10/30/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Transaction Technologies Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Petach, Teresa A., Tompkins, Peter, Anthony, Wendell W., Law, Patrick, Grandcolas, Michael L., Moss, Leslie
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, BA
• Application Number:
  US08/741,121
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/962, 345/969, 395/653, 395/200.31, 395/200.47, 395/200.68, 395/200.76
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38 Payment protocols; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• 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 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 : Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/962 : Operator interface for marketing or sales
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 : Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A method and system automatically harmonizes access to a given software application program via different access devices. Through use of the method and system, a financial institution can provide access to a given application (such as, for example, automatic bill payment services) to customers using different access devices such web browsers, screen phones and personal computers. A single application program is all that needs to be written and maintained by the financial institution. Also, the method and system enables financial institutions to "leverage" existing programs because now the institution can automatically "project" its existing stock of program services unto new access devices--devices which may not have even existed at the time the program was created. By receiving information from the user via the user'"'"'s access device, including information identifying the type of device being used and the application program the user wishes to access, the present invention solves these problems. The application program is then accessed and the information to be displayed to the user is identified. This information is automatically translated into a format which is compatible with the device, including its display, and sent to the device for display. The user, in turn, inputs information in response to the displayed information and this input information is automatically translated into a format which is compatible with the application program and is sent to the application program. The response generated by the application program is automatically translated to be compatible with the device and is sent to the device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating communication between a user using a device with a display and an application program affiliated with a financial institution which the user desires to access through the device comprising the steps of:

receiving information from said device;

identifying the desired program and the type of device being used;

accessing the desired application program, identifying information to be displayed to the user as part of the program and translating the information to be displayed into a format which is compatible with the display of the device;

translating input information inputted by the user in response to the displayed information into a format which is compatible with the application program and forwarding said translated input information to said application program; and

translating a response to the input information returned by said program into a format which is compatible with the display of said device and forwarding said translated said response to said device wherein said step of translating the information to be displayed on the device further includes the step of translating the information into a tokenized language which is compatible with both the device and the application program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying the type of device being used further includes the step of identifying the type of software being used by the device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying the type of device being used further includes the step of identifying the type of software being used by the device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of translating the information to be displayed includes the step of automatically determining how to position the information onto the screen so that all the information is displayed.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said information includes one or more token from the group of prompts, icons, buttons, wording, phrasing, phrase packs, scroll bars, tool bars and scroll lists.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of translating the information into a tokenized language further includes the steps of:

applying a token hierarchy to the information; and

creating a token representation of said information, which is compatible with the device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said creating step further includes the step of consulting a table of token attributes.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said application program involves a financial service.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said financial service is bill payment.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said financial service is transferring funds between accounts.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said financial service is buying securities.

12. A method or enabling a plurality of different access devices each having a display to access a plurality of different application programs affiliated with a financial institution comprising the steps of:

identifying the type of access device and associated display and application program to be accessed;

accessing the program and determining the type of information to be shown on the display as part of the program;

applying a token hierarchy to the information;

creating a token representation of said information which is compatible with said display, including the step of consulting a table of token attributes; and

sending the token representation to the device.