System and method to provide interoperable service across multiple clients

• US 7,809,639 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hobday, Donald Kenneth, Earley, Michael Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARTLEY, KENNETH
• Application Number:
  US10/109,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,112 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/35, 709/203, 709/228, 709/246
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Methods and systems for servicing requests made from any of multiple user interfaces associated with a user are provided. A request from one of the plurality of user interfaces is received. Information associated with each of the plurality of user interfaces is retrieved, and based upon the retrieved information and the received request, a set of features to be included in a user presentation is selected. The user presentation is then generated based on the selected set of features, and transmitted to the user interface from which the request was received.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by an electronic commerce (EC) service provider computing system comprising one or more computers, a request on behalf of a user for an electronic commerce (EC) service, wherein the request is associated with a first user interface that is associated with a user device;

determining, by the EC service provider computing system based on a user profile associated with the user, that a plurality of interoperable user interfaces is available to the user;

determining, by the EC service provider computing system, that the first user interface is one of the plurality of interoperable user interfaces;

determining, by the EC service provider computing system, one or more output features supported by the first user interface, wherein each of the one or more output features presents respective content to the user;

identifying, by the EC service provider computing system for each of the plurality of interoperable user interfaces, a respective set of one or more input features associated with the EC service and supported by the respective interface, wherein each of the one or more input features requests respective information from the user to be supplied via data entry or option selection;

generating, by the EC service provider computing system for the user, a customized set of one or more interoperable input features by determining one or more common input features that are included in all of the respective sets of input features for the plurality of interoperable user interfaces;

generating, by the EC service provider computing system in response to the request, a customized user presentation that includes the determined one or more output features and the customized set of one or more interoperable input features;

transmitting, by the EC service provider computing system, the customized user presentation for presentation through the first user interface;

receiving, by the EC service provider computing system, a response to the transmitted customized user presentation; and

performing, by the EC service provider computing system, tailored validation of the response in accordance with the customized set of one or more interoperable input features.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining one or more output features comprises determining one or more output features based upon the output capabilities of the first user interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a first request, the customized set of interoperable input features is a first customized set of interoperable input features and the customized user presentation is a first customized user presentation, and further comprising:

receiving, by the EC service provider computing system, a second request for the EC service on behalf of a second user;

generating, by the EC service provider computing system, a second customized user presentation responsive to the second request, wherein the second customized user presentation includes a second customized set of one or more interoperable input features, and wherein the second customized set of interoperable input features are supported by each of a plurality of interoperable user interfaces associated with the second user; and

transmitting, by the EC service provider computing system, the generated second customized user presentation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the EC service is one of (i) electronic billing and payment services, (ii) bill payment, (iii) electronic billing, (iv) person-to-person payment, (v) investment services, (vi) retail payment, (vii) tax filing or payment, or (vii) financial records reconciliation.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a first request, the plurality of interoperable user interfaces is a first plurality of interoperable user interfaces, the user is a first user, the customized set of interoperable input features is a first customized set of interoperable input features, and the customized user presentation is a first customized user presentation, and further comprising:

receiving, by the EC service provider computing system, a second request for the EC service on behalf of a second user;

determining, by the EC service provider computing system, that a second plurality of interoperable user interfaces associated with the EC service is available to the second user, wherein the second plurality of interoperable user interfaces is different than the first plurality of interoperable user interfaces;

generating, by the EC service provider computing system for the user, a second customized set of one or more interoperable input features supported by at least two interoperable user interfaces of the second plurality of interoperable user interfaces;

generating, by the EC service provider computing system in response to the second request, a second customized user presentation that includes the second customized set of interoperable input features, wherein the second customized user presentation is different from the first customized user presentation; and

transmitting, by the EC service provider computing system, the generated second customized user presentation.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing tailored validation of the response comprises:

storing, by the EC service provider computing system prior to transmitting the user presentation, one or more indications associated with expected input for the customized set of interoperable input features; and

determining, by the EC service provider computing system utilizing the stored one or more indications, whether input information included in the received response is one of (i) in an expected form or (ii) a permissible value.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a first request and the user is a first user and further comprising:

receiving, by the EC service provider computing system, a second request for the EC service on behalf of a second user;

identifying, by the EC service provider computing system, the second user as a non-interoperable user; and

