U.S. patent application number 09/737754 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-30 for global financial services integration system and process.
Invention is credited to Aron, Paul, Ataie, Faraz, Bamberger, Frank, Demeter, Dan A., McGlynn, John, Musalo, Florence, Paul, Margot, Poplizio, John, Rico, Lucila Uchie, Schein, Arthur A., Tsien, Michael, Yorke, Michael.
Application Number | 20010018674 09/737754 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21786735 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010018674 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schein, Arthur A. ; et
al. |
August 30, 2001 |
Global financial services integration system and process
Abstract
A global standard messaging system and process for allowing
customers to access a full range of global financial services using
a variety of access points. The system includes a global
communications network that integrates customer information and
makes the information accessible from remote locations. The system
includes a comprehensive database assembled from diverse sources
and systems and processes for retrieving the information from the
central database in a meaningful and practical way. The system
includes several levels of access communications as well as
built-in flexibility so that it can be accessed by a variety of
remote systems of varying degrees of complexity and
languages.system and process permit rapid communication among
worldwide users of the service as may be desired by industries
relating to the transfer of finances.
Inventors: |
Schein, Arthur A.;
(Rockville Center, NY) ; Aron, Paul; (Scotch
Plains, NJ) ; Demeter, Dan A.; (Woodmere, NY)
; Ataie, Faraz; (New York, NY) ; Bamberger,
Frank; (Brooklyn, NY) ; McGlynn, John;
(Stamford, CT) ; Musalo, Florence; (Manhasset,
NY) ; Paul, Margot; (Harrington Park, NJ) ;
Poplizio, John; (Milford, CT) ; Rico, Lucila
Uchie; (New York, NY) ; Tsien, Michael;
(Tuckahoe, NY) ; Yorke, Michael; (Port Washington,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
George T. Marcou
Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
Suite 800
700 Thirteenth St., NW
Washington
DC
20005
US
|
Family ID: |
21786735 |
Appl. No.: |
09/737754 |
Filed: |
December 18, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09737754 |
Dec 18, 2000 |
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09077458 |
May 29, 1998 |
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6226623 |
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09077458 |
May 29, 1998 |
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PCT/US97/08413 |
May 23, 1997 |
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60018195 |
May 23, 1996 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/35 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 9/40 20220501; G06Q
40/02 20130101; G06Q 40/00 20130101; H04L 69/329 20130101; H04L
63/02 20130101; H04L 67/12 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/35 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A global communications network for use by a financial
institution, the global communications network including a
plurality of local area networks; a plurality of distribution
points for allowing access to the global communications network; a
plurality of service providers for providing information in
response to data level commands; and an integration facility for
decomposing high level business language requests into data level
commands that are understandable by the service providers so as to
allow end users located at distribution points to relay information
to and receive information from the network, the integration
facility comprising: means for determining whether an information
request is simple or complex; means for receiving information
requests from a distribution point and relaying information the
requests received from a distribution point to the logical router
for determination of whether the request is simple or complex; a
router for routing simple requests to a service provider that can
satisfy the distribution point's request; means for generating a
message relating to the satisfaction of the request; a router for
routing messages relating to the satisfaction of the request back
through the network to the originating distribution point; a
plurality of messaging service agents, each messaging service agent
including means for consulting script and workflow data model
rules, and sending messages to logical servers which determine
which service provider is appropriate to receive the complex
request; means for routing complex requests to messaging service
agents, which consult script and workflow data model rules, send
one or more messages to logical servers which determine which
service provider is appropriate to receive the complex request; a
router for routing complex requests to the appropriate service
provider which performs the request; means for allowing information
relating to the satisfaction of the request to be exchanged between
the distribution point and the service provider until the request
is satisfied; means for generating a message relating to the
satisfaction of the request; a router for routing messages relating
to the satisfaction of the request back through the network to the
originating distribution point.
2. The global communications network of claim 1, wherein the
integration facility of claim 1, further comprising: means for
maintaining a system journal of all requests, simple and complex,
that the network routes between distribution points and service
providers.
3. The global communications network of claim 1, wherein the
integration facility, further comprising: a replication data center
in communication with the network, the data replication center
including: a plurality a geographically separate electronic
databases for storing data necessary to perform the simple and
complex requests; means for posting transactions in real time on
each of the plurality of the geographically separate electronic
databases so that the electronic databases are always kept in
lockstep.
4. The global communications network of claim 1, further comprising
a public network having a firewall that includes means for limiting
access to the public network to authorized users.
5. The global communications network of claim 4, further comprising
means for allowing a customer to directly connect to the public
network through the firewall using a computer modem.
6. The global communications network of claim 4, further comprising
a remote delivery server for providing access to the integration
facility of the global communications network's banking products
and services and means for allowing a customer to directly connect
to a remote delivery server using a computer modem, wherein the
customer is provided with a messaging scheme that is identical to
the messaging scheme the customer would receive from an in-branch
connection with the integration facility of the global
communications network.
7. The global communications network of claim 4, further comprising
means for allowing a customer to directly connect to the public
network through the firewall over a voice telephone.
8. The global communications network of claim 4, further comprising
means for allowing a customer to directly connect to the public
network through the firewall using a personal digital
assistant.
9. The global communications network of claim 1, further comprising
a plurality of financial institution branch systems and a branch
server and a branch router for routing messages to and from
integration facility of the global communications network such that
the integration facility of the global communications network is in
electrical communication with the financial institution branch
systems.
10. The global communications network of claim 9, wherein the
branch systems further comprising an in-branch workstation and an
in-branch self-service station.
11. The global communications network of claim 9, wherein the
branch systems further comprising a branch network and a plurality
of branch services connected to the branch network the services,
including a printer, an automated teller, a customer activated
services terminal, a staff workstation and a terminal server.
12. The global communications network of claim 11, wherein the
plurality of branch services connected to the branch network
further comprise express deposit devices, teller work stations,
greeter workstations and investment consultant work stations.
13. The global communications network of claim 11, wherein all
branch services share a common local area network and are located
within a branch of the financial services provider such that each
of the services enjoys access to the same computer financial
applications; related computer applications; and common routes and
servers to the integration facility of the global communications
network.
14. The global communications network of claim 11, wherein the
branch network is electronically connected to a public network
which in turn is connected via router to the integration facility
of the global communications network.
15. The global communications network of claim 11, wherein the
branch network is electronically connected to the integration
facility of the global communications network via a dedicated
non-public router.
16. A global communications network for use by a financial
institution, the global communications network that includes an
integration facility for decomposing high level business language
requests into data level commands that are understandable by the
service providers so as to allow end users located at distribution
points to relay information to and receive information from the
network; the global communications network comprising: a plurality
of distribution points in electronic communication with the
integration facility of the global communications network; a
plurality of service providers; a first network in electronic
communication with the integration facility; a first messaging
service; a second messaging service; and a second network; the
first and second networks including means for routing electronic
messages to and from external end users, via logical routers,
according to a determination of which type of message is being
routed; and the first and second messaging services including means
for supervising the transactions requested based upon script,
workflow, and data model rules; whereby in operation, the messaging
services handle structured requests from distribution points by
decomposing, processing, recomposing and reversing the messages
according to a set of business rules and processing scripts; means
for routing the messages to the appropriate service provider based
on routing criteria developed from data partitioning, load
balancing, site availability and the like.
17. The global communications network of claim 16, further
comprising structured messaging means, wherein each distribution
point is in electronic communication with a first logical router,
the first logical router including means for determining whether
the message is simple or complex, whereby if the message is
determined to be simple the message is routed along a first path to
the appropriate service provider and if the message is found to be
complex, the message is directed along a second path to a messaging
services agent; wherein the messaging services agent processes the
message using, among other criteria, the script/workflow data model
rules and then directs the complex message to second logical
router; the second logical router including means for directing the
complex message to the appropriate service provider.
18. The global communications network of claim 16, further
comprising unstructured messaging means, wherein each distribution
point is in electronic communication with a first logical router,
the first logical router including means for determining whether
the message is simple or complex (i.e. requiring supervision);
whereby if the message is determined to be simple (not needing
supervision) the message is routed along a first path to the
appropriate service provider and if the message is found to be
complex (requiring supervision), the message is directed along a
second path to a mail agent; wherein the mail agent processes the
message using, among other criteria, the script/workflow data model
rules and then directs the complex message to second logical
router; the second logical router including means for directing the
complex message to the appropriate service provider.
