Real-time single entry multiple carrier interface (SEMCI)

• US 8,682,915 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Price, David K., Duffy, Michael O., Plante, David F
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US13/694,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 707/635, 707/756, 707/760, 707/778, 707/791, 707/797, 707/798, 707/803, 707/792, 715/234, 715/239, 715/249
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24568 Data stream processing; Continuous queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method and system for converting XML files to and from files in a data format based on hierarchies in real-time. A method for converting from XML to the data format based on hierarchies includes: applying a stylesheet to at least one XML file thereby generating at least one data record in an intermediate format and including information included in the at least one XML file; and, translating the at least one record in the intermediate format to the data format based on hierarchies. A method for converting from a data format based on hierarchies to XML includes: translating at least one record including information stored in the file format based on hierarchies to an intermediate format; and, applying a stylesheet to the at least one record in the intermediate format thereby generating at least one XML file being indicative of the information and suitable for transmission.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for converting data relating to an insurance transaction from XML (Extensible Markup Language) format to a second data format, the second data format being based on hierarchies, the method being executed by one or more processors, comprising:

by a first computer system, retrieving data relating to an insurance transaction in XML format, the data including information corresponding to an insurance policy;

by the first computer system, converting the retrieved insurance transaction-related data to an intermediate tagged file format having tags incorporating sequence data;

by the first computer system, converting the data in the intermediate tagged file format to the second data format based on hierarchies, wherein the converting to the second data format based on hierarchies comprises employing sequence index and length data of said sequence data to format the data in the second data format based on hierarchies; and

by the first computer system, providing said data in the second data format based on hierarchies for output to a computing device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first computer system is one of an insurance agent computer system and an insurance carrier computer system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tags incorporating sequence data comprises group name and length data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second data format based on hierarchies is ACORD AL3 format.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the insurance-related data converted from XML format to ACORD AL3 format includes at least one of billing data for said insurance policy, data relating to generating the said insurance policy, and data relating to cancellation of said insurance policy.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the converting to the second data format based on hierarchies comprises removing the tags.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first computer system corresponds to an insurance carrier computer system.

8. A computer interface system for converting data relating to an insurance transaction from XML (Extensible Markup Language) format to a second data format, the second data format being based on hierarchies, comprising:

a first computer system connected to a computer network and configured for bi-directional communication of insurance information over the network, said first computer system comprising one or more processors and configured to;

receive data relating to an insurance transaction in XML format, the data including information corresponding to an insurance policy;

convert the received insurance transaction data to an intermediate tagged file format having tags incorporating sequence data;

convert the received data in the intermediate tagged file format to the second data format based on hierarchies; and

provide the data in the second data format based on hierarchies in accordance with sequence index and length data associated with said tags incorporating sequence data.

9. The computer interface system of claim 8, wherein said first computer system is one of an insurance carrier computer system and an insurance agent computer system.

10. The computer interface system of claim 8, wherein the second data format based on hierarchies comprises data elements, data groups being logical groupings of the data elements and hierarchies establishing logical relationships among the data groups.

11. The computer interface system of claim 8, wherein the second data format based on hierarchies is ACORD AL3 format.

12. The computer interface system of claim 11, wherein the insurance-related data converted from XML format to ACORD AL3 format includes at least one of billing data for said insurance policy, data relating to generating the said insurance policy, and data relating to cancellation of said insurance policy.

13. A computer-implemented method for converting data formatted based on hierarchies to XML (Extensible Markup Language) format data, the method being executed by one or more processors, comprising:

by a first computer system, receiving data formatted based on hierarchies;

by the first computer system, converting the received data to an intermediate format having tags incorporating sequence data, at least one of the tags having sequence data comprising data group name and length data;

by the first computer system, converting the received data in the intermediate format having tags to XML format; and

providing, by the first computer system, the XML format data as an output;

wherein the converting the received data from the intermediate format to XML format comprises employing the data group name and length data of the sequence data to format the data in XML format.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the first computer system is one of an insurance agent computer system and an insurance carrier computer system.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the providing comprises furnishing the XML format data to a web server.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the received data is in ACORD AL3 format, and includes at least one of insurance policy billing data, new policy generation data, and insurance policy cancellation data.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the converting the data in the intermediate format comprises applying an XSL stylesheet dependent upon an insurance transaction to the data in the intermediate format having tags.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the XML data output at a web server, and furnishing the XML data by the web server in response to an XML request transaction.

19. A computer system for converting data relating to an insurance transaction and formatted based on hierarchies to XML (Extensible Markup Language) format data, comprising:

a first computer system connected to a computer network and configured for bi-directional communication of insurance information over the network, said first computer system comprising one or more processors and configured to;

receive data relating to an insurance transaction and formatted based on hierarchies, the data including information corresponding to an insurance policy;

convert the received data to an intermediate format having tags incorporating sequence data, at least one of the tags having sequence data comprising data group name and length data;

convert the received data in the intermediate format having tags to XML format; and

provide the XML format data as an output; and

wherein the first computer system is further configured to convert the received data from the intermediate format to XML format employing the data group name and length data of the sequence data to format the data in XML format.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the received data formatted based on hierarchies is an AL3 format file, and wherein the first computer system is one of an insurance agent computer system and an insurance carrier computer system.