U.S. patent application number 13/486739 was filed with the patent office on 2013-12-05 for financial account related trigger feature for detecting changes in financial ratios.
This patent application is currently assigned to BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is Thayer S. Allison, JR., Timothy J. Bendel, Srihari Rao Gatpa, David Joa, David Neil Joffe, Yanghong Shao, Deepak Verma, Jade Michelle Le Vo-Dinh, Naveen G. Yeri. Invention is credited to Thayer S. Allison, JR., Timothy J. Bendel, Srihari Rao Gatpa, David Joa, David Neil Joffe, Yanghong Shao, Deepak Verma, Jade Michelle Le Vo-Dinh, Naveen G. Yeri.
Application Number | 20130325699 13/486739 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49518142 |
Filed Date | 2013-12-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130325699 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yeri; Naveen G. ; et
al. |
December 5, 2013 |
FINANCIAL ACCOUNT RELATED TRIGGER FEATURE FOR DETECTING CHANGES IN
FINANCIAL RATIOS
Abstract
Systems and methods for producing and maintaining account
related triggers are provided herein. The systems and methods may
be utilized for monitoring of one or more accounts of a financial
institution. Triggers may be executed to monitor financial account
ratios. Offers may be triggered based on the account ratios or
changes in the account ratios.
Inventors: |
Yeri; Naveen G.; (Charlotte,
NC) ; Bendel; Timothy J.; (Charlotte, NC) ;
Joa; David; (San Bruno, CA) ; Allison, JR.; Thayer
S.; (Charlotte, NC) ; Verma; Deepak;
(Middletown, DE) ; Shao; Yanghong; (Charlotte,
NC) ; Gatpa; Srihari Rao; (Hyderabad, IN) ;
Vo-Dinh; Jade Michelle Le; (Charlotte, NC) ; Joffe;
David Neil; (Charlotte, NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Yeri; Naveen G.
Bendel; Timothy J.
Joa; David
Allison, JR.; Thayer S.
Verma; Deepak
Shao; Yanghong
Gatpa; Srihari Rao
Vo-Dinh; Jade Michelle Le
Joffe; David Neil |
Charlotte
Charlotte
San Bruno
Charlotte
Middletown
Charlotte
Hyderabad
Charlotte
Charlotte |
NC
NC
CA
NC
DE
NC
NC
NC |
US
US
US
US
US
US
IN
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
Charlotte
NC
|
Family ID: |
49518142 |
Appl. No.: |
13/486739 |
Filed: |
June 1, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/39 ;
705/35 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 40/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/39 ;
705/35 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 40/02 20120101
G06Q040/02; G06Q 20/10 20120101 G06Q020/10 |
Claims
1. A system for monitoring of one or more accounts of a financial
institution, the system comprising: a computer apparatus including
a processor and a memory; and a financial ratio software module
stored in the memory, comprising executable instructions that when
executed by the processor cause the processor to: receive account
data associated with the one or more accounts; store the account
data in a storage device; execute triggers to monitor financial
account ratios, wherein executing triggers comprises imposing
account costs in response to determining a particular financial
account ratio; trigger a notification to a user of the account
costs when the account costs are imposed, the notification
comprising an offer to a computing device associated with the user
associated with forgiving the account costs; segregate the account
data into a plurality of time periods; calculate the number of
instances in which account costs were imposed during each time
period in response to executing the triggers; determine whether the
number of instances in which account costs were imposed during each
time period in response to executing the triggers is within a lower
control limit and an upper control limit; and based on determining
that the number of instances in which account costs were imposed
during a particular time period in response to executing the
triggers is below the lower control limit or exceeds the upper
control limit, transmit an outlier notification to a predefined
analyst.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein executing triggers to monitor
financial account ratios comprises: calculating the total value of
the outbound transactions that occur during a first period of time
and the total value of the inbound transactions the occur during
the first period of time; and comparing the value of the outbound
transactions and the total value of the inbound transactions.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein: executing triggers to monitor
financial account ratios comprises determining that the total value
of the outbound transactions is greater the total value of the
inbound transactions by a specific amount; and the offer to the
user associated with forgiving the account costs comprises a
recommendation to the user comprising transferring the specific
amount from a first account to a second account before the start of
a second period of time, wherein the first period of time comprises
a period of time that is prior to the second period of time.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the outbound transactions
comprise automatic withdrawals, internal transfers, and
payments.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein executing triggers to monitor
financial account ratios comprises: determining that a total value
of the outbound transactions of the one or more accounts is greater
than a total value of inbound transactions of the one or more
accounts; and imposing account costs in response to determining
that the total value of the outbound transactions is greater than
the total value of the inbound transactions.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein executing triggers comprises
imposing account costs for unavailable funds incurred for the first
time in six months.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein executing triggers comprises
imposing account costs when an account has gone to loss for the
first time in six months.
