Patent Publication Number: US-2003229588-A1

Title: Voice enabled electronic bill presentment and payment system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for providing electronic billing presentation and payment of bills. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic billing presentment and payment of bills system that is voice enabled and operable by telephony methodology.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] Conventional household bill payment is based on the receipt by mail of a paper statement from each service establishment for each billing period.  
       [0003] Households issue a multitude of paper checks and associated paper return stubs to these service establishments and the payments are cleared through banks, credited to service establishment bank accounts, and applied or credited to the household accounts on record. In this conventional system, for example, a city of 3 million households, each writing only 5 checks each month will generate more than 60 million paper transactions per month, or 720 million in a year.  
       [0004] Conventional payment systems are designed to handle these inefficient paper payments on a large scale, causing more efficient alternatives to actually increase costs, because they require special “exception” handling. Nevertheless, there has been substantial focus on electronic alternatives to paper checks and stubs. Typically, these electronic alternatives involve automating the consumer interface to enable the creation of electronic transactions, such as, for example, billing service bureaus, automatic teller machine payment, internet-based home banking, and electronic bill presentment and payment. However, households do not easily adopt new payment systems on a large scale, and receiving service establishments generally resist the associated exception costs. While Internet-based electronic bill presentment and payment may eventually come into widespread use, to date, commercially viable alternate payment technologies have had a negligible impact on reducing the inefficiencies inherent in conventional paper-based bill payment. One reason for the low adaptation rate of EBPP based systems is that many bill payer&#39;s still do not own computers, do not have computers coupled to the internet or are just not comfortable paying bill via their computer.  
       [0005] Thus, what is needed is an automated household bill payment system that eliminates paper-based bill payment and is user friendly. The system should be easily adaptable to household use on a large scale. The system further should be low cost to service establishments. The system further should not require electronics or automation at the household point of payment. The system should readily accommodate and directly facilitate the eventual transition to full electronic bill presentment and payment over electronic networks.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] A method for audibly providing billing services from an electronic billing server to a user in which telephony communication is established between the electronic billing server and the user such that billing details are provided in a spoken language from the electronic billing server to the user. The billing details provided by the electronic billing server relates to a billing account associated with the user, which billing details are contained in the electronic billing server. In a preferred embodiment, the electronic billing server may contain billing details relating to a plurality of billing accounts each associated with the user. Preferably, the billing server is configured to automatically establish telephony communication with a user preferably at a predetermined time each month, which is preferably determined by the user, to provide billing details associated with a billing statement for a user&#39;s billing account (e.g., a credit card, utility or loan billing statement). Alternatively, a user may establish telephony communication with the electronic billing server at any time to hear billing detail information from a selected billing account.  
       [0007] Once the user has heard the billing details, the user is then enabled to verbally respond to the electronic billing server, via telephony, to send payments instructions so as to initiate a bill payment regarding a user&#39;s billing account that is linked to the electronic billing server. The electronic billing server then preferably initiates an order from the electronic server to a user&#39;s bank to initiate the user&#39;s payment instructions. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0008] The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the drawings and in which:  
     [0009]FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a prior art mail based billing system;  
     [0010]FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of a prior art electronic billing presentment and payment system;  
     [0011]FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of the present invention voice enabled electronic billing presentment and payement system; and  
     [0012] FIGS.  4 - 7  are flow chats depicting the method of use for the voice enabled electronic billing presentment and payment system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0013] In describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to the drawings, wherein there is seen a Voice Enabled Electronic Billing Presentment and Payment (VEEBPP) system, designated generally by reference numeral  100 , which is preferably used to enable bill presentment and payment, via telephony.  
     [0014] However, prior to discussing the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a brief discussion on the prior art techniques for achieving bill presentment and payment will be discussed in order to provide an appreciation of the present invention billing system.  
