# US 8,571,979 B1 · Arrangements and methods for automatically dispersing and tracking funds

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- Number: US 8,571,979 B1
- Document ID: US8571979B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 11/187,611
- Filed: 2005-07-22
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-07-22
- Assignees: TCF Financial Corporation
- Applicants: Kevin Kuntz; Ron Britz; Jeff Farmer; Gene Allen
- Inventors: Kevin Kuntz; Ron Britz; Jeff Farmer; Gene Allen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8571979B1

## CPC

- G06Q 20/105: {involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"}
- G06Q 40/02: Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance (credit or loans G06Q40/03)
- 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

## Abstract

In an example application, a banking institution implements a computer-automated arrangement with another corporate entity that is independent of the banking institution. The arrangement permits the other corporate entity to render funds to corporate designees associated with the corporation's bank account via an account-management specification that defines and tracks funds under sub-accounts. The arrangement includes banking-sponsored-corporate-activatable (BSCA) articles; a communication arrangement for communicating an association command from the other corporate entity that associates activated BSCA articles with respective sub-accounts according to the specification, the activated BSCA articles facilitating redemption of pre-paid corporate funds in response to the other corporate entity both issuing the activated BSCA articles to designated card recipients and communicating the association command; and a tracking arrangement for tracking the redemption efforts resulting from uses of the activated BSCA articles by tracking the respective sub-accounts by the banking institution in response to communicating of the association command.

## Claims

### Claim 1

For use with a banking institution and another corporate entity that is operated independently of the banking institution, a computer-facilitated method for rendering funds associated with a master account holding funds of the other corporate entity and having a plurality of sub-accounts and according to account management terms between the banking institution and the other corporate entity, the computer-facilitated method comprising:
providing a plurality of banking-sponsored-corporate-activatable articles including physical cards;
communicating, via a computer, an association command from the other corporate entity, the association command associating activated ones of the articles with respective ones of the sub-accounts according to the validation procedure that defines account management terms between the banking institution and the other corporate entity,
enabling, via a computer, redemption of pre-paid corporate funds from respective sub-accounts that are associated with the activated articles,
designating, via a computer, articles recipients and issuing the activated ones of the articles to the designated articles recipients for respective ones of the sub-accounts and in response to the communicating of the association command; and
tracking, via a computer, redemption of pre-paid corporate funds from the sub-accounts resulting from uses of the activated ones of the articles by tracking the respective ones of the sub-accounts by the banking institution in response to the communicating of the association command.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the association command from the other corporate entity is for providing association data for the designated article recipient with said article in order to associate the sub-accounts with the designated article recipients and to track the designated article recipient's redemption of pre-paid corporate funds.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the association command comprises sending the association command from the other corporate entity in response to issuance of the activated ones of the articles to the designated article recipients.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein providing the plurality of articles further comprises generating a plurality of articles having P-I-N features for enabling secure redemption of pre-paid corporate funds by the designated article recipients and setting the personal identification numbers of the activated ones of the articles.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting information regarding the tracked redemption of pre-paid corporate funds resulting from uses of the activated ones of the articles.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the redemption of pre-paid corporate funds comprises tracking redemption of pre-paid corporate funds resulting from the activated ones of the articles according to a plurality of transaction characteristics.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising reporting the redemption of pre-paid corporate funds resulting from activated ones of the articles to the other corporate entity according to one or more of the plurality of transaction characteristics.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein one of the plurality of transaction characteristics is a transaction-refusal characteristic corresponding to a refused redemption of pre-paid corporate funds.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the redemption of pre-paid corporate funds comprises tracking the redemption of pre-paid corporate funds relative to a set of expendable funds limits.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein each of the expendable funds limits in the set of expendable funds limits is associated with a funds allocation category.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the set of expendable funds limits are periodically updated, allowing modification of the one or more of the expendable funds limits.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the redemption of pre-paid corporate funds further comprises associating an expiration date for each of the activated ones of the articles and its corresponding sub-account and tracking the status of said articles.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein generating the plurality of articles comprises generating a plurality of articles having a set of manipulable portions indicative of at least one redemption status.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the set of manipulable portions indicative of at least one redemption status further includes a set of funds allocation portions indicative of a set of funds allocation categories.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein providing the plurality of articles comprises generating a plurality of articles having one or more disposable portions.