Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MULTI-COMPONENT TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEM
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application
Serial No. 60/128,538, filed April 9, 1999, the entire contents of which are
herein
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
The present invention provides a computerised (e.g., web-based) system
and method for providing and distributing services required for complex multi-
component transactions such as real estate, insurance, travel and other
transactions.
A typical real estate transaction is quite complex, requiring many different
parties to supply pieces of the transaction under tight deadlines. In a
residential
real estate closing, for example, the property must be surveyed, the property
must
be inspected for termites or for other reasons, title searches must be
performed,
title and general coverage insurance must be obtained, money must be deposited
and maintained in escrow, etc. It takes considerable effort to effectively
coordinate all of these various services so they are performed in the proper
time
frames for the correct properties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the coordination problem for complex
transactions by providing a central computerized clearinghouse (and more) for
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such services. Features provided in accordance with the present invention
include
personalized membership, intelligent form system, intelligent order routing,
order
history and up-to-date process status, system utilities such as bulletin
boards and
directories, advanced system administration features, an active response
system,
automated server services, and integrated contract handling.
The computerized clearing house according to the invention is an easy to
use and administer e-commerce pro~am providing a secure membership-based
system, powerful client profiling, and next generation order entry. The system
incorporates 24-hour order status reporting along with automated
correspondence
tracking. Web-based administration facilitates administrative tasks and system
modification. Using customer profiling, product ordering is made easier, and
the
system is able to create master templates for special projects. The system is
configured to automate correspondence tracking by archiving in a
correspondence
file correspondence such as e-mail or the like corresponding to each product.
Other sections of the program provide helpful information to assist the member
or
user in determining which products are best suited for completing processing
of
the mufti-component transaction ("products" in the context herein may include
products, forms, and/or services). Moreover, the system is configured such
that
maintenance tasks and system enhancements can be effected by a program
administrator, thereby avoiding the need to hire a computer programmer.
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In an exemplary embodiment according to the invention, a method is
provided for providing and distributing products, including service-type
products,
for mufti-component transactions via a network subsystem over a global
network.
The method includes storing a plurality of products in a product database, the
products being categorized according to components of a selected multi-
component transaction. The categorized products are displayed, and the system
enables a selection of at least one product for the components of the multi-
component transaction. A plurality of forms corresponding to the plurality of
products are stored in a forms database, wherein the forms contain shared
information fields, and the system enables completion of the forms for
selected
products. The selected products forms are routed to a corresponding product
supplier to thereby effect ordering of the selected products, and a status of
the
ordered selected products is monitored.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features provided in accordance with the present invention
will be better and more completely understood by referring to five following
detailed description of a presently preferred example embodiment in
conjunction
with tl'ie drawings, of which:
FIGURES lA-1F show an example site architecture;
FIGURES 2A-2D show an example administration site architecture;
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FIGURE 3 shows an example national (i.e., centralized) hub overview;
FIGURE 4 shows an example licensee hub overview;
FIGURE 5 is a detailed schematic illustration of a computer system; and
FIGURE 6 is a broad schematic illustration of the system according to the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF
PRESENTLY PREFERRED EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
The mufti-component transaction processing system implemented in the
flow diagrams of FIGURES 1-4 is preferably a browser-based system in which a
program running on a user's computer (the user's web browser) requests
information from a server program running on a system server. The system
server
sends the requested data back to the browser program and the browser program
then interprets and displays the data on the user's computer screen. The
process is
as follows:
1. The user runs a web browses program on his/her computer.
2. The user connects to the server computer (e.g., via the Internet).
Connection to the server computer may be conditioned upon the correct entry of
a
login identification and password as is well known and further described
below.
3. The user requests a page from the server computer. The user's
browses sends a message to the server computer that includes the following:
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the transfer protocol (e.g., http:/n; and
the address, or Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
4. The server computer receives the user's request and retrieves the
requested page, which is composed, for example, in HTML (Hypertext Markup
Language).
5. The ser~~er then transmits the requested page to the user's computer.
6. The user's browser program receives the HTML text and displays its
interpretation of the requested page.
Thus, the browser program on the user's computer sends requests and
receives the data needed to display the HTML page on the user's computer
screen.
