Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
203 words
A method for electronic bill presentation and
payment, comprising the entity steps of: obtaining a plurality of bill files, each bill
file associated with a particular billing and a
particular billing account maintained at a biller's
financial institution, each bill file including a
plurality of records, each record identifying a
particular invoice account and a corresponding balance
representing a financial obligation owed by a
corresponding customer to the billing entity; processing records in each bill file by: obtaining a routing address associated with
a customer's financial institution where the
corresponding customer maintains an account; obtaining customer account identification
information identifying the corresponding
customer's account at the customer's financial
institution; assembling a bill packet corresponding to
the bill record, the bill packet including
information from the corresponding bill record
and the customer's account identification
information; and transmitting the bill packet to an
electronic repository corresponding to the
customer's financial institution using the
associated routing address; and processing the bill packets received by each
electronic repository by: sorting the received bill packets by
customer's account information; assembling a bill presentation file
containing information from the received bill
packets for each customer account; and electronically presenting each bill presentation filed for viewing
and electronic bill payment.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining a routing address
comprises the steps of: obtaining a payment made by the customer remunerated to the billing
entity; data mining the payment to obtain customer's financial institution data
that distinctly identifies the customer's financial institution; and associating the customer's financial institution data with a routing
address.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the customer's financial institution data
includes an American Bankers Association routing and transit number or
wherein the customer's financial institution data includes an International
Organisation for Standardisation issuer identification number or wherein the
step of associating the customer's financial institution data with a routing
address comprises the step of registering the customer's financial institution
data with an Internet Domain Name Service.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a routing address comprises
the steps of: associating the customer's financial institution with a globally unique
identifier; registering the globally unique identifier with an Internet Domain Name
Service; receiving an Internet Protocol address corresponding to the globally
unique identifier that has been registered with the Internet Domain Name
Service; and loading information into a look-up table database that correlates the
customer's financial institution with the Internet Protocol address.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assembling a bill packet
further comprises the step of encrypting the bill packet and preferably wherein
the step of processing the bill packets received by each electronic repository
further comprises the step of decrypting the bill packet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
94 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assembling a bill packet
further comprises the step of attaching to the bill record a Universal Resource
Locator of a server operated by the billing entity to enable the customer to find
detailed billing information or wherein the step of electronically presenting each
bill presentation file for viewing the electronic bill payment further comprises
the steps of: providing security for accessing the bill presentation file to ensure the
privacy of any information displayed; and providing security to ensure the confidentiality of any payment
information received.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of electronically presenting each
bill presentation file for viewing and electronic bill payment includes receiving
authorisation to debit a direct deposit account at the customer's financial
institution, and preferably further comprising the step of debiting the customer's
direct deposit account and preferably further comprising the step of charging
the customer's credit card.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of electronically presenting each
bill presentation file for viewing and electronic bill payment includes
authorisation to charge a credit card of the customer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
83 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording the
payment by the customer in a customer payment warehouse database or further
comprising the steps of: sending an automated payment to the biller's financial institution that
originated the bill; crediting the billing account owned by the biller at the biller's financial
institution; and notifying the billing entity that the bill has been paid or further
comprising the step of recording the payment to billing entity in a bill payment
warehouse database.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
67 words
A method for electronic bill presentation and payment, comprising the
steps of: obtaining a plurality of bill files; processing each bill file to assemble a customer bill packet; transmitting the customer bill packet to an electronic repository
corresponding to the customer's financial institution; processing the customer bill packet to assemble a bill presentation file;
and electronically presenting a bill presentation file for viewing and
electronic bill payment.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
204 words
A system for electronic bill presentation and payment configured to
perform the steps of: obtaining a plurality of bill files, each bill file associated with a particular
billing and a particular billing account maintained at a biller's financial
institution, each bill file including a plurality of records, each record identifying
a particular invoice account and a corresponding balance representing a
financial obligation owed by a corresponding customer to the billing entity; processing recordings in each bill file by: obtaining a routing address associated with a customer's financial
institution where the corresponding customer maintains an account; obtaining customer account identification information identifying
the corresponding customer's account at the customer's financial
institution; assembling a bill packet corresponding to the bill record, the bill
packet including information from the corresponding bill record and the
customer's account identification information; and transmitting the bill packet to an electronic repository
corresponding to the customer's financial institution using the associated
routing address; and processing the bill packets received by each electronic repository by: sorting the received bill packets by customer's account information; assembling a bill presentation file containing information from the
received bill packets for each customer account; and electronically presenting each bill presentation file for viewing and
electronic bill payment.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
71 words
A system for electronic bill presentation and payment, comprising the
steps of: obtaining a payment made by a customer remunerated to a billing entity; data mining the payment to obtain customer's financial institution data
that distinctly identifies a customer's financial institution; associating the customer's financial institution data with a routing
address; and transmitting a bill packet to an electronic repository corresponding to the
customer's financial institution using the associated routing address.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
65 words
A system for electronic bill presentation and payment arranged to obtain
a plurality of bill files; process each bill file to assemble a customer bill packet; transmit the customer bill packet to an electronic repository
corresponding to the customer's financial institution; process the customer bill packet to assemble a bill presentation file; and electronically present the bill presentation file for viewing and electronic
bill payment.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer program configured to implement a method as claimed in
any of claims 1 to 10 or a system as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
A computer readable medium for storing a computer program as claimed
in claim 13.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A server configured to implement a method as claimed in any of claims 1
to 10 or a system as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13.