Method and apparatus for secure vendor access to accounts payable information over the internet

• US 6,505,164 B1
• Filed: 09/19/1997
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brunsting, Carole A., Lurix, Paul L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US08/934,093
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17, 705/18, 705/21, 705/1, 705/40, 705/54, 705/52, 707/10, 713/190, 713/202, 713/200, 235/379, 380/30
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Improved techniques for remotely accessing account information through the Internet are disclosed. The remote access techniques provide security measures so that unauthorized access is unlikely even though the Internet is utilized. Assuming access is authorized, the requested account information can be acquired and then presented to a requester via the Internet in a format suitable for the type of the requested account information. In addition, as an additional security measure, the invention may also filter out any account holder identifying information from the requested account information such that the account information presented to the requester does not identify the account holder.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a vendor to access accounts payable information from a business entity financial computer over the Internet, said method comprising:

(a) requesting, by a vendor client machine, access to an Internet server machine, the client machine and the Internet server machine being coupled to the Internet, and the Internet server machine having a secure connection to the business entity financial computer;

(b) determining whether access is authorized;

(c) displaying, at the client machine, an information selection screen offering a plurality of different report types of accounts payable information when access is determined to be authorized, wherein said displaying (c) of the information selection screen comprises;

(c1) retrieving a template for the information selection screen;

(c2) producing an information selection page from the template and predetermined configuration information for the account; and

(c3) transmitting the information selection page to the client machine as the information selection screen;

(d) selecting one of the different report types of accounts payable information;

(e) displaying a data entry screen for the selected report type;

(f) entering data for the selected report type using the data entry screen being displayed;

(g) transmitting, to the server machine, a request for the selected report type in accordance with the data entered;

(h) extracting, at the server machine, the requested accounts payable information from the business entity financial computer over the secure connection;

(i) producing a report of the selected report type from at least a portion of the extracted accounts payable information;

(j) forwarding the report produced from the server machine to the client machine; and

(k) displaying, at the client machine, the report forwarded from the server machine, wherein said requesting (a), said selecting (d) and said entering (f) are operations performed by a requester, and wherein said displaying (c) further comprises;

(c4) embedding a hidden requester identifier into the information selection page before said transmitting (c3).

2. A method for enabling a vendor to access accounts payable information from a business entity financial computer over the Internet, said method comprising:

(a) requesting, by a vendor client machine, access to an Internet server machine, the client machine and the Internet server machine being coupled to the Internet, and the Internet server machine having a secure connection to the business entity financial computer;

(b) determining whether access is authorized;

(c) displaying, at the client machine, an information selection screen offering a plurality of different report types of accounts payable information when access is determined to be authorized, wherein said requesting (a) is initiated by a requester at the client machine, and wherein the information selection screen tat is displayed by said displaying (c) includes a hidden identifier embedded therein, the hidden requester identifier is the requester identifier that has been authorized for access bay said determining (b);

(d) selecting one of the different report types of accounts payable information;

(e) displaying a data entry screen for the selected report type;

(f) entering data for the selected report type using the data entry screen being displayed;

(g) transmitting, to the server machine, a request for the selected report type in accordance with the data entered;

(h) extracting, at the server machine, the requested accounts payable information from the business entity financial computer over the secure connection;

(i) producing a report of the selected report type from at least a portion of the extracted accounts payable information;

(j) forwarding the report produced from the server machine to the client machine; and

(k) displaying, at the client machine, the report forwarded from the server machine.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said transmitting (g) transmits the hidden requester identifier together with the request.