Abstract:
A personal computer banking system and method in which a personal computer is connected by a network service provider directly to a host computer system of a bank such that customer service requests can be processed automatically without need for intervention by customer service representatives. The system is capable of distinguishing between those customer service requests which are capable of automated fulfillment and those requests which require handling by a customer service representative. The system is integrated with the host computer system of the bank so that the remote banking customer can access other automated services of the bank. The method of the invention includes the steps of inputting a customer banking request from among a menu of banking requests at a remote personnel computer; transmitting the banking requests to a host computer over a network; receiving the request at the host computer; identifying the type of customer banking request received; automatic logging of the service request, comparing the received request to a stored table of request types, each of the request types having an attribute to indicate whether the request type is capable of being fulfilled by a customer service representative or by an automated system; and, depending upon the attribute, directing the request either to a queue for handling by a customer service representative or to a queue for processing by an automated system.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to computer banking systems and, more particularly, for computer banking systems in which a banking customer requests and obtains services over a network. 
     Personal computers are now commonplace in the home and in the work place. With the advent of communication service providers, such as Prodigy®, CompuServe®, the Internet and America Online®, it is now possible for users of personal computers to connect and interact with a variety of geographically remotely located service providers. In other instances, service providers supply local access numbers. One area in which such systems are employed is the area of financial services. 
     For example, one such banking system utilizes software designed to run in a Windows® operating environment on a personal computer. That software utilizes the computer&#39;s modem to dial up an access number maintained by the bank which provides access to the bank&#39;s host computer system. Once such a link is established, the bank customer can perform such routine banking functions as paying bills, transferring funds between accounts and reviewing account histories. In addition, such systems enable the banking customer to use the personal computer to send electronic mail (“e-mail”) messages to customer service representatives to accomplish such functions as stopping payment on checks, reordering checks and the like. 
     A disadvantage with such systems is that the full range of banking services is not communicated to the banking customer using the personal computer, since the functions which require the sending of electronic mail are not readily displayed. Rather, the banking customer must compose an appropriate electronic mail message for those services not specifically displayed as options on the screen face of the personal computer. Furthermore, another disadvantage of such systems is that they rely upon electronic mail communication which is outside of the host computer system of the bank. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a personal computer banking system in which the entire range of banking services provided to a customer are communicated to a banking customer and made available for fulfillment by the sending of requests. There is also a need to provide an integrated personal computer banking system which does not require electronic mail to convey requests to a customer service representative. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is a personal computer banking system and method in which a banking customer utilizes a personal computer at a location remote from the bank host computer system, and provides the customer with the entire range of banking services displayed as options on a menu. In a preferred embodiment, the banking system utilizes a personal computer which communicates with the bank host computer system by way of a network service provider, such as CompuServe® or the Internet. Also in the preferred embodiment, the banking system of the present invention is itself capable of discriminating between those customer service requests which require the action of a customer service representative, and those customer service requests which are capable of automatic fulfillment; at no time is it necessary for the banking customer to compose and send an electronic mail message to be directed to a customer service representative. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the banking customer&#39;s personal computer is loaded with software capable of running in the Windows® environment, and using a modem to dial up the local access number of a network service provider. The software in the user&#39;s personal computer encrypts and sends identification information relating to the user through the network service provider to the home banking system. When received by the home banking system, it is authenticated and routed to a home banking server, which is a stand alone computer. There, the request is decrypted and routed to the mainframe computer of the bank where it is processed. The processing includes the determination of the type of service request received, and the routing of that request to the appropriate service request module in the host computer. 
     There are basic banking request modules for such routine functions as account information, retirement account information, credit card balances and funds transfers between accounts. In addition, certain banking requests are identified as service requests, which fall out of such routine banking functions, and are routed to a service request formafter which determines whether automated fulfillment of the request is possible. If so, the request is routed further to the appropriate automated fulfillment module; if not, the request is routed to a customer service representative, or to a back office fulfillment operation. 
     With respect to all of the service requests routed in this fashion, confirmation of receipt and processing of the requests is encrypted and sent back over the network to the remote personal computer. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the invention, such service requests as obtaining a photocopy of a check, stopping payment on a check, changing the customer&#39;s address and/or telephone number, and obtaining a copy of a statement are capable of automatic fulfillment. However, the banking customer has the option of directing other service requests to a customer service representative, who can contact the customer by telephone, mail or e-mail to answer such questions. 
