System and method for translating and transferring files in a networked system

• US 7,565,414 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: APT Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Acuprint Incorporated
• Inventors: Love, Richard I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder; Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury; Azizul
• Application Number:
  US10/987,052
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• 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 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Embodiments of the systems and methods provide automated transfer of files between a client computer and a server computer in a networked environment. The file transfer system provides secure data communication using file encryption and decryption techniques. In addition, the file transfer system can automatically translate files to and from various formats as required without user intervention or action. Files can be transferred by drag and drop file operations, scheduled for predetermined times or intervals, or upon the occurrence of user-defined events. In some embodiments, the file transfer system transfers files between a server computer for a bank website and a client computer of a bank customer having an account at the bank.

Claims

1. A system for automating the transferring of files between a client computer and a server computer via a network, the system comprising:

a plurality of profiles stored on the client computer and associated with a plurality of entities, each entity having a website for transferring files to a server computer of the entity, each profile comprising one or more variables for use in communicating with the server computer via the website;

a plurality of scripts each associated with at least one of the plurality of entities and accessible to the client computer, each script including information indicating how to execute a file transfer with a server computer of the at least one associated entity via the website of the at least one associated entity;

a transporter module configured to execute on the client computer and to;

receive a file send request including information regarding a file to be sent to a server computer of a first entity of the plurality of entities via the website of the first entity, the file send request received from one of the group of processes comprising at least one of a drag and drop operation from a user, a scheduled event, an event driven file transfer, and a request from the server computer of the first entity for the client computer to send the file,

the transporter module further configured to initiate automatically transferring the file indicated by the file send request to the server computer of the first entity and to, automatically,

determine whether to translate the file from one file format to another file format before sending the file to the server computer of the first entity based on a variable in a profile of the first entity, and if so to translate the file, wherein the profile is selected from the plurality of profiles;

determine whether to encrypt the file for data security before sending the file to the server computer of the first entity and if so to encrypt the file,

access a script of the first entity to determine how to communicate with the server computer of the first entity, wherein the script is selected from the plurality of scripts, and

communicate a file send command for sending the file from the client computer to the server computer of the first entity;

a websend module configured to execute on the client computer and to automatically

receive the file send command;

read the script of the first entity; and

send the file to the server computer of the first entity via the network according to information in the script of the first entity and one or more variables stored in the profile of the first entity; and

a notification and error handling module configured to notify a user of an occurrence of a file transmission event or error.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data center computer connected to the client computer via the network and configured to translate the file from a first file format to a second file format.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an auto-update module configured to update the script file from a remote computer system via the network.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a connect and transfer module configured to read login information for a proxy server from a proxy settings file and to login to the proxy server using the login information to enable the file to be sent to the server computer according to information in the script of the first entity.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the file is encrypted so that the file is only decipherable by authorized recipients of the file.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the event driven file transfer process is triggered by the existence of a file in a predetermined directory.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the event driven file transfer process is triggered by the non-existence of a file in a predetermined directory.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer operates a website of a bank, and wherein account and payment information is uploaded and downloaded from the website.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the client computer is operated by a user having at least one account with the bank.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the file includes information selected from the group consisting of:

a check written against the account, positive pay files and reports, Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments, wire transfers, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) files and reports, and cash and account balances.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein notifying the user comprises sending an email message to the user.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet and the server computer is a file transfer protocol (FTP) server of a bank, and wherein account and payment information is uploaded and downloaded from the FTP server.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the file translation is performed on the client computer or a separate computer and the file encryption is performed on the client computer or a separate computer.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein encrypting the file can be accomplished by utilizing a web session protocol which uses a secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol to encrypt data.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of entities comprises a bank.