8. A method for monitoring of one or more accounts of a financial
institution, the method comprising: receiving account data
associated with the one or more accounts; storing the account data
in a storage device; executing, with a processor, triggers to
monitor financial account ratios, wherein executing triggers
comprises imposing account costs in response to determining a
particular financial account ratio; triggering, with a processor, a
notification to a user of the account costs when the account costs
are imposed, the notification comprising an offer to a computing
device associated with the user associated with forgiving the
account costs; segregating, with a processor, the account data into
a plurality of time periods; calculating, with a processor, the
number of instances in which account costs were imposed during each
time period in response to executing the triggers; determining,
with a processor, whether the number of instances in which account
costs were imposed during each time period in response to executing
the triggers is within a lower control limit and an upper control
limit; and based on determining that the number of instances in
which account costs were imposed during a particular time period in
response to executing the triggers is below the lower control limit
or exceeds the upper control limit, transmitting, with a processor,
an outlier notification to a predefined analyst.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the offer to the user associated
with forgiving the account costs includes one or more options to
avoid account costs, wherein the options to avoid account costs are
selected from the group consisting of linking an account to the
account that incurred costs, changing an account type for the
account that incurred costs, and transferring funds to the account
that incurred costs.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein executing triggers further
comprises: calculating the total value of the outbound transactions
that occur during a first period of time and the total value of the
inbound transactions the occur during the first period of time; and
comparing the value of the outbound transactions and the total
value of the inbound transactions.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein: executing triggers further
comprises determining that the total value of the outbound
transactions is greater the total value of the inbound transactions
by a specific amount; and the offer to the user associated with
forgiving the account costs comprises a recommendation to the user
comprising transferring the specific amount from a first account to
a second account before the start of a second period of time,
wherein the first period of time comprises a period of time that is
prior to the second period of time.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the outbound transactions
comprise automatic withdrawals, internal transfers, and
payments.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein imposing account costs comprises
imposing the first cost on an account for a predetermined time
period.
14. (canceled)
15. A computer program product for monitoring of one or more
accounts of a financial institution, the computer program product
comprising: a computer readable storage medium having computer
readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable
program code comprising: computer readable program code configured
to receive account data associated with one or more accounts;
computer readable program code configured to identify triggers
comprising account activity indicative of a risk event; computer
readable program code configured to execute triggers to monitor
financial account ratios, wherein executing triggers comprises
imposing account costs in response to determining a particular
financial account ratio; computer readable program code configured
to trigger a notification to a user of the account costs when the
account costs are imposed, the notification comprising an offer to
a computing device associated with the user associated with
forgiving the account cost; computer readable program code
configured to segregate the account data into a plurality of time
periods; computer readable program code configured to calculate the
number of instances in which account costs were imposed during each
time period in response to executing the triggers; determine
whether the number of instances in which account costs were imposed
during each time period in response to executing the triggers is
within a lower control limit and an upper control limit; and based
on determining that the number of instances in which account costs
were imposed during a particular time period in response to
executing the triggers is below the lower control limit or exceeds
the upper control limit, transmit an outlier notification to a
predefined analyst.
16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising
computer readable program code configured to recommend wherein the
offer to the user associated with forgiving the account costs
comprises a recommendation to the user comprising transferring
funds from a second account to cover the account costs incurred by
the outbound transactions.
17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the offer to
the user associated with forgiving the account costs includes one
or more options to avoid account costs, wherein the options to
avoid account costs are selected from the group consisting of
linking an account to the account that incurred costs, changing an
account type for the account that incurred costs, and transferring
funds to the account that incurred costs.
18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein imposing
account costs comprises imposing the first cost on an account for a
predetermined time period.
19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein executing
triggers further comprises: calculating the total value of the
outbound transactions that occur during a first period of time and
the total value of the inbound transactions the occur during the
first period of time; and comparing the value of the outbound
transactions and the total value of the inbound transactions.
20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein: executing
triggers further comprises determining that the total value of the
outbound transactions is greater the total value of the inbound
transactions by a specific amount; and the offer to the user
associated with forgiving the account costs comprises a
recommendation to the user comprising transferring the specific
amount from a first account to a second account before the start of
a second period of time, wherein the first period of time comprises
a period of time that is prior to the second period of time.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Customers of financial institutions often find it difficult
to keep track of their account activities. These customers may be
unaware of the details of their transactions, account balances, and
account policies and may miss potential opportunities and
susceptibilities associated with their accounts. For example, a
customer may not realize that they are eligible for an upgraded
service because they are unfamiliar with their bank's policies and
products. Moreover, financial institutions usually have large
volumes of data to organize and maintain, and may not have the
resources to easily analyze the data and keep customers informed.
Such financial institutions may miss opportunities for growth by
failing to inform their customers of possible issues, offers, and
product updates at the most opportune times. For example, a
financial institution may fail to timely notify a customer of an
investment offer and may miss an opportunity to strengthen their
relationship with the customer as a consequence.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0002] The embodiments provided herein are directed to a system for
producing and maintaining account-related triggers. The system
includes a computer apparatus including a processor and a memory;
and a trigger software module stored in the memory, comprising
executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause
the processor to: receive account data associated with one or more
accounts; store the account data in a storage device; determine
patterns of account activity based on the account data; identify
parameters associated with the patterns of account activity, the
parameters comprising at least one of a transaction channel,
transaction category, threshold amount, business name, stability
indicator, and violation frequency; and form triggers based on the
patterns of account activity and parameters.