This includes the HTML file itself plus any graphic, sound and/or video files
mentioned in it. Once the data is retrieved, the browser formats the data and
displays the data on the user's computer screen. Helper applications, plug-
ins., and
enhancements such as JavaTM enable the browser, among other things, to play
sound and/or display video inserted in the HTML file. The fonts installed on
the
user's computer and the display preferences in the browser used by the user
determine how the text is formatted.
If the user has requested an action that requires running a program (e.g., a
search), the server loads and runs the program. This process usually creates a
custom HTML page "on the fly" that contains the results of the program's
action
(e.g., the search results), and then sends those results back to the browser.
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Browser programs suitable for use in connection with the multi-component
transaction processing system of the present invention include Netscape~
Navigator available from Netscape~ Communications Corporation and Internet
Explorer available from Microsoft~ Corp.
While the above description contemplates that each user has a computer 120
(see FIGURE 6) running a web browser, it will be appreciated that more than
one
user could use a particular computer terminal or that a "kiosk" 120' at a
central
location (e.g., a cafeteria, a break area, etc.) with access to the system
server could
be provided.
It will be recognized by those in the art that various tools are readily
available to create web pages for accessing data stored on a server and that
such
tools may be used to develop and implement the mufti-component transaction
processing system described below and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
FIGURE 5 generally illustrates a computer system 201 suitable for use as
the client and server components of the mufti-component transaction processing
system. It will be appreciated that the client and server computers will run
appropriate software and that the client and server computers may be somewhat
differently configured with respect to the processing power of their
respective
processors and with respect to the amount of memory used. Computer system 201
includes a processing unit 203 and a system memory 20~. A system bus 207
couples various system components including system memory 205 to processing
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unit 203. System bus 207 may be any of several types of bus structures
including a
memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any
of a
variety of bus architectures. System memory 205 includes read only memory
(ROM) 2~2 and random access memory (RAM) 254. A basic input/output system
(BIOS) 2~6, containing the basic routines that help to transfer information
between
elements within computer system 201, such as during start-up, is stored in ROM
252. Computer system 201 further includes various drives and associated
computer-readable media. A hard disk drive 209 reads from and writes to a
(typically fixed) magnetic hard disk 211; a magnetic disk drive 213 reads from
and
writes to a removable "floppy" or other magnetic disk 21~; and an optical disk
drive 217 reads from and, in some configurations, writes to a removable
optical
disk 219 such as a CD ROM or other optical media. Hard disk drive 209,
magnetic disk drive 213, and optical disk drive 217 are connected to system
bus
207 by a hard disk drive interface 221, a magnetic disk drive interface 223,
and an
optical drive interface 225, respectively. The drives and their associated
computer-
readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions,
SQL-based procedures, data structures, program modules, and other data for
computer system 201. In other configurations, other types of computer-readable
media that can store data that is accessible by a computer (e.g., magnetic
cassettes,
flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, random access
memories (RAMs), read only memories (ROMs) and the like) may also be used.
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A number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk 211,
removable magnetic disk 215, optical disk 219 and/or ROM 252 and/or RAM 254
of the system memory 205. Such program modules may include an operating
system providing graphics and sound APIs, one or more application programs,
other program modules, and program data. A user may enter commands and
information into computer system 201 through input devices such as a keyboard
227 and a pointing device 229. Other input devices may include a microphone,
joystick, game controller, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and
other input
devices are often connected to the processing unit 203 through a serial port
interface 231 that is coupled to the system bus 207, but may be connected by
other
interfaces, such as a parallel port interface or a universal serial bus (USB).
A
monitor 233 or other type of display device is also connected to system bus
207 via
an interface, such as a video adapter 235.
The computer system 201 may also include a modem 254 or other means
for establishing communications over the wide area network 252, such as the
Internet, satellites, or any successor to USB. The modem 254, which may be
internal or external, is connected to the system bus 207 via the serial port
interface
231. A network interface 256 may also be provided for allowing the computer
system 201 to communicate with a remote computing device 250 via a local area
network 258 (or such communication may be via the wide area network 252 or
other communications path such as dial-up or other communications means). The
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computer system 201 will typically include other peripheral output devices,
such as
printers and other standard peripheral devices.
Referring to FIGURE 6, a schematic of the system implementation is
illustrated. The application environment 112, including page displays,
layouts, etc.
and processors to carry out the process according to the invention, is
supported by
a server component including application hosting servers 114 and database
hosting
servers 116. Client systems 120, 120' as shown preferably communicate with the
multi-component transaction processing system according to the invention via
the
Internet.
