Method and system for electronically presenting and paying bills

• US 6,078,907 A
• Filed: 02/18/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David Lamm
• Original Assignee: David Lamm
• Inventors: Lamm, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cuong H.
• Application Number:
  US09/025,168
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35-40, 705/42-44
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A system and method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill to a billed party. The method may comprise receiving from a billing party an electronic bill file, preparing a redacted bill file from the electronic bill file by redacting selected secured billing information from the electronic bill file, sending the redacted bill file electronically to the billed party, and preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill at the billed party'"'"'s computer by inserting the selected secured billing information into the redacted bill file. The act of preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill may further comprise the act of inserting standard bill components into the redacted bill file to create a reconstructed bill.

Claims

1. A method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill to a billed party, wherein selected secured billing information is stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer, the method comprising:

(a) receiving from a billing party an electronic bill file including the selected secured billing information;

(b) preparing a redacted bill file from the electronic bill file by redacting the selected secured billing information;

(c) sending the redacted bill file electronically to the billed party; and

(d) preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill at the billed party'"'"'s computer by inserting the selected secured billing information into the redacted bill file.

2. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1, wherein the act of sending the redacted bill file is accomplished by sending the redacted bill file via a dedicated e-mail server.

3. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1 further including the act of storing on the billed party'"'"'s computer selected secured billing information.

4. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1, wherein at least one standard bill component is stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer and the electronic bill file further includes at least one standard bill component removed in preparing the redacted bill file, wherein the act of preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill further comprises the act of inserting the at least one standard bill component into the redacted bill file.

5. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 4 further including the act of storing on the billed party'"'"'s computer at least one standard bill component.

6. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) receiving a payment instruction from a billed party that supplies a funds source identifier with the payment instruction; and

(b) in response to the payment instruction, effecting electronic payment to the billing party from a funds source indicated by the funds source identifier.

7. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1 further including the act of enrolling the billed party with the billing party, the act of enrolling including the act of delivering selected secured billing information from the billed party to the billing party.

8. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1 further including the act of encrypting the redacted bill file prior to sending the redacted bill file to the billed party.

9. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1 further including the act of posting payment information to the billed party'"'"'s computer.

10. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) receiving a payment instruction from a billed party that identifies the redacted bill file but not the billed party; and

(b) in response to the payment instruction, effecting electronic payment from a funds source previously identified by the billed party.

11. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving includes receiving an electronic bill file that is a legacy bill print file, wherein the act of preparing a redacted bill file further includes deleting selected secured billing information based on positional relationships of selected secured billing information in the legacy bill print file, and wherein the act of preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill includes inserting the selected secured billing information by using the same positional relationships from the legacy bill print file.

12. A method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill to a billed party, wherein at least one standard bill component is stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer, the method comprising:

(a) receiving from a billing party an electronic bill file;

(b) preparing a redacted bill file from the electronic bill file;

(c) sending the redacted bill file electronically to the billed party; and

(d) preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill at the billed party'"'"'s computer by inserting the at least one standard bill component into the redacted bill file.

13. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12, wherein the act of receiving includes receiving an electronic bill file that is a legacy bill print file, wherein the act of preparing a redacted bill file further includes deleting information based on positional relationships of information in the legacy bill print file, and wherein the act of preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill includes inserting the information by using the same positional relationships from the legacy bill print file.

14. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12 further including the act of sending at least one standard bill component from the billing party to the billed party'"'"'s computer before the billed party receives any redacted bill file.

15. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12, further comprising selectively sending at least one standard bill component at the time a redacted bill file is sent by sending only standard bill components that are not already stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer.

16. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12 further including the act of storing on the billed party'"'"'s computer at least one standard bill component sent by the billing party.

17. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12, further comprising:

(a) receiving a payment instruction from a billed party that supplies a funds source identifier with the payment instruction; and

(b) in response to the payment instruction, effecting electronic payment to the billing party from a funds source indicated by the funds source identifier.

18. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12 further including the act of enrolling the billed party with the billing party, the act of enrolling including the act of delivering selected secured billing information from the billed party to the billing party.

19. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12 further including the act of encrypting the redacted bill file prior to sending the redacted bill file to the billed party.

20. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12 further including the act of posting payment information to the billing party'"'"'s computer.

21. The method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 12 further comprising:

(a) receiving a payment instruction from a billed party that identifies the redacted bill file but not the billed party; and

(b) in response to the payment instruction, effecting electronic payment from a funds source previously identified by the billed party.

22. A method for preparing and electronically delivering a bill to a billed party with a computer, the method comprising:

(a) storing a redacted bill file that has been prepared from an electronic bill file by redacting selected secured billing information from electronic bill file billing information; and

(b) sending the redacted bill file electronically via a dedicated e-mail server to the bill party, the redacted bill file having sufficient billing information to prepare and output a reconstructed bill at the billed party'"'"'s computer by merging selected secured billing information stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer with the redacted bill file.

23. A system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill from a billing party with a computer system to a billed party, wherein selected secured billing information is stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer, the system comprising:

(a) a database on the billing party'"'"'s computer system containing one or more electronic bill files, the electronic bill files including the selected secured billing information;

(b) an electronic post office;

(c) a first software program existing on the computer system of the billing party, the first software program including instructions for redacting the selected secured billing information from the electronic bill files to create a redacted bill file that is communicated to the electronic post office; and

(d) a second software program stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer, the second software program including instructions for integrating the stored selected secured billing information with the redacted bill file transmitted from the electronic post office to create a reconstructed bill on the billed party'"'"'s computer.

24. The system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 23 wherein the electronic post office is a dedicated e-mail server, and wherein the first software program and second software program each include instructions for communicating with the electronic post office.

25. The system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 23 wherein the first software program further includes an encryption program.

26. The system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 23 wherein the second software program further includes an encryption program.

27. The system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 23 wherein the second software program has local access to at least one standard bill component and second instructions for integrating the at least one standard bill component with the redacted bill file to create a reconstructed bill on the billed party'"'"'s computer.

28. The system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 23 further including a graphical user interface on the billed party'"'"'s computer to allow the billed party to manipulate and view the reconstructed bill.

29. A system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill from a billing party to a billed party with a computer, the system comprising:

(a) an electronic post office containing billing information;

(b) a software program stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer; and

(c) the software program having local access to at least one standard bill component and including instructions for integrating the at least one standard bill component with billing information transmitted over a communication path from the electronic post office to create an image resembling a paper bill on the billed party'"'"'s computer.

30. The system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 29 further including a graphical user interface on the billed party'"'"'s computer to allow the billed party to manipulate and view the reconstructed bill.

31. The system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill of claim 29 wherein the software program further includes an encryption program.

32. A system for preparing and electronically delivering a bill from a billing party with a computer system to a billed party, wherein selected secured billing information is stored on the billed party'"'"'s computer, the system comprising:

(a) means for receiving from a billing party an electronic bill file including the selected secured billing information;

(b) means for preparing a redacted bill file from the electronic bill file by redacting the selected secured billing information;

(c) means for sending the redacted bill file electronically to the billed party; and

(d) means for preparing and outputting a reconstructed bill at the billed party'"'"'s computer by inserting the selected secured billing information into the redacted bill file.