Paying multiple payees through integration of a third-party on-line payment system with an enterprise information technology system

• US 7,739,193 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sander, Joachim, Zimmer, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US11/616,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20080162341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705 39- 44, 705/64, 705 74- 79, 725/5, 709201-203
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Techniques for displaying a graphical user interface operable to receive user input specifying payments to be made are described. Each payment identifies a payee and a payment method to be used to make the payment. The techniques include making a determination as to whether any of the specified payments involve a payment method that uses a third-party on-line payment system. In response to a determination that a specified payment involves a payment method that uses a third-party on-line payment system, a message is sent to the third-party on-line payment system. The message includes payment information for specified payments to be paid by the third-party on-line payment system such that the third-party on-line payment system is able to process the specified payments.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program having a financial component including instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:

providing a graphical user interface generated by a financial component, the financial component including a financial data store and a third-party payment system data store wherein;

the financial data store includes information about payable items owed by a particular business entity,

the third-party payment system data store includes data about a third-party on-line payment system capable of processing payments made by the particular business entity,

the third-party payment system data store is accessible to the financial component and is not accessible by a third-party on-line payment system,

the graphical user interface being operable to receive user input specifying payments to be made by the particular business entity, each payment identifying a payee and a payment method to be used to make the payment, and

the financial component configured to generate a payment to be made by the particular business entity using a third-party on-line payment system and to generate a payment to be made by the particular business entity using a payment method that does not involve a third-party on-line payment system;

making a determination as to whether any of the specified payments involve a payment method using a third-party on-line payment system that is separate from the financial component; and

in response to a determination that a specified payment involves a payment method using a third-party on-line payment system,

accessing the third-party payment system data store to retrieve identifying information about a third-party payment system to be used for a specified payment involving a payment method using a third-party on-line payment system that is separate from the financial component, and

sending to the third-party on-line payment system, based on the accessed identifying information about the third-party payment system to be used for the specified payment involving, a message including payment information for specified payments to be paid by the third-party on-line payment system such that the third-party on-line payment system is able to process the specified payments based on information in the message and without receiving further direct user input.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising accessing data representing unpaid invoices associated with the payee.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 further comprising displaying the accessed unpaid invoices within the graphical user interface such that the graphical user interface is operable to receive user input specifying one or more unpaid invoices to pay from among the accessed unpaid invoice data.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the payment information is sent through a file transfer to the third-party on-line payment system.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising providing a notification including information associated with processing the payment to the payee.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 further comprising providing a notification to the payee including information associated with processing the payment to the payee.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising receiving user input indicating confirmation of the specified payments to be made.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising receiving user input indicating confirmation of payment of some of the invoices associated with the identified payee.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the specified payments include invoices associated with a payee identified in the specified payments.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising initiating a graphical user interface associated with the third-party on-line payment system.

11. A computer-implemented method for making payments using a third-party on-line payment system, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface generated by a financial component, the financial component including a financial data store and a third-party payment system data store wherein;

the financial data store includes information about payable items owed by a particular business entity,

the third-party payment system data store includes data about a third-party on-line payment system capable of processing payments made by the particular business entity,

the third-party payment system data store is accessible to the financial component and is not accessible by a third-party on-line payment system,

the graphical user interface being operable to receive user input specifying payments to be made by the particular business entity, each payment identifying a payee and a payment method to be used to make the payments, and

the financial component configured to generate a payment to be made by the particular business entity using a third-party on-line payment system and to generate a payment to be made by the particular business entity using a payment method that does not involve a third-party on-line payment system;

making a determination as to whether any of the specified payments involve a payment method using a third-party on-line payment system that is separate from the financial component; and

in response to a determination that a specified payment involves a payment method using a third-party on-line payment system,

accessing the third-party payment system data store to retrieve identifying information about a third-party payment system to be used for a specified payment involving a payment method using a third-party on-line payment system that is separate from the financial component, and

sending to the third-party on-line payment system, based on the accessed identifying information about the third-party payment system to be used for the specified payment involving, a message including payment information for specified payments to be paid by the third-party on-line payment system such that the third-party on-line payment system is able to process the specified payments based on information in the message and without receiving further direct user input.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising accessing data representing unpaid invoices associated with the payee.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 further comprising displaying the accessed unpaid invoices within the graphical user interface such that the graphical user interface is operable to receive user input specifying one or more unpaid invoices to pay from among the accessed unpaid invoice data.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the payment information is sent through a file transfer to the third-party on-line payment system.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising providing a notification including information associated with processing the payment to the payee.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 further comprising providing a notification to the payee including information associated with processing the payment to the payee.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising receiving user input indicating confirmation of the specified payments to be made.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising receiving user input indicating confirmation of payment of some of the invoices associated with the identified payee.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 wherein the specified payments include invoices associated with a payee identified in the specified payments.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising initiating a graphical user interface associated with the third-party on-line payment system.

21. A computer system for enabling a user to define a payment to be paid through a third-party online payment system, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

a financial component comprising;

a financial data store including information about payable items, and

instructions embodied on computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations that enable a user of the financial component to define a payment to be paid through a third-party on-line payment system, the operations including;

receiving user input to identify the third-party on-line payment system to be used to pay a payable item about which information is included in the financial data store, and

receiving user input to identify the payable item, the payable item information identifying a payee for payment, the payee being an entity other than the business entity operating the third-party on-line payment system;

a third-party on-line payment component comprising;

a third-party payment system store including identifying information about the third-party payment system,

instructions embodied on computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations enabling a user to identify information about another third-party on-line payment system for storage in the third-party payment system store, and

instructions embodied on computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, creates a message for a third-party on-line payment system by;

accessing the third-party payment store information to retrieve identifying information about the third-party on-line payment system identified by the user input to identify the third-party on-line payment system,

accessing the transaction data store to retrieve information about the payable item identified by the user input to identify the payable item, and

creating a message defining a payment to the payee to be paid through the third-party on-line payment system, the message including information enabling the third-party on-line payment system to pay the payee without receiving further interactive user input;

instructions embodied on computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, make a determination as to whether a payment to be made involves a third-party on-line payment system;

instructions embodied on computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, generate a payment to be made using a payment process that does not involve a third-party on-line payment system; and

instructions embodied on computer-readable medium that, when executed by the at least one processor, in response to a determination that a payment to be made involves a third-party on-line payment system, send the message to the third-party on-line payment system based on information about the third-party on-line payment system accessed from the third-party payment system store.