System for on-line financial services using distributed objects

• US 7,032,008 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: H&R Block Tax Services LLC (H&R Block, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block Financial Corporation (H&R Block, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, William P., Geller, Jacob B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US09/932,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/207, 382/100, 382/137, 364/408, 359/616, 707/200, 707/104.4, 707/104.1, 395/650, 395/616, 719/320, 379/93.19, 705/14, 705/35, 705/36, 705/40, 705/79, 713/200, 710/1
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system is disclosed for accessing recent financial information from various financial services providers. The system is based on a client/server architecture so that services are accessible from a variety of presentation tools. Communications between clients and servers are accomplished using “Interfaces” that group operations and attributes for various services. The system uses the TCP/IP protocol suite so financial services are available at any time and from any location.

Claims

1. A system for providing to web users financial information from a plurality of financial institutions comprising:

a plurality of financial information servers for accessing financial information from each of the plurality of financial institutions;

a web server for accessing the plurality of financial information servers;

a name server comprising pairs of names and locations of financial information servers for locating the financial information servers for processing financial information requests; and

at least one web server process for performing the steps of;

(a) receiving a financial information request from a client, the financial information request comprising the name of a financial information server for servicing the financial information request;

(b) communicating with the name server to locate a financial information server for servicing the financial information request;

(c) communicating with the financial information server for servicing the financial information request;

(d) receiving the requested financial information from the financial information server for servicing the financial information request;

(e) organizing the requested financial information for presentation at the client; and

(f) transmitting the organized financial information to the client.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at different geographic sites.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at the same geographic site.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data server for processing requests from the financial information server for servicing the financial information request.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the requested financial information comprises account balance data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the requested financial information comprises financial transaction data.

7. The system of claim 1 Wherein the financial information request further comprises a name of a financial institution, an account number, and a type of information.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the web server comprises a user verification component.

9. The system of claim 1 the client is selected from the group consisting of Microsoft®

Windows™

applications, Web browsers, text-terminals applications, X.25 transactions, and telephony applications.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the pairs of names and locations in the name server are loaded into a name lookup database.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the financial information server for servicing the financial information request is saved at the web server.

12. A method for providing to web users financial information from a plurality of financial institutions comprising:

(a) providing for access using a web server a plurality of financial information servers for obtaining financial information from each of a plurality of financial institutions;

(b) providing for access by the web server a name server comprising pairs of names and locations of financial information servers for locating the financial information servers for processing financial information requests;

(c) receiving at the web server from a client a financial information request comprising the name of a financial information server for servicing the financial information request;

(d) sending from the web server to the name server a request to locate a financial information server for servicing the financial information request;

(e) sending from the web server to the financial information server for servicing the financial information a request for financial information according to the financial information request from the client;

(f) receiving at the web server the requested financial information from the financial information server for servicing the financial information request;

(g) organizing at the web server the requested financial information for presentation at the client; and

(h) sending the organized financial information from the web server to client.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at different geographic sites.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at the same geographic site.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the financial information server for servicing the financial information request obtains the requested financial information from a database server.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the requested financial information comprises account balance data.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the requested financial information comprises financial transaction data.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the financial information request further comprises a name of a financial institution, an account number, and a type of information.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the web server comprises a user verification component.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the requested financial information is saved at the web server.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein the client is selected from the group consisting of Microsoft®

Windows™

applications, web browsers, text-terminals applications, X.25 transactions, and telephony applications.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein the pairs of names and locations at the name server are loaded into a name lookup database.

23. A system for processing requests for financial information from a plurality of financial institutions comprising:

a plurality of financial information servers for accessing financial information from the plurality of financial institutions;

a web server for receiving financial information requests from clients and receiving from the financial information servers financial information responsive to the financial information requests, the financial information requests comprising a name of a financial information server for processing the financial information request;

a name server comprising pairs of names and locations of financial information servers for processing the financial information requests from clients by receiving from each request the name of the financial information server for processing the financial information request and returning location information for the financial information server for processing the financial information request,

wherein a client of the web server receives from the web server financial information responsive to a financial information request, the financial information received by the web server which communicates with the financial information server for processing the financial information request according to the location information from the name server.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at different geographic sites.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at the same geographic site.

26. The system of claim 23 further comprising a data server for processing requests from the financial information server for servicing the financial information request.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the requested financial information comprises account balance data.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein the requested financial information comprises financial transaction data.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein the financial information request further comprises a name of a financial institution, an account number, and a type of information.

30. The system of claim 23 wherein the web server comprises a user verification component.

31. The system of claim 23 wherein the financial information responsive to the financial information request is saved at the web server.

32. The system of claim 23 wherein the client is selected from the group consisting of Microsoft®

Windows™

applications, web browsers, text-terminals applications, X.25 transactions, and telephony applications.

33. The system of claim 23 wherein the pairs of names and locations in the name server are loaded into a name lockup database.

34. A method for processing requests for financial information from a plurality of financial institutions comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of financial information servers that obtain financial information the plurality of financial institutions;

(b) providing for access by clients a web server that receives financial information requests and communicates with the financial information servers to receive financial information responsive to the financial information requests, the financial information requests comprising a name of a financial information server for processing the financial information request;

(c) providing location information for a financial information server for processing a financial information request, the location information provided by a name server comprising pairs of names and locations of financial information servers that returns the location information for a financial information server for processing a financial information request in response to receiving a name of a financial information server; and

(d) providing to a client of the web server financial information responsive to a financial information request, the financial information received by the web server which communicates with the financial information server for processing the financial information request according to the location information provided by the name server in response to receiving a name at a financial information server in the financial information request.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at different geographic sites.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the plurality of financial information servers are located at the same geographic site.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the financial information server for servicing the financial information request obtains the financial information responsive to the financial information request from a database server.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein the financial information responsive to the financail information request is saved at the web server.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the financial information responsive to the financial information request comprises account balance data.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein the financial information responsive to the financial information request comprises financial transaction data.

41. The method of claim 34 wherein the financial information request further comprises a name of a financial institution, an account number, and a type of information.

42. The method of claim 34 wherein the web server comprises a user verification component.

43. The method of claim 34 wherein the client is selected from the group consisting of Microsoft®

Windows™

applications, web browsers, text-terminals applications, X.25 transactions, and telephony applications.

44. The method of claim 34 wherein the pairs of names and locations in the name server are loaded into a name lookup database.