Transaction authorization system and method

• US 7,021,532 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Garrison, Greg D., Robinson, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US10/709,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235375-379, 705 34- 41, 705/79
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

The present invention includes a system and method for authorizing billing files at a substantially real-time batch authorization rate. The invention comprises a poller configured for queuing billing transaction files in real-time. In one embodiment, the invention uses advanced logic to split transactions into multiple subsets and it uses a plurality of different sized data streams to facilitate processing transactions. A card authorization system is used to process the transaction subsets. The card authorization may have one or more sockets to facilitate processing different-sized data streams. In another embodiment, the invention uses a merger to reconstruct the subsets into a billing transaction file.

Claims

1. A system configured to facilitate authorizing billing transactions comprising:

a poller configured for substantially real-time queuing of a billing transaction file;

a splitter configured to split said billing transaction file into a subset;

a Card Authorization System configured for authorizing said subset, said card authorization system configured with a socket; and

a merger configured to reconstruct said subset into said billing transaction file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said splitter is configured to split said billing transaction file into at least one of one, five, and eight subsets.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to operate in substantially real time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to operate on a first come, first served basis.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a logger configured to store factual reference information associated with a plurality of billing transaction file sizes.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a logger configured to store factual reference information associated with a plurality of billing transaction file sizes, wherein said logger is configured to recognize at least one of small, medium and large billing transaction file sizes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a formatter, wherein said formatter is configured to facilitate readability by said Card Authorization System of said billing transaction files.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said billing transaction file includes a billing transaction.

9. A method for facilitating authorization of billing transactions, said method comprising the steps of:

queuing a billing transaction file to facilitate authorization of said billing transaction file;

splitting said billing transaction file into a subset;

transferring said subset through a socket;

authorizing said subset; and

reconstructing said subset into said billing transaction file.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said billing transaction file includes an automatic billing transaction.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of transferring said subset through a socket further comprises transferring said subset through at least one of one socket, five sockets, and eight sockets.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of splitting said billing transaction file comprises splitting said billing transaction file into at least one of one, five, and eight subsets.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of said steps of queuing, splitting, transferring, authorizing and reconstructing occur in substantially real-time.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of said steps of queuing, splitting, transferring, authorizing and reconstructing occur on a first come, first served basis.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising logging a plurality of billing transaction file sizes.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising logging a plurality of billing transaction file sizes to facilitate recognizing at least one of small, medium and large billing transaction file sizes.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising formatting said billing transaction file to facilitate authorization of said billing transaction files.