     The method of the invention includes the steps of inputting a customer banking request from among a menu of banking requests at a personal computer, transmitting the request to a host computer remote from the personal computer over a network, receiving the request at the host computer, identifying the type of customer banking request received, comparing the type of request to a stored table of request types, each of the request types having an attribute indicating whether the request type is capable of being fulfilled by a customer service representative, back office fulfillment operation, or by an automated system, and depending upon the attribute, directing the request either to a queue for handling by a customer service representative or back office fulfillment operation, or to a queue for processing by an automated system. 
     The method also includes such steps as logging the request and the requested transaction so that the host computer system is updated at all times, and such logged requests can be accessed to monitor account activity, or accessed by customer service representatives. Another feature of the preferred embodiment is to provide a step of automatically transmitting current customer account information from the host computer over the network to the personal computer, so that account files at the personal computer are updated, immediately after a communication link is established. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a personal computer banking system in which the entire range of services offered by a bank are made available to a bank customer as options on a menu screen at a personal computer linked with the bank host computer; a personal computer banking system which utilizes a third party network service provider so that it is not necessary to maintain a large and diverse number of access numbers; a personal computer banking system and method which does not employ the use of electronic mail to convey service requests to customer service representatives; a personal computer banking system which is capable of directing customer service requests for automated fulfillment and for fulfillment by a customer service representative or back office fulfillment operation; and a personal computer banking system which is user-friendly and therefore encourages frequent use bank customers. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art banking system; 
     FIG.2 is a schematic diagram of the system architecture of the personal computer banking system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a process flow chart of the operation of the software installed in the personal computer of the system of FIG. 2, showing installation, enrollment and service request functions; 
     FIG. 4 is a process flow chart showing the operation of software at the bank host computer in response to an enrollment request of the system of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 5A is a process flow chart showing the processing of the service request received from the personal computer of the system of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 5B is a detail of the flow chart of FIG. 5A showing the details of the automated fulfillment procedure. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a prior art banking system, generally designated  200 , is designed to provide a telephone interface between a customer and a banking customer service representative. The customer&#39;s phone, shown in box  202 , is connected by a common carrier LEC or IXC (local or interexchange) to a banking customer service representative, shown in box  204 . The customer verbally transmits instructions to the service representative, who then manually keys in the request to a service queue router  206 , which is a part of the bank&#39;s mainframe system (not shown). The service queue router  206  includes software which is capable of interpreting the request and transmitting it to the appropriate one of the task queues  208 - 216 . The queues  208 - 216  subsequently transmit the service request to the associated back office operation  218 ,  220 , where it is processed by a bank service employee, or to an automated fulfillment processing facility  222 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the architecture of the personal computer banking system of the present invention includes a personal computer  10  having a display screen or monitor  12 . The personal computer  10  may be physically located anywhere: at the banking customer&#39;s home, at the customer&#39;s office, or the computer may be a portable laptop or notebook computer. The computer  10  includes a modem (not shown) and is loaded with conventional operating system software, such as Windows 3.1®, Windows 95®, Windows NT® or the like. The computer  10  is connected by a conventional telephone line  13  such that the modem can access a third party network service provider  14 , such as Prodigy®, CompuServe®, America Online®, or a network such as the Internet, such that communications can be directed over the worldwide web from the personal computer  10 . However, it is within the scope of the invention that the computer  10  be part of any data transfer system. 
     The network service provider  14  communicates with the home banking system of the bank, generally designated  16 . Communications from the personal computer  10  are routed by the network service provider  14  to a specific network address destination, which is the security system  18  of the bank. The security system  18  preferably uses Gauntlet® software operating on a UNIX server. The security system  18  then routes an incoming message to a home banking service application, which is resident in a computer  20  that operates as a server and preferably utilizes a Windows NT® operating environment. 
