System and method of facilitating transactions over a computer network

• US 7,899,718 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Bureau, Scott Ivan, Large, Steven Michael, Howell, Cheryl Anne, Rose, Bonnie Michelle, Gloria, Joseph Richard, Rothe, Michael John, Gaitan, Thomas David, Hotard, Robert Joseph, Price, Susan Yonker, Post, Jeffry Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEIKH, ASFAND M
• Application Number:
  US10/209,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,134 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

On-line systems and methods allow customers to view and purchase financial services products, such as annuities, and the like, which are subject to State regulations and require the use of State mandated forms. Customers are able to view State-specific forms and to electronically sign such forms to make a purchase.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating financial transactions over a computer network using an e-commerce site comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first repository containing customer information for a plurality of customers;

b) providing a second repository containing product information relating to a plurality of financial products;

c) receiving a request to review said product information from a first of said plurality of customers;

d) utilizing said customer information, determining which geographical area, including which State of the United States, is attributable to said first customer;

e) utilizing said State attributable to said first customer, retrieving one or more of said financial products from said second repository and displaying said one or more of said financial products upon said ecommerce site, each of said financial products being available for purchase in said first customer'"'"'s State;

f) receiving, from said first customer, an indication that he or she wishes to purchase a first of said financial products;

g) displaying, upon said e-commerce site, a plurality of data fields associated with said first financial product, said data fields capable of receiving transactional information from said first customer, said transactional information being required in said first customer'"'"'s State for the purchase of said first financial product, and receiving said transactional information from said first customer;

h) merging said transactional information into an image type data form, and displaying the image type data form containing said transactional information upon said e-commerce site for review by said customer, said image type data form having an appearance which is substantially identical to the appearance of the corresponding form required in said first customer'"'"'s State for the purchase of said first financial product and containing substantially all the information found in said corresponding form;

i) displaying said image type data form, at least one legal disclaimer relating to said image type data form, and an e-signature button upon said e-commerce site, wherein said image type data form is presented upon said e-commerce site in portable document format;

j) upon said first customer'"'"'s selection of said e-signature button, creating a log record of the transaction;

k) importing the time and date of e-signature button selection by said first customer into said image type data form; and

l) storing said image type data form in a third repository.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first repository and said second repository are the same repository.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of:

retrieving said customer information from said first repository.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the additional steps of:

receiving product specific information from said first customer describing one or more types of said financial products said customer would prefer to review; and

,

utilizing said geographical area attributable to said first customer and said product specific information, retrieving one or more of said financial products and displaying said one or more financial products upon said e-commerce site, each of said financial products being available for purchase in said first customer'"'"'s State.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of:

displaying one or more comparison points upon said e-commerce site for review by said plurality of customers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transactional information received from said first customer into said data fields is presented upon said e-commerce site for validation by said first customer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of:

crediting said first customer with one or more incentives in exchange for the purchase of said first financial product.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of:

if more than one of said image type data forms is required to purchase said first financial product, repeating steps g) through k) until said first customer has selected said e-signature button for each image type data form required in said first customer'"'"'s State to purchase said first financial product.