US 6,334,116 B1 · Technique for centrally tracking transactions in an electronic billing system

Abstract

A method is provided for centrally tracking transactions in an electronic billing system. The system includes multiple different billing entities, multiple different financial institute entities and multiple different user entities. Each of the multiple different billing entities is associated with a respective portion of the multiple different user entities and each of the multiple different financial institute entities is associated with a respective portion of the multiple different user entities. A message is received from any of the multiple different financial institute entities indicating a request from any of the multiple different user entities associated with the applicable financial institute entity to view billing information. The receipt of the request to view the billing information is logged in a database as first event information. A message indicative of the billing information of at least one of the multiple different billing entities associated with the applicable user entity which is available for viewing is transmitted to the applicable user entity. A message indicating a request from the applicable user entity to view the available billing information of that billing entity is received from any of the at least one of the billing entities. The receipt of the message indicating the applicable user entity request to view the billing information of the applicable billing entity is logged in the database as a second event information.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method for centrally tracking transactions in an electronic billing system having multiple different billing entities, multiple different financial institute entities and multiple different user entities, each of the multiple different billing entities being associated with a respective portion of the multiple different user entities and each of the multiple different financial institute entities being associated with a respective portion of the multiple different user entities, comprising the steps of:

receiving, from any of the multiple different financial institute entities, a message indicative of a request from any of the multiple different user entities associated with the applicable financial institute entity to view billing information;
logging, in a database, the receipt of the request to view the billing information as a first event information;
transmitting, to the applicable user entity, a message indicative of the billing information of at least one of the multiple different billing entities associated with the applicable user entity which is available for viewing;
receiving, from any of the at least one of the billing entities, a message indicative of a request from the applicable user entity to view the available billing information of that billing entity;
and
logging, in the database, the receipt of the message indicative of the applicable user entity request to view the billing information of the applicable billing entity as a second event information.

3 more elements

A system for centrally tracking electronic billing transactions involving multiple different billing entities, multiple different financial institute entities and multiple different user entities, each of the multiple different billing entities being associated with a respective portion of the multiple different user entities and each of the multiple different financial institute entities being associated with a respective portion of the multiple different user entities, comprising:

a processor configured (i) to receive, from any of the multiple different financial institute entities, a message indicative of a request from any of the multiple different user entities associated with the applicable financial institute entity to view billing information, (ii) to transmit, to the applicable user entity, a message indicative of the billing information of at least one of the multiple different billing entities associated with the applicable user entity which is available for viewing, (iii) and to receive, from any of the at least one of the billing entities, a message indicative of a request from the applicable user entity to view the available billing information of that billing entity;
and
a database configured to store a log of the receipt of the request to view the billing information as a first event information, and of the receipt of the message indicative of the applicable user entity request to view the billing information of the applicable billing entity as a second event information.

A method for centrally tracking electronic billing transactions between multiple different billing entities and multiple different user entities, each of the multiple different billing entities being associated with a different portion of the multiple different user entities, comprising the steps of:

receiving requests at the multiple different billing entities from the multiple different user entities to view billing information;
and
storing an indication of the receipt of the requests in a central database as first event information.

A system for centrally tracking electronic billing transactions between multiple different billing entities and multiple different user entities, each of the multiple different billing entities being associated with a different portion of the multiple different user entities, comprising:

a central database configured to store transaction events;
and
a central processor configured to log, in the database, requests received by the multiple different billing entities from the multiple different user entities to view billing information as first event information.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Technique for centrally tracking transactions in an electronic billing system

Life of this patent

Technique for centrally tracking transactions in an electronic billing system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27