     [0015] With reference now to FIG. 1, there is a schematic representation showing the well known mail based system and method for bill presentment and payment without the integration of an Electronic Billing Presentment and Payment (EBPP) system. This typically involved a bill originator  10 , bill payers  12  and their bank  13 . The bank for the bill originator is shown by  14 .  
     [0016] In its well known use, the bill originator  10  sends a bill through the mail  20  to the bill payer  12 . The bill payer  12  issues a check, encloses it in an envelope and sends it through the mail  20  to the bill originator  10 . The bill originator  10  then preferably uses a carrier to transport the bill payer&#39;s check to the bill originator&#39;s bank  14 . The bill originator&#39;s bank  104  then uses a carrier to transport the check to the bill payer&#39;s bank  13 , then the bill payer&#39;s bank  13  returns the check to the bill payer  12 , thus completing the cycle. The carriers and the mail are obvious sources of potential cost, delay and possibility of loss.  
     [0017] With reference now to FIG. 2, there is shown a current EBPP system illustrating bill originators  30 , the bill payers or customers  32 , the bill payer&#39;s bank  33  and the bill originator&#39;s bank  34  which preferably remain unchanged from the implementation in FIG. 1. The system of FIG. 2 obviously has the addition of an Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) system  40  being interposed into the system and allowing electronic bill presentation and payment. In its use, a bill originator  30  creates the information necessary to bill customers and then sends an electronic message to the electronic bill presenter  40 . The electronic bill presenter  40  sorts the bills from at least one bill originator and presents the bills to the bill payer  32  in the form of an electronic bill. The bill payer  32  then indicates the bills that he wishes to be paid, the amounts of the payments by a return message or payment authorization to the electronic bill presenter  40 . That payment authorization is then sorted by bank, and a message is presented to each of the banks  33  involved as associated with individual customers or bill payers  32 . The bill payer&#39;s bank  33  then sends a message to the bill originator&#39;s bank  34  indicating a payment. The bill originator&#39;s bank  34  sends a message or payment notification to the bill originator  30 , with detail as to the amount and customers involved. Meanwhile, the electronic bill presenter  40  has preferably sent a message indicating the reconciled payments to the bill originator  30  for comparison with the payment notification messages received from the bill originator&#39;s bank  34 .  
     [0018] The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 3, where there is shown the VEEBPP system  100  that is similar to the EBPP system  40  shown in FIG. 2 with the exception of the telephony communication  102  provided between the VEEBPP  100  and the bill payers  110 . As will be described, it is the bill payers voice control of the VEEBPP  100  that embodies the present invention. It is to be understood that accompanying the telephone connection between the bill payers  110  and VEEBPP  100  is all the necessary hardware and software to enable such telephony communication, speech recognition and voice authentication technologies. It is further to be understood, that in addition to English, the speech recognition technology implemented in VEEBPP  100  is to support other languages as well, with the VEEBPP  100  being configured to preferably offer a selection of languages (e.g., English, Spanish, French, etc.) to be selected for use by the bill payer  110 .  
     [0019] Beginning with reference to FIG. 4, the method of use of the present invention VEEBPP  100  will now be discussed. Initially, a biller  112  preferably invites a bill payer  110  to subscribe to the use of VEEBPP (step  400 ). Also, a bill payer  110  may contact a bill originator  112  to subscribe to the use of VEEBPP  100  (step  402 ). This may occur via the telephone (utilizing standard land lines, cellular technology or other method of sending/receiving voice), mail, website or e-mail. Afterwards, the bill originator  112  would then approve the bill payer  110  to subscribe to use of VEEBPP  100  (step  404 ). Upon either invitation or approval, instructions for initializing VEEBPP  100  are sent to the bill payer  110  (step  406 ). Preferably, these instructions contain a startup password and PIN, and for security purposes, may be sent to the bill payer  110  via either e-mail or conventional mail. Upon receipt of these instructions, the bill payer  110  then preferably enrolls in the VEEBPP  100  using the authentication provided in the initializing instructions (step  408 ).  
