Customizable electronic bill presentment and payment system and method

• US 20030220871A1
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Clarke, William D., Palma, Daniel M., Laprade, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US10/153,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

An customizable electronic bill presentment computer system for providing bill information from a biller to a remote customer over a network. The system processes a requested transaction from a customer through an interaction controller that utilizes stored scripts of instructions in an action descriptor repository. The action descriptor repository includes customized instructions for controlling business objects and presentation objects. The action descriptor repository and a presentation descriptor repository are maintained discrete from the business logic, presentation logic, and interaction controller, thereby providing that the repositories are the only part of the system directly reflecting the biller'"'"'s particular electronic billing needs, the information in the repositories being customizable for the biller.

Claims

1. An electronic bill presentment computer system for providing bill information from a biller to a remote customer over a network, the customer submitting a requested transaction to the electronic bill presentment computer system, the electronic bill presentment computer system configured and programmed to include:

a presentation descriptor repository, the presentation descriptor repository including data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look-and-feel for presentation of electronic billing results to the customer;

a presentation logic module providing a visual presentation of results of the requested transaction from the system to the customer, the presentation logic module utilizing look-and-feel data retrieved from the presentation descriptor repository; and

wherein the presentation descriptor repository is discrete from the presentation logic module, thereby providing that only said presentation descriptor repository, and not the presentation logic module, directly reflects a particular electronic billing presentation requirement of the biller, the information in said presentation descriptor repository being customizable for the biller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation descriptor repository further includes:

a look-and-feel library including one or more presentation page templates; and

wherein the presentation logic module further includes;

a look-and-feel object creating an appropriate presentation page template for the requested transaction.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the one or more presentation page templates in the look-and-feel library are stored using descriptors in XML format.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation descriptor repository further includes:

a look-and-feel library including one or more presentation page templates;

a result descriptor repository including instructions for presenting particular kinds of electronic billing results, as suited for the biller'"'"'s particular electronic billing needs; and

an element resource repository including cosmetic elements particular to the biller;

and wherein the presentation logic module further includes;

a look-and-feel object creating an appropriate presentation page template for the requested transaction; and

a formatting object cooperating with the look-and-feel object and formatting the electronic billing results in accordance with the instructions in the result descriptor repository and extracting cosmetic elements from the element resource repository, look-and-feel object and the formatting object thereby preparing a result presentation page to send to the customer in response to the transaction request.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the one or more presentation page templates in the look-and-feel library are stored using descriptors in XML format.

6. An electronic bill presentment computer system for providing bill information from a biller to a remote customer over a network, the customer submitting a requested transaction to the electronic bill presentment computer system, the electronic bill presentment computer system configured and programmed to include:

an action descriptor repository including a script of the processing instructions corresponding to the requested transaction, the script being directed to particular electronic bill requirements of the biller and including one or more of the following;

(a) an identification of business objects to instantiate, (b) a method to invoke the business objects, and (c) a presentation instruction;

a business logic module including a plurality of business objects for determining electronic billing results;

a presentation descriptor repository, the presentation descriptor repository including data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look-and-feel for presentation of electronic billing results to the customer;

a presentation logic module receiving electronic billing results from the business logic module and providing a visual presentation of the electronic billing results to the customer, the presentation logic module utilizing look-and-feel data retrieved from the presentation descriptor repository; and

an interaction controller receiving the requested transaction from the customer and retrieving the corresponding script of processing instructions from the action descriptor repository, the interaction controller invoking business objects in the business logic module and providing presentation instructions to the presentation logic module in accordance with the script of processing instructions;

wherein the action descriptor repository and the presentation descriptor repository are discrete from the business logic module, the presentation logic module, and the interaction controller, thereby providing that said repositories are the only part of the system directly reflecting the biller'"'"'s particular electronic billing needs, the information in said repositories being customizable for the biller.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the business logic module and the presentation logic module are separate and discrete within the system, thereby providing that one may be modified without requiring modification of the other.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the presentation descriptor repository further includes:

a look-and-feel library including one or more presentation page templates;

a result descriptor repository including instructions for presenting particular kinds of electronic billing results, as suited for the biller'"'"'s particular electronic billing needs; and

an element resource repository including cosmetic elements particular to the biller;

and wherein the presentation logic module further includes;

a look-and-feel object receiving presentation instructions from the interaction controller, the look-and-feel object creating an appropriate presentation page template for the requested transaction; and

a formatting object receiving electronic billing results from the business logic module and cooperating with the appropriate presentation page template from the look-and-feel object, the formatting object formatting the electronic billing results in accordance with the instructions in the result descriptor repository and extracting cosmetic elements from the element resource repository, the look-and-feel object and the formatting object thereby preparing a result presentation page to send to the customer in response to the transaction request.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the one or more presentation page templates in the look-and-feel library are stored using descriptors in XML format.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the script of processing instructions in the action descriptor repository is stored in XML format.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the presentation descriptor repository comprises presentation information stored in XML format.

