Method and system for notifying customers of transaction opportunities

• US 9,418,381 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citigroup Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ahuja, Arun, Vaidyanathan, Ramadurai, Tata, Anand, Markarian, Grigor, Pan, Joe, Tompkins, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US09/832,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 5,605 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/224, 709/206, 709/207, 709/219, 709/246, 709/203, 709/217, 709/233, 379/67.1, 379/83, 379/88.25, 379/88.26, 379/88.28, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.12, 379/88.14, 379/88.09, 707 1- 5, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104, 707/203, 705/35, 705/37, 705/42, 705/36.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• 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

A standalone notification system, including a notification server which generates electronic messages to registered customers upon their request or upon a host business request. The customer provides the system with his/her messaging identification (“ID”), e.g. e-mail address, GSM (global system for mobile communications) or other mobile phone numbers that are able to accept, e.g., short message service (“SMS”) messages, facsimile number, and/or telephone number. Customers can register with the host notification server without having any relationship, banking or otherwise, with the host. Customers can choose between different notification channels such as e-mail, SMS message, fax or pager.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a machine for formulating an alert message containing financial information for a customer comprising:

providing the customer, via a communications platform hosted on one or more servers of a first financial institution connected to a network, with access to a notification system, including,

(i) providing, by the one or more servers, a first link to a first user interface and a second link to a second user interface that the customer selects depending on whether the customer is a member customer or a non-member customer, wherein the first user interface is for member customers affiliated with a financial institution providing the notification system and the second user interface is for non-member customers who are not affiliated with the financial institution providing the notification system,

(ii) receiving, by the one or more servers, a selection by the customer of the first link or the second link,

(iii) generating, by the one or more servers, access data authenticating the customer in response to receiving the selection of the first link or the second link,

(iv) prompting, by the one or more servers, the customer, via a user interface, for the access data, and

(v) providing, by the one or more servers, the first or second user interface to the customer depending on the selection, wherein the first user interface provides a set of customer-selectable events that are different than a set of customer-selectable events included in the second user interface;

storing, by the one or more servers, in a machine storage an alert prompt in a first database of a notification system hosted by the first financial institution, wherein the alert prompt includes an indication of a change in value of monitored financial information in account data received from at least one server of a second financial institution detected by at least one server of the first financial server;

receiving, by the one or more servers, from the at least one server of the second financial institution the account data containing the financial information into a second database of the notification system, wherein the incoming account data containing the financial information is received into the second database on the network from the at least one server of the second financial institution and at least one server of the first financial institution, and further wherein the incoming account data containing the financial information received from the at least one server of the first financial server results from a change in at least one customer account maintained by the first financial institution;

comparing the incoming financial information with the indication of the change of the alert prompt in the first database;

transmitting, via the communications platform connected to the network, an alert message to one or more devices of the customer through at least one communications channel associated with the one or more devices in accordance with at least one customer-preferred method for notifying the alert message at a customer-preferred time for notifying the alert message, the alert message transmitted upon the one or more servers determining that the indication of the change match the incoming financial information, wherein the alert message includes a request for a reply message; and

upon receiving the reply message from the customer, the one or more servers executing an instruction, wherein the one or more servers execute an action according to the instruction responding to the change in value of the monitored financial information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first financial institution is hosting the notification system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second financial institution is accessible over the Internet.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second financial institution is not hosting the notification system.

5. A method implemented on a machine for notifying a customer of at least one requested event comprising:

generating, by one or more servers of a notification system of a first financial institution, a user interface displayed on a user device of the customer, generating the user interface including,

(i) providing a first link to a first user interface associated with member customers and a second link to a second user interface associated with non-member customers,

(ii) receiving from a browser of the user device a selection by the customer of the first link or the second link,

(iii) generating access data for the customer according to the first link or the second link,

(iv) updating the user interface to include an input prompt prompting the customer, via the user interface, for the access data, and

(iv) providing the first or second user interface to the customer depending on the selection, wherein the first user interface provides a first set of customer-selectable events that are different than a second set of customer-selectable events included in the second user interface;

prompting the customer via the user interface to select at least one requested event, wherein the at least one requested event instructs the one or more servers of the notification system to monitor account data containing financial information received from at least one server of a second financial institution and indicates a change in value of monitored financial information triggering one or more alert notifications;

prompting the customer via the user interface to select at least one instruction, the at least one instruction configuring at least one server of the first financial institution when the at least one requested event is detected by the one or more servers of the first financial institution;

prompting the customer via the user interface to select at least one method of notification corresponding respectively to at least one user device configured to receive notifications via a corresponding communications channel;

prompting the customer via the user interface to select at least one time for notification;

formulating an alert prompt wherein the alert prompt includes,

(i) the at least one requested event,

(ii) the customer'"'"'s at least one method of notification,

(iii) the customer'"'"'s at least one time for notification,

(iv) information about the customer'"'"'s at least one instruction; and

storing the alert prompt in a first database of the notification system;

receiving account data containing financial information from at least one server of the second financial institution and at least one server of the first financial institution, via a communications platform connected to a network into a second database of the notification system, wherein the incoming financial information indicates a change in the value of the financial information in the account data;

comparing the incoming financial information with the at least one requested event of the alert prompt in the first database;

sending, via the communications platform connected to the network a notification message to each of the user devices of the customer via each of the communications data channels associated with each user device according to each of the customer'"'"'s at least one method of notification at the customer'"'"'s at least one time for notification when the at least one requested event matches the incoming financial information, wherein the notification message contains at least a confirmation request for execution of the at least one instruction; and

upon confirmation being received from at least one user device, executing the at least one instruction, wherein the at least one server of the first financial institution according to the at least one instruction performs an action responding to the change in value of the monitored financial information.

