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

• US 6,332,131 B1
• Filed: 08/19/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• 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: Tompkins, Peter, Anthony, Wendell W., Moss, Leslie, Petach, Teresa A., Law, Patrick, Grandcolas, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Retta, Yehdega
• Application Number:
  US09/136,362
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/653, 705/35, 345/156, 345/326
• 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 20/04 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 which the user desires to access through the device comprising:

identifying the desired program and the type of device being used, wherein identifying the type of device being used further includes identifying the type of software being used by the device;

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 response to said device.

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

3. The method of claim 2 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.

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

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said financial service is bill payment.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said financial service is transferring funds between accounts.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said financial service is buying securities.

8. A method for enabling a plurality of different access devices each having a display to access a plurality of different application programs comprising:

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 consulting a table of token attributes; and

sending the token representation to the device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein identifying the type of access device to be accessed further includes identifying the type of software being used by the access device.

10. A system for facilitating communication between a user using a device with a display and an application program which the user desires to access through the device comprising:

means for receiving information from said device;

means for identifying the desired program, the type of device and the type of software being used, and the type of software being used by the device;

means for 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;

means for 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

means for 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.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said means for accessing the desired application program, identifying information to be displayed and translating the information to be displayed further includes means for translating the information into a tokenized language which is compatible with both the device and the application program.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said means for translating the information into a tokenized language further includes:

means for applying a token hierarchy to the information; and

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

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said means for creating the token representation of said information further includes means for consulting a table of token attributes.

14. A system for enabling a plurality of different access devices each having a display to access a plurality of different application programs comprising:

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

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

means for applying a token hierarchy to the information; and

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

means for sending the token representation to the device.

15. A method for facilitating communication between a user using a device with a display and an application program which the user desires to access through the device comprising:

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 tokenized 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 response to said device.