Financial transaction processing system and method

• US 6,039,245 A
• Filed: 03/07/1997
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Singer, Irek, Gill, Robert Bradley, St. George, Peter, Symonds, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US08/813,510
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 235/377, 235/379, 395/200.76, 395/500, 395/885, 705/21, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/234, 709/235, 709/246, 709/247, 709/233
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A financial transaction processing system (10) enables processing transactions from various types of card activated terminal devices (12) which communicate using a variety of electronic message formats. The transaction processing system may operate to authorize transactions internally using information stored in a relational database (32) or may communicate with external authorization systems (18). The transaction processing system includes among its software components message gateway routers (MGRs) (24, 164) which operate using information stored in the relational database to convert messages from a variety of external message formats used by the external devices and authorization systems, to a common internal message format used within the system. The system further uses database information to internally route messages to message processing programs (MPPs) (108, 138) which process messages and generate messages to the external devices and authorization systems. The MGR also converts the outgoing messages from the internal message format to the external message formats which can be interpreted by the external devices and systems to which the messages are directed.

Claims

1. A transaction processing system comprising:

a computer;

a plurality of external devices, each external device in operative connection with the computer, wherein each of the external devices is operative to send or receive at least one message comprised of fields;

a database in operative connection with the computer, wherein the database includes data representative of;

each of the plurality of external devices and an associated external format used to send messages to or to receive messages from each respective external device;

information concerning transformation of messages between at least one internal message format and a plurality of external message formats, such information including at least one message identifier value, and a message type, a message format and message field positions associated with the message identifier value;

wherein the computer is operative to transform an incoming message from a message sending one of the plurality of external devices from the external format used by the message sending one external device to the internal message format, and to transform an outgoing message to a message receiving one of the plurality of external devices from the internal message format to the external format used by the message receiving one external device, and wherein the computer is operative to cause the incoming and outgoing messages to be transformed responsive to the message identifier value and the field position data associated with each respective message.

2. A transaction processing system comprising:

a computer;

a plurality of external devices, each external device in operative connection with the computer, wherein each of the external devices is operative to send or receive at least one message comprised of fields;

a database in operative connection with the computer, wherein the database includes data representative of;

each of the plurality of external devices, and for each external device an associated external message format used to send messages to or to receive messages from the respective external device;

transformation information concerning transformation of messages between at least one internal message format and a plurality of external message formats, the transformation information including at least one message identifier value, and a message type, a message format and message field conversions associated with each message identifier value; and

wherein the computer is operative to transform an incoming message from a message sending one of the plurality of external devices from the external format used by the message sending one external device to the internal format, and to transform an outgoing message to a message receiving one of the plurality of external devices from the internal message format to the external message format used by the message receiving one external device, and wherein the computer is operative to cause the incoming and outgoing messages to be transformed responsive to the message identifier value and the field conversion data associated with each respective message.

3. A system for processing financial transactions comprising:

a database including data concerning transaction message formats, wherein the database includes stored information concerning transformation of messages between a standardized internal message format and a plurality of external message formats;

a computer in operative connection with the database, wherein the computer includes a message gateway router (MGR) function, wherein the MGR function is operative to selectively convert messages between the plurality of external formats and the internal format;

at least one external device, wherein the external device is in operative connection with the computer, wherein the external device is operative to generate messages in at least one of the external formats;

a driver in operative connection with the computer and the external device, wherein when the device generates a message the driver is operative to include in the message a message direction indicator, and wherein the MGR is operative responsive to the message direction indicator in the message to convert the message from the external format associated with the external device, to the internal format.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the database includes data representative of an identity of the one external device, and wherein when the external device generates the message the driver is further operative to include in the message data representative of the identity of the device, wherein the MGR is operative responsive to the direction indicator and the device identity data to convert the message from the external message format associated with the external device to the internal format.