[0003] In some embodiments, a system for monitoring one or more
accounts of a financial institution is provided. The system
includes a computer apparatus including a processor and a memory
and a financial ratio software module stored in the memory. The
module includes executable instructions that when executed by the
processor causes the processor to receive account data associated
with the one or more accounts, store the account data in a storage
device, and execute triggers to monitor financial account
ratios.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The present embodiments are further described in the
detailed description which follows in reference to the noted
plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of
embodiments of the present embodiments in which like reference
numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of
the drawings and wherein:
[0005] FIG. 1 provides a block diagram illustrating a trigger
analysis system and environment in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 provides a block diagram illustrating the user's
computing device of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments
of the invention;
[0007] FIG. 3 provides a block diagram illustrating the financial
institution's banking system of FIG. 1, in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention;
[0008] FIG. 4 provides a block diagram illustrating the trigger
repository of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments of the
invention;
[0009] FIGS. 5A-5B are flowcharts illustrating a system and method
for producing and maintaining triggers in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention;
[0010] FIGS. 6A-6B are flowcharts illustrating a system and method
for monitoring trigger data quality in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a system and method for
monitoring financial accounts in accordance with various
embodiments of the invention;
[0012] FIG. 8A provides graphical charts illustrating trigger data
quality monitoring in accordance with various embodiments of the
invention;
[0013] FIG. 8B provides a table illustrating trigger data quality
monitoring in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
and
[0014] FIG. 9 provides a table illustrating various triggers in
accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The embodiments presented herein are directed to systems and
methods for enhancing and maintaining customer relationships with
an organization by the creation, institution, and management of
account related triggers. In some embodiments, a system that
supports ideation, sizing, design, production, and maintenance of
triggers is provided. The system develops effective communication
routines to aid in trigger delivery. Other embodiments are directed
to monitoring data quality by checking historical volume and
calculating high and low control limits to determine whether
current volumes are in control. Such data quality monitoring
minimizes false positives.
[0016] Other embodiments are directed to retaining users in their
existing relationships with a financial institution. Based on
account data, comparisons of past and current transactional
activity are made and a slowdown in account usage is determined. In
response to the determination, notifications are presented to the
user to increase customer satisfaction and retain the customer
relationship. Financial institutions find this approach desirable
because it more cost effective and profitable to retain existing
relationships than it is to acquire new customers.
[0017] Still other embodiments are directed to increasing
transactional depth or account breadth. Incoming and outbound
transactions are evaluated over a period of time to identify
accounts that are close to a certain threshold. Users are notified
of their account status and prompted to increase account activity
in order to gain extra benefits. In this way, financial
institutions are able to understand their customer's needs and
cross sell products. In further embodiments, the relationship with
the user is enhanced by timely identifying outside transactions
through account review. For example, withdrawals, opening new
accounts with a competitor, or making competitor payments are
identified and reviewed to avoid losing the user to a
competitor.
[0018] Further embodiments focus on providing new products to a
user by identifying inbound and outbound transactions that signify
a change in account activity or relate to a particular type of
transaction. Triggers related to payment types and increases in
deposit amounts are identified to enable a financial institution to
cross sell products to users.
[0019] In other embodiments, account information is reviewed to
identify accounts that have unavailable funds and fixed costs and
users are presented policy information. In this way, users are
educated so that they can avoid fixed costs and are made aware of
available options so that they can make informed decisions.
[0020] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of
the present embodiments of the invention may be embodied as a
system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects
of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware
embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware,
resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining
software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to
herein as a "circuit," "module" or "system." Furthermore, aspects
of the present embodiments of the invention may take the form of a
computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable
medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied
thereon.
[0021] Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s)
may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer
readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A
computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not
limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic,
infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any
suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a
non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would
include the following: an electrical connection having one or more
wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access
memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable
read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a
portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage
device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of
the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable
storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or
store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction
execution system, apparatus, or device.
[0022] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated
data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein,
for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a
propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including,
but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable
combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any
computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage
medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program
for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,
apparatus, or device.
[0023] Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be
transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited
to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any
suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer program code for
carrying out operations for aspects of the present embodiments of
the invention may be written in any combination of one or more
programming languages, including an object oriented programming
language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional
procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming
language or similar programming languages. The program code may
execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's
computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's
computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote
computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may
be connected to the user's computer through any type of network,
including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN),
or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example,
through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).
[0024] Aspects of the present embodiments of the invention are
described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or
block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program
products according to embodiments of the embodiments of the
invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart
illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in
the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be
implemented by computer program instructions. These computer
program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general
purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable
data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the
instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or
other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for
implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or
block diagram block or blocks.
[0025] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other
programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored
in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture
including instructions which implement the function/act specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0026] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a
computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other
devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on
the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to
produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions
which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus
provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in
the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0027] As presented herein, embodiments that enhance and maintain
customer relationships with a financial institution via financial
account related triggers are provided. As used herein, the term
"trigger" refers to, but is not limited to, account activity,
transactional data, account costs, account terms and conditions
associated with one or more financial accounts, and non-financial
data such as online data. Exemplary triggers include transactions
and/or events associated with various accounts, such as a checking
account, savings account, credit card account, retirement account,
investment vehicle, or other type of account. Non-financial
exemplary triggers include referrals from an online domain and
online cookies. Specific events or trends in account or online
activity are used to accomplish various objectives in the support
and maintenance of user accounts to thereby increase user
satisfaction and account profitability.
[0028] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 1 provides a block
diagram illustrating a trigger analysis system and environment 100,
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The trigger
analysis environment 100 includes a user 110, and an associated
computing device 200. A user of the system may be an individual
account holder, an agent of the account holder, a customer of a
financial institution, or any other entity that is capable of
maintaining a financial account. The computing device 200 may be
any device that employs a processor and memory and can perform
computing functions, such as a personal computer or a mobile
device. As used herein, a "mobile device" is any mobile
communication device, such as a cellular telecommunications device
(i.e., a cell phone or mobile phone), personal digital assistant
(PDA), a mobile Internet accessing device, or other mobile
device.
[0029] The computing device 200 is configured to communicate over a
network 150 with a financial institution's banking system 300 and,
in some cases, a third party system 170, such as one or more other
financial institution systems, a vendor's system, an online domain,
a POS (point of sales) device, and the like. The user's computing
device 200, the financial institution's banking system 300, and a
trigger repository 400 are each described in greater detail below
with reference to FIGS. 2-4. The network 150 may include a local
area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and/or a global area
network (GAN). The network 150 may provide for wireline, wireless,
or a combination of wireline and wireless communication between
devices in the network. In one embodiment, the network 150 includes
the Internet.
