# US 10,503,870 B2 · Payment bridge > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,870 B2 - Document ID: US10503870B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/131,617 - Filed: 2016-04-18 - Published: 2017-10-19 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-18 - Assignees: Retriever Enterprises, LLC - Applicants: Retriever Enterprises, LLC - Inventors: Dominick Colabella; Michael Peluso - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503870B2 ## CPC - G06Q 20/3823: {combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction} - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 20/102: {Bill distribution or payments} - G06Q 20/401: {Transaction verification} - G06Q 20/4012: {Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]} - G06Q 20/4016: {involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing} - G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract The invention is direct to a payment bridge system for a service provider and in particular a health care provider like a doctor or dentist. A practice management software is installed on the service provider's computer system for managing the service provider's business including managing patient or customer data, issuing invoices and handling payments. The system has a secure gateway network connecting with a secure network provider and a credit card processing system, connected to the secure network provider. A payment bridge installed on the service provider's computer system communicates with the practice management software and the secure gateway network to accept payments by credit card for invoices generated by the practice management system which are securely transmitted through the secure gateway network to the credit card processing system for approval and processing and updating the practice management software to reflect payment by credit card when the charge is accepted by the credit card processing system. All credit card data is encrypted prior to transmission to the credit card processor and no unencrypted credit card data is stored at the service provider's location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A payment bridge system for a service provider, comprising: an application server that stores a plurality of unique configuration keys, wherein each unique configuration key comprises a set of computer readable instructions executable by a computer to emulate the commands required to communicate with a respective type of practice management software, wherein each respective type of practice management software comprises a respective set of computer readable instructions that are executable by a computer to provide business management functionality, including generating invoices and bookkeeping functionality; a service provider computer system located remote from the application server and in communication with the application server for receiving one or more unique configuration keys; a first type of practice management software installed on the service provider computer system, wherein the first type of practice management software comprises a set of computer readable instructions that are executable by the service provider computer system to provide business management functionality, including generating invoices and bookkeeping functionality; and a payment bridge installed on the service provider computer system, wherein the payment bridge comprises a set of computer readable instructions executable by the service provider computer system to: receive credit card transaction information for a requested credit card transaction involving payment of an invoice generated by the first type of practice management software, wherein the credit card transaction information comprises credit card information and payment amount, transmit the credit card transaction information to a gateway provider of a credit card payment processor, receive a response from the gateway provider, and communicate with the first type of practice management software to update the first type of practice management software with information associated with the requested credit card transaction if the requested credit card transaction is approved, wherein the payment bridge communicates with the first type of practice management software using a unique configuration key for the first type of practice management software received from the application server. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The payment bridge system of claim 1, further comprising a credit card scanner in communication with the payment bridge for receiving credit card information from a credit card that is scanned by or inserted into the credit card scanner. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The payment bridge system of claim 2, wherein the payment bridge encrypts the credit card information received from the credit card scanner before transmitting the credit card information to the gateway provider. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The payment bridge system of claim 3, wherein neither the payment bridge and nor the service providers computer system store unencrypted or encrypted credit card information after it has been transmitted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The payment bridge system of claim 1, wherein the payment bridge updates the first type of practice management software after the requested credit card transaction is approved without further user input. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The payment bridge system of claim 1, wherein the service provider computer must be configured by an authorized individual in order to enable the service provider computer to execute the payment bridge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The payment bridge system of claim 1, wherein the service provider comprises a health care service provider. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The payment bridge system of claim 7, wherein the health care service provider comprises a medical or dental service provider. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The payment bridge system of claim 1, wherein the payment bridge updates the first type of practice management software with information associated with an approved requested credit card transaction by updating relevant bookkeeping fields of the first type of practice management software. ### Claim 10 A payment bridge method for a service provider, comprising: provide an application server that stores a plurality of unique configuration keys, wherein each unique configuration key comprises a set of computer readable instructions executable by a computer to emulate the commands required to communicate with a respective type of practice management software, wherein each respective type of practice management software comprises a respective set of computer readable instructions that are executable by a computer to provide business management functionality, including generating invoices and bookkeeping functionality; provide a service provider computer system located remote from the application server and in communication with the application server for receiving one or more unique configuration keys, wherein a first type of practice management software is installed on the service provider computer system and wherein the first type of practice management software comprises a set of computer readable instructions that are executable by the service provider computer system to provide business management functionality, including generating invoices and bookkeeping functionality; and install a payment bridge on the service provider computer system, wherein the payment bridge comprises a set of computer readable instructions executable by the service provider computer system to: receive credit card transaction information for a requested credit card transaction involving payment of an invoice generated by the first type of practice management software, wherein the credit card transaction information comprises credit card information and payment amount, transmit the credit card transaction information to a gateway provider of a credit card payment processor, receive a response from the gateway provider, and communicate with the first type of practice management software to update the first type of practice management software with information associated with the requested credit card transaction if the requested credit card transaction is approved, wherein the payment bridge communicates with the first type of practice management software using a unique configuration key for the first type of practice management software received from the application server. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The payment bridge method of claim 10, further comprising providing a credit card scanner in communication with the payment bridge for receiving credit card information from a credit card that is scanned by or inserted into the credit card scanner. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The payment bridge method of claim 11, wherein the payment bridge encrypts the credit card information received from the credit card scanner before transmitting the credit card information to the gateway provider. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The payment bridge method of claim 12, wherein neither the payment bridge and nor the service providers computer system store unencrypted or encrypted credit card information after it has been transmitted. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The payment bridge system of claim 10, wherein the payment bridge updates the first type of practice management software after the requested credit card transaction is approved without further user input. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The payment bridge system of claim 10, wherein the service provider computer must be configured by an authorized individual in order to enable the service provider computer to execute the payment bridge. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The payment bridge system of claim 10, wherein the service provider comprises a health care service provider. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The payment bridge system of claim 16, wherein the health care service provider comprises a medical or dental service provider. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The payment bridge system of claim 10, wherein the payment bridge updates the first type of practice management software with information associated with an approved requested credit card transaction by updating relevant bookkeeping fields of the first type of practice management software.