Aggregated postal billing and payment methods and systems

• US 8,140,432 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): FELTEN, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/855,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/39, 705/38, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• 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 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for a trusted entity such as a Post Office to process bills from a plurality of billers includes generating aggregated listings of bills to be submitted each identified customer and making the aggregated listings available to each identified customer. The trusted entity may then receive orders to effectuate payment of selected ones of the bills in the aggregated listings from customers. The first trusted entity may request that a second trusted entity designated by each identified customer (such as a bank) guarantee availability of funds sufficient to cover payment of the bills selected for payment. A third trusted entity (a central bank) may then be instructed to carry out the payments specified in each of the received orders in batch mode by transferring the payments from the second trusted entities designated by the customers to respective fourth trusted entities (e.g., banks) designated by the billers.

Claims

1. A method for a Post Office to process bills, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office, a first electronic list of bill recipients from a first biller and corresponding first amounts owed to the first biller by each bill recipient in the first electronic list;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office, a second electronic list of bill recipients from a second biller and corresponding second amounts owed to the second biller by each bill recipient in the second electronic list;

generating, for each bill recipient in the first and second electronic lists of bill recipients, an electronic aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers by each corresponding billing recipient with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office;

making, using the one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office, the electronic aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over a computer network;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office, from one of the bill recipients in the first and second electronic lists of bill recipients, an electronic order instructing the Post Office to cause a payment of at least one of the first and second amounts listed in the electronic aggregated listing;

sequestering, using the one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office, funds at least equal to the payment specified in the received order from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient; and

communicating, from the one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office to one or more computer systems associated with a financial service provider, information instructing the financial service provider to effectuate the payment specified in the received order from the sequestered funds.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the information comprises communicating information instructing the financial service provider to transfer the ordered payment from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient to at least one of a first numbered account designated by the first biller and a second numbered account designated by the second biller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial service provider in the instructing step is the Federal Reserve Bank.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein making the electronic aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network comprises generating and sending an email message that includes the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein making the electronic aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network further comprises printing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers and mailing the printed aggregated listing to each of the bill recipients.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the email message is secure.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the generated email message is sent in encrypted foam according to a certificate issued from a trusted certificate issuing authority.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the trusted certificate issuing authority is the Post Office.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein making the electronic aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network comprises making the generated aggregated listing available via a web site.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an electronic order for at least one of the billing recipients includes receiving detailed payment instructions including at least one of:

an amount to be paid;

a date on which a financial institution is to be instructed to effectuate the payment; and

an indication as to whether the first and/or second amount owed is disputed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems associated with the Postal Service, information charging a fee to each of the first and second billers.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network comprises generating a link to the predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient, the link being effective to enable the bill recipient to access at least an account balance of the designated numbered account.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the information comprises communicating information, in batch mode, that instructs the financial service provider to effectuate a plurality of payments specified in a corresponding plurality of received orders.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second lists received from the first and second billers are machine-readable.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the order comprises receiving a multipart draft that details amounts to be paid to each of the first and second billers.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein making the electronic aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network further comprises making a promotional message available along with the aggregated listing.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising printing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers and the promotional message and mailing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers and the promotional message to each of the bill recipients.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the electronic order comprises receiving information that instructs the Post Office to cause the payment of at the least one of the first and second amounts listed in the aggregated listing at a predetermined date in the future.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the electronic aggregated listing is carried out at a predetermined date that is selected by each bill recipient.

20. A machine-readable storage medium having data stored thereon representing sequences of instructions executable by one or more computer systems associated with the Post Office to process bills, the machine-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for receiving a first electronic list of bill recipients from a first biller and corresponding first amounts owed to the first biller by each bill recipient in the first electronic list;

instructions for receiving a second electronic list of bill recipients from a second biller and corresponding second amounts owed to the second biller by each bill recipient in the second list;

instructions for generating, for each bill recipient in the first and second lists of bill recipients, an electronic aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers by each corresponding billing recipient;

instructions for making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over a computer network;

instructions for receiving, from one of the bill recipients in the first and second electronic lists of bill recipients, an order instructing the Post Office to cause a payment of at least one of the first and second amounts listed in the electronic aggregated listing;

instructions for sequestering funds at least equal to the payment specified in the received order from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient; and

instructions for communicating information instructing a financial service provider to effectuate the payment specified in the received order from the sequestered funds.

21. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for communicating the information comprise instructions for communicating information that instructs the financial service provider to transfer the ordered payment from a predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient to at least one of a first numbered account designated by the first biller and a second numbered account designated by the second biller.

22. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the financial service provider is the Federal Reserve Bank.

23. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network comprise instructions for generating and sending an email message that includes the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers.

24. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network further comprise instructions for printing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers and mailing the printed aggregated listing to each of the each of the bill recipients.

25. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the email message is secure.

26. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the generated email message is sent in encrypted form according to a certificate issued from a trusted certificate issuing authority.

27. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the trusted certificate issuing authority is the Post Office.

28. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network comprise instructions for making the aggregated listing available via a web site.

29. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for receiving the order comprise instructions for receiving detailed payment instructions including at least one of:

an amount to be paid;

a date on which a financial institution is to be instructed to effectuate the payment; and

an indication as to whether the first and/or second amount owed is disputed.

30. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions for charging a fee from each of the first and second billers.

31. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for making the aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network comprise instructions for generating a link to the predetermined numbered account designated by the bill recipient, the link being effective to enable the bill recipient to access at least an account balance of the designated numbered account.

32. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for communicating the information comprise instructions for communicating information, in batch mode, to instruct the financial service provider to effectuate a plurality of payments specified in a corresponding plurality of received orders.

33. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the first and second lists received from the first and second billers are machine readable.

34. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for receiving the order comprise instructions for receiving a multipart draft that details amounts to be paid to each of the first and second billers.

35. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for making the electronic aggregated listing available to each corresponding bill recipient over the computer network further comprise instructions for making a promotional message available along with the aggregated listing.

36. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions for printing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers and the promotional message and mailing the aggregated listing of the first and second amounts owed to each of the first and second billers and the promotional message to each of the bill recipients.

37. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for receiving the electronic order comprise instructions for receiving information that instructs the United States Post Office to cause the payment of at the least one of the first and second amounts listed in the aggregated listing at a predetermined date in the future.

38. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions for generating the electronic aggregated listing include instructions for generating the aggregated list at a predetermined date that is selected by each bill recipient.

39. A computer-implemented method for postal services to process bills, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at one or more computer systems associated with a postal service, a list from each of a plurality of billers, each list including bills to be submitted to identified customers;

from the received lists, generating an electronic aggregated listing for each identified customer with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems associated with the postal service, the electronic aggregated listing including the bills to be submitted by each of the plurality of billers to each identified customer;

making, using the one or more computer systems associated with the postal service, each generated electronic aggregated listing available to each corresponding identified customer over a computer network;

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, from one or more of the identified customers, one or more electronic orders to effectuate payment of selected ones of the bills in the aggregated listings;

for each received order, communicating, from the one or more computer system associated with the postal service to one or more computer systems associated with a first trusted entity, information instructing the first trusted entity designated by each identified customer to guarantee availability of funds sufficient to cover payment of the bills selected for payment by sequestering funds, from accounts of the identified customers, that are at least sufficient to cover payment of the bills selected for payment;

communicating, from the one or more computer system associated with the postal service to one or more computer systems associated with a second trusted entity, information instructing the second trusted entity to carry out the payments specified in each of the received orders by transferring the payments from the funds sequestered by the first trusted entities designated by the customers to respective third trusted entities designated by the billers.

40. The computer implemented method of claim 39, wherein the first and third trusted entities are banks.

41. The computer implemented method of claim 39, wherein the second trusted entity is the United States Federal Reserve Bank.