Method and system for an online-like account processing and management

• US 8,019,739 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meyerhofer, Sandra J., Adelson, Richard A., Bendel, Doug, Kaplan, Marshall, Medina, Nora, Engel, Marie T., Lamb, John E., Barrett, Kathleen, Ryan, Jeffrey J., Tsokalas, James, Sirica, Jean A., Kirby, Beverly I., Williams, M. Kathleen, Smith, Mark J., Chaput, Daniel B., Busque, Keven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US12/702,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 707/643, 707/741, 707/799, 707/704, 705/34, 705/35, 705/40, 705/42
• US Class Current: 707/704
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The present invention is embodied in an online-like transaction processing method and system for processing account information contained in batch process files, the method including: reading at least one batch file containing a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records being related to an associated one of a plurality of accounts; identifying which of the plurality of records relate to same ones of the plurality of accounts; identifying one of the accounts; and, processing all of the records identified as relating to the one of the accounts together and independent of processing any of the records relating to any other of the plurality of accounts.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing account information, comprising:

a memory device for storing at least one file containing a plurality of records, wherein each of said plurality of records is associated with one of a plurality of accounts, and at least two of the records are identified with a common one of the accounts; and

a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor configured to;

access the memory device to read the at least one file;

restrict access to the common account;

process each of the records identified as relating to the common account prior to processing records relating to others of said plurality of accounts; and

unrestrict access to the common account after all of the records identified as related to the common account are processed; and

after unrestricting access to the common account, process others of the records identified as relating to others of the accounts.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

create a work queue which includes index-like entries which identify each of the plurality of records that relate to the common account; and

select the common account in accordance with a control cycle.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control cycle is selected from the group consisting of:

daily, day specific, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the results of processing of each selected account to one or more output staging tables.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to feed data from the one or more output staging tables to one or more post processing stages.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the records comprise data received from a premiums data feed, a non-financial data feed and a payment data feed.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to select preexisting ones of said accounts for processing prior to new ones of said accounts.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing includes debiting said common account.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing includes reconciling said common account.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises creating bills.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises determining disbursements.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises generating notices.

13. A computer system for processing account information contained in batch process files in an online like manner, comprising:

a memory device for storing at least one batch file containing a plurality of records, each of said plurality of records associated with one of a plurality of accounts; and

a processor in communication with said memory device, said processor configured to;

read at least one of said batch files;

identify which of said plurality of records relate to same ones of said plurality of accounts by creating a work queue which includes index-like entries which identify each of the plurality of records;

select one of said accounts in accordance with a control cycle and restrict access to said selected account;

process each of said records identified as relating to said selected one of said accounts prior to processing any of said records relating to any other of said plurality of accounts; and

remove said restricted access to said selected account after all of said records identified as related to said selected account are processed and prior to processing any of said records relating to any other of said plurality of accounts.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the at least one batch file comprises a flat file including sequential records having headers, trailers and balancing data.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the processing includes preparing entries for output staging tables.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to prepare entries for the output staging tables responsive to determining that no records in an input staging table correspond to the one of the accounts currently being processed.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a trial balance for the account based on the entries in the output staging tables.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the processing includes applying payments received against receivables and payables.

19. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the processing includes matching non-financial data with premiums data.

20. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising an input/output subsystem.