5. A system for processing financial transactions comprising:

a database including data concerning transaction message formats, wherein the database includes stored information concerning transformation of messages between a standardized internal message format and a plurality of external message formats;

a computer in operative connection with the database, wherein the computer includes a message gateway router (MGR) function, wherein the MGR function is operative to selectively convert messages between the plurality of external formats and the internal format;

at least one external device, wherein the external device is in operative connection with the computer, wherein the external device is operative to receive messages in at least one of the external formats;

message processing software, wherein the computer is in operative connection with the message processing software, and wherein the message processing software is operative when an internal format message is being sent to the external device to include in the message a message direction indicator, and wherein the MGR is operative responsive to the message direction indicator in the message to convert the message from the internal format to the external format associated with the external device.

6. A transaction processing system comprising:

a computer, wherein the computer includes at least one message gateway router function (MGR) and a plurality of other software functions operating therein;

a plurality of external devices, wherein each external device is in operative connection with the computer, and wherein each of the external devices is operative to send or receive messages in one of a plurality of external message formats;

a database in operative connection with the computer wherein the database includes data representative of;

each external device and an associated external message format used to send messages to or to receive messages from each respective external device;

information concerning transformation of messages between at least one internal message format and a plurality of external message formats;

identities of a plurality of nodes, wherein each of a plurality of system components including each external device, each MGR and each other software function corresponds to a node, and wherein the database includes in correlated relation with at least one node identity, a parent node identity;

wherein the computer is operative responsive to the MGR and the stored information concerning transformation of messages, to cause an incoming message from a message sending one of the plurality of external devices to be transformed from the external message format used by the message sending one external device to the internal message format, and to cause an outgoing message to a message receiving one of the plurality of external devices to be transformed from the internal message format to the external message format used by the message receiving one external device, and wherein the computer is operative to send at least one of the incoming message or the outgoing message from the MGR to a system component corresponding to a first node responsive to a first parent node identity stored in correlated relation with an identity of the first node.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein at least one of the incoming message or the outgoing message includes data representative of a node identity, and wherein the computer is operative to send the at least one message to a system component corresponding to the node identity.

8. A system for processing transactions comprising:

a computer;

a plurality of external devices in operative connection with the computer;

at least one message transforming software function in operative connection with the computer;

a timer function in operative connection with the computer;

a database in operative connection with the computer, wherein the database includes data representative of;

each of the plurality of external devices and an associated external message format used to send messages to or to receive messages from each respective external device;

transformation information concerning transformation of messages between each of a plurality of external message formats and an internal message format;

wherein the message transforming software function is operative to determine a format of a device message having either the internal format or one of the external formats, and wherein when the device message is in one of the external formats the message transforming software function is operative responsive to the transformation information to cause the device message to be transformed to the internal message format, and wherein when the computer sends the device message to an external device the message transforming software function is operative responsive to the transformation information to cause the device message to be sent to the external device in the external format used by the external device, and wherein the computer is operative in sending the device message to the external device to send a timing message to the timer function and the timer function is operative to cause the device message to be sent to the external device.

9. The system according to claim 8 and wherein the timer fiction is operative to send a timing response message a time after receipt of the timing message, and wherein when the external device sends a device response message responsive to the device message within the time, the computer is operative to send a timing delete message to the timer function, wherein receipt of the timing delete message is operative to cause the timer function not to send the timing response message.

10. A transaction processing system comprising:

a computer, and a message processing program software function (MPP) in operative connection with the computer;

a plurality of external devices in operative connection with the computer, wherein each external device communicates in at least one of a plurality of external message formats;

a timer in operative connection with the computer;

a database in operative connection with the computer, wherein the database includes transformation information concerning transformation of messages between a plurality of external message formats and an internal message format;

wherein the computer is operative responsive to the transformation information to cause incoming messages from the external devices to be transformed from the respective external message format of the incoming message to the internal message format, and to cause outgoing messages to the external devices to be transformed from the internal message format to the respective external message format used by an external device to which the outgoing message is directed, and wherein responsive to sending an outgoing message to an external device the MPP is operative to cause a timing message to be sent to the timer and wherein the timer is operative a time after receipt of the timing message to send a timing response message to the MPP.