19. In a global communications network used by a financial
institution that includes a plurality of local area networks; a
plurality of distribution points for allowing access to the global
communications network; and a plurality of service providers for
providing information in response to data level commands; a process
for decomposing high level business language requests into data
level commands that are understandable by the service providers so
as to allow end users located at distribution points to relay
information to and receive information from the network, the
process comprising the steps of: receiving information requests
from a distribution point and relaying information the requests
received from a distribution point to the logical router for
determination of whether the request is simple or complex; routing
simple requests to a service provider that can satisfy the
distribution point's request; generating a message relating to the
satisfaction of the request; routing messages relating to the
satisfaction of the request back through the network to the
originating distribution point; decomposing complex requests into
one or more messages; determining which service provider is
appropriate to receive the complex request; routing complex
requests to the appropriate service provider which performs the
request; exchanging information relating to the satisfaction of the
request between the distribution point and the service provider
until the request is satisfied; generating a message relating to
the satisfaction of the request; routing messages relating to the
satisfaction of the request back through the network to the
originating distribution point.
20. The process of claim 19, further comprising the step of posting
transactions in real time on each of the plurality of the
geographically separate electronic databases so that the electronic
databases are always kept in lockstep.
Description
NOTICE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN DISCLOSURE
[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains
material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright
owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of
the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the
Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise
reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to financial
transaction systems, and in particular, to an integrator, i.e., a
system and process that allows customers to access a full range of
global financial services using a variety of access points. More
particularly, this invention relates to the architecture of a
global standard messaging service that permits rapid communication
among worldwide users of the service as may be desired by
industries relating to the transfer of finances and demographic
data. Furthermore, the invention relates to the architecture of a
communications network as may be required by the banking industry
in obtaining customer demographic information, processing this
information and relaying back changed customer demographics as is
often required by financial service providers. In addition, the
present invention: assists in the creation of homogeneous service
from heterogeneous components; facilitates easy `plug 'n play` of
new products and services; presents interfaces to distribution
points and service provider components that will be stable in the
face of infrastructure changes; simplifies complicated financial
transactions involving demographic data; provides very high levels
of integrity and reliability for the end-to-end fulfillment of
business requests; and enables applications to communicate the
appropriate level of business language be it customer oriented,
product oriented and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In recent years, financial institutions have become
increasingly diversified. Banks, for example, now offer a wide
variety of products and services not previously available. These
new products and services fall into two broad categories--new
technologies for interacting with the financial institution and new
financial services or "products" offered by the financial
institution.
[0004] From the customer's point of view, there are certain access
points (or, from the bank's perspective, "distribution points")
through which the customer may access the bank's services.
Historically, the principal access point was a teller. But
recently, there has been a proliferation of automated access points
including the now ubiquitous automatic teller machines and customer
activated terminals (ATMs and CATs) and, more recently, screen
phones, personal computers configured for banking, personal digital
assistants, voice response systems, smart cards, teller
workstations and banking staff terminals. Technology in existence
today allows bank customers to access their banks from any place at
any time and offers tremendous efficiencies for the bank. However,
to achieve these benefits, customers must be willing to use these
automated alternatives to human tellers. One way of encouraging use
of automated systems is to make the systems as user friendly as
possible. To this end, automated systems should be able to process
business language requests such as "How much money do I have in the
bank?"
[0005] A business problem results from a business transaction
request along the lines of "show me all the funds I have in the
bank" or "move $100 from my checking account to my savings account"
or some similar statement that shows up at the distribution or
access point. From the bank's point of view, these business
language requests must be processed by discrete "service providers"
that handle check withdrawal authorization or mortgage loan
processing or securities transactions, for example. These service
providers are typically not capable of handling business language
requests. The service providers tend to specialize. For example, a
bank may have a mortgage processor, a securities processor and so
on. Many banks outsource certain services, such as securities. As a
result, none of these individual systems is aware of or cares about
the relationship, i.e., the fact that the customer has both the
checking and the securities relationship with the bank. Another
example is the transfer of money from checking to savings. If
checking and savings are handled by discrete service providers, one
service provider wants to know "debit $100" and another service
provider wants to know "credit $100." The service providers don't
really care about the relationship or what the source or
destination of funds is, the providers only care about one
direction of the transaction. In short, there is a GAP between the
access or distribution points and the service providers. There is
need for a system and process that bridges this GAP, i.e.,
something in the middle that has awareness of how to balance the
whole thing together.
[0006] In addition, different service providers and access points
can't speak with different protocols or languages. One understands
screen formats and another one understands messages according to
other protocols homegrown or otherwise. There is a need for a way
of normalizing or flattening them all out to common language so
they can interact with each other.
[0007] Financial institutions have also begun to offer a broader
range of traditional banking accounts as well as investment and
financial services. This ordinarily requires even more service
providers.
[0008] There have been previous efforts to integrate financial
services. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,938, to Wagner et al.,
discloses an interface system for a plurality of payment networks
providing each user with a display of data necessary and applicable
to complete a desired transaction. The interface system is accessed
from a remote computer terminal and is disclosed for use in
monetary transactions. In addition to providing a display, the
system also allows the remote access user to perform transactions
within the accessed account. The Wagner et al. preferred embodiment
is summarized in 10 of FIG. 1, wherein payment networks including
the Federal Reserve Bank FEDWIRE network 16 and SWIFT network 20
are accessed by a bank housing a central computer 12. In addition,
the central computer also provides access to the networks to
customers having computers 28 with communications capabilities.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,936, to Champion et al., discloses a
computer interface to a plurality of banking users. The interface
comprises an information management system for a disclosed use in
investment banking. The system, as summarized in FIG. 2, provides
banks, brokers, and remote modem users with access accounts for
deposits, investments and the like. Although disclosed primarily
for investment purposes, the system is intended to be `goal
oriented` according to particular markets to be invested in.
Therefore the system provides some market demographic information
(as may be related to the investment) to the user.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,407, to Rosen, discloses an electronic
banking system comprising electronic money and customer
demographics to be exchanged electronically among banks and
clearing houses. Customer accounts of any user bank can be accessed
and manipulated according to information entered from a remote
location. A summary of the preferred embodiment is provided in FIG.
1. The monetary system can be accessed remotely and in person.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,373, to Keyser, Jr. et al. discloses a
remote banking terminal controlled by a host bank. Account
information and financial services, although controlled by the host
bank, are made available to the authorized customer. In addition,
banks and related financial institutions other than the host bank
can be provided with the remote banking terminal for access to
account information.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,569, to Myatt et al., discloses remote
banking access to customers. The bank accounts are accessed by
`credit card` styled cards containing customer information on
magnetic strips. The remote locations are then provided with
customer demographic information including account funds and credit
information. The remote locations are then provided with
authorizations to credit moneys that are then debited to the
customer account.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,342, to Adams, discloses a transaction
approval system. The system verifies to remote users information as
to customer demographics. This information may include financial
and credit information. The customer demographics are available to
the end user only in a read-only format and does not provide for
direct customer account manipulation beyond authorization.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,991, to Delfer, III et al. discloses a
database management system wherein pre-authorizations of monetary
transfers are obtained from clients to initiate monetary transfers
into other accounts. Verification of transfers are remitted to the
sender. Although containing some customer demographics, the
information shared with the user of the system is limited to the
account and the potential for a monetary transfer. In addition, the
manipulation of accounts is limited to credits and debits.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,829, to Anderson, discloses a system for
banking via the telephone. The system includes verification of
authorization of the client user and normal banking services.
Although this system provides some customer demographics to
authorize clients, the demographics are limited to authorized users
to ensure that the customer controls access to the information.
[0016] The prior art references described above differ from the
instant invention in, among other things, concentrating on the
transfer of funds in payment networks rather than customer
demographics as a product. As such the systems use different
selection logic software/hardware than required by the instant
invention.