As will be understood by those familiar with web-based forms and screens,
users may make menu selections by pointing-and-clicking using a mouse,
trackball
or other pointing device, or by using the TAB and ENTER keys on a keyboard.
For example, menu selections may be highlighted by positioning the cursor on
the
selections using a mouse or by using the TAB key. The mouse may be left-
clicked
to select the selection or the ENTER key may be pressed. Other selection
mechanisms including voice-recognition systems, touch-sensitive screens, etc.
may
be used and the invention is not limited in this respect.
Although the invention will be described in the context of a real estate
transaction, the invention is not meant to be so limited; rather, the method
and
system according to the present invention are particularly suited for any
multi-
component transaction. The site architecture will be described with reference
to
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FIGURES lA-1F. At a home page 100, the user is prompted to login with a
member identification number and password. Member authentication and
workspace initialization is carried out at BPl by authenticating input against
a
member database, which forms part of the server database 116. If the login
identification and password are valid, the system initializes workspace
variables
with information retrieved from the member database, including preferred
contact
person, member profile, address information, e-mail address, etc. If the
identification and password are invalid, the system returns the user to the
home
page 100 with an indication that the login identification and/or password are
invalid.
If a new user would like to submit a member application via link 13, the
user is provided with a form for completion at BP2 including member
application
form field data. After confirming r_hat all data entries are valid and all
necessary
data entries are complete, the data is submitted to a member database for
storage as
a "waiting" member. The member database forms part of the server database 116.
The entered data defines a member profile that is used by the system to select
products and complete forms as described further below. If the data is
invalid, the
system returns to the member application for additional data input. If data
submission is successful, then an automatic correspondence such as by e-mail
is
2U sent to a system administrator and to a member application confirir~ation
page 14.
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If the data submission was not successful, the system returns the user back to
the
member application for another submission attempt.
In the event that an existing member forgets his or her password, the user
follows the forget password link at 1~ and is prompted to enter an e-mail
address.
The member's e-mail address is authenticated against the member database, and
if
the e-mail address is found for an approved member, an e-mail that contains
the
member password will be sent to the member's e-mail address. If the e-mail
address is not found, the user is provided such an indication, and the system
returns the user to the forget password page 15.
Non-members may also enter the system via a public information page 17.
This area 17 provides a link to company and branch information 11, which also
allows a user to search a staff list by last name and first name, and also
provides
access to a calculator page 12 for calculating estimated costs associated with
the
particular mufti-component transaction, such as in the present case a real
estate
transaction. Other sections of the program can be made accessible to non-
members as desired, including enhanced access to relevant forms, product
provider
information, etc.
After a user successfully enters a valid member identification and password,
the system opens the member home page 1, which provides links to access
features
and utilities of the system. The member home page 1 is tailored according to
customer service needs and desires, such as by displaying a personalized
greeting
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message. Additionally, a "pending order" link is displayed when there is a
saved
order from a previous session.
Following a new order preparation link 2 (FIGURE 1B), the system
initializes the form process objects and variables and transfers information
from
the member profile. Available products are listed that are mapped to a
member's
profile and order history. That is, only products that are particularly suited
to the
logged in member are displayed, which are determined according to the member
profile. The member is allowed to expand a selected department to view all
products or, on the other hand, collapse a selected department to hide
unnecessary
products. Each product incorporates a link 18 to detailed product information
about the selected product.
If, alternatively, the user follows a link 3 for pending order preparation, a
similar process is carried out wherein information is transferred from a saved
order
object. In another alternative, the member can select a copy order link 4,
which
lists all orders in the member's order history. From this view, the member is
able
to start a new order which contains the exact same information in the selected
order (product selection and question answers).
A forms database, which forms part of the server database 116, stores
appropriate forms necessary for each available product. The forms are provided
with shared information fields, and common information for the respective
farms
is extracted from the member profile stored in the server database 116. If a
new
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product order is selected at link 113, a form system engine BP7 displays a
product
selection page, including general or common questions required by all selected
products at 19 and including product specific questions at 20.