6. A method implemented on a machine for notifying a customer of at least one requested event comprising:

transmitting, by a communications platform connected to a network and one or more servers of a first financial institution, to a user device a graphical interface comprising a first link to a first user interface and a second link to a second user interface, wherein the first user interface is for member customers affiliated with a financial institution providing a notification system and the second user interface is for non-member customers who are not affiliated with the financial institution providing the notification system;

upon receiving from the user device a selection by the customer of the first link, generating access data authenticating member customers;

upon receiving from the user device a selection of the second link, generating access data authenticating non-member customers;

prompting the customer, via the graphical interface, for the access data authenticating the member customers or non-member customers;

upon authenticating the user based upon the access data, providing the first or second user interface to the user device of the customer depending on the selection, wherein the first user interface provides a first set of customer-selectable events that is different than a second set of customer-selectable events in the second user interface;

prompting the customer, via the graphical interface, to select at least one requested event, wherein the at least one requested event is based on a change in value of monitored financial information stored in account data at a second financial institution detected by the one or more servers of the notification system of the first financial institution, the one or more servers of the first financial institution configured to continuously receive the account data containing the financial information from at least one server of the second financial institution;

storing the customer'"'"'s at least one requested event selection in a first database;

prompting the customer, via the graphical interface, to select at least one instruction associated with the at least one requested event, wherein the one or more servers of the first financial institution are configured to execute the at least one instruction upon detecting the at least one requested event;

storing the customer'"'"'s at least one instruction in a second database;

prompting the customer, via the graphical interface, to select at least one method of notification, each of the at least one method of notification associated with a respective data communications channel configured to support notification messages having a corresponding data format;

storing the customer'"'"'s at least one method of notification selection in the first database;

prompting the customer, via the graphical interface, to select at least one time for notification;

storing the customer'"'"'s at least one time for notification selection in the first database;

upon receiving the account data from the at least one server of the second financial institution containing the financial information that triggers the at least one requested event;

formulating, in an alert message generator executed by the one or more servers of the first financial institution configured to generate one or more notification messages according to at least one data format of at least one data communication channel associated with a respective user device of the customer, a first notification message that includes information about the at least one requested event, the first notification message having a format based upon each of the at least one notification method selection of the customer;

sending via the communications platform connected to the network the first notification message to each respective user device of the customer via each of the data communications channels associated with each of the customer'"'"'s at least one method of notification at the customer'"'"'s at least one time for notification;

upon the communications platform and the one or more servers receiving a reply from the user device of the customer to first notification message;

executing the at least one instruction by the first financial institution when the at least one requested event is detected by the one or more servers, wherein the one or more servers of the first financial institution execute the at least one instruction, whereby the one or more servers perform an action responding to the change in value of the monitored financial information received from the at least one server of the second financial institution;

formulating a second notification message, in the alert message generator, that includes information about the at least one instruction, the second notification message having the format based upon each of the at least one notification method selection of the customer; and

sending via the communications platform connected to the network the second notification message to each respective user device of the customer via each of the data communications channels associated with each of the customer'"'"'s at least one method of notification.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising prompting the customer, via the graphical interface, to select a method of payment for using the notification system.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein only non-member customers are prompted to select a method of payment for using the notification system.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second database contains customer-specific financial account information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the customer is a non-member customer.

11. A system implemented on a machine for notifying a customer of at least one requested event comprising:

machine-readable storage of a notification system of a first financial institution, the machine storage storing one or more event notifications of a customer and one or more instructions for at least one server of the first financial institution to execute for the customer; and

one or more servers of the first financial institution comprising one or more processors programmed to;

transmit to a user device of the customer a user interface generated by the one or more servers displaying a first link to a first user interface and a second link to a second user interface, wherein the first user interface is for member customers affiliated with a financial institution providing the notification system and the second user interface is for non-member customers who are not affiliated with the financial institution providing the notification system;

upon receiving a selection by the customer of the first link, generate access data authenticating member customers;

upon receiving a selection of the second link, generate access data authenticating non-member customers;

generate a user interface for display at the user device prompting the customer for the access data, and

upon authenticating the customer based upon the access data, providing the first or second user interface to the user device of the customer depending on the selection, wherein the first user interface provides a first set of customer-selectable events that are different than a second set of customer-selectable events included in the second user interface;