[0030] In general, the computing device 200 is configured to
connect with the network 150 to log the user 110 into the financial
institution's banking system 300, such as an online banking system.
The computing device 200 is also configured to connect with the
network 150 to allow the user 110 to access the third party system
170, such as an online domain. The banking system 300 involves
authentication of a user in order to access the user's account on
the banking system 300. For example, the banking system 300 is a
system where a user 110 logs into his/her account such that the
user 110 or other entity can access data that is associated with
the user 110. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the
banking system 300 is an online banking system maintained by a
financial institution. In such an embodiment, the user 110 can use
the computing device 200 to log into the banking system 300 to
access the user's online banking account. Logging into the banking
system 300 generally requires that the user 110 authenticate
his/her identity using a user name, a passcode, a cookie, a
biometric identifier, a private key, a token, and/or another
authentication mechanism that is provided by the user 110 to the
banking system 300 via the computing device 200. The financial
institution's banking system 300 is in network communication with
other devices, such as the third party system 170 and the trigger
repository 400.
[0031] In some embodiments of the invention, the trigger repository
400 is configured to be controlled and managed by one or more
third-party data providers (not shown in FIG. 1) over the network
150. In other embodiments, the trigger repository 400 is configured
to be controlled and managed over the network 150 by the same
entity that maintains the financial institution's banking system
300. In other embodiments, the trigger repository 400 is configured
to be controlled and managed over the network 150 by the financial
institution implementing the trigger system of the present
embodiments of the invention. In still other embodiments, the
trigger repository 400 is a part of the banking system 300.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 2, the computing device 200 associated
with the user 110 includes various features, such as a network
communication interface 210, a processing device 220, a user
interface 230, and a memory device 250. The network communication
interface 210 includes a device that allows the computing device
200 to communicate over the network 150 (shown in FIG. 1). In
addition, a network browsing application 255 is stored in the
memory device 250. The network browsing application 255 provides
for the user to establish network communication with the banking
system 300 (shown in FIG. 1) for the purpose of communicating
account information to the banking system 300, in accordance with
embodiments of the present embodiments of the invention.
[0033] As used herein, a "processing device," such as the
processing device 220 or the processing device 320, generally
refers to a device or combination of devices having circuitry used
for implementing the communication and/or logic functions of a
particular system. For example, a processing device may include a
digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and
various analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters,
and other support circuits and/or combinations of the foregoing.
Control and signal processing functions of the system are allocated
between these processing devices according to their respective
capabilities. The processing device 220 or 320 may further include
functionality to operate one or more software programs based on
computer-executable program code thereof, which may be stored in a
memory. As the phrase is used herein, a processing device 220 or
320 may be "configured to" perform a certain function in a variety
of ways, including, for example, by having one or more
general-purpose circuits perform the function by executing
particular computer-executable program code embodied in
computer-readable medium, and/or by having one or more
application-specific circuits perform the function.
[0034] As used herein, a "user interface" 230 generally includes a
plurality of interface devices that allow a customer to input
commands and data to direct the processing device to execute
instructions. As such, the user interface 230 employs certain input
and output devices to input data received from the user 110 or
output data to the user 110. These input and output devices may
include a display, mouse, keyboard, button, touchpad, touch screen,
microphone, speaker, LED, light, joystick, switch, buzzer, bell,
and/or other customer input/output device for communicating with
one or more customers.
[0035] As used herein, a "memory device" 250 or 350 generally
refers to a device or combination of devices that store one or more
forms of computer-readable media and/or computer-executable program
code/instructions. Computer-readable media is defined in greater
detail below. For example, in one embodiment, the memory device 250
or 350 includes any computer memory that provides an actual or
virtual space to temporarily or permanently store data and/or
commands provided to the processing device 220 when it carries out
its functions described herein.
[0036] FIG. 3 provides a block diagram illustrating the banking
system 300 in greater detail, in accordance with embodiments of the
invention. In one embodiment of the invention, the banking system
300 includes a processing device 320 operatively coupled to a
network communication interface 310 and a memory device 350. In
certain embodiments, the banking system 300 is operated by a first
entity, such as a financial institution, while in other
embodiments, the banking system 300 is operated by an entity other
than a financial institution.
[0037] It should be understood that the memory device 350 may
include one or more databases or other data
structures/repositories. The memory device 350 also includes
computer-executable program code that instructs the processing
device 320 to operate the network communication interface 310 to
perform certain communication functions of the banking system 300
described herein. For example, in one embodiment of the banking
system 300, the memory device 350 includes, but is not limited to,
a network server application 370, an authentication application
360, a user account data repository 380, which includes user
authentication data 382 and user account information 384, and a
banking system application 390, which includes a trigger repository
interface 392 and other computer-executable instructions or other
data such as a trigger software module. The computer-executable
program code of the network server application 370, the
authentication application 360, or the banking system application
390 may instruct the processing device 320 to perform certain
logic, data-processing, and data-storing functions of the online
system 700 described herein, as well as communication functions of
the banking system 300.
[0038] In one embodiment, the user account data repository 380
includes user authentication data 382 and user account information
384. The network server application 370, the authentication
application 360, and the banking system application 390 are
configured to implement user account information 384 and the
trigger repository interface 392 when monitoring the trigger data
associated with a user account. The banking system application 390
includes a trigger software module for performing the steps of
methods and systems 500-1100.