11. A system for processing transactions comprising:

a database including data concerning transaction message formats, wherein the database includes information concerning transformation of messages between an internal message format and a plurality of external message formats;

a computer in operative connection with the database;

a message gateway router (MGR) in operative connection with the computer;

a message processing program (MPP) in operative connection with the computer;

wherein the MGR is operative responsive to the information in the database to cause a received message in one of the plurality of external formats to be transformed to the internal format, and wherein the MGR is operative to determine a message type associated with the received message, and is further operative responsive to the message type to route the message to the MPP, wherein the MPP processes the received message in the internal format.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the message in the internal format includes an ISO 8583 message format portion, and wherein the MPP is operative to parse the ISO 8583 message portion into a plurality of cells in an array, each cell containing data from a field of the ISO 8583 message portion.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein the database further comprises a plurality of state flow tables and related parameter tables, and wherein the computer is operative to execute a plurality of functions, wherein said functions operate on said parameters determined from said parameter tables and deliver a true or false result.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein said MPP is operative to perform the functions determined from said state flow tables.

15. A system for processing financial transactions comprising:

a database including data concerning transaction message formats, wherein the database includes stored information concerning transformation of messages between an internal message format and a plurality of external message formats; and

a computer in operative connection with the database, wherein the computer includes a message gateway router software function (MGR), wherein the MGR is operative to determine a format of a received message, the received message having either the internal format or one of the external formats and a message direction indicator associated with the message, the message direction indicator being indicative of either an incoming message direction or an outgoing message direction, and wherein when the received message is in the internal format the MGR is operative responsive to the message direction indicator being indicative of the outgoing message direction to transform the message selectively to any one of the plurality of external formats, and wherein when the received message is in one of the plurality of external formats the MGR is operative responsive to the message direction indicator being indicative of the incoming message direction to transform the message to the internal format, wherein the internal format includes an ISO 8583 message format portion.

16. A method for processing financial transactions generated by a plurality of external devices, each of said external devices communicating messages in a different external message format, said processing conducted in a computer in operative connection with a data store comprising the steps of:

storing in a data store data representative of an address uniquely associated with each external device and an external message format for each said device, which format is stored in correlated relation with said address;

storing in the data store data representative of each external message format in correlated relation with data representative of a location of a message type in a message in said external message format;

storing in the data store data representative of each external message format and message type in correlated relation with data representative of a transformation of an external message having said message format and message type, wherein said transformation is operative to produce an internal format message;

receiving with said computer a device message from an external device having an address, said device message having an external device message format and device message type;

determining the external message format of said device message from said data stored in the data store responsive to said device address;

determining the message type for said device message from said data in the data store responsive to the external device message format and the device message;

generating an internal message format message corresponding to the device message responsive to the data stored in the data store, the device message format and the device message type.

17. Computer readable media bearing instructions which are operative to cause a computer to carry out the method steps recited in claim 16.

37. Computer readable media bearing instructions which are operative to cause a computer to carry out the method steps recited in at least one of claims 16, 18, 20, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, or 36.

18. A method for processing financial transactions generated by a plurality of devices, each of said devices communicating messages in a different external message format, said processing conducted in a computer in operative connection with a data store, comprising the steps of:

storing in the data store data representative of each of the devices operatively connected to provide messages to the system, and storing for each of said devices data representative of an external message format in which each said device communicates its messages;

storing in the data store data representative of how to convert messages in each said external message format to a message in an internal message format;

storing in the data store data representative of how to process transactions in the internal message format;

receiving device messages with said computer from said devices, said device messages in said external message formats;

transforming said external format messages from said devices to internal format messages with the computer responsive to the data stored in the data store; and

processing with the computer the internal format messages responsive to data stored in the data store.

19. Computer readable indicia bearing instructions thereon which are operative to cause a computer to carry out the method steps recited in claim 18.