     [0020] Once a bill payer  110  is enrolled in VEEBPP  100 , the bill payer  110  initializes VEEBPP  100  for the bill payer&#39;s use by dialing a telephone number associated with VEEBPP  100  and entering the bill payers  110  account number, password and PIN (step  410 ), which were previously sent to the bill payer  110  (step  406 ). This information may be entered into the VEEBPP  100  through either a telephone keypad or the bill payer&#39;s voice. In the event information is entered in the VEEBPP  100  through the bill payers voice  110 , voice recognition software will naturally be used by VEEBPP  100 . After this information is entered, the VEEBPP  100  verifies the accuracy of the entered information (step  412 ), and if determined not to be accurate, then a determination is made as to whether this was a second attempt for entering the information (step  414 ). If yes, then the VEEBPP  100  connects the bill payer  110  to preferably a live operator to assist in the bill payer&#39;s initialization of VEEBPP  100  (step  416 ). If this was only the bill payer&#39;s first attempt of entering the information then the aforesaid initialization process is repeated (step  410 ).  
     [0021] After it is determined that the proper bill payer initialization information has been entered (step  412 ), the bill payer  110  then preferably enters their banking information (or other payment method) into the VEEBPP  100  (step  418 ), (e.g., banking name, bank routing number and checking account number). The bill payer  110  then preferably enters their contact preferences (step  420 ), which preferences preferably include the retry frequency wherein if contact with the bill payer  110  is not made during a VEEBPP  100  initiated phone call, when should a second attempt by the VEEBPP  100  be made. The contact preferences may further include alternate presentment method and schedule, such that if the VEEBPP  100  is not successful in making telephony contact with the bill payer  110  during a certain time period, then what alternative methods are to be used (e.g., mail, facsimile, e-mail, etc.).  
     [0022] After the aforesaid contact preferences are entered into the VEEBPP  100 , the bill payer  110  is then preferably prompted to enter bill presentment preferences (step  422 ). Preferably, the bill presentment preferences include the following options: 1)the VEEBPP  100  calls the bill payer to indicate bill details (e.g., bill total, itemized bill details, statement balance, etc.); 2)the VEEBPP  100  mails a bill statement to the bill payer  110 ; 3)the VEEBPP e-mails a bill statement to the bill payer  110 ; or 4) the VEEBPP  100  sends an e-mail to a bill payer  110  indicating a billing statement is available for viewing at a website preferably having a unique URL. It is also to be appreciated that indication that a billing statement is available for viewing may be provided to the bill payer  110  via any known means for providing such information (e.g., one-way and two-way pagers, facsimile devices, etc.)  
     [0023] After the aforesaid bill presentment preferences are entered into the VEEBPP  100 , the bill payer  110  is then preferably prompted to enter bill payment confirmation preferences (step  423 ). Preferably, the bill payment confirmation preferences include the following options: 1) the bill payer  110  accesses the bill payment system to verify account activity; 2) the VEEBPP  100  e-mails a verification statement to the bill payer  110 ; 3) the VEEBPP  100  sends an e-mail to a bill payer  110  indicating a summary of the bill payer&#39;s account activity is available for viewing at a website preferably having a unique URL; 4) the VEEBPP  100  mails a verification statement to the bill payer  110 .  
