Request tracking system and method

• US 9,262,754 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Jawharkar, Harsh
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Masud, Rokib
• Application Number:
  US12/545,697
• Time in Patent Office: 2,370 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1, 705/35, 705/39, 726/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for granting a user access to an on-line banking area of a website belonging financial institution responsive to receiving the valid user name and password. The method providing the user with account information regarding checking, savings, mortgage, home equity and/or loan accounts held by the user at the financial institution. The method grants the user access to a request tracking area of the website of the financial institution, receive request related data from the user, the request related data including data relating to at least one expense or goal, calculate portions of each expense respectively owed by each of a plurality of participants in the request and track whether a participant has paid. The method includes sending a message to at least one participant, the message requesting payment for the portion owed by the participant and receiving the payment from the participant in various payment forms.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a computer system, a valid username and password from a user;

granting, by the one or more processors, the user access to an on-line banking area of a website of a financial institution responsive to receiving the valid user name and password;

providing, by the one or more processors, the user with account information regarding one or more checking, savings, home mortgage, home equity and/or student loan accounts held by the user at the financial institution;

granting, by the one or more processors, the user access to a request expense tracking area of the website of the financial institution;

receiving, using a request tracking system running on the one or more processors of the computer system, request related data for a request from the user, the related data including data relating to at least one expense incurred by the user by spending funds on behalf of a plurality of participants in a transaction for purchasing at least one good or service;

calculating, by the one or more processors, portions of the at least one incurred expense respectively owed by each of the plurality of participants in the request to facilitate reimbursement of the at least one incurred expense back to the user;

determining, by the one or more processors, at least one participant of the plurality of participants has an account associated with the computer system;

responsive to determining that at least one participant has the account, generating, by the one or more processors, a custom payment option for the at least one participant based on information regarding the account and the portion of the at least one expense that the at least one participant owes;

tracking, by the one or more processors, whether each of the plurality of participants who are responsible for reimbursing the user for a portion of the at least one expense incurred by the user has paid their portions;

sending a message, using a notification system running on the one or more processors of the computer system, to each participant requesting payment for the portion of the expense that is owed by the participant based on the tracking; and

receiving, using a payment processing system running on the one or more processors of the computer system, the payment from the participant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is granted access to the request expense tracking area of the website of the financial institution based on the same user name and password that is used to grant the user access to the on-line banking area of the website.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a plurality of profiles for the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each profile uses a different banking institution account to receive payments from other users and wherein each profile has different contact information for the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating further comprises allocating the portions based on multiple expenses, where one user has paid for one expense, and a second use has paid for a second expense, and the allocation of the portions is based on a netting out of the amounts already paid by the users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is sent as one of an e-mail, text message or voice message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a payment processing system that allows the payer to pay by using at least one of or combination of a debit card, credit card or stored value card, bank account, banking bill pay service or account to account electronic transfer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a Wiki mode that allows all participants related to a request to add expenses to the request related data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request related data is extracted from a web page displayed on the user computer by using a browser extension.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking includes sending a reminder message to a payer that has not paid or has underpaid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request related data is received via a browser extension that extracts the request related data from a third party web site.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and displaying steps are performed in an offline mode when the user is not connected to the Internet.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the expense include funds spent by the user to buy at least one good or service used by the at least one participant.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of participants is obligated to pay at least part of the at least one expense.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction for receiving the at least one good or service is between a third party and a plurality of individuals, the plurality of individuals comprising the user and the plurality of participants.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third party provides the at least one good or service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of individuals are each obligated to pay the third party for the at least one good or service provided by the third party.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a computer system, a valid username and password from a user;

granting, by the one or more processors, the user access to an on-line banking area of a website of a financial institution responsive to receiving the valid user name and password;

providing, by the one or more processors, the user with account information regarding one or more checking, savings, home mortgage, home equity and/or student loan accounts held by the user at the financial institution;

allowing, by the one or more processors, a user to maintain a plurality of profiles, each profile capable of being associated a different bank account;

granting, by the one or more processors, the user access to a request expense tracking area of the website of the financial institution;

receiving, using a request tracking system running on the one or more processors of the computer system, request related data for a request from the user, the request related data including data relating to at least one expense incurred by the user by spending funds on behalf of a plurality of participants in a transaction for purchasing at least one good or service;

calculating, by the one or more processors, portions of the at least one incurred expense respectively owed by each of the plurality of participants in the request to facilitate reimbursement of the at least one incurred expense back to the user;

allowing a user to adjust the calculation based on the user preference;

determining, by the one or more processors, at least one participant of the plurality of participants has an account associated with the computer system;

responsive to determining that at least one participant has the account, generating, by the one or more processors, a custom payment option for the at least one participant based on information regarding the account and the portion of the at least one expense that the at least one participant owes;

tracking, by the one or more processors, whether each of the plurality of participants who are responsible for reimbursing the user for a portion of the at least one expense incurred by the user has paid their portions;

determining banking institution account balances of the participants and sending a message, using a notification system running on the one or more processors of the computer system, requesting payment for the portion of the expense that is owed by the participant and presenting each participant with options for payment based on their banking institution account balance; and

receiving, using a payment processing system running on the one or more processors of the computer system, the payment from the participant.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each profile capable of providing different contact information for the initiator.

20. The method of claim 18, the calculating further comprises allocating the portions based are multiple expenses, where one user has paid for one expense, and a second user has paid for a second expense, and the allocation of the portions is based on a netting out of the amounts already paid by the users.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the message is sent as one of an e-mail, text message or voice message.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the payment processing system allows the payer to pay by using at least one of or combination of a debit card, credit card or stored value card, bank account, banking bill pay service or account to account electronic transfer.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a Wiki mode that allows all participants related to a request to add expenses to the request related data.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the request related data is extracted from a web page displayed on the user computer by using a browser extension.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein tracking includes sending a reminder message to a payer that has not paid or has underpaid.

26. A computer-implemented data processing system, the system comprising a processor and program system stored in memory and executable by the processor, the program system comprising:

account management system configured to manage accounts respectively associated with a plurality of users, the accounts comprising bank accounts and document storage accounts, the account management system includes account processing system configured to process transactions for the bank accounts, the transactions including electronic bill payment transactions in which monies from the bank accounts of the users are used to pay bills received by the users, and the account management system including statement generation system configured to generate the bank statements for the bank accounts;

interface system configured to connect the data processing system to computing systems associated with the plurality of users by way of the Internet, the interface system providing the plurality of users with web access to an on-line banking area of a website of the bank;

request expense tracking system configured to track at least one expense incurred by a user spending funds on behalf of at least one participant having an account associated with the account management system who are responsible for reimbursing the user for a portion of the cost of the at least one expense incurred by the user who paid their portions in a transaction for purchasing at least one good or service and whom have not paid their portions, the request expense tracking system includes,

request expense system configured to;

receive request related data, the data includes, request name, date, and expenses;

calculate portions of each expense respectively owed by each of a plurality of participants in the request to facilitate reimbursement of each incurred expense back to the user; and

generate a custom payment option for each participant based on information regarding the account and the portion of the expense owed for each participant;

profile management system configured to receive various profile information including maintaining a plurality of different profiles, each profile capable of using a different banking institution account;

notification system configured to send a message to at least one of the participants requesting payment for the portion owed by the participant; and

payment processing system configured to receive payments from at least one participant based on the custom payment option, wherein the custom payment option includes using at least one of a debit card, credit card, bank account, or a stored value card.