[0017] In addition, the present invention is also directed to a
data model that reflects the structure of a customer's relationship
to the bank. The traditional marketing approach of banks has been
to try to enroll customers in new accounts, typically checking or
savings accounts. Then, when the bank offers additional financial
products or services, the bank tries to cross sell new accounts to
customers having existing accounts with the bank. Often, banks can
offer special pricing based on a customers "relationship" with the
bank. In this context, "relationship" can refer to a customer's own
accounts with the bank or the accounts maintained by family members
or close relatives. For example, it may be advantageous to the bank
to offer special pricing to the in-laws of very wealthy customers
even if those in-laws might not qualify for special pricing on
their own.
[0018] One barrier to traditional cross selling of new accounts and
relationship pricing is the inability to identify certain
relationships that might exist. In a large financial institution,
for example, separate systems are typically maintained for the
various products. Thus, it is readily apparent that a customer that
has a low savings balance also has a large investment portfolio
with the bank. In addition, the customer must repeatedly provide
the bank with the same data. This is very inconvenient and
inconvenience is a significant obstacle in marketing of financial
services.
[0019] Financial service is very much an inertia business. Once a
customer opens an account, he or she is unlikely to change that
account because of the effort involved. Most people don't shop for
financial services. Instead, something in a customer's life occurs
to cause a customer to make a change or be open to a change. There
are moments in life when inertia is overcome; either by moving,
death, formation of a family, a customer gets so angry at something
that the customer decides to make a change, or some other event
occurs. Thus, at the moment a customer opens an account they are
open to new components, but it is difficult to open a customer up
again. For this reason, cross selling financial services is very
difficult. Once a person has a set of accounts, then something's
got to happen in their life to cause them to open up another
account.
[0020] To overcome these obstacles, banks now try to build a
relationship with the customer rather than opening stand alone
accounts for the customer. Studies have shown that as a customer's
relationship with a bank broadens, the customer's balances
increase. As a consequence, there is a need to truly understand the
relationship of a customer to the bank.
[0021] There have, of course, been attempts to provide linked
account structures in the past. The Citicard account, introduced in
1976 and 1977, was the first account that allowed four or five
accounts to be mechanically linked together. A simple transactional
account, short term savings, day-to-day savings, and 90-day
savings, checking and checking plus line of credit were all linked
in the Citicard account. Over the next ten years, other banks
copied this approach and began offering "linked accounts," which
are essentially transactional banking accounts with some saving
components and perhaps a line of credit--a very traditional banking
product.
[0022] Another significant development was the asset management
accounts offered by certain brokerage firms. These accounts offered
a plurality of securities components in a single account. The
brokerage firms were not, however able to offer traditional banking
services. One example is Merrill Lynch's cash management account
(CMA). Aspects of this account are described in U.S. Pat. No.
4,346,442 to Musmanno; U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,978 to Musmanno; U.S.
Pat. No. 4,597,046 to Musmanno et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,044 to
Musmanno et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,663 to Musmanno et al. and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,922 to Higgins. The account offered by Merrill
Lynch was limited to securities transactions and did not include
full banking products.
[0023] Similarly, when a customer opens a brokerage account, there
is no need to open a separate account for trading equities or for
trading fixed income.
[0024] The next development in the evolution of Citibank's account
was the so-called asset network account that included a full range
of brokerage services and, in addition, full banking services. This
form of account originally known as FOCUS has become known as the
CitiGold Account. This account, like brokerage accounts, was
intended for sophisticated investors. The central feature of the
account was sweeping funds into a money market account on a daily
basis. Such an account is not, however, suitable for a broad market
account that includes unsophisticated investors. The CitiGold was
an elite account intended for sophisticated investors.
[0025] The CitiGold Account system introduced the idea of
integration and consistent preseuntations across the entire range
of customer access points, including ATM machines, automated voice
response systems, phone operators, staff screens, home banking on a
computer, home banking on a screen phone, etc. In other words, in
every contact with the financial institution, the customer sees the
same presentation of the account and the same capability to do the
transactions.
[0026] Another step in the evolution of the Citibank account was
the CitiOne account, introduced in the early 1990's. This account
permitted linking of transaction accounts, certain traditional
banking accounts and bank saving accounts so the customer could
access all these accounts. In some regions the CitiOne account
included securities or loan services such as line of credit
services.
[0027] With the CitiOne account, customer's accounts could be
linked together randomly so that the financial institution's
different products and services could be linked together and appear
on a customer's statement. This was done on an ad hoc basis
depending on a customer's desires. The basic features available in
the United States were checking, day-to-day savings, and insured
money market accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and credit
cards.
[0028] The next step in the evolution was the Citibank Money
Management Account (CMMA), introduced around January 1993. The CMMA
allows customers to link separate accounts and to perform a wide
variety of financial transactions including traditional banking
activities, brokerage activities and loan activities. Again,
individual customer accounts could be linked to form an ad hoc
mixture of product features. The system categorized those features
within categories such as "your money in the bank," "securities,"
"borrowing and loan," "credit cards" and the like. Among other
things, the CMMA allows banking customers the convenience of
"one-stop" shopping. Efforts were also made to provide consistent
presentation. For example, on the screen phone and in personal
computing banking, the top menu was made to look like the same menu
on an ATM machine. However, after the initial screen, the systems
diverged.
[0029] Notwithstanding the opportunities offered by the CitiOne and
CMMA accounts, there is still significant room for improvement.
Specifically, the present inventors recognize that while some of
the infrastructure is in place, the understanding and concept of a
single account that includes all of these features has not yet been
achieved. The accounts were still linked on an ad hoc basis and
customers were required to open up individual accounts. This
required effort in educating customers about these accounts and in
selling these accounts.
[0030] As with technological advances in remote delivery products,
these new accounts offer the possibility of realizing improved
customer services and significant operating efficiencies and
reduced cost. Again, however, the potential benefits to be obtained
from using an integrated financial system such as the Citibank
Money Management Account have not yet been fully realized.
[0031] As noted above, the present invention is also directed to a
data model that reflects the structure of a customer's relationship
to the bank. To anticipate a customer's needs and support targeted
marketing, a service provider must know its customer. Knowing one's
customers is also important for improved customer service, another
proven way of getting and keeping new customers. Since truly
understanding a customer's relationship with a bank becomes more
difficult when the number of customers increases and the frequency
of each customer's contact with a particular employee decreases,
the size of a large financial institution's customer base can
present an obstacle to some marketing efforts. In the financial
community today, a large financial institution may have several
million households and customers each with a unique set of
accounts. The data available for these households, customers, and
accounts is so massive, that it has heretofore not been fully used
for marketing campaigns.
[0032] In an effort to deal with a large customer database,
businesses traditionally maintain customer records. In some cases
these records are in the form of simple paper records, but recently
electronic records have become common. Originally, separate data
storage was used for each electronic record keeping application.
Thus, each department in a financial institution, for example,
would have a program that created and maintained records needed for
its purpose. The problem with this approach is that information
must be extensively duplicated. For example, a customer's name and
address might appear in separate files in several separate
departments.
[0033] There are other problems with application specific data
storage. Since a customer's information is entered in more than one
file, any change in status must be entered into each file, often by
different people. Over time the accuracy and uniformity of the data
deteriorates. In addition, the use of application specific data
storage requires more data entry and more storage space.
[0034] The concept of a database, introduced more than twenty years
ago, has come a long way toward eliminating these problems. In a
database, data is stored in a central location so that there is no
duplication of data. Database management programs are used to
manage databases. Examples of currently available database
management programs include DB2 (for larger databases) and dBase
(for personal computers).
[0035] Typically, a database management system (DBMS) is used to
manage the creation, storage, access, updating, deletion, and use
of a database. A typical DBMS creates databases and their
structures; provides the means for the control and administration
of the data in the database; provides the means for users and
application programs to access, enter, modify, and manipulate the
data in a database; provides a report generator; provides "ad hoc"
query facilities; provides reports to management on who accessed
the database and what activity was performed; provides reports to
operators on hardware utilization, status of current users, and
other monitoring data; and provides automatic backup and recovery
routines for the data in databases.