     [0024] With the initialization of the VEEBPP  100  being described above, and with reference to FIG. 5, discussion will now turn the presentment of billing statements from the VEEBPP  100  to bill payers  110 . In accordance with the aforesaid prescribed bill present preferences (step  418 ), the VEEBPP  100  determines how a billing statement is to be sent to a subscribing bill payer (step  520 ). If it is determined that the bill statement is to mailed (step  522 ), then the VEEBPP  100  generates a paper based statements and causes it to be mailed to the bill payer (step  524 ). If it is determined that the bill statement is to be e-mailed (step  526 ), then the VEEBPP  100  causes the bill statement to be e-mailed to the bill payer (step  528 ). If it is determined that the bill statement is to be viewed on a website at a unique URL (step  530 ), then the VEEBPP  100  posts the bill statement at the unique URL and preferably sends an e-mail to the bill payer indicating the bill is ready for viewing at the unique URL (step  532 ).If the subscribing bill payer  110  selected to receive the bill statement via telephony, then the VEEBPP  100  initiates a telephone call the bill payer  110  (step  534 ). Alternatively, the bill payer could initiate contact with the VEEBPP  100  by calling a predetermined telephone number (step  535 ). Upon telephone answer, the bill payer  110  is prompted by the VEEBPP  100  to verify proper identity (step  536 ). This preferably includes the entering any combination of the bill payer&#39;s name, membership number, billing account number, password or PIN. A determination is then made as to whether proper bill payer verification was achieved (step  538 ). If verification was not achieved and an alternate bill payer has subscribed to the system, the VEEBPP  100  will preferably request the alternate bill payer. If verification was not achieved, the VEEBPP  100  will leave a message for the bill payer  110 , stating the identification of the biller, the date and time of the call, the purpose of the call, and the phone number by which the bill payer could initiate contact with the VEEBPP  100 . If verification was not achieved, and the billing statement has not been generated for longer than a predetermined amount of time (step  540 ) (e.g., 5 days), then the VEEBPP  100  preferably records the unsuccessful contact and retries the telephone call (step  542 ) in accordance with the bill payer&#39;s  110  prescribed time preference for doing so (see, step  216 ). If verification was not achieved, and the billing statement has been generated for longer than a predetermined amount of time (step  540 ) (e.g., 5 days), then the bill statement is delivered in accordance with the bill payer&#39;s  110  prescribed alternate method (step  543 ).  
     [0025] Returning to the verification of the bill payer  110  (step  538 ), if proper verification has been achieved, then the VEEBPP  100  preferably prompts the bill payer  110  as to which portion of the bill statement, or the entire bill statement, they want to hear (step  544 ). For example, such bill portions may include: bill total; bill details; minimum payment; interest payment or payment due date. The bill payer  110  then preferably states which portion of the bill statement they want to hear (step  546 ). This can be accomplished through either voice command or the telephone keypad. The VEEBPP  100  then preferably audibly states the selected bill portion (step  548 ). A determination is then made as to whether the bill payer  110  wants to hear the selected information to be repeated again or hear another bill portion (step  550 ). If yes, the above process (step  546 ) is repeated again. If no, a determination is made as to whether the bill payer  110  wants to proceed with payment towards the notified bill statement (step  552 ). If the bill payer  110  does not want to proceed towards payment of the aforesaid bill statement, then a determination is made as to whether the bill payer  110  wants to hear another bill statement associated with a different bill account number (step  554 ). If yes, the VEEBPP  100  then prompts the bill payer  110  to enter that bill account number (step  556 ) and the aforesaid steps for reviewing a bill statement are repeated. If the bill payer  110  did not want to review another bill statement, then the current session with the VEEBPP  100  is closed with the bill payer  110  preferably being logged out (step  558 ).  
     [0026] Returning to the aforesaid determination as to whether the bill payer  110  wants to proceed with payment towards notified bill statement (step  552 ), if yes, then the payment procedures specified in subroutine “P” (FIG. 6) are initiated. With reference now to FIG. 6, the VEEBPP  100  preferably prompts the bill payer for type of payment, namely: Full, Minimum or Partial (step  600 ). The bill payer may specify the type of payment and payment date at this point (step  624 ).  
