Bill availability notification and billing information request

• US 8,165,956 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kitchen, Bill, Moses, Ginger B., Au, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graham, Clement B
• Application Number:
  US13/041,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 38
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Systems and methods for presenting billing information are provided. A notice may be transmitted via a network by a bill presentment service provider system comprising one or more computers. The notice may be transmitted in accordance with an e-mail protocol, and the notice may indicate availability of billing information via a bill present service provider system. Subsequent to transmitting the notice, a request for the billing information may be received by the bill presentment service provider system via the second protocol. The request may be received responsive to a selection of the hyper-link. Responsive to receiving the request, at least a portion of the billing information may be transmitted by the bill presentment service provider system via the network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a bill presentment system comprising one or more computers and in accordance with an email protocol, a notice indicating availability via the bill presentment system of bill presentment information associated with billing information, wherein the notice includes a hyperlink enabling access to the bill presentment information via a second protocol other than the email protocol;

receiving, by the bill presentment system via the second protocol and subsequent to transmitting the notice, a request for the bill presentment information, wherein the request is received responsive to a selection of the hyperlink;

generating, by the bill presentment system, at least a portion of the bill presentment information from at least a portion of the billing information; and

transmitting, by the bill presentment system and responsive to receiving the request, the generated at least a portion of the bill presentment information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hyperlink is associated with an icon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least a portion of the bill presentment information comprises generating the at least a portion of the bill presentment information responsive to receiving the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the at least a portion of the bill presentment information comprises generating the at least a portion of the bill presentment information prior to transmitting the notice, and further comprising:

storing, by the bill presentment system, the generated at least a portion of the bill presentment information.

5. A system, comprising:

at least one communications interface configured to (i) transmit, in accordance with an email protocol, a notice indicating availability via a bill presentment system of bill presentment information associated with billing information, the notice comprising a hyperlink enabling access to the bill presentment information via a second protocol other than the email protocol, (ii) receive, via the second protocol and subsequent to transmitting the notice, a request for the bill presentment information, wherein the request is received responsive to a selection of the hyperlink, and (iii) transmit at least a portion of the bill presentment information; and

at least one processor configured to (i) direct the at least one communications interface to transmit the notice, (ii) receive the request for the bill presentment information, (iii) generate the at least a portion of the bill presentment information from at least a portion of the billing information, and (iv) direct the at least one communications interface to transmit the at least a portion of the bill presentment information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the hyperlink is associated with an icon.

7. A system, comprising:

at least one memory configured to store generated bill presentment information;

at least one communications interface configured to (i) transmit, in accordance with an email protocol, a notice indicating availability via a bill presentment system of bill presentment information associated with billing information, the notice comprising a hyperlink enabling access to the bill presentment information via a second protocol other than the email protocol, (ii) receive, via the second protocol and subsequent to transmitting the notice, a request for the bill presentment information, wherein the request is received responsive to a selection of the hyperlink, and (iii) transmit at least a portion of the bill presentment information; and

at least one processor configured to (i) generate, from at least a portion the billing information prior to transmission of the notice, the at least a portion of the bill presentment information, (ii) direct storage of the generated at least a portion of the bill presentment information in the at least one memory, (iii) direct the at least one communications interface to transmit the notice, (iv) receive the request for the bill presentment information, and (v) direct, responsive to receiving the request, the at least one communications interface to transmit the at least a portion of the bill presentment information stored in the at least one memory.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the hyperlink is associated with an icon.