System and method for generating pre-populated forms

• US 7,200,806 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UBS Business Solutions AG (UBS Ag)
• Original Assignee: UBS Ag
• Inventors: Sahu, Smita
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stork, Kyle R.
• Application Number:
  US10/280,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 715/505, 715/513, 715/517, 715/523, 715/530
• US Class Current: 715/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A method for generating pre-populated forms with stored data. A user identity and a customer identity are obtained where the user identity and customer identity identify a user and a customer, respectively. The identified user is verified as being authorized to access information related to the identified customer. If the identified user is verified, a form type identifier is obtained that identifies one of one or more types of forms, each of which has one or more input fields for receiving information. Then, a populated form of the type matching the form type identifier is generated with at least some of the input fields of the generated form being populated with data related to the identified customer. Finally, the generated form is transmitted as a byte stream to a user interface device where the byte stream is used to recreate the generated form.

Claims

1. A method for generating populated forms, the method comprising:

in an operation of the method, obtaining a user identity, the user identity identifying a user;

verifying that the user identified by the user identity is an employee of an organization authorized by the organization to generate populated forms on behalf of customers of the organization;

if the user is verified as authorized in response to the obtained user identity, then obtaining, by input from the verified user, a customer identity identifying a customer;

verifying that the customer identity is assigned by the organization to a customer to identify the customer as a verified customer of the organization;

if the customer is verified in response to the customer identity as being a verified customer of the organization, then verifying that the verified user is authorized to access account information of the verified customer held by the organization, based on the user identity and the customer identity;

if the verified user is not so authorized, then terminating the operation;

if the verified user is verified as being authorized to access the account information of the verified customer, then providing to the verified user at least one form identifier, each form identifier identifying a respective type of form that is populatable, each type of form having one or more input fields for receiving information;

selecting, by the verified user, an obtained form identifier of the provided at least one form identifier;

generating, on behalf of the verified customer, a populated form of the type matching the obtained form type identifier, wherein at least one of the input fields of the generated form is populated with data based on information accessed from the account information of verified customer; and

transmitting the generated form as a byte stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

if the verified user is verified as being authorized to access the account information of the verified customer, then determining based on the account information of the verified customer which, of the types of forms are populatable on behalf of the verified customer, and then providing to the verified user only those form identifiers identifying respective types of forms that are populatable on behalf of the identified customer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of providing at least one form type identifier comprises providing a form type identifier identifying one or more types of forms, each of which corresponds to a financial service offered by a financial service organization.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

providing an interface screen to a user via an user interface device operated by the user, wherein the interface screen lists one or more types of forms that may be generated; and

wherein the step of providing at least one form type identifier comprises providing a form type identifier from the user via the user interface device, wherein the form type identifier is obtained through the user selecting one of the one or more types of forms listed on the interface screen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of transmitting the generated form as a byte stream comprises transmitting the generated form as a byte stream to the user interface device operated by the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating a populated form of the type matching the form type identifier comprises:

obtaining a form template of the type matching the form type identifier;

creating a blank form of the type matching the form type identifier based on the obtained form template, wherein all the input fields of the blank form are empty;

obtaining data related to the verified customer and corresponding to at least some of the input fields of the obtained form template; and

populating the at least some of the input fields of the blank form corresponding to the at least some of the input fields of the form template with the data related to the verified customer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of obtaining data related to the verified customer comprises obtaining data related to the verified customer from a database storing data related to a plurality of customers.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of generating a populated form generates the populated form in a PDF format.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a second form containing data related to a second customer identified in the second form; and

updating data related to the second customer identified in the second form using data contained in the obtained second form.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of obtaining a second form comprises obtaining the previously generated form after the data contained in the previously generated form has been modified, and wherein the second customer is the identified customer.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein a database stores data related to a plurality of customers, and

wherein the step of updating comprises updating data stored in the database corresponding to the second customer identified in the second form.

12. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

providing an interface screen to a user via an user interface device operated by the user, wherein the interface screen lists one or more types of forms that may be generated; and

wherein the step of providing at least one form type identifier comprises providing a form type identifier from the user via the user interface device, wherein the form type identifier is obtained through the user selecting one of the one or more types of forms listed on the interface screen.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting the generated form as a byte stream comprises transmitting the generated form as a byte stream to the user interface device operated by the user.