[0039] As used herein, a "communication interface" generally
includes a modem, server, transceiver, and/or other device for
communicating with other devices on a network, and/or a user
interface for communicating with one or more customers. Referring
again to FIG. 3, the network communication interface 310 is a
communication interface having one or more communication devices
configured to communicate with one or more other devices on the
network 150, such as the personal computing device 200, the banking
system 300, the third party system 170, and the trigger repository
400. The processing device 320 is configured to use the network
communication interface 310 to transmit and/or receive data and/or
commands to and/or from the other devices connected to the network
150.
[0040] FIG. 4 provides a block diagram illustrating the trigger
repository 400, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
In one embodiment of the invention, the trigger repository 400 is
operated by a second entity that is a different or separate entity
from the first entity (e.g., the financial institution) that, in
one embodiment of the invention, implements the banking system 300.
In one embodiment, the trigger repository 400 could be part of the
banking system 300. In another embodiment, the trigger repository
400 is a distinct entity from the banking system 300. As
illustrated in FIG. 4, the trigger repository 400 generally
includes, but is not limited to, a network communication interface
410, a processing device 420, and a memory device 450. The
processing device 420 is operatively coupled to the network
communication interface 410 and the memory device 450. In one
embodiment of the trigger repository 400, the memory device 450
stores, but is not limited to, a banking system interface 460 and a
trigger data store 470. The trigger data store 470 stores data
including, but not limited to, triggers, account activity,
including transaction and account costs for the user's financial
institution account, other trigger related data, and mobile numbers
or email address for the user's 110 account. In one embodiment of
the invention, both the banking system interface 460 and the
trigger data store 470 may associate with applications having
computer-executable program code that instructs the processing
device 420 to operate the network communication interface 410 to
perform certain communication functions involving the trigger data
store 470 described herein. In one embodiment, the
computer-executable program code of an application associated with
the trigger data store 470 may also instruct the processing device
420 to perform certain logic, data processing, and data storing
functions of the application associated with the trigger data store
470 described herein. A trigger, as defined herein, is not limited
to account activity, and may further include costs, policies, and
conditions associated with an account and online data.
[0041] The network communication interface 410 is a communication
interface having one or more communication devices configured to
communicate with one or more other devices on the network 150. The
processing device 420 is configured to use the network
communication interface 410 to receive information from and/or
provide information and commands to the user's computing device
200, the third party system 170, the trigger repository 400, the
banking system 300 and/or other devices via the network 150. In
some embodiments, the processing device 420 also uses the network
communication interface 410 to access other devices on the network
150, such as one or more web servers of one or more third-party
data providers. In some embodiments, one or more of the devices
described herein may be operated by a second entity so that the
third-party controls the various functions involving the trigger
repository 400. For example, in one embodiment of the invention,
although the banking system 300 is operated by a first entity
(e.g., a financial institution), a second entity operates the
trigger repository 400 that stores the trigger details for the
customer's financial institution accounts and other information
about users.
[0042] As described above, the processing device 420 is configured
to use the network communication interface 410 to gather data from
the various data sources. The processing device 420 stores the data
that it receives in the memory device 450. In this regard, in one
embodiment of the invention, the memory device 450 includes
datastores that include, for example: (1) triggers associated with
a user's financial institution account numbers and routing
information, (2) information about sending and receiving users'
mobile device numbers, email addresses, or other contact
information, which may have been received from the banking system
300, and (3) online data such as browser cookies associated with
the user's computing device 200.
[0043] Turning now to the production of triggers, in some
embodiments, trigger ideas are formulated and undergo a preliminary
review. The ideas may be formulated internally, such as by a team
of analysts of a financial institution, or the ideas may be
formulated externally by segment, channel, and marketing partners
of a financial institution. The ideas are prioritized based on an
opportunity analysis. For example, transaction channels,
transaction categories, business names, amount thresholds,
stability, and violation frequencies are selected to determine and
quantify opportunities that can be generated from the trigger
ideas. These opportunities, such as customer retention and policy
education, may be analyzed in view of preferred, retail, and small
business demographics. Based on the opportunity review, triggers
are developed through rigorous testing. For example, tests may be
conducted on transactions associated with a specific account or
user. Further, triggers that are similar in scope and that overlap
over the same time period may be monitored to further develop the
trigger. The results of the testing may then be reviewed to
finalize the triggers. In some embodiments, the triggers are
modified for automation. For example, the code for automating the
triggers may be embellished and specific parameters provided. In
further embodiments, the automated triggers are monitored. For
example, content and process quality trigger checks can be run on a
daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and/or monthly basis.
[0044] FIGS. 5A-5B are flowcharts providing an overview of a system
and method 500 for producing and maintaining triggers. One or more
devices, such as one or more mobile devices and/or one or more
other computing devices and/or servers, can be configured to
perform one or more steps of the method 500, as well as the methods
600-1100. In some embodiments, the one or more devices performing
the steps are associated with a financial institution. In other
embodiments, the one or more devices performing the steps are
associated with a business, partner, third party, and/or user.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 5A, at block 502, account data is received
and stored in a storage device (e.g., the user account data
repository 380 or the trigger repository 400). A used herein,
"account data" includes, but is not limited to any data associated
with one or more financial accounts such as transaction amounts,
inbound transactions, outbound transactions, transaction channels,
transaction categories, transaction dates, identification of third
parties to a transaction, payee names, purpose of transactions,
transaction transfer data, types of accounts, costs associated with
the account, account balances, and the like. The account data may
be received from the user, merchants, other financial institutions
such as credit card companies, or any other entity.