[0036] Multiple-user databases present several additional
challenges. These include maintaining system performance as the
number of users increases, controlling concurrent access of data,
maintaining security, and administrating the database.
[0037] Attempts to build and use customer databases have a variety
of limitations. In a general sense, these limitations fall into two
distinct categories: limitations in the sources and quality of data
input into the database and limitations on one's ability to search
and retrieve data from the database. In some cases these
limitations work in opposition to one another. For example, as one
improves the size and quality of a databases, searching and
retrieving data from the database becomes more difficult.
[0038] Full service financial institutions typically offer
consumers a wide variety of financial products, including
traditional deposit, investment, loan, and mortgage accounts, as
well as a variety of financial services, including credit cards,
brokerage, direct access, business access, checks as cash,
telephone bill payment, and safety check. In addition, financial
institutions now typically offer access to financial services
through a variety of means, including automatic teller machines
(ATMs), customer activated terminals (CATs), screen phones,
personal computers configured for banking, personal digital
assistants, voice response systems, and smart cards, as well as
traditional human bank tellers. Information from these diverse
sources provides an opportunity to obtain an unusually complete
picture of a customer's relationship with the financial
institution. Thus, the ability to store and retrieve this wealth of
data in a meaningful way has enormous commercial potential. Despite
this commercial potential, there remains a need for a system and
method for assembling a comprehensive database from these diverse
sources and retrieving information from the central database in a
meaningful and practical way.
[0039] There are several deficiencies in currently available
systems and methods for assembling customer financial data and
retrieving information for use in marketing and customer service
systems. To begin with, conventional systems do not allow access to
a customers' entire relationship with the financial institution or
complete demographic information about the customer (i.e., the
customer's "profile"). Basic information about existing customers
is frequently not available or even recognized as being related to
the customer.
[0040] Thus, there remains a need for an improved integrated global
communications network and data model that integrates customer
information and makes the information accessible from remote
locations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0041] One object of the present invention is to provide an
integration facility that can take business level request at a
fairly high level, from a variety of vehicles and decompose them to
a smaller data level requests that are understandable by a variety
of service providers. The integration facility bridges the GAP by
decomposing business language requests into data level
commands.
[0042] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
system and process that allows a bank to truly understand a
customers's relationship with the bank. Since this involves real
banking transactions, accounts cannot be linked based on inference,
but rather there must be some authorization before the accounts are
tied together.
[0043] Another object of the invention is to provide a data model
that reflects the structure of a customer's relationship to the
bank and the customer's profit and services they had tied in with
the bank to allow the bank to tie together, for example: the fact
that the customer and the customer's spouse jointly own certain
things; the customer's spouse owns certain things in their name;
the customer's children have certain things in trust with one or
the other or both of the parents and the bank could tie the
customer all together in various ways to give the customer the
advantage for pricing the customer's account and give the customer
advantages for any information from their point of view.
[0044] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
integration facility that supports identical data bases located in
different cites in real time so that transactions are posted
physically in real time on two or more separate, geographically
spaced apart, central databases.
[0045] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
system and method for standardizing and householding information
from internal and external sources into a centralized database of a
financial institution to allow the institution to better understand
each customer's relationship with the institution.
[0046] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
system for efficiently assembling and retrieving information from a
centralized database containing a high volume of financial and
demographic data to allow the institution to better understand each
customer's relationship with the institution.
[0047] These and other objects are achieved by the present
invention which provides a global communications network that
integrates customer information and makes the information
accessible from remote locations. The system includes a
comprehensive database assembled from diverse sources and means for
retrieving the information from the central database in a
meaningful and practical way. The system includes several levels of
access communications as well as built-in flexibility so that it
can be accessed by a variety of remote systems of varying degrees
of complexity and languages.
[0048] The system of the present invention enables development of a
closer relationship between customers and the bank by providing
vast quantities of information to the consumer group and business
group users. In more detail, the system of the present invention
accesses both traditional customer demographic information, such as
name, account number, and other identifiers in addition to other
demographic information such as legal ownership, statement
packaging, and liability and asset pricing. The demographic
information is to be kept in repositories that support pending
transactions as well as coordination of account information.
[0049] The ability to store "pending" transactions is particularly
important. The "pending" ability enables a "corporate memory," such
that the prospective or current customer of the bank may initiate a
conversation at one touch point (e.g., on the phone), and then
resume the conversation at the point it was interrupted, at any
other touch point of the bank, at any point in time.
[0050] In the global deployment, the system of the present
invention will be accessible to customers and bank employees
through branch systems, ATMs (CATs), screen phones, Personal
Computers or other devices while using only a single identifier
such as a card or PIN. The system of the present invention will
also make data available based on other customer's information,
such as account number(s), name, and social security number. The
system of the present invention will allow customers to be provided
with easy "one-touch" type financial services while providing
disparate businesses with an integrated customer services resource
that provides greater demographic information about customers
which, in turn, makes service delivery more efficient.
[0051] Technically, the system of the present invention is an
enterprise wide operational customer information system built on a
distributed UNIX platform using Oracle to manage the databases. The
system includes standardized messaging infrastructure for efficient
processing of all transactions between different systems using high
performance multi-tier parallel message routing. The system has the
ability to manage both asynchronus and synchronous processing. The
system can take one message, split it into multiple messages and
send all resulting messages at once. Responses are then processed
on all available information without necessarily waiting for all
data/messages to respond.
[0052] The messaging service infrastructure includes a two tier
routing structure. Primary routing occurs within the delivery
system interface to expedite simple transactions that can be sent
directly to the core application or other servicing system. Message
standardization coding is not usually required for these
transactions. Complex transactions are intended to be sent through
the system, whether or not they require a database lookup or not.
The system workflow manager determines the appropriate system
applications, depending on the message, and those applications
create the necessary additional messages required for communication
with multiple core applications or servicing systems to complete
the transaction request. Message responses are then processed by
the appropriate system application and the aggregated response is
returned to the delivery system via the interface.
[0053] The core application and/or servicing system interfaces
preferably "wrap" legacy systems by providing specialized message
management for each system. This wrapping functionality
theoretically minimizes any customization or enhancements to these
older mainframe systems. Significant functionality can eventually
be built into the system to effectively bypass individual legacy
systems. Although, the system need only provide very limited
additional functionality. The system infrastructure provides a
platform within which multiple system management objectives can be
optimized.
[0054] In accordance with another important aspect of the present
invention, the integration facility preferably supports identical
data bases located in different cites in real time. Thus,
transactions are posted physically in real time on two or more
separate, geographically spaced apart, central databases. The
central databases are always kept in lockstep so that even if one
central database is destroyed the system can continue to operate
without interruption. A commercially available product such as
Reliable Transaction Router ("RTR") from Digital Equipment
Corporation can be used for this purpose. Of course, other systems
could be used. Oracle could be used as described hereinafter or
some other dbms such as IBM's DB2 could be used without altering
any of the features of the present invention. Alternatively, it is
possible to port from UNIX to IBM's MVS operating system on another
set of hardware.
[0055] Preferably, the system is 100% customer available, no matter
what happens so that the bank can turn off one central database for
maintenance and because another site replicates the central
database, things keep on going unaffected.
[0056] The system also provides means that allow the distribution
points and service providers to be configured to understand that
there are multiple places where they could get information.
Preferably, this means is in the form of software for controlling
existing computers used at the distribution points and service
providers. Home based PCs used in the system, for example, have the
capability of dialing to multiple telephone numbers that go
different places. Cash machines are on a dual network and they
select whatever circuit happens to be available. In the case of
teller stations or work stations, the workstation themselves go
through a gateway server in each branch. So actually it is the
gateway server that is capable of accessing the different
databases.
[0057] The system permits simultaneous processing of transactions
and includes a store forward mechanism so that if the data center
is off line for maintenance, the system ques up the transactions
and when the central database is back online, the system processes
the transactions so that the central database catches back up very
quickly.
