Methods, devices and systems for electronic bill presentment and payment

• US 6,578,015 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Doshi, Mohit, Arthur, Mohan K., Irribarren, Roberto, Talreja, Yash Pal, Haseltine, Mark E., Agarwal, Siddhartha
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/386,760
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 705/40, 705/42
• US Class Current: 705/34
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of presenting an electronic bill from a biller to a customer over a computer network includes steps of receiving biller-originated bill data and bill format data over the network into a bill presentment and payment database. The inputted bill data and bill format data are then stored in a first area of the bill presentment and payment database. The stored bill data and/or the bill format data is then validated and the validated bill data and/or the format data is swapped from the first area to a second area of the bill presentment and payment database, the second area being accessible to the customer. The bill, now incorporating the validated bill data and formatted according to the bill format data, may then be presented to the customer. A third, customer accessible area may be included in the database to archive the bills. The bill format data may include a plurality of bill templates, each of which may define a distinct appearance for the bill. A plurality of bill template selection rules may be applied to the validated bill data. Based on this evaluation, one of the plurality of bill templates may then be selected to format the bill presented to the customer.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of presenting an electronic bill from a biller to a customer over a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving biller-originated bill data and biller-originated bill format data over the network into a bill presentment and payment database;

storing the received biller-originated bill data and biller-originated bill format data in a first area of said bill presentment and payment database;

validating at least said stored biller-originated bill data;

swapping the validated biller-originated bill data and the biller-originated format data from the first area to a second area of said bill presentment and payment database, said second area being accessible to the customer; and

presenting the bill to the customer, the presented bill being formatted according to said biller-originated format data and incorporating said validated biller-originated bill data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising archiving the bill in a third, customer accessible area of the bill presentment and payment database.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said bill format data includes a plurality of bill templates, each of said bill templates defining a distinct appearance for said bill.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein said computer-implemented method further comprises the steps of:

evaluating a plurality of bill template selection rules based upon said validated bill data; and

selecting one of said plurality of bill templates to format the bill presented to the customer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein one of the bill template selection rules compares a current date with a due date of the bill.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of bill templates includes at least one of HTML-formatted data, XML-formatted data and Java-based logic.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the bill data is formatted according to the OFX protocol.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of evaluating a plurality of auto pay rules to determine whether a request for payment should be automatically generated after the validated bill data and the format data has been swapped from the first area to a second area of said bill presentment and payment database.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said bill data is arranged in said first area as at least one database table, said at least one database table being swapped into said second area after at least the bill data is validated.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein said at least one database table includes a bill summary table and a bill detail table.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a status table for the bill, said status table indicating a status of the bill.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein both the bill data and bill format data originate from a plurality of billers, each biller of the plurality inputting its own bill data and its own biller-specific bill format data.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein one of said bill data and said bill format data includes a URL to a Web site maintained by said biller.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said validating step includes a step of insuring a completeness and an integrity of the bill data.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the presenting step presents the electronic bill to the customer in a format readable by a device adapted to remotely access the second area of said bill presentment and payment database over the computer network.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said computer network includes the Internet.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining an activity log of biller-specified predefined business events and generating a notification upon an occurrence of one of the biller-specified predefined business events.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of maintaining an audit trail record of all or selected table-affecting events within the bill presentment and payment database.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each customer is represented in the bill presentment and payment database as a user account, each user account including a biller account for each biller from whom the customer receives bills, a list of which payment instruments the customer uses to pay the billers and at least one biller-definable flexible field.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of customers are registered into the bill presentment and payment database in a batch mode by loading XML or OFX-formatted customer data into the first area via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) or by file transfer, via File Transfer Protocol (ftp).

21. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device;

a plurality of processes spawned by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for presenting an electronic bill from a biller to a customer over a computer network, said processing logic defining the steps of;

receiving biller-originated bill data and biller-originated bill format data over the network into a bill presentment and payment database;

storing the received biller-originated bill data and biller-originated bill format data in a first area of said bill presentment and payment database;

validating at least said stored biller-originated bill data;

swapping the validated biller-originated bill data and the biller-originated format data from the first area to a second area of said bill presentment and payment database, said second area being accessible to the customer; and

presenting the bill to the customer, the presented bill being formatted according to said biller-originated format data and incorporating said validated biller-originated bill data.

