System and method for automated execution, reporting, and sales analysis

• US 7,778,867 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Licensing, LLC
• Inventors: Libman, Richard Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez; Raquel
• Application Number:
  US11/772,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,144 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1, 705/14.17, 705/14.25, 705/14.53, 705/14.72, 705/4, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0265 Vehicular advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 40/06 : Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for automatically preparing a client communication pertaining to a financial product for a client, wherein the client communication is for combined use with a corresponding host vehicle. The method comprises providing a format for the client communication wherein the communication format includes a variable portion; inputting into a computer-accessible storage medium variable information other than a client identification; inputting into the storage medium decision information; and using the decision information to select a subset of the variable information for inclusion in a variable portion of the client communication corresponding to the variable portion of the client communication format. The apparatus comprises an inputting device for inputting into a computer-accessible storage medium variable information comprising other than a client identification and decision information; a processor operatively coupled to the storage medium for using the decision information to automatically select a subset of the variable information for each of the clients; and an output preparing component in operative communication with the processor for preparing the client communications and for automatically inserting into the client communication the subset of variable information for the corresponding and respective client.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operations of automatically creating client communications associated with one or more sales programs for a financial product or service via one or more computing systems with one or more databases, including a client database, comprising the steps of:

automatically receiving, without human intervention, instruction data for scheduling creation of client communications for a financial product or service, the client communications being specific to one or more sales programs operated by a system user;

automatically providing, without human intervention, task data to a processing capability associated with the one or more computing systems for one or more tasks that relate to the one or more sales programs scheduled for processing;

automatically retrieving, without human intervention, decision criteria and other task information from a database that relates to the one or more sales programs; and

automatically generating client communications using the one or more computing systems for each client associated with the one or more sales programs using client information contained in the client database.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the system user is a direct provider of the financial product or service.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the system user is a third party provider of the financial product or service.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the automatic receiving is by direct electronic input.

5. The according to claim 1, wherein the automatic receiving includes receiving prior interaction data on clients.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scheduling is initiated according to predetermined criteria.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction data further comprises data that relates to client-based events.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction data further comprises data originating from the internet.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of indicating in the client database for each client the completion of the preparation of each client'"'"'s client communication.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising automatically retrieving information about financial products and services from the one or more databases.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the generating step further comprises the step of:

using an output device to generate a client communication specific to a client, which identifies a subset of the client information and the information about financial products and services appropriate for the client.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the client communication is transmitted to a network simultaneously with video.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preparing step further comprises the step of:

using information for a specific client communication based on at least one of;

information obtained in the past from a specific client;

information purchased from a third party; and

information obtained via an existing specific client relationship.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction data further comprise instructions for preparing the client communications in a form and format compatible for the method of delivery.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the form and format compatible for the method of delivery are at least one of:

paper, electronic document data file, electronic mail, internet, computer display, and telephone.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the client communication is accompanied by an application for a product related to the one or more sales programs referred to in the client communication.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction data includes instructions to follow-up to a previously prepared client communication.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating one or more production reports further to an indication to the computer system of the type of data required in the production report.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the production reports includes production data on at least one of:

supplies, applications, paper, toner, file size, disk space required, production time.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating one or more management reports further to an indication to the computer system of the type of data required in the management report.

21. The according to claim 20, wherein the management reports includes management data on at least one of:

resource allocation data, budgeting data, and activity planning data.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein a sequence of the receiving, providing, retrieving, and preparing steps are performed by the one or more computing systems on at least one of:

a continuous basis and a periodic basis.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein any of the steps of receiving, providing, retrieving, and preparing are performed at a remote location.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the database and/or client database are located at a resident location where the one or more computing system are located or at a remote location.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sequence of steps of receiving, providing, retrieving, and preparing are initiated with receiving a call from an operator.