20. A method for processing financial transactions in a system including external devices, at least one computer in operative connection with the external devices, and at least one data store in operative connection with the computer, wherein each external device communicates with the computer through electronic messages, the messages having different message formats, comprising the steps of:

storing in a data store data representative of;

a transformation of each of a first plurality of messages between an external message format and an internal message format;

an identity of each of a second plurality of external devices; and

for each device identity, an external message format for messages communicated to and from the device;

determining with the computer responsive to the information in the data store an identity of an external device generating or receiving a message;

transforming the message with the computer responsive to the format and transformation data in the data store corresponding to the device identity, wherein when the message is a first type which the device generates the message is transformed from an external format indicated in the data store as associated with the device to the internal format, and wherein when the message is a second type which the device receives the message is transformed from the internal format to the external format.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein in the storing step the data representative of transformation includes data representative of a third plurality of message types for each message communicated in each of the external formats, and wherein the transforming step includes determining with the computer responsive to the message type information in the data store, a message type of the message wherein in the transforming step the message is transformed responsive to the message type.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein in the storing step the data representative of transformation includes data representative of a message type location in each of the external format messages, and wherein determining the message type in the message transformation step includes determining with the computer responsive to the information in the data store the message type location in the message, and reading the information at the location in the message.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein in the storing step the data representative of transformation includes data representative of a fourth plurality of internal message identifiers, each internal message identifier corresponding to a message having one internal or external message format and message type, and wherein the transforming step includes determining with the computer responsive to the data in the data store an internal message identifier for the message.

24. The method according to claim 21 wherein the message includes a plurality of fields, and each field includes message data, and wherein in the storing step the transformation data includes data representative of positions of each of the fields in the one message associated with an internal message identifier, and wherein the transformation step includes repositioning the message data from the fields of a message responsive to the position data corresponding to the internal message identifier associated with the message.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein in the data storing step the transformation data includes data representative of conversion of message data from a first form to a second form in the one message having the internal message identifier, and wherein the transformation step includes converting message data from the fields of the message responsive to the conversion data corresponding to the internal message identifier associated with the message.

26. The method according to claim 20 wherein the message comprises a plurality of fields each field including message data, and wherein in the data storing step the transformation data includes data representative of positions of each of the fields in the message, and wherein the transformation step includes repositioning message data from the fields in the message.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein in the data storing step the transformation data further includes data representative of conversions of message data from a first form to a second form, and wherein the transformation step includes converting message data in at least one field of the message from the first form to the second form.

28. The method according to claim 20 and prior to the transforming step further comprising the step of including in the message a designator, wherein a first designator is added to the message when the message is the first type, and wherein a second designator is added to the message when the message is the second type, and wherein in the transformation step the transformation is accomplished responsive to the designator included in the message.

29. Computer readable media including instructions which are operative to cause a computer to carry out the method steps recited in claim 20.

30. A method for processing financial transaction messages in a system including a plurality of external devices, at least one computer, at least one device driver in operative connection with the computer and at least one of the external devices, and at least one data store in operative connection with the computer, wherein each external device communicates with the computer through device messages, the device messages including a plurality of external message formats, comprising the steps of:

storing in the data store data representative of;

message layouts for a plurality of external message formats and an internal message format;

a device identity for each of a plurality of external devices; and

for each device identity, a corresponding external message format for messages communicated by the corresponding device;

receiving a device message with the computer from at least one of the external devices, wherein the device message is in an external message format;

including in association with the device message using a device driver receiving the device message, a message direction indicator and device data corresponding to the device identity stored in the data store for the external device generating the device message;

transforming with the computer the external format message from the external device, to generate to a corresponding internal format message responsive to the direction indicator, device data, and a portion of the data stored in the storing step; and

processing with the computer the internal format message.

31. The method according to claim 30 and further comprising the steps of:

generating a further message in the internal message format, wherein the further message includes identity data representative of the identity of the external device and a further message direction indicator;

further transforming with the computer the further message to generate a corresponding further device message having the external message format communicated by the external device, responsive to the further message direction indicator, the identity data and a portion of the data stored in the storing step.

