System and method for customizing financial instruments

• US 7,711,618 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Petrime, Kammie, Donnelly, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell; James P
• Assistant Examiner(s): OJIAKU, CHIKAODINAKA
• Application Number:
  US11/347,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 239/69
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• 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 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A graphical user interface of a product configurator is accessible by user computers over a network. In one embodiment, the product configurator presents a plurality of product-based customization options from which a user may select. In response to such options, a user may provide product-based customization information to the product configurator. This information is usable to generate a product-based customized image that may be imprinted across the face of a financial instrument.

Claims

1. A method comprising the acts of:

receiving, by a financial services server, a request from an applicant to apply a customized image of a product onto a surface of a financial instrument for which said applicant is applying online;

directing, by the financial services server and in response to the request, the applicant to a graphical user interface of a product configurator that is accessible over a network;

generating, by the product configurator, a customized image of the product based only on product-based customization options provided by said applicant to the product configurator and on image data provided by a manufacturer of the product;

receiving, by the financial services server, an image file over the network from the product configurator that contains the customized image; and

generating the financial instrument using said image file and account information for said applicant by applying said customized image and account information on a face of said financial instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

associating said customized image with an applicant identifier for said applicant; and

approving, prior to said generating the financial instrument, said applicant to obtain said financial instrument based on application information provided by said applicant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the request comprises receiving a request from an existing account holder to customize a replacement financial instrument based on a purchased product.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said purchased product is a vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said product-based customization information comprises a unique product number corresponding to a specific purchased product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said image file is to be associated with an identifier for said applicant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said financial instrument is selected from the group consisting of credit cards, charge cards and debit cards.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the image file that contains said customized image from an image processing server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the financial instrument further comprises imprinting said customized image across at least 50% of the face of said financial instrument.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the financial instrument further comprises imprinting said customized image from edge-to-edge across the face of said financial instrument.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the product configurator is maintained by the manufacturer of the product.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial services server is operated by a financial services institution.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the product is manufactured by a third-party manufacturer unrelated to the financial services institution.

14. A system for customizing a financial instrument comprising:

a user computer coupled to a network and associated with an online applicant of the financial instrument;

a financial services server coupled to the network to;

receive a request from the online applicant via the user computer to apply a customized image of a product onto a surface of the financial instrument, and

direct, in response to the request, the online applicant to a graphical user interface of a product configuration server that is accessible over a network; and

the product configuration server coupled to said network and accessible by said user computer, wherein said product configuration server is to,

execute a product configurator module that is accessible by said user computer over the network,

receive product-based customization options from said user computer;

generate a customized image of the product based only on said product-based customization options and on image data provided by a manufacturer of the product, and

provide an image file containing said customized image to the financial services server over the network, where said customized image is to be imprinted on a face of the financial instrument.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said product configurator is a software module executing on said product configuration server that present a plurality of product-based customization options to the user computer.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the financial services server is further to,

receive application information corresponding to the online applicant;

associate the image file with an applicant identifier; and

approve said online applicant to obtain the financial instrument based on said application information; and

generate the financial instrument with said customized image imprinted on the face from edge-to-edge.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said product configurator is further usable to configure products to be purchased online.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said product configurator is a vehicle configurator.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said product-based customization information is a unique product number corresponding to a specific purchased product.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said unique product number is one of a vehicle identification number and a vehicle production number.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein said financial instrument is selected from the group consisting of credit cards, charge cards and debit cards.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein said customized image is to be imprinted across at least 50% of the face of said financial instrument.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein said customized image is to be imprinted from edge-to-edge across the face of said financial instrument.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the product configuration server is maintained by the manufacturer of the product.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the product is manufactured by a third-party manufacturer unrelated to the financial services institution.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the product is manufactured by a third-party manufacturer unrelated to the financial services institution.