[0058] In addition, the system allows the customer to interact with
a financial institution that provides a variety of services through
many different means including automatic teller machines, screen
phones, voice phones, personal computers, branch tellers etc.
without having to learn a new system. The system always provides a
consistent business level consumer interface. The system preferably
allows the customer to perform all transactions around the clock
and around the world. In this way, a customer may choose whether to
visit a bank in person, call the phone, or use a computer, the
services available are all the same without altering the customer's
experience. Every access point is just another window into the
financial services accounts.
[0059] Because the system is fully integrated, it provides
operating efficiencies and cost reduction. This, in turn permits
the financial institution to pass cost savings along to the
customer which, in turn, strengthens customer loyalty and promotes
relationship building. In effect, the present invention promotes a
cycle of increased efficiency and cost savings that benefits both
the financial institution and the customer and tends to bind the
customer to the financial institution more closely in a way that
benefits both the customer and the financial institution. From the
financial institutions point of view, the system, by offering the
customer advantages, promotes customer loyalty and relationship
building.
[0060] In the preferred embodiment, the central databases store, in
two (or more) separate locations, information from various
businesses and markets within the financial institution. The
central database may include information concerning existing
customer financial information, information from outside sources,
and demographic information about existing and potential customers.
In the preferred embodiment, the central database is housed in a
mainframe computer and includes a large repository of financial and
demographic data. Information is fed into the database from a
variety of sources, including business and credit card feeds from
the financial institution for each product and service offered by
the institution, and feeds from outside vendors. The outside vendor
feeds preferably include all publicly available demographic
information, phone numbers, addresses, tax and property records,
and so forth.
[0061] The data from these sources is stored in a uniform format.
For this purpose, a uniform storage or householding algorithm, a
name and address standardization process, and a merge process may
be used. In addition, the information is preferably maintained in
the central database in a three-tier hierarchy so that it can be
accessed selectively at household, customer, and account levels. A
given household may have one or more customers, and each customer
in a household may have a number of different accounts.
[0062] Thus, the central database serves as a single central
repository for storing all customer related information throughout
the business. As described hereinafter, the central database can be
used for a wide variety of customer service, financial analysis and
marketing purposes. Among other things, the system includes several
integrated components that are used to view customer information
and manage customer contacts and relationships. Relationship
management components support a comprehensive sales process. The
system provides a relationship profile that allows appropriate
staff members to view household and customer account and balance
information both in detail and summary form.
[0063] While a single central repository for storing all customer
related information throughout a business offers significant
potential, the database is necessarily so large that certain
problems arise. For example, the present inventors recognize that a
database of this size cannot practically be directly searched.
Thus, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
the system of the present invention includes means for allowing
users to build programs for searching the central database.
[0064] The relationship profile component of the customer
information system of the present invention allows appropriate
staff members to find and view household, customer, and account
level information. The relationship profile component shows current
and historical financial and behavioral information about the total
relationship of the household or customer with the financial
institution. It contains information on individual accounts owned,
how customers do their banking at the financial institution, and
whether they are managed by a particular personal banker. The
relationship profile component provides a sales preparation tool
that displays all the information available about the customer, the
customer's relationships to other customers, and in-depth account
information on all accounts owned by the customer and/or the entire
household.
[0065] Information is available in the relationship profile
component in detail as well as in summary forms. In combination,
the information in the relationship profile can be used to gauge
the depth of each banking relationship in order to better prepare
for sales and service conversations.
[0066] The present invention comprises a network structured service
architecture that rapidly relays information from one end user to
another located anywhere on the world wide network. The end users
are located at distribution points which relay information to and
receive information from the network. Information requests are
relayed from a distribution point to a logical router which
determines whether the request is simple or complex.
[0067] Upon the determination of a simple request, the request is
routed by the network to the appropriate service provider that can
satisfy the distribution point's request. Information relating to
the satisfaction of the request is then routed back through the
network to the originating distribution point.
[0068] Upon the determination of a complex request, the request is
routed to messaging service agents, which consult script and
workflow data model rules, send one or more messages to logical
services which determine which service provider is appropriate to
receive the complex request. The complex request is then routed to
the appropriate service provider which performs the request.
Information relating to the satisfaction of the request is then
exchanged between the distribution point and the service provider
until the request is satisfied.
[0069] A system journal is maintained of all requests, simple and
complex, the network routes between distribution points and service
providers for the purpose of satisfying audit, legal, regulatory,
customer service requests, and the like.
[0070] Finally, the network communicates with a replication data
center. A data replication center includes an electronic storehouse
for data necessary to perform the simple and complex requests. In
addition, the center includes a duplicate storehouse to ensure that
the network is always provided with the data stored in the
storehouses, especially in the event of an electronic failure to a
storehouse or the supporting and accessing electronics.
[0071] Thus, the present invention provides a global communications
network for use by a financial institution. The global
communications network includes a plurality of local area networks;
a plurality of distribution points for allowing access to the
global communications network; a plurality of service providers for
providing information in response to data level commands; and an
integration facility for decomposing high level business language
requests into data level commands that are understandable by the
service providers so as to allow end users located at distribution
points to relay information to and receive information from the
network.
[0072] The integration facility includes:means for determining
whether an information request is simple or complex; means for
receiving information requests from a distribution point and
relaying information the requests received from a distribution
point to the logical router for determination of whether the
request is simple or complex; a router for routing simple requests
to a service provider that can satisfy the distribution point's
request; means for generating a message relating to the
satisfaction of the request; a router for routing messages relating
to the satisfaction of the request back through the network to the
originating distribution point; a plurality of messaging service
agents, each messaging service agent including means for consulting
script and workflow data model rules, and sending messages to
logical servers which determine which service provider is
appropriate to receive the complex request; means for routing
complex requests to messaging service agents, which consult script
and workflow data model rules, send one or more messages to logical
servers which determine which service provider is appropriate to
receive the complex request; a router for routing complex requests
to the appropriate service provider which performs the request;
means for allowing information relating to the satisfaction of the
request to be exchanged between the distribution point and the
service provider until the request is satisfied; means for
generating a message relating to the satisfaction of the request; a
router for routing messages relating to the satisfaction of
the-request back through the network to the originating
distribution point.
[0073] The global communications network of the present invention
may further include means for maintaining a system journal of all
requests, simple and complex, that the network routes between
distribution points and service providers.
[0074] The global communications network of the present invention
may also include a replication data center in communication with
the network. The data replication center preferably includes: a
plurality a geographically separate electronic databases for
storing data necessary to perform the simple and complex requests;
means for posting transactions in real time on each of the
plurality of the geographically separate electronic databases so
that the electronic databases are always kept in lockstep.
[0075] The global communications network of the present invention
may further include a public network having a firewall that
includes means for limiting access to the public network to
authorized users. The network of the present invention preferably
allows a customer to directly connect to the public network through
the firewall using a computer modem and also includes a remote
delivery server for providing access to the integration facility of
the global communications network's banking products and services
and means for allowing a customer to directly connect to a remote
delivery server using a computer modem, wherein the customer is
provided with a messaging scheme that is identical to the messaging
scheme the customer would receive from an in-branch connection with
the integration facility of the global communications network.
[0076] The global communications network of the present invention
may further include a plurality of financial institution branch
systems and a branch server and a branch router for routing
messages to and from integration facility of the global
communications network such that the integration facility of the
global communications network is in electrical communication with
the financial institution branch systems. The branch systems may
further include a branch network and a plurality of branch services
connected to the branch network the services, including a printer,
an automated teller, a customer activated services terminal, a
staff workstation and a terminal server, express deposit devices,
teller work stations, greeter workstations and investment
consultant work stations. Preferably all branch services share a
common local area network and are located within a branch of the
financial services provider such that each of the services enjoys
access to the same computer financial applications; related
computer applications; and common routes and servers to the
integration facility of the global communications network.
[0077] The present invention also provides a process for
decomposing high level business language requests into data level
commands that are understandable by the service providers so as to
allow end users located at distribution points to relay information
to and receive information from the network. The process includes
the steps of: receiving information requests from a distribution
point and relaying information the requests received from a
distribution point to the logical router for determination of
whether the request is simple or complex; routing simple requests
to a service provider that can satisfy the distribution point's
request; generating a message relating to the satisfaction of the
request; routing messages relating to the satisfaction of the
request back through the network to the originating distribution
point; decomposing complex requests into one or more messages;
determining which service provider is appropriate to receive the
complex request; routing complex requests to the appropriate
service provider which performs the request;exchanging information
relating to the satisfaction of the request between the
distribution point and the service provider until the request is
satisfied;generating a message relating to the satisfaction of the
request; routing messages relating to the satisfaction of the
request back through the network to the originating distribution
point. The process may also include the step of posting
transactions in real time on each of the plurality of the
geographically separate electronic databases so that the electronic
databases are always kept in lockstep.