generate a user interface for display at the user device prompting the customer to select at least one requested event and at least one instruction, wherein the at least one instruction is executed by the at least one server of the first financial institution when the at least one requested event is detected by the one or more servers of the first financial institution, and the at least one requested event is based on a change in value of monitored financial information detected by the one or more servers in account data received from at least one server of a second financial institution;

store in the machine storage the customer'"'"'s at least one requested event selection and the customer'"'"'s at least one instruction;

generate a user interface prompting the customer to select at least one method of notification and storing the customer'"'"'s at least one method of notification selection in the machine storage, each of the at least one method of notification associated with a respective data communications channel configured to support notification messages having a corresponding data format; and

generate a user interface prompting the customer to select at least one time for notification and storing the customer'"'"'s at least one time for notification selection in the machine storage;

upon receiving account data containing the financial information from the at least one server of the second financial institution into the one or more servers of the notification system of the first financial institution;

formulate a notification message that includes information about the at least one requested event;

send the notification message via the respective communications channel to each of the user devices of the customer corresponding to each of the customer'"'"'s at least one method of notification at the customer'"'"'s at least one time for notification; and

,

upon receiving a reply from the customer, executing the at least one instruction by the financial institution when the at least one requested event is triggered, wherein the instruction performs an action responding to the change in value of the monitored financial information.

12. A system implemented on a machine for notifying a customer of at least one requested event comprising:

a customer profile server of a notification system of a first financial institution, the customer profile server storing one or more records of a customer'"'"'s financial notification preferences, each respective record of the customer containing;

(i) at least one data field indicating at least one requested event, wherein the at least one requested event is based on a change in value of monitored financial information contained in account data received from at least one server of a second financial institution,

(ii) at least one customer'"'"'s notification method preference, each of the at least one notification method preferences indicating a corresponding user device configured to receive one or more messages from the notification system via a corresponding data communications channel,

(iii) a customer'"'"'s time for notification preferences; and

(iv) at least one instruction, wherein the at least one instruction is executed by at least one server of the first financial institution upon detecting the at least one requested event;

the at least one server of the first financial institution comprising a processor executing the at least one instruction when the one or more servers detect the at least one requested event, wherein the at least one server executes an action indicated by the at least one instruction responding to the change in value of the monitored financial information detected by the one or more servers of the first financial institution in the account data received from the at least one server of the second financial institution;

a database of the first financial institution connected to the one or more servers and storing account data containing financial information received from the at least one server of the second financial institution and the one or more servers of the first financial institution;

a first notification message generator executed by the one or more servers connected to the customer profile server and the database containing the financial information, and configured to compare the change in the value indicated by the at least one requested event with the financial information of the account data in the database, and generate a first notification message according to a first data format associated with a first communications channel when the change in the value detected by one or more servers in the financial information matches the at least one requested event;

a first notification gateway hosted on the one or more servers of the first financial institution and coupled to the first communications channel, and configured to transmit the first notification message to the customer according to a first user device associated with the first notification gateway indicated by a first customer'"'"'s notification method preferences and the time for notification preferences;

a second notification message generator executed by the one or more servers connected to the customer profile server and configured to generate a second notification message according to a second data format associated a second communications channel when the at least one instruction is executed by the at least one server of the first financial institution;

a second notification gateway hosted on the one or more servers of the first financial institution, and connected to the second notification message generator and the second communications channel, the second notification gateway configured to transmit the second notification message to a second user device of the customer according to a second customer'"'"'s notification method preferences;

a first interface generator executed by the one or more servers of the first financial institution, the first interface generator configured to generate a first link to a first website and a second link to a second website provided to the customer depending on whether the customer is a member customer or a non-member customer, wherein the first website is for member customers affiliated with a financial institution providing the notification system and the second website is for non-member customers who are not affiliated with the financial institution providing the notification system;

a second interface generator executed by the one or more servers of the first financial institution, the second interface generator configured to generate a first set of customer-selectable events to be displayed on the first website and a second set of customer-selectable events to be displayed on the second website, wherein the first set is different than the second set; and

a notification report generator connected to the customer profile server and executed by the one or more servers of the first financial institution, the notification report generator configured to generate a notification report interface displaying at least one data describing each notification message sent to the customer during a customer selected period of time, wherein the customer profile server further comprises a database storing the at least one data describing each respective notification message generated by one or more notification message generators.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one requested event is related to one of the following group consisting of a customer checking account, a customer savings account, a customer financial portfolio, a customer credit card, foreign exchange rates, interest rates, and loans.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the customer'"'"'s notification method preferences are selected from the following group consisting of electronic mail, hypertext mark-up language, pager, mobile phone text messaging, extensible mark-up language, facsimile, short message service, and telephone.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the customer'"'"'s notification time preferences are selected from the following group consisting of instantaneously, hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first financial institution is hosting the system.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second financial institution is accessible over the Internet.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second financial institution is not hosting the system.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein customers are identified in the database as being either member customers or non-member customers.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the financial information includes customer'"'"'s checking account balance, customer'"'"'s savings account balance, customer'"'"'s portfolio value, and interest rates.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein the generating a customer'"'"'s financial notification preferences includes a customer service representative.