[0046] In block 504, patterns of account activity are determined
based on the account data. The account activity, in some
embodiments, is specifically linked to a transaction category,
transaction type, transaction amount, or transaction channel. For
example, algorithms may be used to detect upward or downward trends
in the number of transactions, the amount of transactions, the
occurrence of account costs, or other account activity over a
period of time. Deposit amounts for a particular account, for
example, may increase during the month of April for several years
in a row and provide an indication that the account user has
received a tax refund.
[0047] In block 506, parameters associated with the patterns are
identified, where the parameters include transaction channels,
transaction categories, amount thresholds, business names,
stability, and violation frequencies. The parameters are
identified, in some embodiments, by using algorithms, keywords,
Boolean, transaction channel codes, transaction amount
calculations, and threshold amounts to search the account data
related to the patterns of account activity. The keywords include
business names, merchant names, third party financial institution
names, web addresses, transaction dates, transaction amounts, user
identification, account identification, and the like.
[0048] Transaction channels include transaction processes such as
electronic funds transfers, automatic deposits and withdrawals, ATM
withdrawals and deposits, point-of-sale (POS) purchases, and the
like. For example, triggers directed to deposit transactions may
include transaction channel parameters such as teller deposits, ATM
deposits, ACH deposits, internal transfers, automatic transfers,
and pay roll transfers.
[0049] Transaction categories include transactions that are grouped
according to a desired outcome or purpose. Exemplary transaction
categories include user retention, increasing a user's
transactional depth or account breadth, timely identification of
outside transactions, new products, risk mitigation, policy
education, and the like.
[0050] The amount thresholds include predetermined amounts
associated with one or more transactions such as minimum and/or
maximum percent, total, average, or median limits for quantities or
values associated with one or more transactions. For example, some
parameters may require that all purchases be over a minimum $100
limit and/or under a $10,000 limit. The stability parameters
provide an indication of transactions that perform consistently
over time, or an indication of transactions that have been adjusted
to remove variations in activity over time. For example, the
stability parameters may include a range of percentages, ratios,
transaction amounts, and frequencies that fall within specific
tolerances and that are linked to specific transactions that are
tracked over time. Parameters of violation frequencies indicate the
frequency of outliers, unexpected events, and negative results in
account activity. For example, if the number of ATM withdrawals for
a particular account has gradually decreased from six per month to
one per month over the last seven months, seven ATM withdrawals on
the same day of the current month would indicate a reversal in the
trend and would be a violation of the trigger. The violation
frequency can indicate an isolated occurrence which can be deleted
or ignored from the data, or it can indicate a negative trend.
Based on the violation frequency, the parameters of the triggers
can be adjusted accordingly.
[0051] In block 508, triggers are formed based on the patterns of
account activity and the parameters. In some embodiments, the
patterns of account activity and the parameters are used to define
the triggers. For example, a trigger may be defined by the total
monthly number of ATM deposits that occur over a three month
period. Further, the patterns of account activity provide the
expected trend for transactions defined by the parameters. In the
previous example, the trigger may be further defined by requiring
that the total monthly number of ATM deposits decrease over the
three month period. The patterns of account activity and parameters
selected for each trigger may be based on the objective of the
trigger. Triggers directed to cross selling investment products to
user, for example, may include a pattern of increasing direct
deposits in a saving account over a two week period. The triggers,
and the patterns and parameters that define the triggers, may take
on any number of variations. Specific exemplary triggers are
described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 14A-14J.
[0052] The method 500 is further illustrated in FIG. 5B. In block
510, similar triggers are identified based on the parameters, where
the similar triggers comprise the same type of transaction, the
same type of account, the same transaction channels, and/or the
same amount threshold. In some embodiments, the similar triggers
are associated with one or more accounts and/or one or more users.
The similar triggers can be associated with a single account or
user, or multiple accounts of the same or different users. For
example, a similar trigger may include all payment transactions
associated with a particular user, where the payment transactions
include use of a credit card, a checking account, or other account.
In further embodiments, the similar triggers are identified based
on a transaction category.
[0053] In block 512, one or more of the similar triggers are
evaluated over the same period of time. The evaluation of the
similar triggers over the same time periods strengthens the trigger
data such that any potential flaws, improvements, or strengths in
the data are highlighted. In one example, electronic fund transfers
associated with multiple accounts are monitored every day over the
same six month period. In this way, the number of times the trigger
should be run in a week or month, the days of the week for running
the trigger, and any discrepancies in the data that occur during
particular days of the week, weeks of the month, and months of the
year are determined. In some embodiments, a first group of similar
triggers is compared to a second group of similar triggers. For
example, a group of similar outbound transaction triggers may be
compared to a group of similar inbound transaction triggers. In
another example, automatic deposits that occur on Mondays may be
compared to automatic deposits that occur on Fridays.
[0054] In block 514, the parameters associated with the similar
triggers are modified in response to the evaluation of the one or
more of the similar triggers over the same period of time. One or
more of the parameters for a particular trigger can be added or
removed and/or the terms of the parameters can be adjusted.
Holidays and weekends, for example, may cause discrepancies in the
preliminary trigger data and may be taken into account when
defining the trigger. Even after the triggers are preliminarily
established, the triggers may be continuously monitored on a
regular basis as discussed in more detail below with regard to
FIGS. 6A-6B.
[0055] In block 516, the triggers are categorized based at least on
one of a desired objective, a type of transaction, a type of
account, an amount threshold, and/or a period of time. In some
embodiments, a first group of similar triggers and a different
second group of similar triggers are categorized based on the
desired objective. For example, ATM deposits may be categorized
with payments for education if the purpose of the triggers is to
offer the user a loan with a lower interest rate. The triggers
categorized according to the desired objective are further
categorized according to the type of transaction, the type of
account, the amount threshold, and the period of time. In the
example above, the ATM deposits used as triggers for the purpose of
loan offers may be further categorized according to the amounts of
the deposits. In block 518, the categorized triggers are monitored
on a period basis, as discussed in further detail below with regard
to FIGS. 6A-6B.