To navigate from one step to another, each page has to go through the form
system engine ("form Wizard"). The form system engine serves as a routing
agent
for different steps in the form completion. The engine also serves as a
processing
center for data collected from each step in the form completion process and a
pre-
rendering service that determines the questions that the upcoming page will
display. The engine incorporates a form validation service that error checks
data
collected from the data entry steps. In the event of a "save order," the
engine
stores the objects and variables in the form system into a basket database as
part of
the server database 116. In the event of a "finish order," the engine stores
the
object including variables and data entry into a receipt database. The engine
determines the e-mail routing for the person in charge of processing the
respective
products based on values stored in the form system object and variables. In
the
event of a "cancel," the engine is responsible to clear all current objects
and
variables.
The user is also prompted to input billing information at 21 and shipping
information at 22. As noted, such information can be extracted from the member
profile, and the forms are pre-filled with any available member information.
An
order confirmation at 23 recaps all information that has been entered, and the
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"finish" option is available when the member is satisfied with the content.
When
the content of the order is complete, the member selects order completion at
24,
and the product selection, and pricing information along with a confirmation
number are displayed.
With reference to FIGURE 1 C, from the member home page 1, the member
may alternatively select order status via link 5, which lists all orders the
member
has placed into the system. The user can effect order sorting by a link BP12,
using
multiple inputs such as order ID, order date, buyer's last name, property ID,
property address and the like as sorting criteria. The process effects
rendering of
the order history using the specified sorting parameters. The member may also
search for particular orders via the order search engine at BP13, including
multiple
inputs such as buyer last name, buyer first name, seller last name, seller
first name,
property II?, property address, or the like as searching criteria. The engine
searches for the input properties in the member's order history. Each order
entry in
the order status displays order date, seller's name, buyer's name, property
address,
property >D, and products in the order. Each order entry also displays the
current
processing status of each product. The described parameters, as noted above,
are
particularly suited to a real estate transaction, and those of ordinary skill
in the art
will contemplate alternative or additional parameters suitable for other multi-
component transactions. Wnen a product from the order status list is selected,
the
system accesses the receipt database and displays question information of a
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selected product at 36, displays detailed process status for specified
products at 37
(such as escrow products), and displays billing and delivery information of a
selected product at 38.
Referring to FIGURE 1D, another option from the member home page 1 is
corporate talk via a link 7, which displays a list of all talk entries
relating to the
subiect matter of that particular vendor, such as a title company ("title
talk")
grouped into categories and sub-categories. A form is provided that allows a
member to send questions or comments to a corporate talk administrator. When a
question is submitted, a processor at BP8 validates the corporate talk
question
form. If the question form is valid, the question is posted into a title talk
database,
which forms part of the server database, and a notification e-mail is sent to
the
corporate talk administrator. Answers are provided by a direct e-mail
correspondence.
A tech talk option at link 8 allows a member to send technical questions or
comments to a tech talk administrator. All tech talk entries are grouped into
operating systems and Internet browsers. When a question is submitted, a
processor at BP9 validates the tech talk question form. If the form is valid,
the
questions are posted into the tech talk database, which forms part of the
server
database, and a notification e-mail is sent to the tech talk administrator.
Responses
to tech talk questions are sent via e-mail.
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At a link 10, the member may update his or her member profile, which as
discussed above, is used to select appropriate products and contact person and
for
filling in information in shared data fields. Upon selection of the link 10,
the
member profile is displayed, and the member is given an opportunity to edit or
update profile information. When the form is submitted, a processor at BP10
validates the member profile update form and if invalid, returns to the update
member profile page 10 with an error or other indication of missing field or
the
like. If the update form is valid, the chances are posted to the member
database.
Also at the member home pace 1, a member can access a link 9 for a listing
of Internet links to other related resources on the World Wide Web.
Referring to FIGURE lE, from the member home page l, the member may
also access links via a link 6 to access the online forms library, access a
list of all
companies (for example, TG) and its branches via link 11, or use the estimator
ma
link 12 ("TG Estimator"). The contact link 11 displays selected company/branch
information and a map link to the selected company/branch via a link 29. A
branch directory link 30 displays a list of all staff in the selected
company/branch
in alphabetical order, including entries for telephone, fax, e-mail, etc. The
member
also accesses via a link 31 a list of overall product information that is
provided by
the selected company. In a branch special directory link 32, for example, a
list of
executive staff of a selected company may be displayed, including name, job
title,
telephone, e-mail, etc. When performing a search for staff in a selected
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company/branch via a staff search engine at BP11, the search engine can search
via first name and/or last name, and searches the selected staff database
using
input as a criteria. A result page 35 is returned with the search results.
