Jeffrey T Keith

US Patent:

20050187875, Aug 25, 2005

Filed:

Apr 27, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/115470

Inventors:

Jeffrey Keith - Woodinville WA, US
Eric Jakstadt - Smyrna GA, US
Bassam Saliba - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705040000

Abstract:

A parcel management system is provided to reliably transfer parcels from one computer to another and track the parcels as they are transferred. The parcel management system is implemented in a distributed electronic billing system in which billers submit billing data to a service center and the service center generates billing statements from the billing data and electronically distributes the billing statements to consumers on behalf of the biller. The electronic billing system includes a biller integration system resident at each of the billers. The biller integration system is a set of software tools that integrate with the biller's existing billing and accounting systems. The biller integration system sends the billing data and a statement template to the billing service center, where they are stored. The service center generates customized billing statements by inserting the data into the template and distributing the billing statements electronically to consumers. The biller integration system and service center are each equipped with a gateway to facilitate the exchange of the statement template, the billing data, resources, and rules. Each gateway has a parcel manager to reliably transfer parcels and track the parcels as they go from one computer at the biller to another computer at the service center. Through this parcel handling and monitoring system, the biller integration system keeps the biller informed as to the location and status of the statement templates, the billing data, any forthcoming payments, and so forth.

US Patent:

20050192900, Sep 1, 2005

Filed:

Apr 27, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/115866

Inventors:

Jeffrey Keith - Woodinville WA, US
Eric Jakstadt - Smyrna GA, US
Bassam Saliba - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705040000

Abstract:

A parcel management system is provided to reliably transfer parcels from one computer to another and track the parcels as they are transferred. The parcel management system is implemented in a distributed electronic billing system in which billers submit billing data to a service center and the service center generates billing statements from the billing data and electronically distributes the billing statements to consumers on behalf of the biller. The electronic billing system includes a biller integration system resident at each of the billers. The biller integration system is a set of software tools that integrate with the biller's existing billing and accounting systems. The biller integration system sends the billing data and a statement template to the billing service center, where they are stored. The service center generates customized billing statements by inserting the data into the template and distributing the billing statements electronically to consumers. The biller integration system and service center are each equipped with a gateway to facilitate the exchange of the statement template, the billing data, resources, and rules. Each gateway has a parcel manager to reliably transfer parcels and track the parcels as they go from one computer at the biller to another computer at the service center. Through this parcel handling and monitoring system, the biller integration system keeps the biller informed as to the location and status of the statement templates, the billing data, any forthcoming payments, and so forth.

US Patent:

20050197957, Sep 8, 2005

Filed:

Apr 27, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/115717

Inventors:

Jeffrey Keith - Woodinville WA, US
Eric Jakstadt - Smyrna GA, US
Bassam Saliba - Issaquah WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705040000

Abstract:

A parcel management system is provided to reliably transfer parcels from one computer to another and track the parcels as they are transferred. The parcel management system is implemented in a distributed electronic billing system in which billers submit billing data to a service center and the service center generates billing statements from the billing data and electronically distributes the billing statements to consumers on behalf of the biller. The electronic billing system includes a biller integration system resident at each of the billers. The biller integration system is a set of software tools that integrate with the biller's existing billing and accounting systems. The biller integration system sends the billing data and a statement template to the billing service center, where they are stored. The service center generates customized billing statements by inserting the data into the template and distributing the billing statements electronically to consumers. The biller integration system and service center are each equipped with a gateway to facilitate the exchange of the statement template, the billing data, resources, and rules. Each gateway has a parcel manager to reliably transfer parcels and track the parcels as they go from one computer at the biller to another computer at the service center. Through this parcel handling and monitoring system, the biller integration system keeps the biller informed as to the location and status of the statement templates, the billing data, any forthcoming payments, and so forth.

US Patent:

63048574, Oct 16, 2001

Filed:

Jun 8, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/093959

Inventors:

David G. Heindel - Woodinville WA
Todd Alan Buiten - Kent WA
Bert Speelpenning - Kirkland WA
Bassam A. Saliba - Kirkland WA
Jeffrey L. Keith - Woodinville WA
Eric G. Jakstadt - Woodinville WA

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 1700

US Classification:

705 34

Abstract:

An electronic billing system provides a set of tools for a biller to create and design a customized billing statement. The system includes a statement designer that enables the biller to create a template for the billing statement. Once the statement is designed, the biller provides the statement format and billing data to a third party billing service center, which generates the electronic billing statements in the biller-designed format and electronically distributes the billing statements to consumers. To assist the biller in creating statement templates, the biller integration system maintains industry schema tables that are tailored to particular industries. The tables provide a default set of predefined billing categories for a given industry that the biller might wish to use in its template. The biller integration system and service center are each equipped with a gateway to facilitate the exchange of the statement template and billing data. Each gateway has a parcel manager to reliably transfer parcels and track the parcels as they go from computer to computer.