System and method for mobile wireless electronic data capture and distribution of a merchant card-processing application

• US 7,233,960 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Numoda Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Numoda Corp.
• Inventors: Boris, Ann S., Wall, RoseMary
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAHMOUDI, HASSAN
• Application Number:
  US10/281,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 705/38
• US Class Current: 707/792
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/95 Financial
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/954 Relational
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computerized data capture system for processing applications for merchant card service processing accounts is provided. The system has a project database that includes a plurality of data capture objects that are relevant to the system and table structures which define the relationship between the data capture objects. A subset of the data capture objects are defined to process applications for merchant card service processing accounts. Applications for merchant card service processing accounts are captured and processed using the plurality of data capture objects and the table structures of the project database.

Claims

1. A computerized data capture system for processing applications for merchant card service processing accounts, the system having a project database, the project database comprising:

(a) a plurality of data capture objects that are relevant to the system, wherein a subset of the data capture objects are defined to process applications for merchant card service processing accounts; and

(b) table structures which define the relationship between the data capture objects, wherein the data capture objects are a type of object used in an object-oriented programming environment, and wherein applications for merchant card service processing accounts are captured and processed using the plurality of data capture objects and the table structures of the project database.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the project database includes a plurality of project subsets, and the system further includes (i) a remote data capture input device, and (ii) a central data capture management device, wherein a subset of the plurality of data capture objects necessary to perform a project subset are defined and downloaded from the central data capture management device into the remote data capture input device.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the table structure is maintained in the central data capture management device.

4. The system according to claim 2 wherein the input device is a handheld computer.

5. A method of capturing data for applications for merchant card service processing accounts, the captured data being used in a data capture system that processes applications for merchant card service processing accounts, the method comprising:

(a) creating a project database that processes applications for merchant card service processing accounts, the project database including a plurality of data capture objects that are relevant to the system;

(b) defining one or more project subsets from a specific subset of the data capture objects to process applications for merchant card service processing accounts; and

(c) providing the one or more project subsets to one or more data capture input devices; and

(d) entering data for processing applications for merchant card service processing accounts into the data capture input devices, wherein the data capture objects are a type of object used in an object-oriented programming environment, and wherein applications for merchant card service processing accounts are captured and processed by the data capture input devices using the plurality of data capture objects that are relevant to the system and the one or more project subsets.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (a) further comprises partially defining properties of the data capture objects, and step (b) further comprises defining additional properties of the data capture objects after the data capture objects are placed in a project subset so that project subsets may be provided to, and executed in, the data capture input device without using any shared libraries or their code, wherein the additional properties define how the data capture objects are supposed to function in the project subset.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the additional properties of the data capture objects define which users of the input device are entitled to use the data capture objects and which programs should receive the data capture objects.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein further comprising:

(e) uploading the data entered into the data capture input device to the project database; and

(f) the project database distributing the uploaded data to entities that have authority to grant or deny a merchant card service processing account.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the data capture input devices are mobile, wireless devices.