The estimator link 12 enables the user to perform calculations for various
items relating to the mufti-component transaction via a link 33, such as
estimated
closing costs, payments, etc. An estimator print page link 34 provides a
formatted
layout for the user to print the calculation result.
Referring to FIGURE 1 F, upon order completion of each of the selected
products, a correspondence folder 20 is created for each product, and an
indication
is sent via e-mail or the like that the product order is complete. The product
correspondence folder 20 lists all correspondence such as e-mail concerning
the
selected product. The member and administrator are able to review the detail
of
the P-mails by clicking on an individual e-mail subject. The member and
administrator are also able to create a new e-mail message regarding the
product or
print all message details regarding the product. The e-mail details are
displayed
via a link 39, including from, to, subject and body, and the member or
administrator are able to reply to the e-mail. The reply displays a form
allowing
for reply to an existing e-mail message via link 41. The original message is
automatically included and indented, and the "send to" field is pre-filled
with the
?0 address of the mail server. I~Tew mail is generated via a linh 40, and
printing
parameters can be defined via a link 42. . The email is constructed such that
the
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reply field is set to the email address of the mail server instead of tie
typical
standard convention of the actual sender (which in this case would normally be
the
administrator). Encoded in the subject line is information of the email
addresses of
the sender (in this case the administrator) and recipient (in this case the
member),
and the order and product related to the correspondence. Since both the
recipient
and reply fields are set to the address of the mail server, all email sent and
any
replies are sent to the mail server first. The mail server opens the email,
decodes
the subject line. files a copy of the email in the appropriate correspondence
folder.
then re-routes the email to the intended recipient as specified in the encoded
subject line. If, after the receiving the email, the recipient (in this case
the
member) replies, the reply will be sent back to the mail server along with the
encoded subject line which will again be processed as described above before
being sent to its destination (in this case the administrator). New mail and
replies
are processed by a mail server 118, such as a Microsoft~ Exchange Server.
FIGURES 2A-2D illustrate an exemplary administration site architecture
for the system according to the invention. At the system administration home
page
a0, a corporate representative or administrator is prompted for an
administrator
login identification and password. The identification and password are
authenticated via BPal and if invalid, the administrator is returned to the
login
page for reentry of the administrator login and password. If the
identification and
password are valid, the system displays the administrator home page al, which
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displays a list of links to corporate administration components, the extent of
which
depend on the particular administrator's access permission.
From the administrator home page al, the administrator can select
departments administration at a2, displaying a list of existing departments
for the
particular corporate entity. The administrator is able to edit department
information via a link a13 or create a new department via a link a12. The new
or
edited information is stored in a department database, which forms part of the
server database 116.
The administrator may also access products administration at a3, which
displays a list of existing products for the corporate entity, sorted, for
example, by
department. From this page, the administrator is able to edit product
information
via a link ale or create new products via a link a14. The new or edited
products
are stored in a product database, which forms part of the server database 116.
The
product editing administration is divided into attributes a18, attribute value
a19,
variants a16, and terms a17. The product terms are maintained in a term
database,
which forms part of the server database 116.
Referring to FIGURE 2B, from the administrator home page al, the
administrator may add, edit or delete question group information via a link
a4.
The changed information is stored in a terms group database, which forms part
of
the server database 116.
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In a terms administration section a5, all existing questions in the system,
organized by question groups that they belong to, are displayed. The
administrator
is able to edit question properties by clicking on individual question links
via a20,
and the administrator is able to create new questions via a link a51. The new
or
edited data is stored in a terms database, which forms part of the server
database.
In an order management index page a6, the administrator can view statistic
information of orders within a selected month breakdown to days, including
total,
average, maximum and minimum, etc. via a link a21. Corresponding parameters
can be displayed for orders within a selected year via a link a?2. The
administrator
may also display statistic information of orders within a selected month
breakdown
by product, including parameters such as total, average, maximum, minimum,
item
per order, average item per order, maximum item per order, minimum item per
order, etc. via a link a23. A link a24 provides statistic information of
orders within
a selected month breakdown to members, including total, average, maximum,
minimum, etc.
