Event-triggered transaction processing for electronic data interchange

• US 7,340,426 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: Nadeau, David, Larew, Robert C., Frutuoso, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NGA B
• Application Number:
  US09/365,066
• Time in Patent Office: 3,140 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/4, 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/38, 705/36, 705/35, 705/39, 709/200, 707/107, 707/102
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for automating data exchange processing by using event-triggered transaction processing. Transaction data may be exchanged electronically with industry clearinghouses or in-house administration systems. A trading relationship between trading partners is stored in a trading relationship database. At least one trading partner is a sending trading partner and at least one trading partner is a receiving trading partner with respect to a transaction between the sender and receiver. Maps and rules may be created and stored with respect to transactions and/or trading partners. An incoming transaction is received through an industry clearinghouse from the at least one sending partner as identified in the trading relationship. In response to receiving the incoming transaction, additional information is read from an administration system specified by a map in order to complete the processing of the transaction. The incoming transaction is a triggering event which prompts the obtaining of additional data. The additional data may be obtained according to user-specified business rules. In response to obtaining additional information, an outgoing transaction which may include the additional data is generated and sent to the receiving trading partner through the industry clearinghouse.

Claims

1. A method for processing transactions, wherein the transactions comprise one or more information fields, comprising:

obtaining an administrative system, wherein the administrative system is configured to receive incoming transactions from one or more sending trading partners, add additional information to the incoming transactions and send the modified transactions to one or more receiving trading partners;

generating a map for the administrative system, wherein generating the map comprises;

selecting one or more source fields from the administrative system, wherein each source field corresponds to a source for the additional information;

associating a destination field with the one or more selected source fields, wherein each destination field corresponds to an information field of an incoming transaction to which additional information can be added;

determining whether to apply one or more source-side functions to the one or more source fields; and

, if a source-side function is applied to the one or more source fields, associating one or more source-side functions with the one or more selected source fields, wherein the source-side functions modify the additional information added to the destination field from the one or more selected source fields;

wherein the value of each destination field is the resulting value of the sum of the values of the selected source fields after application of the source-side function; and

determining whether to apply a destination-side function to one or more of the destination fields; and

, if a destination-side function is applied to the destination fields, associating one or more destination-side functions with the one or more of the selected destination fields, wherein the destination-side functions modify the additional information added to the destination field from the associated source fields, wherein the value of the destination field is the resulting value of first summing the values of the associated source fields and then applying the destination-side function;

receiving at least one incoming transaction from at least one sending trading partner;

automatically applying one or more business rules to the at least one incoming transaction to identify one or more source fields of the administration system that contain information to be added to one or more information fields of the at least one incoming transaction;

automatically reading the identified additional information from one or more source fields of the administration system in response to receiving at least one incoming transaction from the at least one sending trading partner;

automatically modifying the additional information read from the source fields using one or more of the source-side functions or one or more of the destination-side functions;

automatically selecting one or more destination fields using pathways established in the generated map;

automatically adding the modified additional information to the one or more selected destination fields;

automatically generating at least one outgoing transaction, wherein the at least one outgoing transaction comprises data from the incoming transaction and the modified additional information read from one or more source fields of the administration system;

automatically translating at least one outgoing transaction into a computer data format decipherable by a receiving trading partner transaction processing software; and

automatically sending at least one outgoing transaction to at least one receiving trading partner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises one or more keywords.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the business rules comprises one or more logical operators.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the business rules comprises a string of at least one keyword and at least one operator, and wherein at least one of the business rules is entered into a computer system by a user via a user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises search criteria.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the search criteria comprise one or more keywords.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing at least one outgoing transaction in response to generating at least one outgoing transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending at least one outgoing transaction to at least one receiving trading partner further comprises sending at least one outgoing transaction to at least one receiving trading partner through an industry clearinghouse system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one incoming transaction is an insurance-related transaction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises a receiving trading partner identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises an administration system identifier.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises a transaction identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises a transaction status.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises a sending trading partner identifier.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule is entered into a database.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer data format is National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC)-standard data format.

47. The carrier medium of claim 1, wherein at least one business rule comprises a sending trading partner identifier.

17. A system comprising:

a CPU;

a database coupled to the CPU;

an administration system coupled to the CPU, wherein the administrative system is configured to receive incoming transactions from one or more sending trading partners, add additional information to the incoming transactions and send the modified transactions to one or more receiving trading partners; and

a memory coupled to the CPU, wherein the memory stores one or more computer programs executable by the CPU;

wherein the computer programs are executable to;

store a trading relationship between trading partners of a transaction, wherein the trading relationship is stored in the database, wherein at least one trading partner is a sending trading partner and at least one trading partner is a receiving trading partner;

generate a map for the administrative system, wherein generating the map comprises;

selecting one or more source fields from the administrative system, wherein each source field corresponds to a source for the additional information;

associating a destination field with the one or more selected source fields, wherein each destination field corresponds to an information field of an incoming transaction to which additional information can be added;

determining whether to apply one or more source-side functions to the one or more source fields; and

, if a source-side function is applied to the one or more source fields, associating one or more source-side functions with the one or more selected source fields, wherein the source-side functions modify the additional information added to the destination field from the one or more selected source fields;

wherein the value of each destination field is the resulting value of the sum of the values of the selected source fields after application of the source-side function; and

determining whether to apply a destination-side function to one or more of the destination fields; and