14. A system for generating populated forms, the system comprising:

a computer in communication with a network;

a database in communication with the network and the computer, wherein the database stores data related to a plurality of customers;

wherein the computer is configured to;

in an operation, obtain a user identity, the user identity identifying a user;

verify that the user identified by the user identity is an employee of an organization authorized by the organization to generate populated forms on behalf of customers of the organization;

if the user is verified as authorized in response to the obtained user identity, then obtain, by input from the verified user, a customer identity identifying a customer;

verify that the customer identity is assigned by the organization to a customer to identify the customer as a verified customer of the organization;

if the customer is verified in response to the customer identity as being a verified customer of the organization, then verify that the verified user is authorized to access account information of the verified customer held by the organization, based on the user identity and the customer identity; and

if the verified user is not so authorized, then terminate the operation; and

wherein, if the verified user is verified as being authorized to access the account information of the verified customer, the computer is further configured to;

provide to the verified user at least one form identifier, each form identifier identifying a respective type of form that is populatable, each type of form having one or more input fields for receiving information; and

respond to a selection, by the verified user, of an obtained form identifier of the provided at least one form identifier by generating, on behalf of the verified customer, a populated form of the type matching the obtained form type identifier, wherein at least one of the input fields of the generated form is populated with data based on information accessed from the account information of verified customer; and

transmit the generated form as a byte stream.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

if the verified user is verified as being authorized to access the account information of the verified customer, then the computer is configured to determine based on the account information of the verified customer which, of the types of forms are populatable on behalf of the verified customer, and then provide to the verified user only those form identifiers identifying respective types of forms that are populatable on behalf of the identified customer.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a user interface device operated by a user, wherein the user interface device is in communication with the network and the computer;

wherein the form identifier obtained by the computer is obtained from the user interface device operated by the user; and

wherein the byte stream transmitted by the computer is transmitted to the user interface device operated by the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each form identifier identifies one or more types of forms, each of which corresponds to a financial service offered by a financial service organization.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

the user interface device provides an interface screen listing one or more types of forms that may be generated; and

wherein each form identifier is obtained through the user selecting one of the one or more types of forms listed on the interface screen.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer is configured to transmit the generated form as a byte stream to the user interface device operated by the user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer is configured to generate the populated form of the type matching the form type identifier by:

obtaining a form template of the type matching the form type identifier;

creating a blank form of the type matching the form type identifier based on the obtained form template, wherein all the input fields of the blank form are empty;

obtaining data related to the verified customer and corresponding to at least some of the input fields of the obtained form template; and

populating the at least some of the input fields of the blank form corresponding to the at least some of the input fields of the form template with the data related to the verified customer.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the computer is configured to obtain data related to the identified customer from a database storing data related to a plurality of customers.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer is configured to generate the populated form in a PDF format.

23. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code, when executed, causing a computer to implement a method for generating populated forms, the method comprising:

in an operation of the method, obtaining a user identity, the user identity identifying a user;

verifying that the user identified by the user identity is an employee of an organization authorized by the organization to generate populated forms on behalf of customers of the organization;

if the user is verified as authorized in response to the obtained user identity, then obtaining, by input from the verified user, a customer identity identifying a customer;

verifying that the customer identity is assigned by the organization to a customer to identify the customer as a verified customer of the organization;

if the customer is verified in response to the customer identity as being a verified customer of the organization, then verifying that the verified user is authorized to access account information of the verified customer held by the organization, based on the user identity and the customer identity;

if the verified user is not so authorized, then terminating the operation;

if the verified user is verified as being authorized to access the account information of the verified customer, then providing to the verified user at least one form identifier, each form identifier identifying a respective type of form that is populatable, each type of form having one or more input fields for receiving information;

selecting, by the verified user, an obtained form identifier of the provided at least one form identifier;

generating, on behalf of the verified customer, a populated form of the type matching the obtained form type identifier, wherein at least one of the input fields of the generated form is populated with data based on information accessed from the account information of verified customer; and

transmitting the generated form as a byte stream.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

if the verified user is verified as being authorized to access the account information of the verified customer, then determining based on the account information of the verified customer which, of the types of forms are populatable on behalf of the verified customer, and then providing to the verified user only those form identifiers identifying respective types of forms that are populatable on behalf of the identified customer.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the step of providing at least one form type identifier comprises providing a form type identifier identifying one or more types of forms, each of which corresponds to a financial service offered by a financial service organization.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the step of generating a populated form of the type matching the form type identifier comprises:

obtaining a form template of the type matching the form type identifier;

creating a blank form of the type matching the form type identifier based on the obtained form template, wherein all the input fields of the blank form are empty;

obtaining data related to the verified customer and corresponding to at least some of the input fields of the obtained form template; and

populating the at least some of the input fields of the blank form corresponding to the at least some of the input fields of the form template with the data related to the verified customer.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the step of obtaining data related to the verified customer comprises obtaining data related to the verified customer from a database storing data related to a plurality of customers.

28. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the step of generating a populated form generates the populated form in a PDF format.

29. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining a second form containing data related to a second customer identified in the second form; and

updating data related to the second customer identified in the second form using data contained in the obtained second form.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the step of obtaining a second form comprises obtaining the previously generated form after the data contained in the previously generated form has been modified, and wherein the second customer is the identified customer.

31. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein a database stores data related to a plurality of customers, and

wherein the step of updating comprises updating data stored in the database corresponding to the second customer identified in the second form.