26. The according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a call from or making a call to a specific client and coupling the call to an operator to facilitate interaction with the operator, wherein the operator is able to access the computer system and the client database;

determining if a prior record exists in the client database for a specific client;

upon determination of a prior client record, retrieving the prior client record and providing data from the prior client record to the specific client upon request and/or gathering data from the client and updating the client record with additional data for the specific client;

upon determination that no prior client record exists in the database, gathering client data and creating a new client record for storage in the client database;

disconnecting the call with the specific client; and

providing instruction data to the computing system from the operator.

27. A method for controlling the operations of automatically creating client communications associated with one or more sales programs via at least one computing system with one or more databases, including a client database, comprising the steps of:

automatically receiving, without human intervention, one or more responses from a first one or more clients in the form of sales data pertaining to a first one or more sales programs;

automatically inputting, without human intervention, the sales data relating to each client via the computing system;

storing the sales data in the one or more databases;

using a processing capability within the one or more computing systems to analyze the sales data to compile sales instruction data pertaining to the first one or more sales programs;

providing the sales instruction data to the processing capability to modify decision criteria located in one or more databases relating to a second one or more sales programs associated with a second one or more clients;

receiving instruction data for scheduling the creation of the client communications for the second one or more clients based on the decision criteria modified by the sales instruction data;

generating a client communication using the computing system for a specific client contained in the client database associated with a specific sales program.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the sales data reflects sales of financial products and services that are finalized.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the sales data includes responses from at least one of:

direct mail, electronic mail, internet, and telephone.

30. The method according to claim 27 further comprising the step of outputting sales and/or financial reports relating to one or more sales campaigns further to an indication to the computer system of the type of sales data required in the sales and/or financial report.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the sales reports contain information relating to at least one of:

sales volume, sales demographics, sales penetration, sales made, sales submitted, sales placed, sales falloff, actual and/or projected earnings, and sales commissions.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the sales reports are automatically generated.

33. The method according to claim 27, wherein the analyzing, providing, and receiving steps are performed by the computing system on at least one of:

a continuous basis and a periodic basis.

34. The method according to claim 27, wherein the scheduling instruction data contain data that initiates the preparation of one or more client communications according to predetermined criteria.

35. The method according to claim 27, wherein the scheduling instruction data further comprises instructions for preparing the client communications in a form and format compatible for the method of delivery.

36. The method according to 35, wherein the form and format compatible for the method of delivery are at least one of:

paper, electronic document file, electronic mail, internet, computer display, and telephone.

37. The method according to claim 27, wherein any of the steps are performed at a remote location.

38. The method according to claim 27, wherein the database and/or client database are located at a resident or remote location.

39. A system for controlling the operations of automatically creating client communications associated with one or more sales programs for a financial product or service via one or more computing systems with one or more databases, including a client database, comprising the steps of:

means for automatically receiving, without human intervention, instruction data for scheduling creation of client communications for a financial product or service, the client communications being specific to one or more sales programs operated by a system user,

means for automatically providing, without human intervention, task data to a processing capability associated with the one or more computing systems for one or more tasks that relate to the one or more sales programs scheduled for processing;

means for automatically retrieving, without human intervention, decision criteria and other task information from a database that relates to the one or more sales programs; and

means for automatically generating client communications using the one or more computing systems for each client associated with the one or more sales programs using client information contained in the client database.

40. The system according to claim 39, wherein the inputting means automatically inputs the plurality of client records without human intervention between input of the respective client records.

41. The system according to claim 39, further comprising means for coupling an operator to the inputting means.

42. The system according to claim 39, further comprising:

means for inputting sales data relating to one or more sales programs;

means operatively coupled to the inputting means for storing the sales data;

means for analyzing the sales data to compile sales instruction data pertaining to the one or more sales programs;

means operatively coupled to the storing means for using the sales instruction data to modify the decision criteria relating to the one or more sales programs.

43. The system according to claim 42, wherein the means operatively coupled to the storing means for using the sales data automatically modifies the decision criteria without human intervention between input of the scheduling instruction data, job instruction data, and input of the respective client records.