[0056] Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6B, flowcharts providing an
overview of a system and method 600 for monitoring trigger data
quality are provided. Because triggers have a very short life span,
poor quality of data can lead to ineffective marketing and/or loss
in revenue. The method 600 ensures that the right data is included
in the triggers and detects potential definitional and process
flaws in the triggers. The method 600 detects and reports whether
the current trigger counts are normal or flawed in real time. The
method 600 monitors the triggers to determine the accuracy,
completeness, domain of values, and format of the trigger data. The
triggers are further monitored to determine the relevance of the
trigger metrics within a business context and explain how the
metric score correlates to business performance. Also, the method
600 evaluates the soundness of all transformation processes, such
as the categorization of the triggers.
[0057] In block 602 of FIG. 6A, account data associated with one or
more accounts is received and stored in a storage device (e.g., the
user account data repository 380 or the trigger repository 400). In
block 604, the account data is segregated into one or more periods
of time. For example, transactions may be divided into daily,
weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly periods. The periods of time
selected for segregating the account data are based on historical
trends in the data. If deposits over $5,000 occurred only once per
month over the last ten months, for example, then the data for such
deposits would be segregated into monthly periods. By clustering
data into specific time windows, seasonal, cyclic, and trend
effects can be pinpointed as further discussed below with regard to
FIG. 13A.
[0058] In block 606, triggers associated with the one or more
periods of time are identified based on at least one of a
transaction, a transaction amount, a type of transaction, and a
type of account. In some embodiments, each set of triggers
corresponding to transactions of a certain amount, and/or type are
identified first and then the triggers are segregated into time
periods. The triggers may be further identified based on a category
corresponding to a desired objective. In some embodiments, the
triggers are identified based on transactions that occur during the
one or more periods of time. For example, a trigger may include all
inbound transactions that have values that are greater than a
threshold amount and that occur during the month of July.
[0059] In block 608, a total transaction count for each of the
triggers is calculated. The transaction counts include value
amounts for certain transactions associated with one or more
accounts or the total number of certain transaction associated with
the one or more accounts. In some embodiments, the transaction
count is the total number of transactions that occur during the one
or more period of time and that are associated with a particular
trigger.
[0060] Exemplary graphical charts of total counts for a tax refund
trigger are illustrated in FIG. 13A. In the Monday Series chart,
the total transaction counts associated with tax refund triggers
for the Mondays of every month of a particular year are charted. In
the Friday Series chart, the total transaction counts associated
with tax refund triggers for the Fridays of every month for the
same particular year are charted. The data for Monday tax refunds
can be compared to data for Friday tax refunds. The transaction
counts for tax refund triggers during the months of February,
March, April and May are much higher than the transaction counts
for tax refunds during the rest of the year. And as shown in the
Friday Series and Monday Series charts, the number of tax refunds
is much higher on average for the Fridays in February to May than
they are for the Mondays of the same period. Based on this data,
the timing for sending users notifications of investment
opportunities and product offers, for example, can be finely tuned
such that the user receives offers at the most opportune times.
[0061] In block 610, control limits based on the transaction count
for each of the triggers is determined. The control limits are
calculated based on trimmed mean and standard deviation. Trimmed
mean is calculated by removing a certain percent from the lowest
percent of values and an equal certain percent from the highest
percent of values in a give data series before calculating the
mean. In calculating the trimmed mean, some of the lower numbers of
the transaction count and some of the higher numbers of the
transaction count are removed before the mean is calculated. For
example, tax refund transactions that occur on a Friday and that
have a value that is a certain percent higher or lower than the
median for all tax refunds that occur on the same Friday are
deleted before the mean is calculated.
[0062] FIG. 6B is a flowchart further illustrating the method and
system 600. In block 612, a lower control limit is calculated as
the difference of the trimmed mean of the transaction count and the
standard deviation of the transaction count. In block 614, an upper
control limit is calculated as the sum of the trimmed mean of the
total count and the standard deviation of the total count. In block
616, outliers are detected based on the lower control limit and the
upper control limit.
[0063] An exemplary table illustrating the transaction count and
control limits is shown in FIG. 13B. The issue tracking table shows
Trigger-1, Trigger-2, and Trigger-3, which are listed according to
the date and the week day on which they occur. A lower control
limit (LCL), a transaction count, and an upper control limit (UCL)
are calculated daily for each trigger. The transaction count is the
total number of transactions that occur for each of the Triggers
1-3 in a given day. Although a daily trigger data quality check is
illustrated, it will be understood that the trigger check may be
run on a weekly, monthly, or other time period basis. The LCL and
UCL indicate whether a particular trigger is an outlier or a normal
trigger. For example, Trigger-1 on Thursday, December 1 is tagged
with an outlier alert based on the LCL and UCL numbers. The normal
LCL for Trigger-1 on Thursday, December 8 is higher than the
outlier LCL on December 1, and the normal UCL is lower than the
outlier UCL on December 1. For triggers tagged as normal, the LCL
and UCL remain constant from period to period. As shown in the
table, normal Trigger-2 on Friday, December 2 and normal Trigger-2
on Friday, December 9 each has the same LCL and UCL numbers even
though the total count for each day is different.
[0064] In block 618, the outliers are tagged. The outliers may be
tagged as "outlier" as illustrated in the exemplary table of FIG.
