Enterprise information and communication system having a transaction management engine for managing bills vouchers purchases and email notifications

• US 7,433,836 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: McNerney, Michelle, Sizer, II, Theodore, August, Katherine G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/653,810
• Time in Patent Office: 2,958 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/222, 709/228, 370/352, 705/51, 705/30, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

An information and communication system uses an web page like environment or “Personal Space” to integrate a plurality of communication and monitoring functions. Home or enterprise automation components are linked together via wired or unwired network links and accessed via the Personal Space. Communications services are accessed through a wide variety of devices and facilitated by the Personal Space. Databases are built and used to customize user services. User profiles and system use patterns are compared and analyzed to continuously improve system performance.

Claims

1. An enterprise information and communication system comprising:

at least one database;

a transaction management engine operative to manage transaction information and move the transaction information to and from the database, the management of transaction information including at least one of sending electronic bill pay information to a vendor or service provider, monitoring email traffic in anticipation of an arrival of a bill, correlating a bill with calendar events, thereby associating the bill with an appropriate book keeping category, preparing portions of expense vouchers, allowing a user to group items together as a transaction, automatically connecting entities into a representation of a transaction, tracking sessions, correlating a plurality of session together, using configuration management techniques to complete a view of a transaction and/or session element, providing a view of incomplete transactions to a user, allowing a user to update an element in a transaction and providing for the labeling of received messages as belonging to one or more transaction or one or more transaction type;

an access management engine for maintaining security of the system wherein the access management engine is operative to hold records of at least one user and associates of the user and information to which the at least one user and associates have shared access and to provide permission for accessing the at least one database;

an information mining engine operative to sort information within the at least one database and to locate information stored on remote devices; and

,

an input control engine operative to maintain and use device drivers accepting and managing input from the user through the associated devices.

2. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 1 further comprising a profile manager operative to store and analyze information in the at least one database about the at least one user and about devices associated with the system.

3. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 1 further comprising a time a management engine operative to maintain control of time sensitive events and information in the at least one database and to generate messages regarding time sensitive information.

4. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 1 further comprising an information translation engine operative to present information from and to accept information for the at least one database via the associated devices.

5. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 1 further comprising a provisioning engine operative to accept, store and coordinate information and communication system configuration information.

6. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 1 further comprising a control operative to negotiate and allocate information and communication system resources.

7. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 1 further comprising:

a central communications device operative to access the at least one database and at least one of the transaction management engine, access management engine, and for communicating with a local network.

8. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 7 further comprising:

a plurality of output devices linked to the central communications device.

9. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of output device further comprises:

at least one of a display, a monitor, a television, an audio speaker and speaker driving system, a computer, a palm top, a telephone, an electronic toy, a cell phone, a baby monitor and a lap top computer.

10. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 7 further comprising:

a plurality of input devices linked to the central communications device.

11. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of input device further comprises:

at least one of a keyboard, a microphone, a position sensor, a computer, a palm top, a telephone, an electronic toy, a cell phone, a refrigerator data pad, a baby monitor, a global positioning system receiver and a lap top computer.

12. An enterprise information and communications system comprising:

at least one database;

an information pusher operative to send information from the at least one database to at least one provisioned recipient based on at least one provisioned event;

an information puller operative to request information from other systems to be stored, at least temporarily in the at least one database

an information sender operative to supply information from the at least one database, requested in an information pull from outside the enterprise information system

an information receiver operative to review and possibly store information pushed at the information and communication system from outside the information and communication system; and

,

a transaction management engine operative to manage transaction information and move the transaction information to and from the database the management of transaction information including at least one of pushing electronic bill pay information to a vendor or service provider through the services of the information pusher, monitoring email traffic in anticipation of an arrival of a bill through the services of the information receiver, correlating a bill with calendar events, thereby associating the bill with an appropriate book keeping category, preparing portions of expense vouchers, allowing a user to group items together as a transaction, automatically connecting entities into a representation of a transaction, tracking sessions, correlating a plurality of session together, using configuration management techniques to complete a view of a transaction and/or session element, providing a view of incomplete transactions to a user, allowing a user to update an element in a transaction and providing for the labeling of received messages received from the information receiver as belonging to one or more transaction or one or more transaction type.

13. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 12 further comprising:

a central communications device operative to access the at least one database and for communicating with a local network.

14. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 13 further comprising:

a plurality of output devices linked to the central communications device via the local network.

15. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of output device further comprises:

at least one of a display, a monitor, a television, an audio speaker and speaker driving system, a computer, a palm top, a telephone, an electronic toy, a cell phone, a baby monitor and a lap top computer.

16. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 13 further comprising:

a plurality of input devices linked to the central communications device via the local network.

17. The enterprise information and communication system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of input device further comprises:

at least one of a keyboard, a microphone, a position sensor, a computer, a palm top, a telephone, an electronic toy, a cell phone, a refrigerator data pad, a baby monitor, a global positioning system receiver and a lap top computer.