[0078] The above mentioned and other features and objects of the
invention, and the manner of attaining them will be best understood
by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the
invention, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0079] FIG. 1 depicts an overview block diagram of components of a
Global Intergration Facility (GIF) according to the present
invention and communication links between international information
service providers and the GIF.
[0080] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of the GIF shown in FIG. 1
including communication links between the GIF and particular types
of external users.
[0081] FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of the general topology of
the GIF shown in FIG. 1.
[0082] FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of the topology of the GIF
with regard to structured services architecture with the portion in
the dashed box corresponding to the "messaging and infrastructure
services" of FIG. 2.
[0083] FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram depicts a block diagram of
the topology of the GIF with regard to unstructured services
architecture.
[0084] FIG. 6 depicts a replication site.
[0085] FIG. 7 depicts a block diagram of customer demographics as
they relate to information essential in determining a customer's
financial health.
[0086] FIG. 8 depicts general topology of the interaction of the
various distribution points and the GIF.
[0087] FIG. 9 depicts branch system architecture.
[0088] FIG. 10 depicts remote delivery server topology for a
customer service system configuration and communication links
between the configuration and the GIF.
[0089] FIG. 11 depicts the topology of a point of sale
configuration and communication links between the configuration and
the GIF.
[0090] FIG. 12 depicts a point of sale server and workstation.
[0091] FIG. 13 depicts examples of private and public networks.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0092] The basic architecture of the present invention is set out
in FIG. 1. The present invention comprises a Global Integration
Facility 10 (GIF) that allows for the direct interface of a
plurality of international users. The international users
communicate via a front end service provider thereby allowing
customers, financial institutions, and the like to interface with
customer financial information. Such information may include
customer demographics, money accounts, stock portfolios and other
negotiable instruments, credit ratings and so forth. The interface
with the information allows both customer and financial institution
to facilitate financial lending requests, monetary transactions and
account manipulations from any worldwide location of a user.
Furthermore, the GIF allows for modern telecommunications links
between all users of the network, allowing for example
teleconferencing and videoconferencing.
[0093] As depicted in FIG. 1, the GIF 10 provides the central
communications network between networks of worldwide end users such
as customer activated terminals (CAT) 12. The CATS in the CAT
network 12, like the common ATM machine, provide a direct link
between an end-user or customer and a computer network. The GIF 10
is also in communication with one or more financial institutions
and financial service providers. CAT's and ATM's are located world
wide and have supporting computer networks in place. A CAT is a
computer terminal that allows the user to access his or her
financial and demographic information and manipulate same.
Therefore, a CAT can make it possible for an end-user to initiate
and complete any financial transaction including buying and selling
of stocks and other financial instruments, obtaining loans, and
transferring and debiting accounts. CATS generally operate on
proprietary and shared ATM and banking networks. The CAT networks
12 interface with the GIF 10 via front end communicators 14. These
communicators may include any electronic telecommunications means
known to one skilled in the art that provides for two way data
transfer. In addition to communication with CAT's and their
equivalents, front end communicators 14 may facilitate
communications between the GIF and financial service providers
located outside the CAT computer network, as depicted by direct
connections of box 16. In addition, the GIF provides access to
other external networks 13.
[0094] FIG. 2 depicts the GIF 10 in relation to the particular
services provided to an end user. Column 20 (which generally
corresponds to item 12 in FIG. 1) depicts the interface or
distribution points of the end user and the GIF, wherein the end
user can `touch the GIF`. The distribution points provide the end
user with the capacity to perform: structured requests (for
example, monetary transactions); unstructured requests (such as,
e-mail, fax, voice, video, etc.); overview from management (hidden
from the `view` of the end user, however continually monitoring the
transaction request); and a sense of financial control. Many
distribution points are equipped with at least one workstation that
is designed to run Microsoft's Windows NT or Windows 3.1 operating
systems or equivalents, while others are less sophisticated. Less
sophisticated distribution points may include household telephones.
The distribution points are depicted as boxes having communication
`links` (connecting lines) to the GIF 10. The boxes as depicted
indicate branch systems 22, remote delivery systems 24, customer
service systems 26, and point of sale systems 28, and office
systems 29.
[0095] In addition to end user controlled financial transactions,
the GIF provides access for the end user to financial transactions
related services. These services generally correspond to item 14 in
FIG. 1 and are set out in FIG. 2 row of boxes 30 having
communication `links` with the GIF 10. The services depicted
include end-to-end management services 32, financial control
service 34, structured services 36 and unstructured services
38.
[0096] In addition to controlled financial transactions and related
services, GIF provides access to the end user to service providers,
which generally correspond to item 16 in FIG. 1 and as indicated by
column 40 and the interrelationship between the boxes of this
column and the GIF 10. Each service provider may participate in one
or more of the following services: structured; unstructured;
management; and financial control. Standard protocols are used for
requests and responses between service providers and end users
including: voice, video, e-mail, fax, and so forth. Service
providers include: gateways 42; product processors 44; and
authorization engines 46.
[0097] FIG. 3 depicts the general topology of the GIF 10. The GIF
provides a comprehensive set of services for the control and
routing of structured and unstructured messages and requests
between distribution points and service providers. The GIF also
provides centralized supervision for the requests as well as access
to services for fault tolerance. In addition, the GIF supports
communications protocols including, X.25, TCP/IP, and SDLC. As
depicted, the general topology includes distribution points 20 in
electronic communication with the GIF 10 and service providers 40.
The infrastructure of the GIF 10 includes a first network 12, in
electronic communications with infrastructure services 30 as well
as a first messaging services 14, a second messaging services 16
and a second network 18. Furthermore, the GIF supports synchronous
and asynchronous messaging wherein the former provides for return
messaging while the latter disregards the return messaging and
commences directly into processing of messages. In addition, the
GIF supports the capacity to pause or break single messages down
into several component messages and process the individual pieces
thereof.
[0098] The first and second networks route electronic messages to
and from external end users, via logical routers, according to a
determination of which type of message (structured, unstructured,
etc.) is being routed. The messaging services contain application
logic that supervise the transactions requested based upon script,
workflow, and data model rules. In operation, the messaging
services handle structured requests from distribution points by
decomposing, processing, recomposing and reversing the messages
according to a set of business rules and processing scripts. The
messages are then routed to the appropriate service provider as
based on routing criteria developed from data partitioning, load
balancing, site availability and the like. An incoming request
message may cause multiple message to be dispatched to a secondary
router for delivery to a service provider. Messaging services
messages may be synchronous or asynchronous and may be response
messages triggering the dispatch of still more messages. In
addition, the messaging services will usually work in
request/response messaging pairs, however, one-way messages may be
issued from distribution points indicating, for example, an
emergency shutdown. Furthermore, the message services may be used
to issue broadcast messages to all distribution points, including
hot card list updates, interest rate changes and scam messages.
Finally, but not limiting, the messaging services may be used to
keep logs of message sent thereby, including the nature and
directions thereof.
[0099] FIG. 4 depicts the architecture of structured messaging. As
shown, distribution point 20 electronically communicates via
connection 21 to a first logical router 23. Logical router 23 then
determines whether the message is simple or complex (i.e. requiring
supervision). If the message is determined to be simple (not
needing supervision) the message is routed along line 25 to the
appropriate service provider depicted in column 40. Service
providers include checking services, checking c.o.b. services, and
mortgage services. Additional services provided are limited only by
the state of the financial services art. If the message is found to
be complex (requiring supervision), the message is directed along
line 27 to a messaging services agent(s) 29. The messaging services
agent processes the message using, among other criteria, the
script/workflow data model rules 31, then directs the complex
message along line 33 to second logical router 35. Second logical
router 35 then directs the complex message to the appropriate
service provider depicted in column 40. A log or journal of the
simple/complex structured message routing is kept by system journal
37.