32. A method for processing financial transactions in a system including a plurality of external devices, at least one computer, at least one data store in operative connection with the computer, and at least one message processing program in operative connection with the computer, wherein each external device communicates with the computer through electronic messages, the messages including a plurality of different message formats, comprising the steps of:

storing in a data store data representative of;

message layouts for a plurality of external message formats and an internal message format;

for each of the external devices, an external message format for messages communicated by the corresponding external device;

including with the computer in an internal format message directed to an external device, a message direction indicator; and

transforming with the computer the internal format message, to generate an external format message in the external format communicated by the external device, responsive to a portion of the data stored in the storing step and the direction indicator included in the internal format message.

33. A method for processing transactions generated by a plurality of external devices, each of the external devices communicating messages in a different external message format, the processing conducted with a computer in operative connection with a data store, comprising the steps of:

storing in the data store, data representative of an address uniquely associated with each external device and an external message format for each said device, which format is stored in correlated relation with the address;

storing in the data store, data representative of each external message format and data representative of a location of a message type in a message in the respective external message format;

storing in the data store, data representative of each external message format and message type and data representative of a transformation of an external message having the respective message format and message type, wherein the transformation is operative to produce an internal format message;

receiving with the computer a device message from an external device having an address, the device message having an external device message format and device message type;

determining the external message format of the device message from the data stored in the data store responsive to the device address;

determining the message type for the device message from the data in the data store responsive to the external device message format and the device message; and

generating an internal message format message corresponding to the device message responsive to the data stored in the data store, the device message format and the device message type.

34. A method for processing transactions generated by a plurality of devices, each of the devices communicating messages in a different external message format, the processing conducted with a computer in operative connection with a data store, comprising the steps of:

storing in the data store, data representative of each of the devices operatively connected to provide messages to the system, and storing for each of the devices data representative of an external message format in which each device communicates its messages;

storing in the data store, data representative of how to convert messages in each external message format to a message in an internal message format;

storing in the data store, data representative of how to process transactions in the internal message format;

receiving device messages with the computer from the devices, the device messages in the external message formats;

transforming the external format messages from the devices to internal format messages with the computer responsive to the data stored in the data store; and

processing with the computer the internal format messages responsive to data stored in the data store.

35. A method for processing transactions in a system including external devices, at least one computer in operative connection with the external devices, and at least one data store in operative connection with the computer, wherein each external device communicates with the computer through electronic messages, the messages having different message formats, comprising the steps of:

storing in a data store, data representative of;

a transformation of each of a plurality of messages between an external message format and an internal message format;

an identity of each of a plurality of external devices; and

for each device identity an external message format for messages communicated to and from the device;

determining with the computer responsive to the information in the data store, an identity of an external device generating or receiving a message;

transforming the message with the computer responsive to the format and transformation data in the data store corresponding to the device identity, wherein when the message is a first type which the device generates, the message is transformed from an external format indicated in the data store as associated with the device to the internal format, and wherein when the message is a second type which the device receives, the message is transformed from the internal format to the external format.

36. A method for processing transactions in a system including a plurality of external devices, at least one computer, at least one data store in operative connection with the computer, and at least one message processing program in operative connection with the computer, wherein each external device communicates with the computer through electronic messages, the messages including a plurality of different message formats, comprising the steps of:

storing in a data store, data representative of;

message layouts for a plurality of external message formats and an internal message format;

for each of the external devices, an external message format for messages communicated with the corresponding external device;

and alternatively either;

setting with the computer responsive to an internal format message directed to an external device, a message direction indicator indicative of an outgoing message;

transforming with the computer the internal format message, to generate a corresponding external format message in the external format communicated by the external device, responsive to data stored in the storing step and the direction indicator set by the computer responsive to the internal format message;

or;

setting with the computer responsive to an external format message directed from an external device, a message direction indicator indicative of an incoming message;

transforming with the computer the external format message, to generate a corresponding internal format message in the internal format, responsive to data stored in the storing step and the direction indicator set by the computer responsive to the external format message.