     Alternatively, the software in the personal computer  10  of the customer generates an e-mail message, and the computer accesses an Internet service provider  14 , which transmits the e-mail message to the home banking system  16 . When the e-mail message is received by the firewall  18 , it is routed to an e-mail server  21 , which is linked to an automatic response application  21 A, such as Brightware®, which in turn filters and categorizes service requests. The automatic response application  21 A then forwards the service request directly to the mainframe host interface  24 , bypassing the home banking server  20  which performs decryption and encryption that is not necessary for e-mail. 
     The server  20  includes decryption and encryption software. The server software in the home banking server  20  routes incoming messages from the personal computer  10  to the mainframe home banking system, generally designated  22 . The mainframe system is a set of computer programs (written in COBOL) which operates on a mainframe computer, under the MVS operating system, utilizing CICS teleprocessing monitor and VSAM access methods. The mainframe includes a host computer interface  24  which receives requests from the home banking server  20  and routes them to the appropriate basic banking function programs  46  or to the service request formatter  26  to handle the specific requests. These service requests are properly formatted and analyzed, then sent to the service request queue router  28 . The service request queue router  28  then processes the request further either by sending the request to the appropriate one of the queues  29 - 36  associated with automated fulfillment modules  38 , to customer service representative  40  or to back office fulfillment operations  42  as part of the service operations. 
     Within the mainframe  22 , a service request received by the service request queue router  28  is recorded in an activity log  44 . Those instructions received by the mainframe which do not comprise a customer service request are routed by the host interface  24  to basic banking function modules, generally designated  46 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the installation and enrollment of a banking customer into the personal computer banking system of the present invention is as follows. First, the banking customer obtains and installs the banking system software in the computer  10  (see FIG.  2 ). As shown in block  43 , the software configures itself within the operating system environment of the computer  10  and thereafter requests from the banking customer a personal identification number (PIN) and appropriate other identification information from the customer, such as the customer&#39;s social security number, shown in block  44 . 
     The software then dials the access number of the network service provider  14 , shown in block  45 , and thereafter encrypts the requested information, shown in block  46 , and transmits the information over the network to the home banking system (shown in block  47 ). The transmitted information is processed by the home banking system  16  (see FIG. 2) by receiving and decrypting the response, as shown in block  48 . If the enrollment has been completed successfully, the received information will enable the software in the computer  10  to notify the customer on the screen  12  and further, will provide updated account information, as shown in block  49 . If the authentication is not successful, the menu screen  12  will display an error message, as shown in block  50 . 
     Once enrollment has been completed successfully, the banking customer may now enter a service request, shown in block  51 . This service request is selected from a menu of such service requests displayed on the menu screen  12 . The service request is encrypted by the software in the computer  10  and transmitted over the network  14  to the home banking system  16  as shown in block  52 . Confirmation information in response to the service request thereafter is received by the computer  10  through the network service provider  14  from the home banking system  16 , and is decrypted and displayed, as indicated in block  54 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the receipt and processing of an enrollment request by the home banking system  16  (see FIG. 2) is as follows. As described with respect to FIG. 3, the personal computer  10  generates and transmits over the network service provider  14  information regarding the banking customer, such as that customer&#39;s PIN and social security number. The enrollment information is received by the security system  18 , which recognizes the information as being generated by the software resident in the personal computer  10 , as shown in block  56 . The security system  18  then transmits the information to the home banking server  20 , which decrypts it, shown in block  57 . The home banking server  20  validates the request received from the computer  10  by comparing customer data such as ATM PIN, ATM number and social security number with stored customer numbers from a data base of all customer numbers, as shown in block  58 , and if a match exists, as shown in block  59 , the server  20  routes the information to the mainframe  22  where a customer profile record is created, shown in block  61 . The customer profile record is then stored, as indicated in block  62 , within the mainframe. Simultaneously, customer account information is retrieved from the appropriate legacy system of the mainframe, shown in block  63 , and is transmitted to the customer, shown in block  64 . This confirmation information is transmitted by the mainframe  22  to the banking server  20 , where the information is encrypted (see block  65 ) and transmitted over the service provider  14  to the computer  10 , where it is displayed on the screen  12 . 
     If the initial conditions are not satisfied, as shown in block  66 , the banking customer is notified by the home banking system  16  over the network. 