, if a destination-side function is applied to the destination fields, associating one or more destination-side functions with the one or more of the selected destination fields, wherein the destination-side functions modify the additional information added to the destination field from the associated source fields wherein the value of the destination field is the resulting value of first summing the values of the associated source fields and then applying the destination-side function;

receive at least one incoming transaction from the at least one sending trading partner;

automatically apply one or more business rules to the at least one incoming transaction to identify one or more source fields of the administration system that contain information to be added to one or more information fields of the at least one incoming transaction;

automatically read the identified additional information from the one or more source fields of the administration system in response to receiving at least one incoming transaction from at least one sending trading partner, wherein the additional information is identified by at least one business rule;

automatically modify the additional information read from the source fields using one or more of the source-side functions or one or more of the destination-side functions;

automatically select one or more destination fields using pathways established in the generated map;

automatically add the modified additional information to the one or more selected destination fields;

automatically generate at least one outgoing transaction, wherein the at least one outgoing transaction comprises data from the incoming transaction and the modified additional information read from one or more source fields of the administrative system;

automatically translate at least one outgoing transaction into a computer data format decipherable by a receiving trading partner transaction processing software; and

automatically send at least one outgoing transaction to the at least one receiving trading partner, wherein at least one receiving trading partner is identified in the trading relationship.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one business rule comprises a string of at least one keyword and at least one operator, and wherein at least one business rule is entered into a computer system by a user via a user interface.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one business rule is defined by a user through a user interface.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one incoming transaction is an insurance-related transaction.

21. A carrier medium, which stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to implement the method of:

obtaining an administrative system, wherein the administrative system is configured to receive incoming transactions from one or more sending trading partners, add additional information to the incoming transactions and send the modified transactions to one or more receiving trading partners, wherein the transactions comprise one or more information fields;

generating a map for the administrative system, wherein generating the map comprises;

selecting one or more source fields from the administrative system, wherein each source field corresponds to a source for the additional information;

associating a destination field with the one or more selected source fields, wherein each destination field corresponds to an information field of an incoming transaction to which additional information can be added;

determining whether to apply one or more source-side functions to the one or more source fields; and

, if a source-side function is applied to the one or more source fields, associating one or more source-side functions with the one or more selected source fields, wherein the source-side functions modify the additional information added to the destination field from the one or more selected source fields;

wherein the value of each destination field is the resulting value of the sum of the values of the selected source fields after application of the source-side function; and

determining whether to apply a destination-side function to one or more of the destination fields; and

, if a destination-side function is applied to the destination fields, associating one or more destination-side functions with the one or more of the selected destination fields, wherein the destination-side functions modify the additional information added to the destination field from the associated source fields, wherein the value of the destination field is the resulting value of first summing the values of the associated source fields and then applying the destination-side function;

receiving at least one incoming transaction from at least one sending trading partner,

automatically applying one or more business rules to the at least one incoming transaction to identify one or more source fields of the administration system that contain information to be added to one or more information fields of the at least one incoming transaction;

automatically reading the identified additional information from one or more source fields of the administration system in response to receiving the incoming transaction from the at least one sending trading partner;

automatically modifying the additional information read from the source fields using one or more of the source-side functions or one or more of the destination-side functions;

automatically selecting one or more destination fields using pathways established in the generated map;

automatically adding the modified additional information to the one or more selected destination fields;

automatically generating at least one outgoing transaction, wherein the at least one outgoing transaction comprises data from the incoming transaction and the modified additional information read from one or more source fields of the administrative system;

automatically translating at least one outgoing transaction into a format readable by a receiving trading partner; and

automatically sending at least one outgoing transaction to the at least one receiving trading partner.

22. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises one or more keywords.

23. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises one or more logical operators.

24. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises a string of at least one keyword and at least one operator, and wherein at least one business rule is entered into the computer system by a user via a user interface.

25. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule is stored in a database.

26. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the map is specified by a user through a user interface.

27. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the computer system to implement storing a schedule in memory, wherein the schedule relates to at least one incoming transaction, and wherein the schedule comprises a predetermined time for receiving at least one incoming transaction from the at least one sending trading partner.

28. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the computer system to implement storing a schedule in memory, wherein the schedule relates to at least one incoming transaction, and wherein the schedule comprises a predetermined time for reading the additional information from the administration system.

29. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the computer system to implement storing a schedule in memory, wherein the schedule relates to at least one outgoing transaction, and wherein the schedule comprises a predetermined time for sending at least one outgoing transaction to the at least one receiving trading partner.

30. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises search criteria.

31. The carrier medium of claim 30, wherein the search criteria comprise one or more keywords.

32. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the computer system to implement queuing at least one outgoing transaction in response to generating at least one outgoing transaction.

33. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one outgoing transaction is sent to the at least one receiving trading partner through an industry clearinghouse.

34. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one incoming transaction is an insurance-related transaction.

35. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one outgoing transaction is an insurance-related transaction.

36. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the at least one outgoing transaction is an annuity asset pricing transaction.

37. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the at least one outgoing transaction is a positions and valuation focused refresh transaction.

38. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the at least one outgoing transaction is a positions and valuation full refresh transaction.

39. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one outgoing transaction is an insurance pricing transaction.

40. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one outgoing transaction is a commission settlement transaction.

41. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one sending trading partner is the receiving trading partner.

42. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein the carrier medium is a memory medium.

43. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises a receiving trading partner identifier.

44. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises an administration system identifier.

45. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises a transaction identifier.

46. The carrier medium of claim 21, wherein at least one business rule comprises a transaction status.