12. A method for providing electronic bill information from a biller to a remote customer over a network, the customer submitting a requested transaction, the method comprising:

storing customized data pertaining to a particular look-and-feel of the biller for presentation of electronic billing results to the customer;

storing presentation logic code independent of the data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look and feel;

activating the presentation logic code in accordance with the look-and-feel data retrieved from the stored data to create a visual presentation to be provided to the customer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of storing presentation logic code includes providing an update to the presentation logic code without affecting the customized data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look and feel.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of storing data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look-and-feel includes storing descriptors in XML format.

15. A method for providing electronic bill information from a biller to a remote customer over a network, the customer submitting a requested transaction, the method comprising:

storing a customized script of the processing instructions corresponding to the requested transaction, the customized script being directed to the biller'"'"'s particular electronic bill presentment needs and including one or more of the following;

(a) an identification of business logic to instantiate, (b) a method to invoke the business logic, and (c) a presentation instruction;

storing business logic code independent of the customized script of processing instructions,

retrieving the customized script of processing instructions corresponding to the requested transaction;

applying the customized script of processing instructions to the business logic code and determining electronic billing results;

storing customized data pertaining to a particular look-and-feel of the biller for presentation of electronic billing results to the customer;

storing presentation logic code independent of the data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look and feel;

applying the presentation logic code in accordance with the customized look-and-feel data retrieved from the stored data to create a visual presentation of the electronic billing results from the business logic code to be provided to the customer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of storing business logic code includes providing an update to the business logic code without affecting the customized script of processing instructions.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of storing a customized script of the processing instructions includes storing descriptors in XML format.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of storing data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look-and-feel includes storing descriptors in XML format.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of storing a customized script of the processing instructions includes storing descriptors in XML format.

20. A web page presenting electronic bill information from a biller over the Internet to a customer, the web page generated in response to a submission of a requested transaction by the customer, the web page further generated using a method as follows:

storing customized data pertaining to a particular look-and-feel of the biller for presentation of electronic billing results to the customer;

storing presentation logic code independent of the data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look and feel;

receiving the requested transaction from the customer via the Internet;

generating electronic billing results in response to the requested transaction;

activating the presentation logic code in accordance with the look-and-feel data retrieved from the stored customized data to create the web page representing a visual presentation of the electronic billing results to be provided to the customer; and

transmitting the web page to the customer via the Internet.

21. The web page of claim 20 wherein the method of generating the web page and the step of storing presentation logic code further includes providing an update to the presentation logic code without affecting the customized data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look and feel.

22. The web page of claim 20 wherein the method of generating the web page and the step of storing data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look-and-feel further includes storing descriptors in XML format.

23. A web page presenting electronic bill information from a biller over the Internet to a customer, the web page generated in response to a submission of a requested transaction by the customer, the web page further generated using a method as follows:

storing a customized script of the processing instructions corresponding to the requested transaction, the customized script being directed to a particular electronic bill presentment need of the biller and including one or more of the following;

(a) an identification of business logic to instantiate, (b) a method to invoke the business logic, and (c) a presentation instruction;

storing business logic code independent of the customized script of processing instructions,

receiving the submission of the requested transaction;

retrieving the customized script of processing instructions corresponding to the requested transaction;

applying the customized script of processing instructions to the business logic code and determining electronic billing results;

storing customized data pertaining to a particular look-and-feel of the biller for presentation of electronic billing results to the customer;

storing presentation logic code independent of the data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look and feel;

applying the presentation logic code in accordance with the customized look-and-feel data retrieved from the stored data to create a visual presentation of the electronic billing results to be provided to the customer.

24. The web page of claim 23 wherein the method of generating the web page and the step of storing business logic code further includes providing an update to the business logic code without affecting the customized script of processing instructions.

25. The web page of claim 23 wherein the method of generating the web page and the step of storing a customized script of the processing instructions further includes storing descriptors in XML format.

26. The web page of claim 23 wherein the method of generating the web page and the step of storing data pertaining to the biller'"'"'s particular look-and-feel further includes storing descriptors in XML format.

27. The web page of claim 26 wherein the method of generating the web page and the step of storing a customized script of the processing instructions further includes storing descriptors in XML format.