[0100] FIG. 5 depicts the architecture of unstructured messaging.
As shown, distribution points 20 electronically communicate via
connection 21 to a first logical router 23. As detailed above, a
determination of the complexity of the message sent is made. Simple
messages are directed along line 25 to the appropriate service
provider. Complex messages are directed along line 27 to mail agent
39. Mail agent 39, using script/workflow rules (among other
criteria) sends the message to second logical server 35, along line
33, to be delivered to the appropriate service provider.
[0101] With both structured and unstructured architectures, the
logical routers also perform messaging services replication by
communication with at least two dual data centers. A data center
maintains a data storage of all customer information as well as
messaging logs, contents, criteria etc. and all other data
necessary to operate the GIF. The data centers maintain dual data
storage devices to maintain the GIF in the event of a crash by one
of the data storage devices. An example of a data storage center is
depicted in FIG. 6.
[0102] FIG. 6 describes a multiple in-depth redundant system
composed, at the lowest level of redundancy, of two mirrored
facilities linked by routers 600 connected to FDDI (fiber
distributed data interface) backbones. The FDDI form of local area
network is currently preferred, but other forms of local area
networks such as Ethernet, FastEthernet or ATM could be used.
Within each facility, the system is composed of mirrored systems
connected principally by an FDDI (fiber distributed data interface)
backbone 605 and token ring networks 630. Each system is composed
of a Peer Server 620 and front end processor 635, such as an IBM
3174 or 37XX computer, tied to a mainframe computer 640. In the
illustrated embodiment, the mirrored Peer Servers communicate with
each other through a token ring network. The peer servers receive
wide-area non-TCP/IP request inputs via an X.25 packet switched
connection 625. The system is not limited to token ring network
configurations. To the contrary, other network configurations, such
as ethernet, can be used. The MSS 610 and MSA 615 systems are tied
to this mirrored system arrangement via the FDDI backbone. The
network allows any front end processor to communicate with multiple
peer servers for redundancy/reliability. Also, while MSS and MSA
are used on Digital Alpha under Digital UNIX, other systems such as
those supporting Oracle, RTR or Oasis IST4 could be used. For
example, IBM's DB2 could be used without altering any of the
features of the present invention. Alternatively, it is possible to
port from UNIX to IBM's MVS operating system on another set of
hardware.
[0103] As depicted in FIG. 7, customer demographics relates to the
information essential in determining a customer's financial health
and subsequent relative needs to and from a serving financial
institution or service providers.
[0104] The customer relationship with different groups is based on
a logical data modeling process that primarily segments business
data into meaningful subsets, identifies the major entities,
determines the relationships between entities, and provides
attribute definition and data type identification.
[0105] The first level 70 in this relationship is the customer,
which may contain many different attributes toward the overall
relationship. The customer may be an individual customer or
employee 72, with specific data about the individual, and
business/professional customers 74, allowing for additional
relationships to form for business services. Customer assets and
liabilities 76, contacts for marketing 78, addresses and phone
numbers 71, and customer to customer links are also provided.
Finally there exists the relationship between the customer and
other customers 73. The customer is identified by the customer
identification number (CIN) 75 and the CIN code supplies the needed
information to determine the relationship type.
[0106] There are four major groupings 77 for relationship types,
including legal 79, package 81, marketing 83, and others 85. The
legal relationship attempts to determine the matrix between
ownership, access, and liability. Banking packages form a
relationship between the customer, the bank, the bank package, and
the participating units in the relationship. The marketing
relationship allows for customer leads and notes to be incorporated
with the marketing campaign. The system is designed to permit the
addition of other relationships based upon other criteria in the
future.
[0107] The account tier 87 contains information about the
customer's links to other accounts 89, the customer's status data
82, and product processor 84. Information on the customer links
contains types of links and instructions, and types of uses for the
account such as the role in account, the relationship, and banking
package.
[0108] It is the intent of the distribution points in general to
speak with the customer in a single language. The language is to
interact with any end-user in any part of the world and to make
using a distribution point easy and familiar. Because the
distribution points include both audio and visual interaction with
the customer, the single language includes general familiar terms
in both communication modes.
[0109] The audio language and written word on a monitor or the like
takes advantage of certain universal (action) verbs and nouns
specific to financial transactions. Such terms include computer
jargon and commonly used financial transaction terms. These terms
include (but are not limited to) transfer, open and close, balance
inquiry, deposit, withdrawal, etc. To facilitate ease and
familiarity between a distribution point and a non-English speaking
end-user, translation software is implemented at the distribution
point. The translation software translates all functions
communicated to the end-user into the end-user's preferred
language. The software is applied to both written functions as
displayed on a computer monitor and spoken language as communicated
through audio means.
[0110] In addition to language, the distribution points greet
end-users with a common touch and feel look and format including
world wide identical logos and screen formats. By using the same
logos and formats the consumer becomes familiar with accessing and
using the GIF via any available distribution point. Consumer
familiarity breeds comfort with the system and allays fears of
using the system in a remote location. This feature becomes
especially effective when the consumer is traveling to a foreign
destination and decides to take advantage of the GIF's global reach
to access his/her hometown bank account to retrieve funds or engage
in other financial transactions. In addition, because the
distribution point accesses the GIF, the distribution point can
call upon any available translation software on the GIF. The
combination of the familiar touch and feel and native language
allows the customer to perform financial transactions in the most
comfortable manner possible.
[0111] Finally, the distribution points offer end-users the option
of technical support in the form of branch personnel, service
representatives and other available persons. Should the customer
take advantage of a foreign distribution point, the GIF offers real
time audio and video communications with an assisting
representative located anywhere on the GIF. Therefore, a customer
traveling to a foreign location can access the local distribution
point in his/her own language, through a familiar touch and feel
format and communicate via the GIF to a service representative of
his/her choice at any on-line financial institution.
[0112] The general topology of the interaction of the various
distribution points and the GIF is set out in FIG. 8. As depicted,
the GIF 10 is in electrical communication with service providers
30. The GIF 10 is also in electrical communication with financial
institution branch systems 22. With the aid of a branch server 21
and branch router 23, the branch systems 22 direct, messages to and
from GIF 10. The branch server and router include any server and
router known to one skilled in the art for facilitating two way
electronic real time communication between any two operating
systems. As shown in FIG. 8, the branch systems 22 further
comprises the following general services: an in-branch workstation
25; an in-branch self-service station 27, and miscellaneous
in-branch input devices as represented by block 29.
[0113] A more detailed depiction of the branch system architecture
is shown in FIG. 9. As shown, the branch services consist of a
plurality of specific and non-limiting in-branch services connected
to a single network 110. These specific services include, printing
112, CAT 114, customer activated services terminal 116, staff
workstation 118, and a terminal server 117. Other additional
specific services that may be offered including express deposit
devices, teller work stations, greeter workstations and investment
consultant work stations. All of these services fall within at
least one of the general service categories depicted in FIG. 8. The
common thread among all these in-branch services is that they share
a common local area network (LAN) and are located within a branch
of a bank or other financial services provider. By incorporating
all of the in-branch services into one LAN, each of the specific
services enjoys: access to the same computer financial
applications; related computer applications; and common routes and
servers to the GIF. In this way, each computer terminal can
communicate with the GIF at the relative same speed and enjoy the
same access to information and service available from the GIF. The
in-branch LAN depicted in FIG. 9 is electronically connected to a
public network 111 which in turn is connected via router 113 to the
GIF. The public network offers one route available to the in-branch
LAN to communicate with the GIF. An alternative includes a private
network with its own router. Because the public network is accessed
by the general public, a firewall 115 protects communications
through the public network from unauthorized interference.
