US5761650A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Billing system and method
Assignee: TCI Summitrak of Texas Inc
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Filing: 1995-12-29
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Granted: 1998-06-02
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Expires: 2015-12-29
Abstract
Abstract A bill editor, generator, messaging and insert system and method comprises a portion of a bill production processor designed to create monthly billing statements which are sent to customers and which detail charges incurred over the course of a billing cycle. The bill editor and generator allows billing personnel to design a bill using static text, dynamic text and paragraph areas. Once the report/bill is defined, the report definition is stored in temporary memory for later use. The report definition file defines how the report is to appear and where the data used in the report is stored. The report generator, when subsequently run, uses the predefined report definition to retrieve data from the database and generates the report as defined by the report definition file. The bill messaging and insert system determines, based on assigned priority, criteria and weight and space limitations, the messages and notices to be included in a customer billing statement.
Inventors
- 👤 Wesley E. Munsil
- 👤 James R. Logan
- 👤 Alan W. Switzer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:26
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/04; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/10; G06Q20/102
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of editing a customer bill comprising the steps of: defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; and storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of editing a customer bill comprising the steps of: defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; and storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1, said step of defining static text elements comprising the step of accessing database catalogues having a plurality of static text elements which can appear on the bill.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
81 words
A system for editing a customer bill comprising the steps of: means for defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; and means for storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
81 words
A system for editing a customer bill comprising the steps of: means for defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; and means for storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of generating a customer bill comprising the steps of: defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory; retrieving said report definition from temporary memory; interpreting said report definition to determine customer specific information to appear on the bill; and retrieving customer information from databases to gather information to be printed on the bill.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
108 words
A method of generating a customer bill comprising the steps of: defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory; retrieving said report definition from temporary memory; interpreting said report definition to determine customer specific information to appear on the bill; and retrieving customer information from databases to gather information to be printed on the bill.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 4, said step of defining static text elements comprising the step of accessing database catalogues having a plurality of static text elements which may appear on the bill.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of printing the bill to a screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of printing the bill on paper.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
122 words
A system for generating a customer bill comprising the steps of: means for defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; means for storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory; means for retrieving said report definition from temporary memory; means for interpreting said report definition to determine customer specific information to appear on the bill; and means for retrieving customer information from databases to gather information to be printed on the bill.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
122 words
A system for generating a customer bill comprising the steps of: means for defining at least one static text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one dynamic text element to appear on the bill; means for defining at least one paragraph script area on the bill, said static text elements, dynamic text elements and paragraph script area comprising a report definition; means for storing said report definition as a report definition file in temporary memory; means for retrieving said report definition from temporary memory; means for interpreting said report definition to determine customer specific information to appear on the bill; and means for retrieving customer information from databases to gather information to be printed on the bill.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-06-01 | 2001-12-01 | 2002-06-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-06-01 | 2005-12-01 | 2006-06-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-06-01 | 2009-12-01 | 2010-06-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |