Method and apparatus for electronic collection, translation, grouping, and delivery of wage assignment information

• US 7,877,423 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ACS State & Local Solutions Incorporated (Conduent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Polk, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Kuen S
• Application Number:
  US12/320,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 707/809, 707/756, 707/104.1, 707/3, 705/40
• US Class Current: 707/809
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/125 Finance or payroll
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

This disclosure describes a system that electronically collects, translates, groups, and delivers wage assignment information from at least one initiator to at least one recipient via an accumulator. An initiator initially receives the wage assignment information. Then, an accumulator collects the wage assignment information from at least one initiator, such as a government agency. The accumulator then translates the wage assignment information into a format compatible with electronic data interchange (EDI), such as the ANSI X12 standard. The accumulator then groups the EDI wage assignment information into specific files, batching the files based upon one data field contained within the wage assignment information data set, such as a recipient. The accumulator then delivers a batched EDI wage assignment file to each respective recipient. Once the EDI wage assignment file is received by the recipient, the wage assignment may then be implemented.

Claims

1. A data processor at an initiator, the data processor comprising:

a central processing unit;

a receiving component configured to receive a wage assignment;

an inputting component configured to input the wage assignment into a database; and

a transmitting component configured to transmit the wage assignment to an accumulator, the accumulator comprising;

a collecting component configured to collect the wage assignment with a plurality of wage assignments from a plurality of initiators,

an identifying component configured to identify a set of translating rules,

a translating component configured to translate the collected wage assignments into files with a standard wage assignment format according to the set of translating rules,

the format including data in at least one data field, the translating component including an EDI-using component configured to use electronic data interchange (EDI) utilizing a 521 record set as the standard wage assignment format,

a grouping component configured to group the standard wage assignment format files into batch files based on the data stored in at least one data field of the standard wage assignment format, and

a delivering component configured to deliver a batch file containing the wage assignment to one of a plurality of recipients.

2. The data processor of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of recipients is an employer of a noncustodial parent.

3. The data processor of claim 1, wherein the collecting component includes a receiving component configured to receive electronic files.

4. The data processor of claim 1, wherein the grouping component groups based on a recipient data field of the standard wage assignment format.

5. A method of processing a wage assignment at an initiator, the method, performed by a data processor, comprising:

receiving the wage assignment;

inputting the wage assignment into a database; and

transmitting the wage assignment to an accumulator, wherein the accumulator performs the steps of;

collecting the wage assignment with a plurality of wage assignments from a plurality of initiators,

identifying a set of translating rules,

translating the collected wage assignment into files with a standard wage assignment format according to the set of translating rules, the format using electronic data interchange (EDI) utilizing a 521 record set and including data in at least one data field, grouping the standard wage assignment format files into batch files based on the data stored in at least one data field of the standard wage assignment format, and

delivering a batch file containing the wage assignment to one of a plurality of recipients.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein one of the plurality of recipients is an employer of a noncustodial parent.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein collecting the wage assignment further includes receiving electronic files.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the grouping is based on a recipient data field of the standard wage assignment format.

9. A tangible computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for processing a wage assignment at an initiator, the computer readable code comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive a wage assignment;

an inputting module configured to input the wage assignment into a database; and

a transmitting module configured to transmit the wage assignment to an accumulator, the accumulator comprising;

a collecting module configured to collect the wage assignment with a plurality of wage assignments from a plurality of initiators,

an identifying module configured to identify a set of translating rules,

a translating module configured to translate the collected wage assignments into files with a standard wage assignment format according to the set of translating rules, the format including data in at least one data field, the translating module including an EDI-using module configured to use electronic data interchange (EDI) utilizing a 521 record set as the standard wage assignment format,

a grouping module configured to group the standard wage assignment format files into batch files based on the data stored in at least one data field of the standard wage assignment format, and

a delivering module configured to deliver a batch file containing the wage assignment to one of a plurality of recipients.

10. The tangible computer usable medium having computer readable code of claim 9, wherein one of the plurality of recipients is an employer of a noncustodial parent.

11. The tangible computer usable medium having computer readable code of claim 9, wherein the collecting module includes a receiving module configured to receive electronic files.

12. The tangible computer usable medium having computer readable code of claim 9, wherein the grouping module is configured to group based on a recipient data field of the standard wage assignment format.

13. A data processor at an initiator, comprising:

means for receiving the wage assignment;

means for inputting the wage assignment into a database; and

means for transmitting the wage assignment to an accumulator, the accumulator comprising;

means for collecting the wage assignment with a plurality of wage assignments from a plurality of initiators,

means for identifying a set of translating rules,

means for translating the collected wage assignments into files with a standard wage assignment format according to the set of translating rules, the format using electronic data interchange (EDI) utilizing a 521 record set and including data in at least one data field,

means for grouping the standard wage assignment format files into batch files based on the data stored in at least one data field of the standard wage assignment format, and

means for delivering a batch file containing the wage assignment to one of a plurality of recipients.