[0114] A second type of distribution point includes a remote
delivery server. The remote delivery server provides access to the
GIF's banking products and services for the customer from a
location of the customer's choosing. For this distribution point,
the customer actually owns and operates the equipment used to
communicate with the GIF and provide services therefrom. The
customer equipment may include any computer system having modem
capabilities and hardware capacity to effectively operate
communications software provided by the financial institution. The
communications software provided includes all necessary operating
systems and the like to conform the customer equipment to the GIF
protocol, format and language. The communications software enables
the customer to access the GIF and provide the customer with the
identical messaging scheme as the customer would receive from an
in-branch connection with the GIF. The customer would also be
afforded the equivalent presentation schemes as that found in CAT's
and AVR's.
[0115] In addition to providing direct access from direct access
communications, the customer equipment can also access the GIF
through third party communications-enabled financial software. An
example of third party communications-enabled financial software
includes Quicken offered by Intuit Corporation. Through self access
and manipulation of the communications software, the customer can
tailor the communication format platform to his/her own
choosing.
[0116] FIG. 10 depicts an overview of the remote delivery server
general topology. The customer using his/her own equipment can
directly connect to the public network using x.25, SDLC or TCP/IP
their equivalent during communication access. The customer
equipment is represented by box 121 with direct connection,
depicted by line 122, to firewall 115 and public network 111. In
addition to computer modem communications, a customer can
communicate with the public network 111 over a voice telephone 123,
digital phone (not shown), video phone (not shown) and the like
over a direct connection depicted by line 124. In addition, line
124 offers access to the public network 111 to personal digital
assistants 127 such as The Newton by Apple Corporation. Authorized
access to the public network entitles customers to access in-branch
LAN's connected with the public network as discussed with regard to
FIG. 8. Therefore, in addition to customer service available on the
GIF, the accessing customer has access to local network in-branch
customer assistance. In-branch customer assistance is depicted by
staff work station 125 connected to public network via direct line
126. Other access to the public network is available from in-branch
customer work stations depicted by box 127 with direct public
network connection depicted in line 128. As further depicted by
FIG. 10, the public network accesses the GIF 10 via servers 129 and
routers 130. Furthermore, a first server may include a data center,
as depicted in FIG. 6, for storage and logging of important
messaging information communicating therethrough.
[0117] Customer support is available to the customer before, during
and after the customer accesses the GIF. The scope of the customer
service is limited only by the service available at a financial
institution. Through the communications arrangement of the GIF, a
live customer service representative is always available to the
customer regardless of where in the world the customer access's the
network. The general topology of the customer service provided by
the present invention is set out in FIG. 10. As shown, the public
network 111 includes voice recognition utilities (VRU) and
automatic call director (ACD). The VRU includes any utility known
to one skilled in the art for facilitating voice recognition
electronic communication between a remote user and the customer
network. The customer support service is routed through the GIF as
depicted by routers 130 and servers 129. Therefore, when a customer
accesses the GIF from any worldwide location and elects to use
customer support, the customer will be greeted by the same format
as would be available from an in-branch distribution point. In
addition, as the GIF has televideo conference capabilities, the
customer can directly, visually, vocally and instantly communicate
with a customer service representative face to face. As the GIF
allows the customer service representative to instantly access the
customer's records while communicating with the customer, the
representative is given the opportunity to compile the customer's
demographic information while conducting face to face
teleconferencing.
[0118] The GIF is also accessible from a point of sale location
(POS), including merchants conducting credit card sales and/or
inquiring about the credit rating of a potential customer. The
general topology of a POS is disclosed in FIG. 11. A private
network 140 with an alternate server configuration 142 in place of
a public network may be used to access the GIF. The alternate
server is in direct communication with the GIF through a router 144
as depicted by line 146. However, the alternate server is not
restricted to direct communication and can incorporate any
communications means known to one skilled in the art to facilitate
electronic communication between two networks. In addition to
communicating with server 142, network 140 maintains customer
terminals 148 and staff telephones 149. Network 140 serves the
needs of the direct sales provider as well as merchant terminal
that facilitates cash withdrawals and other financial
transactions.
[0119] by way of example, a POS server and workstation are depicted
in FIG. 12. It should be appreciated that similar architectural can
be used to facilitate home access. In addition, those skilled in
the art will appreciate that use of public Internet in connection
wtih POS transactions involving a host of security concerns. As
shown, a terminal device 150 is in electrical communication with a
POS server 160 via a private network 180 owned by the server or a
public network 190 such as the Internet. The terminal device 150
may comprise any terminal device known to one skilled in the art
that can accept a credit card or the like which conveys information
via a magnetic strip or key pad. The terminal device is intended to
be used directly by the end user at the point of sale and may be
commonly found at most any transaction point. The use of magnetic
stripe credit and debit cards have become so popular so as to arise
at such varied locations as the gas station pump and the law
firm.
[0120] As depicted, the terminal device 150 comprises a card swipe
151, software application 152, communications application 153,
operating system 154, hardware 155 and keypad 156. The card swipe
151 accommodates the credit card or the like as the card is swiped
across a magnetic strip reader 157. The magnetic strip reader 157
is in electrical communication with the software application 152 so
as to facilitate software reading of information carried on the
read magnetic strip. Operation of the software 152 is facilitated
by operating system 154 as stored on the terminal's hardware 155.
In addition to software, the operating system also facilitates
communications software 153 that enables the device to send and
receive information from a network. The link between the device and
a network may comprise any communication software known to one
skilled in the art for facilitating electronic communication
between a terminal device and a network. In addition to
facilitating reading and communicating software, the operating
system facilitates information input via key pad 156.
[0121] As depicted in FIG. 12, the terminal device may be in direct
communication with: a private network 180; a public network 190; or
both networks. A private network is one completely run by a private
concern. An example of a private network is one operated by VISA
Corporation wherein, a terminal device accesses a VISA controlled
server through a VISA controlled network. The VISA server then
communicates with the GIF to access financial information and
services therethrough. As the entire communication process between
the terminal device and the GIF are controlled by VISA there is
less concern for the integrity and security of the process. In
contrast, a public network may be accessed by anyone in the general
public. Examples of public networks include the Internet and dial
up networks. Public networks raise issues of integrity and security
regarding financial transactions communications. To address these
concerns, the public network 190 includes a firewall about the
network to prevent unauthorized usage and insure network integrity.
In addition, when the public network communicates with a POS
server, as depicted by line 186 into interface 188, a second
firewall 182 within the server receives the public network
communication. In addition, system security management 184 also
maintains communication with the public network. The latter
security measures are intended to provide an extra level of
protection against unauthorized uses and communications.
[0122] The terminal device is in direct electrical communication by
lines 158 and 159 to a private network 180 and a public network 190
as depicted. Both networks are in direct electrical communication
with a POS server 160. The POS server then provides communication
with the GIF (not shown). In addition to communications means, the
server provides file managing services as well as communications
with third parties and customer service representatives.
[0123] Examples of private and public networks, accessed by
terminals, communicating with the GIF and services provided thereby
are depicted in FIG. 13. As depicted, terminal 160 is in electrical
communication with numerous networks before communicating with the
GIF 10. A first terminal 161 may be operated by a financial
institution and communicates with a private network 162 as depicted
by line 163. The private network 162 may be operated by financial
concerns such as CIRRUS or NYCE. The private network 162
communicates with the GIF as depicted by line 164. Once connected
to the GIF, the private network has access to all of the GIF
services including, but not limited to, authorization engines
165.
[0124] A second terminal 166 may be operated by a merchant. Second
terminal 166 is in direct communication as depicted by line 167
with a merchant network 168. An example of a merchant network
includes PUBLIX. Merchant network 168 communicates with the GIF as
depicted by line 169. Once connected to the GIF, the merchant
network has access to all of the GIF services including, but not
limited to, authorization engines 165.
[0125] A third terminal 170 may be operated by any third party
member. Third terminal 170 communicates with a merchant network 171
as depicted by line 173. Merchant network then communicates with a
third party network 172 as depicted by line 174 to gain access to
the GIF as depicted by line 175. Once connected to the GIF, the
merchant network has access to all of the GIF services including,
but not limited to, authorization engines 165.
[0126] Although depicted as involving a single network or domestic
merchant, the GIF may be communicated with through any combination
of domestic or international networks as may be envisioned by one
skilled in the art, provided the network(s) involved can maintain
communication capabilities. Examples of international networks
include the Internet and Maestro.
* * * * *