     [0027] If the bill payer  110  wants to make a full payment, preferably on the outstanding balance owed, then the bill payer  110  preferably states “Full”, after which the VEEBPP  100  preferably provides audible notification of the amount of full payment and requests for confirmation (e.g., an audible “Yes” command) of the full payment request (step  604 ), which the bill payer  110  audibly provides by speaking such a confirmation (e.g., the word “Yes”) into the telephone receiver (step  606 ). In the event the bill payer  110  decides to make a minimum payment, the bill payer  110  then preferably speaks the word “Minimum” into the telephone receiver (step  608 ), after which the VEEBPP  100  preferably provides audible notification of the amount of minimum payment and requests for confirmation (e.g., an audible “Yes” command) of the minimum payment request (step  610 ), which the bill payer  110  audibly provides by speaking such a confirmation (e.g., the word “Yes”) into the telephone receiver (step  612 ). The VEEBPP  100  will of course preferably allow word choices other than those specified above.  
     [0028] Further, if the bill payer  110  decides to make a partial payment, then the bill payer  110  preferably speaks the word “Partial” into the telephone receiver (step  614 ). The VEEBPP  100  then preferably requests the bill payer  110  to speak of the partial payment amount to be made (step  616 ). The bill payer  110  responds with the payment amount by preferably speaking the amount (step  618 ) after which the VEEBPP  100  repeats of the spoken partial payment amount and requests for confirmation of this amount (step  620 ). The bill payer  110  then provides such confirmation by preferably speaking the word “Yes” into the telephone receiver (step  622 ).  
     [0029] Further, if the bill payer  110  decides to state both payment type and date, then the bill payer  110  preferably speaks the payment amount and date into the telephone receiver (step  624 ). The VEEBPP  100  will repeat the information and request confirmation of the amount and date (step  626 ). The bill payer  110  then provides such confirmation by preferably speaking the word “Yes” into the telephone receiver (step  628 ). The VEEBPP  100  then proceeds to the payment subroutine “T1” as shown in FIG. 7, and described below. Regardless of whether the bill payment was a fill, minimum or partial payment, once the payment type has been established and confirmed, the VEEBPP  100  then proceeds with the payment timing subroutine “T” as shown in FIG. 7, as now described. In regards to payment timing, the VEEBPP  100  requests for payment date by preferably presenting three options to the bill payer  110 , namely: “Pay Now”, “Pay When Due” and pay on a specified date (step  700 ). If the bill payer  110  wants to pay the amount now, the bill payer  110  preferably speaks “Pay Now” into the telephone receiver (step  702 ). Similarly, if the bill payer  110  wants to pay on the bill due date, the bill payer  110  preferably speaks “Pay When Due” into the telephone receiver (step  704 ). If the bill payer  110  wants to make payment on a certain date, then the bill payer  110  preferably speaks “Pay Bill On (bill payer specifies date)” into the telephone receiver (step  706 ). The VEEBP  100  then preferably repeats the date just given and requests confirmation that this is the correct date (step  708 ). Bill payer  110  then provides confirmation that this is the correct date (step  710 ). If no proper confirmation is provided, the VEEBPP  100  prompts the bill payer to restate the date (step  706 ).  
     [0030] Once the payment date has been established and confirmed, the VEEBPP  100  then initiates payment of the requested amount (step  600 ) on the requested date (step  712 ). Typically, and with reference to FIG. 2, this is performed with the VEEBPP  100  sending payment instructions (e.g., amount, account numbers, identity of bill originator bank) to the bill payers bank  114 , which bank then communicates with the bill originator bank  116  to transfer the funds to the specified account. Once the funds have been transferred and the bill payer&#39;s account has been credited with the payment, confirmation of the bill payment is made (step  714 ) in accordance with the preferences established during the enrollment (step  423 ).  
     [0031] In summary, a voice enable electronic billing presentment and payment system has been described. Although the present invention has been described with emphasis on a particular embodiment, it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed. For example, many modifications and adaptations to the preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that some aspects of the present invention will be used to advantage without the corresponding use of other aspects. The arrangement of bills and the form of record may be changed as desired and further, might be integrated with existing financial software packages such as electronic checkbook, tax or accounting systems.  
     [0032] Accordingly, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment should be considered as merely illustrative of the present invention and not in limitation thereof.