Automating setup of a user's financial management application account for electronic transfer of data with a financial institution

• US 7,831,511 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Shulman, Mark R., Hanson, Gary S., Stauffer, Jeannie M., Colendich, Anne-Marie, Robinson, Edward D., Akin, Muhammet S., Martinson, Anders B., Wang, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung; Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu; Marissa
• Application Number:
  US10/753,756
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 60, 726/5, 235/375
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/08 Payment architectures
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Computer implemented methods, systems, and computer program products for automating the setup of a user'"'"'s financial management product account for electronic transfer of data between an account at a financial institution and the user'"'"'s financial management product account, by receiving a link having financial account information, executing the user'"'"'s financial management product in response to the link, extracting the financial account information from the link, providing the financial account information from the link to the user'"'"'s financial management product, and configuring the financial management product account to receive electronic transfer of data from the account at the financial institution.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for automating a setup of a user'"'"'s financial management product account for an electronic transfer of financial transaction data between a user'"'"'s account at a financial institution and the user'"'"'s financial management product account, comprising:

electronically executing a financial management product on a processor in response to selection of a link presented by the financial institution, wherein the link comprises an account number of the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution, an identifier of the financial institution, and an identifier of the financial management product, wherein execution of the financial management product is triggered by the selection of the link;

electronically extracting, by the financial management product, the account number and the identifier of the financial institution from the link; and

electronically configuring the user'"'"'s financial management product account to receive the electronic transfer of financial transaction data from the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution using the account number and the identifier of the financial institution extracted from the link.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the link in an email sent from the financial institution to a user of the financial management product.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the link in a browser viewed by a user of the financial management product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the link further comprises user identification information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, from the financial institution, the financial transaction data for the user'"'"'s financial management product account; and

receiving and storing in the user'"'"'s financial management product account, the financial transaction data for transactions occurring in the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial management product executes on a client computer of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial management product executes on a web site of a service provider, and maintains financial product accounts for a plurality of unrelated users.

8. A computer program product for automating a setup of a user'"'"'s financial management product account for an electronic transfer of financial transaction data between a user'"'"'s account at a financial institution and the user'"'"'s financial management product account, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for causing a processor to:

execute a financial management product on the processor in response to selection of a link presented by the financial institution, wherein the link comprises an account number of the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution, an identifier of the financial institution, and an identifier of the financial management product, wherein execution of the financial management product is triggered by the selection of the link;

extract the account number and the identifier of the financial institution from the link; and

configure the user'"'"'s financial management product account to receive the electronic transfer of financial transaction data from the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution using the account number and the identifier of the financial institution extracted from the link.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

receiving the link in an email sent from the financial institution to a user of the financial management product.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

receiving the link in a browser viewed by a user of the financial management product.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the link further comprises user identification information.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the processor to:

requesting, from the financial institution, the financial transaction data for the user'"'"'s financial management product account; and

receiving and storing in the user'"'"'s financial management product account, the financial transaction data for transactions occurring in the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the financial management product executes on a client computer of the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the financial management product executes on a web site of a service provider, and maintains financial product accounts for a plurality of unrelated users.

15. A system for automating setup of a user'"'"'s financial management product account for electronic transfer of financial transaction data between a user'"'"'s account at a financial institution and the user'"'"'s financial management product account, the system comprising:

means for executing a financial management product in response to selection of a link presented by the financial institution, wherein the link comprises an account number of the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution, an identifier of the financial institution, and an identifier of the financial management product, wherein executing the financial management product is triggered by the selection of the link;

means for extracting the account number and the identifier of the financial institution from the link; and

means for configuring the user'"'"'s financial management product account to receive the electronic transfer of financial transaction data from the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution using the account number and the identifier of the financial institution extracted from the link.

16. A computer program product for automating setup of a user'"'"'s financial management product account for electronic transfer of financial transaction data between a user'"'"'s account at a financial institution and the user'"'"'s financial management product account, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for causing at least one processor to execute:

means for executing a financial management product in response to a selection of a link presented by the financial institution, wherein the link comprises an account number of the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution, an identifier of the financial institution, and an identifier of the financial management product wherein executing the financial management product is triggered by the selection of the link;

means for extracting, by the financial management product, the account number and the identifier of the financial institution from the link; and

means for configuring the user'"'"'s financial management product account to receive the electronic transfer of financial transaction data from the user'"'"'s account at the financial institution using the account number and the identifier of the financial institution extracted from the link.