13B or "fail" and suppressed automatically. In some embodiments,
alerts are sent to analysts. For example, reports, graphs, tables,
or other notifications may be sent to analysts for further
processing. The analysts may decide to segregate, delete, modify,
or retain the tagged or untagged trigger data. For example, one or
more transactions associated with a particular trigger may be
deleted and the transaction count recalculated for that particular
trigger. In other embodiments, the triggers that exhibit a normal
pattern and that are within confidence limits are tagged as
"normal" or "pass."
[0065] In block 620, the cause of the outliers is determined.
Periods of time around holidays, cyclic considerations such as tax
season, days of the week, weeks of the month, certain historical
trends, data obtained from the user, and external data can indicate
the cause for the outliers. For example, historical trends may
indicate that the number of mortgage payments is higher at the end
of the month than at the beginning of the month and the number of
ATM withdrawals may be higher on Fridays than it is on Tuesdays. As
another example, triggers that include transactions having a
specific threshold amount of $10 or greater may have a higher
number of transactions during a particular period because a greater
number of low end transactions (e.g., transaction of $10 to $12)
occur during that period. Based on the cause of the skewed data,
appropriate action can be taken. For example, the threshold amount
or some other parameter associated with the trigger may be modified
or certain triggers associated with a particular day of the week or
other period may be tagged as normal even though these certain
triggers would appear to be abnormal. Taking the $10 or greater
trigger example described above, for example, the threshold amount
for that trigger may be increased during the particular period or
marked as normal. If the cause of the outliers is not easily
explained or if the cause is unexpected, then further investigation
may be required.
[0066] Although the triggers described herein generally include
financial transactions associated with one or more accounts, such
as the triggers illustrated in FIGS. 14A-14J, it will be understood
that the triggers may also include non-financial data such as
online data. For example, online referrals from an online domain or
partner website may be used as triggers. A user, in one example,
may be referred to or redirected to a banking website or online
product from a student preparatory web site. In another example, a
system may be given permission to use browser cookies associated
with the user's device to track non-financial and/or financial
online activity.
[0067] FIG. 7 is a flowchart providing an overview of a system and
method 700 for monitoring of one or more accounts with a financial
institution are provided. Based on past and current account
activity, an indication of a change in certain account ratios can
be determined. The ratios can be any ratio of certain financial
account transactions versus other financial account transactions.
For example, the ratio of inflow of funds relative to outflow of
funds may be a useful ratio to monitor (discussed further
below).
[0068] In block 702, account data associated with one or more
accounts are received and the account data is stored in a storage
device (e.g., the user account data repository 380 or the trigger
repository 400). In block 704, triggers are executed to monitor
account ratios. The triggers may monitor one or more transactions
that occur during a defined period of time, type of transaction,
etc. In some embodiments, the defined period of time may be one
week, one month, three months, one year, etc. The trigger groups
may be further identified based on an amount, a transaction
channel, an account type, and the like.
[0069] Exemplary trigger relating to the system and method 700 are
illustrated in Trigger Table 1 of FIG. 9. The triggers in Table 1
are directed to exemplary ratios of the present invention. It will
be understood that the types, quantity, duration, etc. of the
transactions may be grouped in any manner suitable to produce a
beneficial ratio. The first exemplary trigger noted in the table is
denoted as "INFLOW1." The INFLOW1 trigger may serve to monitor the
ratio of income versus payments required to run the household
(basic necessities). A ratio of greater than 1 signifies true
savings (which may be devoid of discretionary spending).
Conversely, a ratio of less than 1 signifies spending or that
income/spending are supplemented from another source. Large ratios
would seemingly indicate that the customer has significant funds
available after deducting necessities. Unique targeted marketing
opportunities may be offered to customers with higher ratios.
Opportunities include cross-selling, savings, investment, credit
card offers, etc. On the other hand, small ratios may be indicative
of a customer deepening opportunity such as that discussed in
______, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Even
furthermore, sudden shifts in the ratio may be indicative of a
positive or negative event.
[0070] The next exemplary trigger noted in table is "INFLOW2." The
INFLOW2 trigger may serve to monitor the ratio of income from
competitor institutions to total inflow. This ratio may be
beneficial in determining the reliance on competitors. The
"OUTFLOW" trigger may examine the ratio of payments of necessities
vs. discretionary payments. The "OVERALL" trigger is a ratio of
total income to total outflow. Again, greater than 1 signifies
savings, whereas less than 1 signifies spending.
[0071] In block 706, the ratio data is analyzed and a determination
is made as to what type of action (if any) to take. As noted above,
a sudden shift in ratio data may be indicative of a one-time event
such as an annual bonus or sudden unemployment. An algorithm may be
utilized to select customers based on the ratios or changes in
ratios for cross-selling opportunities to market additional
services.
[0072] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more
executable instructions for implementing the specified logical
function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative
implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of
the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in
succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or
the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order,
depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted
that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart
illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams
and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special
purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified
functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and
computer instructions.
[0073] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
embodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms
"a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as
well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be
further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising,"
when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components,
but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or
groups thereof.
[0074] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and
equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the
claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or
act for performing the function in combination with other claimed
elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present
invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and
description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to
embodiments of the invention in the form disclosed. Many
modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary
skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of
embodiments of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and
described in order to best explain the principles of embodiments of
the invention and the practical application, and to enable others
of ordinary skill in the art to understand embodiments of the
invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are
suited to the particular use contemplated.
[0075] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate
that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same
purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and
that embodiments of the invention have other applications in other
environments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations
or variations of the present invention. The following claims are in
no way intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention
to the specific embodiments described herein.
* * * * *