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

• US 7,233,925 B1
• Filed: 02/01/1999
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Petach, Teresa A., Tompkins, Peter, Anthony, Wendell W., Law, Patrick, Grandcolas, Michael L., Moss, Leslie
• Primary Examiner(s): ELISCA, PIERRE E
• Application Number:
  US09/240,588
• Time in Patent Office: 3,060 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/39, 705/42, 705/43, 705/38, 705/35, 345/326, 345/962, 345/966, 345/969, 345/344, 713/201, 713/159, 713/172, 714/38, 717/178
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• 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 of interfacing a plurality of different access devices to either a legacy application or a canonical application comprising;

parsing a data stream from the desired application if the desired application is a legacy application;

creating a token representation of the data stream from the desired application, regardless if the application is a legacy application or a canonical application; and

forwarding the token representation to one of the plurality of access devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the data stream on the one access device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one access device is a home computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one access device is a personal digital assistant.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one access device is a screenphone.

6. A system for distributing information to a plurality of customers comprising:

an application for providing data in response to a request for data;

a token creator-mapper for creating a first token representation of the data provided by the application and a second token representation of the data provided by the application; and

a plurality of different access devices for each of the plurality of customers wherein a first access device receives the first token representation of the data and the second access device receives the second token representation.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first token representation and the second token representation of data include data specific to one customer.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the first token representation and the second token representation of data include data generic to the plurality of customers.

9. A method of interfacing an access device with a software application, comprising:

producing a data stream from the software application;

providing a token representation of the data stream from the software application; and

forwarding the token representation to the access device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the token representation of the data stream from the software application comprises:

identifying the software application as one of a legacy application and a canonical application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the token representation of the data stream from the software application further comprises:

if the software application is identified as a legacy application, identifying the data stream as a legacy application stream;

determining that no token representation exists for the legacy application stream; and

creating the token representation of the legacy application stream.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein forwarding the token representation to the access device comprises:

mapping the token representation to a token stream that is particular to a renderer of the access device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the token representation of the data stream from the software application further comprises:

if the software application is identified as a canonical application, identifying the data stream as a canonical application stream having the token representation of the canonical application stream.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein forwarding the token representation to the access device comprises:

mapping the token representation to a token stream that is particular to a renderer of the access device.