Enhanced transaction resolution techniques

• US 7,848,978 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Miritz Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Apollo Enterprise Solutions, Inc. (Apollo Enterprise Solutions, Ltd.)
• Inventors: House, William J. III, Imrey, G. Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil; Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US11/372,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 705 10- 44
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• 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 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method for completing a transaction is presented. The method comprises establishing network communications between a user and a server, receiving information, at the server, regarding the transaction, seeking available information pertinent to the transaction from at least one source external to the server and the user, processing data from the available information using a rules based engine including rules established on behalf of a party to the transaction located at the server, and presenting an offer set to the user based on at least one decision made by the rules based engine. The transaction may be one according to a variety of scenarios, and the user may be a appropriate party to the transaction. The user may employ various devices to contact the server and seek to complete the transaction.

Claims

1. A method for settling a transaction comprising a preexisting financial obligation owed by a user to a party to the preexisting financial obligation, comprising:

enabling the user to contact the server, wherein the server is configured to authenticate an identity of the user and provide preexisting financial obligation information to the user, including an amount of money currently owed by the user to the party to the preexisting financial obligation;

causing the server to seek available financial information pertinent to an ability of the user to satisfy the preexisting financial obligation from at least one credit bureau;

processing data from the available financial information at the server using a rules based engine including rules established on behalf of the party to the preexisting financial obligation located at the server; and

causing the server to present an offer set to the user based on at least one decision made by the rules based engine, the offer set comprising at least one individually selectable monetary offer selectable by the user including at least one decisioned monetary settlement term determined based on the rules established on behalf of the party to the preexisting financial obligation and available financial information, each individually selectable monetary offer selectable by a user to settle the transaction;

wherein the server requires no debt recovery product be accepted by the user to settle the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a debtor and the transaction comprises a debt owed by the debtor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a contributor and the transaction comprises a charitable contribution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises an insured and the transaction comprises an insurance claim.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a party affiliated with an insured entity and the transaction comprises an insurance claim.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a party to a legal proceeding and the transaction comprises a legal claim.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user comprises a party seeking to purchase an item and the transaction comprises a purchase.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user contacts the server using one from a group comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless telephone, telephone, smart phone, tablet computing device, handheld PC, digital camera configured to receive and transmit data, and receiving/transmitting hardware configured to effectuate the transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the available financial information comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of amount outstanding, user credit rating, existing user debt, and an available user bank balance.

10. A method of resolving a transaction between a user and a party, the transaction comprising a preexisting financial obligation, the method comprising:

enabling the user to contact a server, wherein the server is configured to authenticate an identity of the user and provide preexisting financial obligation information to the user, including an amount of money currently owed by the user to the party;

causing the server to seek available financial information regarding ability of the user to satisfy the preexisting financial obligation from a credit bureau, and when information is available from the credit bureau regarding the ability of the user to satisfy the preexisting financial obligation, receiving the available financial information at the server;

processing available data regarding the preexisting financial obligation including the available financial information at the server using rules established on behalf of the party; and

causing the server to present a transaction resolution offer set to the user based on at least one decision made according to the rules established on behalf of the party, the transaction resolution offer set comprising at least one individually selectable monetary offer including at least one decisioned monetary transaction resolution term based on the rules established on behalf of the party and available financial information, each individually selectable monetary offer selectable by the user to resolve the transaction;

wherein the server requires no debt recovery product be accepted by the user to settle the transaction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user comprises a debtor and the transaction comprises a debt owed by the debtor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user comprises a contributor and the transaction comprises a charitable contribution.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the user comprises an insured and the transaction comprises an insurance claim.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the user comprises a party affiliated with an insured entity and the transaction comprises an insurance claim.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the user comprises a party to a legal proceeding and the transaction comprises a legal claim.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the user comprises a party seeking to purchase an item and the transaction comprises a purchase.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the user contacts the server using one from a group comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless telephone, telephone, smart phone, tablet computing device, handheld PC, digital camera configured to receive and transmit data, and receiving/transmitting hardware configured to effectuate the transaction.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the available financial information comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of amount outstanding, user credit rating, existing user debt, and an available user bank balance.

19. A method of settling a transaction between a user and a party, the transaction comprising a preexisting financial obligation, the method comprising:

enabling the user to contact a server, wherein the server is configured to authenticate an identity of the user and provide preexisting financial obligation information to the user, including an amount of money currently owed by the user to the party;

causing the server to seek financial information pertinent to the user from a credit bureau, the financial information comprising an ability of the user to satisfy the transaction, and when financial information is available, receiving the financial information at the server;

processing the financial information at the server using rules established on behalf of the party by the server applying rules to the financial information obtained to determine possible settlement conditions specific to the user; and

causing the sever to provide a transaction offer set to the user based on at least one decision made according to the rules established on behalf of the party, the transaction offer set comprising at least one individually selectable monetary offer including at least one decisioned monetary settlement term based on the rules established on behalf of the party and the financial information, each individually selectable monetary offer selectable by the user to resolve the transaction;

wherein the server does not require user acceptance of a debt recovery product to settle the transaction.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user comprises a debtor and the transaction comprises a debt owed by the debtor.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the user comprises a contributor and the transaction comprises a charitable contribution.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the user comprises an insured and the transaction comprises an insurance claim.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the user comprises a party affiliated with an insured entity and the transaction comprises an insurance claim.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the user comprises a party to a legal proceeding and the transaction comprises a legal claim.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the user comprises a party seeking to purchase an item and the transaction comprises a purchase.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the user contacts the server using one from a group comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless telephone, telephone, smart phone, tablet computing device, handheld PC, digital camera configured to receive and transmit data, and receiving/transmitting hardware configured to effectuate the transaction.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the available financial information comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of amount outstanding, user credit rating, existing user debt, and an available user bank balance.