16. A system for automating the transferring of files between a client computer and a server computer via a network, the system comprising:

at least one profile stored on the client computer and associated with an entity, the entity having a website for transferring files from the server computer via the network, wherein the profile comprises one or more variables for use in communicating with the server computer via the website;

at least one script associated with the entity and accessible to the client computer, the script including information indicating how to execute a file transfer with the server computer via the website;

a websend module executing on the client computer and configured to automatically

receive a request from the server computer for receipt of a file via the website;

read the script; and

receive the file from the server computer according to information in the script and at least one variable in the profile;

a transporter module executing on the client computer and configured to automatically

receive a file receipt request including information regarding the file to be received from the server computer;

initiate transferring the file from the server computer to the client computer;

determine whether to decrypt the file, and if so to decrypt the file;

translate the file into a user predetermined format upon receipt; and

store the file at a predetermined file directory in the client computer;

an auto-update module configured to update the script from a remote computer system via the network; and

a notification and error handling module configured to notify a user of an occurrence of a file transmission event or error.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a data center computer connected via the network and configured to translate the received file from a first file format to a second file format.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the request received from the server computer for receipt of the file is an email message.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the server computer operates a bank website, and account information is available on the bank website.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the client computer is operated by a user having an account with the bank.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the file includes information selected from the group consisting of:

a check written against the account, positive pay files and reports, Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) payments, wire transfers, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) files and reports, and cash and account balances.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the file is a report generated by the server computer.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein notifying the user comprises sending an email message to the user.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the network is the Internet.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the file translation is performed on the client computer or a separate computer and the file decryption is performed on the client computer or a separate computer.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the transport module is further configured to query the files available for downloading.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is further configured to automate file transmission to be consistent with a schedule predetermined by the user.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the entity comprises a bank.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the file receipt request is received from one of the group of processes comprising at least one of a drag and drop operation from a user, selection of an icon, a scheduled event, an event driven file transfer, and a request from the server computer for the client computer to send the file.

30. A method of transferring files between a client computer and a server computer via a network, the method comprising:

receiving a file send request including information of a file to be sent to the server computer, the server computer being operated by one of a plurality of entities, each entity having a website for transferring files to a server computer of that entity, the file send request received from one of the group of processes comprising at least one of a drag and drop operation from a user, a scheduled event, an event driven file transfer, and a request from the server computer for the client computer to send the file; and

automatically transferring the file indicated by the file send request to the server computer;

determining whether to translate the file from one file format to another file format before sending the file to the server computer based on a variable stored in a profile of the one entity, and if so translating the file, wherein the profile of the one entity is one of a plurality of profiles stored on the client computer comprising one or more variables for use in communicating with a server computer via a web site of the server;

determining whether to encrypt the file for data security before sending the file to the server computer and if so encrypting the file so that the file is decipherable only by authorized recipients of the file;

accessing a script associated with the one entity and including information indicating how to execute a file transfer with the server computer, the script being one of a plurality of scripts each associated with at least one of the plurality of entities;

sending the file to the server computer via the network according to information in the script and one or more variables stored in the profile;

determining whether to update the script and if so updating the script from a remote computer system via the network; and

notifying a user of an occurrence of a file transmission event or error.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the file translation is performed on the client computer or a separate computer and the file encryption is performed on the client computer or a separate computer.

32. A program storage device for storing instructions that when executed by a processor perform the method comprising:

receiving a file send request including information of a file to be sent to a server computer, the server computer being operated by one of a plurality of entities, each entity having a website for transferring files to a server computer of that entity, the file send request received from one of the group of processes comprising at least one of a drag and drop operation from a user, a scheduled event, an event driven file transfer, and a request from the server computer for a client computer to send the file; and

automatically

transferring the file indicated by the file send request to the server computer, without human intervention,

determining whether to translate the file from one file format to another file format before sending the file to the server computer based on a variable stored in a profile of the one entity, and if so translating the file, wherein the profile of the one entity is one of a plurality of profiles stored on the client computer comprising one or more variables for use in communicating with a server computer via a website of the server;

encrypting the file so that the file is decipherable only by authorized recipients of the file;

accessing a script associated with the one entity and including information indicating how to execute a file transfer with the server computer, the script being one of a plurality of scripts each associated with at least one of the plurality of entities;

sending the encrypted file to the server computer via a network according to information in the script and one or more variables stored in the profile;

updating the script from a remote computer system via the network; and

notifying a user of an occurrence of a file transmission event or error.