Method and apparatus for configuring and establishing a secure credential-based network link between a client and a service over a data-packet-network

• US 8,429,073 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yodlee Incorporated (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Yodlee.com, Inc. (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ferguson, Hill, Hayward, Blake, Satyavolu, Ramakrishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Oyebisi, Ojo O
• Application Number:
  US13/188,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20110282783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/42, 705/44, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A bill-paying service has an internet-connected server executing software from a non-transitory, machine-readable medium, the software providing functionality accessing, on behalf of a user, a plurality of billing servers, logging in with credentials supplied by the user, and downloading information concerning one or more bills which the user is responsible to pay, functionality receiving a selection by the end user, indicating a bill the user wishes to pay, and functionality transmitting to the user a deep-link plug-in (DLP) for the billing server where the bill selected by the client is associated, the DLP redirecting the user to a page at the billing server where the user is enabled to pay the bill selected.

Claims

1. A bill-paying system, comprising:

an internet-connected server having a processor executing software from a non-transitory, machine-readable medium, the software providing;

functionality accessing, on behalf of a user, a plurality of billing servers, logging in with credentials supplied by the user, and downloading information concerning one or more bills which the user is responsible to pay;

functionality receiving a selection by the end user, indicating a bill the user wishes to pay; and

functionality transmitting to the user a deep-link plug-in (DLP) for the billing server where the bill selected by the client is associated, the DLP redirecting the user to a page at the billing server where the user is enabled to pay the bill selected.

2. The bill-paying system of claim 1, wherein the client'"'"'s connection to the internet connected server of the billing service remains intact when the user is redirected to a billing server, enabling the client to select and pay bills to individual ones of the billing servers in sequence.

3. The bill-paying system of claim 1, wherein the DLP provides confirmation and acceptance of new payment information.

4. A method for paying bills, comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing by a server having a processor executing software, on behalf of a user, a plurality of billing servers;

(b) logging in to the billing servers with credentials supplied by the user;

(c) downloading information concerning one or more bills which the user is responsible to pay;

(d) receiving a selection by the user, indicating a bill the user wishes to pay; and

(e) transmitting to the user a deep-link plug-in (DLP) for the billing server where the bill selected by the client is associated, the DLP redirecting the user to a page at the billing server where the user is enabled to pay the bill selected.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the client'"'"'s connection to the internet connected server of the billing service remains intact when the user is redirected to a billing server, enabling the client to select and pay bills to individual ones of the billing servers in sequence.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the DLP provides confirmation and acceptance of new payment information.