System for on-line financial services using distributed objects

• US 7,296,065 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• 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): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US11/306,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 44, 705/36.R, 705 67- 74, 705/2, 705/1, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219, 713/200, 713/201, 707/200, 707/104.4, 707/104.1, 719/320, 719/350, 710/1, 235/379, 235/380
• 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 data from a plurality of financial institutions comprising:

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

a web server for receiving from client computers requests for financial data and for accessing said plurality of financial information servers to retrieve financial data requested by said client computers;

a request for financial data from at least two of said plurality of financial information servers, said request received at said web server from a client computer;

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

(a) determining which of said plurality of financial information servers to access to retrieve financial data responsive to said request for financial data from said at least two of said plurality of financial information servers;

(b) communicating with said at least two of said plurality of financial information servers to retrieve said financial data responsive to said request for financial data;

(d) receiving from said at least two of said plurality of financial information servers said financial data responsive to said request for financial data;

(e) organizing for presentation at said client computer said financial data responsive to said request received from said at least two of said plurality of financial information servers; and

(f) transmitting said organized financial data to said client computer.

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

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

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one data server for processing requests from at least one of said financial information servers to locate financial data responsive to said request.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said request for financial data comprises a request for financial data from a plurality of financial institutions.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of financial institutions are selected from the group consisting of banks, credit card companies, stock brokerages, and insurance companies.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises data selected from the group consisting of account data and transaction data.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said account data comprises data selected from the group consisting of bank account data, credit card account data, debit card account data, stock brokerage account data, and insurance account data.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said account data comprises account balance data from a plurality of financial institutions.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said transaction data comprises data selected from the group consisting of bank transaction data, credit card transaction data, debit card transaction data, stock transaction data, and insurance transaction data.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein said transaction data comprises transaction data from a plurality of financial institutions.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises bill pay data.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data and transaction data.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data and bill pay data.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises transaction data and bill pay data.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data, transaction data and bill pay data.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said web server comprises a user verification component for verifying a user identity prior to receiving said request for financial data.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said financial data responsive to said request is saved at said client computer.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said organized financial data is presented at said client computer in a web browser.

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

(a) providing a plurality of financial information servers for obtaining financial data from each of a plurality of financial institutions;

(b) providing a web server for accessing said plurality of financial information servers to retrieve from said financial information servers financial data requested by clients;

(c) receiving at said web server from a client a request for financial data from at least one of said plurality of financial information servers;

(d) determining at said web server which of said plurality of financial information servers to access to retrieve financial data responsive to said request from said client;

(e) transmitting from said web server to said financial information server an access request to retrieve financial data responsive to said request from said client;

(f) receiving at said web server requested financial data from said financial information server;

(g) organizing at said web server said requested financial data for presentation at said client; and

(h) transmitting organized financial data from said web server to said client.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein providing a plurality of financial information servers comprises providing a plurality of financial information servers at different geographic sites.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein providing a plurality of financial information servers comprises providing a plurality of financial information servers at the same geographic site.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising obtaining requested financial data from a data server accessed by said financial information server.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said request for financial data comprises a request for financial data from a plurality of financial institutions.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein said plurality of financial institutions are selected from the group consisting of banks, credit card companies, stock brokerages, and insurance companies.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises data selected from the group consisting of account data and transaction data.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said account data comprises data selected from the group consisting of bank account data, credit card account data, debit card account data, stock brokerage account data, and insurance account data.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said account data comprises account data from a plurality of financial institutions.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein said transaction data comprises data selected from the group consisting of bank transaction data, credit card transaction data, debit card transaction data, stock transaction data, and insurance transaction data.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein said transaction data comprises transaction data from a plurality of financial institutions.

31. The method of claim 20 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises bill pay data.

32. The method of claim 20 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data and transaction data.

33. The method of claim 20 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data and bill pay data.

34. The method of claim 20 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises transaction data and bill pay data.

35. The method of claim 20 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data, transaction data, and bill pay data.

36. The method of claim 20 wherein said organized financial data is saved at said client.

37. The method of claim 20 further comprising displaying said organized financial data at said client in a web browser.

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

(a) providing a plurality of financial information servers for obtaining financial data from each of a plurality of financial institutions;

(b) providing a web server for accessing said plurality of financial information servers to retrieve from said financial information servers financial data requested by clients;

(c) accepting at said web server a client request for financial data from at least two of said plurality of financial information servers;

(d) determining at said web server which of said plurality of financial information servers to access to retrieve financial data responsive to said request from said client;

(e) transmitting from said web server to a first financial information server a first access request to retrieve financial data responsive to said request from said client;

(f) receiving at said web server requested financial data from said first financial information server;

(g) transmitting from said web server to a second financial information server a second access request to retrieve financial data responsive to said request from said client;

(h) receiving at said web server requested financial data from said second financial information server;

(i) organizing at said web server said requested financial data from said first financial information server and said second financial information server for presentation at said client; and

(j) transmitting organized financial data from said web server to said client.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein providing a plurality of financial information servers comprises providing a plurality of financial information servers at different geographic sites.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein providing a plurality of financial information servers comprises providing a plurality of financial information servers at the same geographic site.

41. The method of claim 38 further comprising obtaining requested financial data from a data server accessed by said first financial information server or said second financial information server.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein said plurality of financial institutions are selected from the group consisting of banks, credit card companies, stock brokerages, and insurance companies.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein said requested financial data from said first financial information server or said second financial information server comprises account data.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said account data comprises data selected from the group consisting of bank account data, credit card account data, debit card account data, stock brokerage account data, and insurance account data.

45. The method of claim 38 wherein said requested financial data from said first financial information server or said second financial information server comprises transaction data.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein said transaction data comprises data selected from the group consisting of bank transaction data, credit card transaction data, debit card transaction data, stock transaction data, and insurance transaction data.

47. The method of claim 38 wherein said requested financial data from said first financial information server or said second financial information server comprises bill pay data.

48. The method of claim 38 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data and transaction data.

49. The method of claim 38 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data and bill pay data.

50. The method of claim 38 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises transaction data and bill pay data.

51. The method of claim 38 wherein said financial data responsive to said request comprises account data, transaction data and bill pay data.

52. The method of claim 38 further comprising verifying a user identity prior to receiving said request from said client at said web server.

53. The method of claim 38 further comprising displaying said organized financial data at said client in a web browser.