Bank-centric service platform, network and system

• US 5,899,982 A
• Filed: 06/25/1998
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DataTreasury Corporation
• Original Assignee: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
• Inventors: Randle, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/104,576
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/38, 705/44
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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 20/10 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• 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: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A banking service platform is provided that enables bank-centric access and control by a customer at a remote location of financial information, products and services maintained by a bank at a central location through an access gateway and provides an access gateway from the bank to non-bank information, products and services of providers not otherwise related to the bank.

Claims

1. A bank-centric service platform that enables access by a bank customer at a remote location to financial information, products and services accessible through a bank central information processor and to a banker by a video connection through a network communication link comprising:

a central information processor at a central location of the bank, said processor including data storage files relating to bank customers and accounts as the bank maintains these files in the ordinary course and categories of financial information, products and services conventionally offered by the bank;

an access gateway interconnected to said bank central information processor;

a client server operatively interconnected to communicate with a customer operable transceiver at a remote location, said client server enabling live video from the bank to the customer substantially simultaneously with real-time data transmission between the customer operable transceiver and said central information processor through said client server, said client server processing communications to and from the customer operable transceiver, and enabling the customer using the transceiver to access and control items in, and perform transactions with respect to, information products and services of the bank in said data storage files of said central information processor, and in which said client server is interconnected with a plurality of banker stations capable of interconnection with the customer operable transceiver in response to a request for video connection received from the customer operable transceiver, said client server monitoring each of said banker stations with regard to whether said banker stations are connected with a customer operable transceiver and whether the bankers at the banker stations are available, the client server, upon receipt of the video connection request from the customer operable transceiver processes the requests received, dependent upon the availability of a banker from among the plurality, according to a sequence of (a) direct connection to an available banker and (b) hold, (c) queue and (d) transfer to a next available banker whereby upon the banker'"'"'s receipt of a signal processed by said client server, the banker initiates a video connection with the customer.

2. The banking service platform of claim 1 including fault-tolerant backup resulting in synchronous operation of the central information processor and back-up with respect to a transaction or communication to or from the customer.

3. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein said customer operable transceiver is one of the group consisting of a telephone, smart telephone, computer, ATM point of sale terminal, interactive television, video banking machine, video phone, TDD device, kiosk, and other data input/output devices.

4. The banking service platform of claim 1 further including security means preventing unauthorized access to said service platform from said customer operable transceiver.

5. The banking service platform of claim 2 further including an encryption means controlling access with respect to the platforms at one or more of the relationships between the transceiver, the client server, the bank central information processor, the gateway and third party providers and sub-providers.

6. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein said access gateway provides communication with other providers of financial and non-financial information, products and services with which the bank customer may initiate a transaction, said access gateway being controlled by the bank, said categories of financial and non-financial information, products and services available to the bank customer comprise one or more of the group consisting of balance inquiry, transaction information, funds transfer, bill payment, brokerage investment, brokerage information, loan applications, loan account review, commercial banking, and the gateway connects to financial and non-financial products and services available from third parties.

7. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein said client server includes the capability to serve a plurality of customers simultaneously.

8. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein said client server enables live video-conferencing between the bank and a customer simultaneously with real-time data transmission via said customer operable transceiver, said client server and said central information processor.

9. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein new services are downloadable from said client server to said customer operable transceiver.

10. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein new services can be created and changed on-line.

11. The banking service platform of claim 1 further including a real-time resource consumption indicator for real-time billing for products and services provided.

12. The banking service platform of claim 6 wherein the financial and non-financial information, products and services accessible through the access gateway include means whereby the cost of an order or transaction placed by a customer is charged to an account at the bank.

13. The banking service platform of claim 12 including financial and non-financial information, products and services accessible through the gateway and further including means interconnected with the bank central information processor whereby the cost of an order or transaction placed by a customer is charged to a customer'"'"'s account at the bank.

14. The banking service platform of claim 1 further comprising a communications controller interconnected to said client server and said transceiver to route communications between said transceiver and said client server.

15. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein each of said banker stations comprises a video camera, a video screen, receiving means for receiving customer input transmitted from a customer operable transceiver at a remote location through said access gateway, video connection means for establishing a video connection with said customer through said access gateway, communication means for allowing data communication between said banker station and said transceiver regarding customer accounts and bank products and information, said banker station being interconnected with said client server.

16. The banking service platform of claim 15 wherein said customer operable transceiver comprises a video camera, a video screen, receiving means for receiving banker input transmitted from banker station through said access gateway, video connection means for establishing a video connection with said banker station through said access gateway, and communication means for allowing data communication between said banker station and said transceiver regarding customer accounts and bank products and information.

17. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein said access gateway provides access to the internet.

18. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein said access gateway provides access to a proprietary computer network.

19. The banking service platform of claim 1 wherein the real-time data transmission between the customer operable transceiver and said central information processor through said client server proceeds through telephone lines.