responding to the second request with a stored user interface.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises (1) instructions for receiving an electronic bill or (2) instructions for making a payment on behalf of the user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the customized user presentation is one of a telephone-based user presentation, a user computer-based user presentation, or a Web-based user presentation.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a first request and the customized user presentation is a first customized user presentation, the EC service is a first EC service and further comprising:

receiving, by the EC service provider computing system, a second request for a second EC service on behalf of the user;

generating, by the EC service provider computing system, a second customized user presentation responsive to the second request without consideration of the EC service input features being supported by at least two interoperable user interfaces; and

transmitting the generated second customized user presentation.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory having stored thereon a database including stored information associated with at least one user interface;

a processor, in communication with the database, wherein the processor executes software instructions to;

receive a request on behalf of a user for an electronic commerce (EC) service, wherein the request is associated with a first user interface that is associated with a user device;

determine, based at least in part on the stored information and a user profile associated with the user, that a plurality of interoperable user interfaces is available to the user;

determine that the first user interface is one of the plurality of interoperable user interfaces;

determine one or more output features supported by the first user interface, wherein each of the one or more output features presents respective content to the user;

identify, for each of the plurality of interoperable user interfaces, a respective set of one or more input features associated with the EC service and supported by the respective interface, wherein each of the one or more input features requests respective information from the user to be supplied via data entry or option selection;

generate, for the user, a customized set of one or more interoperable input features by determining one or more common input features that are included in all of the respective sets of input features for the plurality of interoperable user interfaces;

generate a customized user presentation in response to the request that includes the determined one or more output features and the customized set of one or more interoperable input features;

direct transmission of the customized user presentation for presentation through the first user interface;

receive a response to the transmitted customized user presentation; and

perform tailored validation of the response in accordance with the customized set of one or more interoperable input features.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more output features are determined based upon the output capabilities of the first user interface.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the request is a first request, the EC service is a first EC service, and the customized user presentation is a first customized user presentation, and wherein the processor executes additional software instructions to:

receive a second request for the EC service on behalf of a second user;

generate a second customized user presentation responsive to the second request without consideration of the EC service input features being supported by at least two interoperable user interfaces; and

direct transmission of the generated second customized user presentation.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the request is a first request and the customized user presentation is a first customized user presentation, the customized set of one or more interoperable input features is a first customized set of interoperable input features, and wherein the processor executes additional software instructions to:

receive a second request for a second EC service on behalf of the user;

generate a second customized user presentation responsive to the second request, wherein the second customized user presentation includes a second customized set of interoperable input features supported by a non-interoperable user interface; and

direct transmission of the generated second customized user presentation.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the request is a first request, the plurality of interoperable user interfaces is a first plurality of interoperable user interfaces, the user is a first user, the customized set of one or more interoperable input features is a first customized set of interoperable input features, and the customized user presentation is a first customized user presentation, and wherein the processor executes additional software instructions to:

receive a second request for the EC service on behalf of a second user;

determine a second set of interoperable user interfaces associated with the EC service that is available to the second user, wherein the second set of interoperable user interfaces is different than the first set of interoperable user interfaces;

generate a second customized set of one or more interoperable input features supported by at least two interoperable user interfaces of the second plurality of interoperable user interfaces for inclusion in a second customized user presentation;

generate a second customized user presentation in response to the request, wherein the second customized user presentation includes the second customized set of interoperable input features, and wherein the second customized user presentation is different from the first customized user presentation; and

direct transmission of the generated second customized user presentation.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor performs the tailored validation by:

storing, prior to the transmission of the user presentation, one or more indications associated with expected input for the customized set of interoperable input features; and

determining, utilizing the stored one or more indications, whether input information included in the received response is one of (i) in an expected form or (ii) a permissible value.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the request is a first request and the user is a first user and wherein the processor executes additional software instructions to:

receive a second request for the EC service on behalf of a second user;

identify the second user as a non-interoperable user; and

respond to the second request with a stored user presentation.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the request comprises (1) instructions for receiving an electronic bill or (2) instructions for making a payment on behalf of the user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the customized user presentation is one of a telephone-based user presentation, a user computer-based user presentation, or a Web-based user presentation.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the EC service is one of (i) electronic billing and payment services, (ii) bill payment, (iii) electronic billing, (iv) person-to-person payment, (v) investment services, (vi) retail payment, (vii) tax filing or payment, or (vii) financial records reconciliation.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the request is received from a user or a sponsor of the user.