Electronic bill presentment technique with enhanced biller control

• US 6,856,974 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ganesan, Ravi, Dreyer, Hans Daniel, Wolfe, Kathryn Randall, Harris, Mark Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kyle, Charles R.
• Application Number:
  US09/301,068
• Time in Patent Office: 2,120 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/35, 705/39
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• 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 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An electronic bill presentment system includes network, a central network station, and a plurality of user and biller network stations. Each of the user stations is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users and is operable to transmit first requests for bills via the network. The central network station receives the transmitted first requests and transmits, responsive thereto, bill availability information via the network. The user stations receive the transmitted bill availability information and are operable to transmit second requests for bills via the network. Each of the biller stations is associated with a respective one of the plurality of billers. The biller stations receive the transmitted second requests and transmit, responsive thereto, the requested bills via the network.

Claims

1. A electronic bill presentment system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of first stations, each associated with a respective one of a plurality of users and operable to transmit first requests for bills of its associated user via the network;

a central network station configured to receive the transmitted first requests for bills and to transmit, responsive to each of the received first requests, bill availability information for the associated user via the network, wherein each of the plurality of first stations is configured to receive the transmitted bill availability information for its associated user and is operable to transmit second requests for bills of its associated user via the network; and

a plurality of second network stations, each associated with a respective one of a plurality of billers, configured to receive the transmitted second requests for bills and to transmit, responsive thereto, the requested bills of the associated user via the network;

wherein the bill availability information for the associated user identifies those of the plurality of billers having a bill available for that user without identifying an amount of the bill of each of the identified billers for the associated user.

2. A method for presenting electronic bills, comprising:

storing, at a plurality of different locations, electronic bills of a plurality of different billers for a plurality of different users;

storing identifiers of the stored electronic bills at a location different than the plurality of different locations;

transmitting a first request for the stored electronic bills for a first of the plurality of users;

transmitting one or more of the stored identifiers of the stored electronic bills for the first user responsive to the transmitted first request, each of the transmitted one or more identifiers being associated with a respective one of the stored electronic bills of a different one of the plurality of billers;

transmitting a second request for at least one of the stored electronic bills identified by the transmitted one or more identifiers; and

transmitting the at least one identified stored electronic bill responsive to the transmitted second request;

wherein the transmitted one or more identifiers identifies the stored electronic bills without identifying an amount of the identified stored electronic bills.

3. An electronic bill presentment system, comprising:

a network;

a plurality of first stations, each associated with a respective one of a plurality of users and operable to transmit a first request for bills of its associated user via the network; and

a central network station configured to receive the transmitted first request for bills and to transmit, responsive to the received first request, bill availability information for the associated user via the network;

wherein each of the plurality of first stations is further configured to receive the transmitted bill availability information for its associated user and is operable to transmit second requests for bills of its associated user via the network;

wherein the central network station is further configured to receive the transmitted second request for bills and to transmit, responsive thereto, the requested bills of the associated user via the network;

wherein the bill availability information for the associated user identifies those of a plurality of billers having a bill availability for that user without identifying an amount of the bill of each of the identified billers for the associated user.