     The procedure for the handling of a service request by the home banking system  16  (FIG. 2) received from the personal computer  10  is shown in FIG.  5 A. As described previously, the banking customer selects a service request from a menu displayed on the screen  12  of the personal computer  10 , and the software resident in that computer encrypts and transmits the request over the network service provider  14  to the security server  18  of the home banking system  16 , as indicated by block  70 . The security server  18  performs an authentication procedure, indicated at block  72 , which is similar to the verification procedure of block  58  in FIG.  4 . If the authentication procedure is not successful, an error message is sent to the computer  10 , as indicated at block  74 , after encryption, shown in block  75 . 
     If the authentication process is successful, the service request is routed from the security server  18  to the home banking server  20 , which receives and decrypts the request, indicated at block  76 . At the same time, the home banking server  20  obtains through the mainframe interface  24  customer account profile information, as indicated in block  78 . Such information is obtained from a customer profile information module  80 , and contains data pertaining to current balances in checking accounts, savings accounts, recent account activity in such accounts, and the like. That information is encrypted and transmitted back through the network service provider  14  to be displayed on the computer  10 , as indicated in block  82 . 
     Accordingly, upon initiation of a session between the computer  10  and the home banking system  16 , current account information is automatically transferred from the home banking system  16  to the personal computer  10 , where it is stored and displayed. Subsequent sessions effect the same transmission of data, which update the appropriate files in the software of the personal computer  10 . 
     Once the home banking server  20  decrypts the request, the request is sent to the mainframe host interface  24 , indicated at block  76 . The host interface determines whether the request is a home banking service request, shown in block  84 . If the request is a service request, the type of service request is then identified and compared to a table of stored service requests by the service request formatter  26 , as indicated in block  88 . The request is then sent to the service request queue router  28  within the mainframe  22 . At the same time, the request is logged, indicated at block  90 , and a report can be generated, as shown in block  91 . A determination is made by the router  28  whether the service request can be fulfilled automatically, indicated at block  92 . 
     If the service request is capable of automatic fulfillment, shown generally as block  93 , the service request queue router  28  routes the request to the appropriate service module for fulfillment. Confirmation that the request has been received and is in the process of being fulfilled is sent back through the server  20 , where it is encrypted, and transmitted back over the network to the computer  10 , as indicated in block  94 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5B, the types of automated fulfillment operations may include obtaining a photocopy of a check (block  95 ), stopping payment of a check (block  96 ), changing the customer&#39;s address and/or telephone number (block  97 ), obtaining a copy of a statement (block  98 ), or other automated services (block  99 ). 
     Referring back to FIG. 5A, if automated fulfillment is not possible, or in the alternative, if the banking customer specifically requests to be contacted by a customer service representative, the service request is routed to a customer service representative or back office fulfillment operation, indicated by block  104 . Confirmation that the request is being handled by a customer service representative, who will be contacting the banking customer directly, or is being handled by a back office operation, is encrypted and sent to the computer  10 , as indicated in block  94 . Such operations include ordering checks, requesting forms, increasing the customer&#39;s credit line, general information, including rates and fees on loans, tax information, ATM linkage, general questions and comments, and the like. 
     Referring to block  84 , if the banking request received from the computer  10  is not a service request, the interface  24  routes the request to basic banking system modules, indicated by block  105 . 
     The basic banking system modules comprise customer automatic teller machine (“ATM”) transaction information (block  106 ), customer retirement information (block  108 ), customer credit card account information (block  112 ), customer account balance information (block  114 ) and customer account transfers (block  115 ). In each case, the requested information is routed from the basic banking system modules  106 - 115  to the mainframe interface  24 , and from there to the home banking server  20  where it is encrypted and transmitted over the network service provider  14  to the computer  10 , as indicated in block  116 . 
     Accordingly, the personal computer banking system of the present invention enables a banking customer to utilize a personal computer  10  to conduct the entire range of banking services with a home banking system. The banking customer does not need to differentiate between banking requests which are service requests that are capable of fulfillment only by customer service representatives, and those which are not; the software resident in the service request formatter and the service request queue router modules are capable of distinguishing such requests and routing the requests to the appropriate service queues  29 - 36  (see FIG.  2 ). Furthermore, there is no need for a banking customer to compose and transmit electronic mail requests to the home banking system. 
     While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.