22. The computer system of claim 21, further comprising archiving the bill in a third, customer accessible area of the bill presentment and payment database.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said bill format data includes a plurality of bill templates, each of said bill templates defining a distinct appearance for said bill.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said processing logic further defines the steps of:

evaluating a plurality of bill template selection rules based upon said validated bill data; and

selecting one of said plurality of bill templates to format the bill presented to the customer.

25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein one of the bill template selection rules compares a current date with a due date of the bill.

26. The computer system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the plurality of bill templates includes at least one of HTML-formatted data, XML-formatted data and Java-based logic.

27. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the bill data is formatted according to the OFX protocol.

28. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the processing logic further defines the step of evaluating a plurality of auto pay rules to determine whether a request for payment should be automatically generated after the validated bill data and the format data has been swapped from the first area to a second area of said bill presentment and payment database.

29. The computer system of claim 22, wherein at least one of said first, second and third areas of said bill presentment and payment database is configured as a database.

30. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said bill data is arranged in said first area as at least one database table, said at least one database table being swapped into said second area after at least the bill data is validated.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein said at least one database table includes a bill summary table and a bill detail table.

32. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said processing logic further defines the step of generating a status table for the bill, said status table indicating a status of the bill.

33. The computer system of claim 21, wherein both the bill data and bill format data originate from a plurality of billers, each biller of the plurality inputting its own bill data and its own biller-specific bill format data.

34. The computer system of claim 21, wherein one of said bill data and said bill format data includes a URL to a Web site maintained by said biller.

35. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said validating step includes a step of insuring a completeness and an integrity of the bill data.

36. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the presenting step presents the electronic bill to the customer in a format readable by a device adapted to remotely access the second area of said bill presentment and payment database over the computer network.

37. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said computer network includes the Internet.

38. The computer system of claim 21, further comprising the step of maintaining an activity log of biller-specified predefined business events and generating a notification upon an occurrence of one of the biller-specified predefined business events.

39. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the processing logic further defines the step of maintaining an audit trail record of all or selected table-affecting events within the bill presentment and payment database.

40. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the processing logic defines each customer in the bill presentment and payment database as a user account, each user account including a biller account for each biller from whom the customer receives bills, a list of which payment instruments the customer uses to pay the billers and at least one biller-definable flexible field.

41. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the processing logic is configured to register a plurality of customers into the bill presentment and payment database in a batch mode by loading XML or OFX-formatted customer data into the first area via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) or by file transfer, via File Transfer Protocol (ftp).

42. A machine-readable medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a computer, causes said computer to perform the steps of:

receiving biller-originated bill data and biller-originated bill format data over the network into a bill presentment and payment database;

storing the received biller-originated bill data and biller-originated bill format data in a first area of said bill presentment and payment database;

validating at least said stored biller-originated bill data;

swapping the validated biller-originated bill data and the biller-originated format data from the first area to a second area of said bill presentment and payment database, said second area being accessible to the customer; and

presenting the bill to the customer, the presented bill being formatted according to said biller-originated format data and incorporating said validated biller-originated bill data.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said computer to archive the bill in a third, customer accessible, area of the bill presentment and payment database.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein said bill format data includes a plurality of bill templates, each of said bill templates defining a distinct appearance for said bill.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44, wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said computer to carry out the steps of:

evaluating a plurality of bill template selection rules based upon said validated bill data; and

selecting one of said plurality of bill templates to format the bill presented to the customer.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein said sequences of instructions further cause said computer to carry out the step of evaluating a plurality of auto pay rules to determine whether a request for payment should be automatically generated after the validated bill data and the format data has been swapped from the first area to a second area of said bill presentment and payment database.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein said validating step includes a step of insuring a completeness and an integrity of the bill data.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the presenting step presents the electronic bill to the customer in a format readable by a device adapted to remotely access the second area of said bill presentment and payment database over the computer network.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 42, further comprising the step of maintaining an activity log of biller-specified predefined business events and generating a notification upon an occurrence of one of the biller-specified predefined business events.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 42, further comprising the step of maintaining an audit trail record of all or selected table-affecting events within the bill presentment and payment database.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein each customer is represented in the bill presentment and payment database as a user account, each user account including a biller account for each biller from whom the customer receives bills, a list of which payment instruments the customer uses to pay the billers and at least one biller-definable flexible field.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein a plurality of customers are registered into the bill presentment and payment database in a batch mode by loading XML or OFX-formatted customer data into the first area via Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) or by file transfer, via File Transfer Protocol (ftp).