Electronic bill presentment and payment system
First Claim
1. A switching system for electronic presentment and payment of bills over a network, comprising:
- a first consumer service provider device which is in electronic communication with a first consumer terminal;
a first biller service provider device which is in electronic communication with a first biller terminal;
a second consumer terminal;
a second biller terminal; and
a switching network which is in electronic communication with said first consumer service provider device using one of a first message standard protocol and a second message standard protocol, with said first bill service provider device using one of said first and second message standard protocols, with said second consumer terminal using one of said first and second message standard protocols, and with said second biller terminal using one of said first and second message standard protocols, routing presentment information between said first consumer service provider or said second consumer terminal and said first bill service provider or said second biller terminal, said switching network being a multi-standard switch configured to facilitate electronic communication between said first consumer service provider or said second consumer terminal and said first bill service provider and said second biller terminal irrespective of which message standard protocol each of said first consumer service provider, said first bill service provider, said second consumer terminal, and said second biller terminal use.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A switching system for the electronic presentment and payment of bills between a Consumer and a Biller. The system includes an open, interoperable switching network for routing bill summary information between a Biller and a Consumer. Bill summary files are generated by a Bill Service Provider. Consumer Service Providers poll the Bill Service Providers through the switching network for newly generated bill summary files. The bill summary files are routed through the switching network to the appropriate Consumer Service Provider. Customers of the Consumer Service Provider log on to the web site of the Consumer Service Provider to access bill summary data. In addition to viewing the bill summary files electronically, the Consumer can initiate electronic payment of previously presented bills or bills that have not been presented electronically. Accounts of the Billers and Consumers are settled periodically by the switching network and reports are generated of the historical transactional activity of the exchanges over the network. Detailed information concerning a bill is accessible by the consumer only via a direct communication with the Biller, e.g., a hyperlink to the web site of the Biller, not via the switching network.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A switching system for electronic presentment and payment of bills over a network, comprising:
- a first consumer service provider device which is in electronic communication with a first consumer terminal;
a first biller service provider device which is in electronic communication with a first biller terminal;
a second consumer terminal;
a second biller terminal; and
a switching network which is in electronic communication with said first consumer service provider device using one of a first message standard protocol and a second message standard protocol, with said first bill service provider device using one of said first and second message standard protocols, with said second consumer terminal using one of said first and second message standard protocols, and with said second biller terminal using one of said first and second message standard protocols, routing presentment information between said first consumer service provider or said second consumer terminal and said first bill service provider or said second biller terminal, said switching network being a multi-standard switch configured to facilitate electronic communication between said first consumer service provider or said second consumer terminal and said first bill service provider and said second biller terminal irrespective of which message standard protocol each of said first consumer service provider, said first bill service provider, said second consumer terminal, and said second biller terminal use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- a first consumer service provider device which is in electronic communication with a first consumer terminal;
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9. A switching system for electronic presentment and payment of bills over a network, comprising:
- a consumer terminal;
a biller terminal; and
a switching network which is in electronic communication with said consumer terminal using one of a first message standard protocol and a second message standard protocol and with said biller terminal using one of said first and second message protocols, exchanging billing information between said consumer terminal and said biller terminal irrespective of which message protocol each of said consumer terminal and said biller terminal use, said switching network routing bill summary data generated by said biller terminal for presentment at said consumer terminal, complete bill data being accessible only by direct communications between said consumer terminal and said biller terminal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- a consumer terminal;
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17. A method for electronic presentment and payment of bills over a network, comprising:
- providing a switching network for facilitating electronic presentment and payment of bills;
establishing electronic communication between said switching network and first and second biller terminals and first and second consumer terminals, said switching network being a multi-standard switch configured to communicate with said first and second biller terminals and said first and second consumer terminals in either of at least first and second message standard protocols, said switching network communicating with at least one of said first and second biller terminals and said first and second consumer terminals using said first message standard protocol and at least one of said first and second biller terminals and said first and second consumer terminals using said second message standard protocol;
generating bill summary data from complete bill data provided by each of said first and second billing terminals;
selectively routing portions of said bill summary data via the switching network to present appropriate portions of said bill summary data to said first and second consumer billing terminals. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- providing a switching network for facilitating electronic presentment and payment of bills;
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25. A switching system for electronic presentment and payment of bills over a network, comprising:
- a first consumer terminal;
a second consumer terminal;
a first biller terminal;
a second biller terminal; and
a switching network in electronic communication with said first and second consumer terminals and said first and second biller terminals, said switching network for routing presentment information from said first and second biller terminals to said first and second consumer terminals and payment information from said first and second consumer terminals and said first and second biller terminals, said switching network being a multi-standard switch configured to communicate with said first and second consumer terminals and said first and second biller terminals in either of first and second message standard protocols, said switching network communicating with at least one of said first and second consumer terminals and said first and second biller terminals using said first message standard protocol and at least one of said first and second consumer terminals and said first and second biller terminals using said second message standard protocol.
- a first consumer terminal;
Specification