Payment certification string and related electronic payment system and method

• US 6,721,716 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mobius Management Systems, Inc. (ASG Technologies Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mobius Management Systems, Inc. (ASG Technologies Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gross, Mitchell I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US09/676,692
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 705/39, 705/40, 705/50, 705/44, 705/75, 705/76, 705/78, 705/80
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

An electronic statement, bill presentment and payment system and method includes a customer client software program and client database, and a biller server software program and server database connected over an electronic information network. A customer enrolls with a biller by communicating a request between the client and server programs including information about a funding account. The biller confirms customer account information and verifies the funding account and updates the status of the enrollment request to the customer. Electronic bill summary and/or detail information is communicated to or polled from the biller server and consolidated at the customer client software. The customer may then retrieve bill summary and/or detail information and/or communicate payment instructions authorizing an electronic transfer from the funding account to the biller. In addition, a payment certification string including funding account information is generated and transmitted to a validation server which confirms the payment instructions.

Claims

1. A computerized system for generating an electronic payment instruction from a source of funds of a customer and validating said source of funds, said system comprising:

a client application operable by a customer;

said client application including computer processor means for generating in response to input of a customer unique funding account information identifying a source of funds for making electronic payments;

said client application including processor means for generating a payment certification string from said unique funding account information, said payment certification string including a validation indicating portion initially indicating that said unique funding account information is invalid at the time said payment certification string is generated;

said client application including processor means for extracting said unique funding account information from said payment certification string only if said validation indicating portion indicates that said unique funding account information is valid;

a validation server in electronic communication with said client application;

means for establishing a secure electronic communication channel between said client application and said validation server;

said client application including means for communicating said unique funding account information extracted from said payment certification string to said validation server over said secure electronic communication channel;

said validation server including means for confirming that said unique funding account information is sufficient to enable the processing of an electronic payment from said source of funds;

said validation server including processor means for generating a validation string specifically associated with said unique funding account information only if said unique funding account information is confirmed;

said validation server including means for communicating said validation string to said client application over said secure electronic communication channel;

said client application including processor means for modifying said validation indicating portion to indicate that said unique funding account information is valid only if said validation string has been received from said validation server; and

said client application including means for generating in response to input from said customer an electronic payment instruction authorizing payment to a biller from said source of funds, said electronic payment instruction including said unique funding account information extracted from said payment certification string only if said validation indicating portion indicates that said unique funding account information is valid.

2. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said source of funds is one of a checking account, a credit card account, and a debit card account.

3. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said secure electronic communication channel is established over a global computer network.

4. The computerized system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said global computer network is the Internet.

5. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for confirming that said unique funding account information is sufficient to enable the processing of an electronic payment from said source of funds includes successfully processing said electronic payment from said source of funds.

6. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said validation string specifically associated with said unique funding account information includes at least one of an electronic signature and a hash function of said funding account information.

7. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said funding account information includes the name of an account holder, a payment processing routing code and an account number for an account, and at least one of a driver'"'"'s license number and Social Security number for said account holder.

8. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said client application further includes customer profile information.

9. The computerized system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said customer profile information includes at least one of a customer name, a customer address, a customer identification and an account number associated with a selected biller.

10. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said client application further includes password-enabled means for at least one of creating said payment certification string, modifying said payment certification string and extracting said funding account information from said payment certification string.

11. The computerized system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said client application further includes means for transmitting said electronic payment instruction to said biller;

whereby said biller can process said electronic payment instruction over one of an electronic network for transferring funds among financial institutions, an electronic cash system, and an automated teller machine network, and receive payment from said source of funds.

12. The computerized system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said electronic payment instruction is transmitted to said biller over a global computer network.

13. The computerized system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said global computer network is the Internet.

14. The computerized system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said electronic network for transferring funds among financial institutions is one of the Automated Clearinghouse Network (ACH), the Society For Worldwide Interbank Financial Transactions (SWIFT) network, and the Clearinghouse for Interbank Payment Systems (CHIPS) network.

15. The computerized system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said electronic cash system is one of E-cash and Netcash.

16. A computerized method of generating an electronic payment instruction from a source of funds of a customer and validating said source of funds, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a client application operable by a customer;

said client application generating in response to input of a customer unique funding account information identifying a source of funds for making electronic payments;

said client application generating a payment certification string from said unique funding account information, said payment certification string including a validation indicating portion initially indicating that said unique funding account information is invalid at the time said payment certification string is generated;

said client application extracting said unique funding account information from said payment certification string only if said validation indicating portion indicates that said unique funding account information is valid;

providing a validation server in electronic communication with said client application;

establishing a secure electronic communication channel between said client application and said validation server;

said client application communicating said unique funding account information extracted from said payment certification string to said validation server over said secure electronic communication channel;

said validation server confirming that said unique funding account information is sufficient to enable the processing of an electronic payment from said source of funds;

said validation server generating a validation string specifically associated with said unique funding account information only if said unique funding account information is confirmed;

said validation server communicating said validation string to said client application over said secure electronic communication channel;

said client application modifying said validation indicating portion to indicate that said unique funding account information is valid only if said validation string has been received from said validation server; and

said client application generating in response to input from said customer an electronic payment instruction authorizing payment to a biller from said source of funds, said electronic payment instruction including said unique funding account information extracted from said payment certification string only if said validation indicating portion indicates that said unique funding account information is valid.

17. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said source of funds is one of a checking account, a credit card account, and a debit card account.

18. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said secure electronic communication channel is established over a global computer network.

19. The computerized method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said global computer network is the Internet.

20. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said step of confirming that said unique funding account information is sufficient to enable the processing of an electronic payment from said source of funds includes successfully processing an electronic payment from said source of funds.

21. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said validation string specifically associated with said unique funding account information includes at least one of an electronic signature and hash of said funding account information.

22. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said funding account information includes the name of an account holder, a payment processing routing code and an account number for an account, and at least one of a driver'"'"'s license number and Social Security number for said account holder.

23. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said client application further includes customer profile information.

24. The computerized method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said customer profile information includes at least one of a customer name, a customer address, a customer identification and an account number associated with a selected biller.

25. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of providing said client application with password-enabled means for at least one of creating said payment certification string, modifying said payment certification string and extracting said funding account information from said payment certification string.

26. The computerized method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the step of said client application transmitting said electronic payment instruction to said biller;

whereby said biller can process said electronic payment instruction over one of an electronic network for transferring funds among financial institutions, an electronic cash system, and an automated teller machine network, and receive payment from said source of funds.

27. The computerized method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said electronic payment instruction is transmitted to said biller over a global computer network.

28. The computerized method as claimed in claim 27, wherein said global computer network is the Internet.

29. The computerized method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said electronic network for transferring funds among financial institutions is one of the Automated Clearinghouse Network (ACH), the Society For Worldwide Interbank Financial Transactions (SWIFT) network, and the Clearinghouse for Interbank Payment Systems (CHIPS) network.

30. The computerized method as claimed in claim 26, wherein said electronic cash system is one of E-cash and Netcash.