Order status can be viewed via a link a25, which displays a list of all orders
that have been placed into the system. The admirustrator is allowed to search
through orders by the seller's last name/first name, buyer's last name/first
name,
property address or property 1T7, etc. The administrator can change the list
view by
sorting the order date, seller's last name, buyer's last name, property
address or the
like. Each order entry displays the order date, seller name, buyer name,
property
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address and property ID and products in the order. Each order entry also
displays
the current processing status of each product. The order sorting engine BP12
and
the order searching engine BP13 are discussed above. In this context, with
respect
to order status, billing and delivery information can be displayed via link
a26, and
the administrator can change the processing status of the selected product via
a
link a27. The administrator can also review and update product related
auestion
information via a link a28 and/or correspond with the transaction parties by e-
mail,
which is stored in a product correspondence folder a?9 (20). The order status
information is maintained in the receipt database, which forms part of the
server
database 116.
Referring to FIGURE 2C, from the administrator home page al, the
administrator may access the member administration index page at link a7. The
administrator can add, edit, delete or the like information from the member
profile
via a31 stored in the member database. Statistics information of new members
within a selected month breakdown to days can be displayed via a link a32, and
statistic information of new members within a selected year breakdown to
months
can be displayed via a link a33. Waiting or rejected member applications can
be
viewed via a link a34, wherein the administrator is able to review each member
application by clicking individual member links. Approved member applications
can be accessed via a link a35. Member information can be added to the member
database via a link a36, including a form that allows the administrator to
review
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and update the member information. The administrator is able to assign a login
identification and password in this form and define member profiles. The
administrator can also select a preferred contact person according to a member
profile.
Through a link at a8, the administrator can access a promotion
administration index page. Cross promotions and price promotions can be
displayed, edited or added according to links a37-a42, the new or edited data
being
stored in the promotion database. which forms part of the server database 116.
Referring to FIGURE 2D, also from the administrator home page, the
administrator can access tech talk administration via a link a9, which
displays
existing tech talk entries that are Grouped into an "approved and waiting"
section.
The administrator is able to edit a selected entry by clicking on an
individual tech
talk entry via a link a44 or create a new tech talk entry via a link a43. The
updated
information is stored in a tech talk database, which forms part of the server
database 116.
In a similar context, the administrator can access corporate talk
administration via a link a10. The corporate talk administration section
displays
all existing corporate talk entry groups into the "approved and waiting"
section.
Similar to the tech talk section, the administrator is able to edit a selected
entry
(a45) or create a new entry (a46), wherein updated data is stored in the
corporate
talk database, which forms part of the server database 116.
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The administrator can access a list of all existing corporate branches via a
link al l and can also add a new branch or edit a selected branch by clicking
on an
individual branch link. The new entries can be accessed via a link a47, and
edited
entries can be accessed via a link a48. The updated information is stored in a
"contact us" database, which forms part of the server database 116.
All existing corporate staff can be listed and displayed via a link a30, and
selected staff can be edited and new staff added via links a50 and a49,
respectively, wherein updated data is stored in the "contact us" database. In
editing staff information or adding new staff information, the administrator
is able
to assign a login identification and password along with access permission.
The
administrator is also able to assign a corporate partner to a corporate staff
member
and assign the contact us display mode.
With respect to automated server services, anv completed order is
automatically deleted from the system in, for example, 14 days. All products
in the
order must have a "completed" processing status. This order purge also
includes
all communications in the product correspondence folder. A warning e-mail
communication is sent to the member seven days before deletion, and the second
warning e-mail is sent to the member one day before deletion.
FIGUR>=,, 3 illustrates an example national (i.e., centralized) hub overview.
The system hub provides a single workspace where clients can access vanous
product/service providers required to complete a mufti-component transaction
and
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follow the processing status as the various service providers process the
transaction. The system provides a centralized place where a member can place
orders for all products and services involved in a single mufti-component
transaction, such as a real estate transaction, and choose their preferred
service
providers for these products and services. Members can track the transaction
processing status of products and services they have ordered with up-to-date
feedback from the service providers. An intelligent form wizard eliminates
duplicate data entry i.e., via shared data fields if a member placed separate
orders
to the service provider. The system utilizes a translation layei that allows
qualified
service providers to understand each other without knowing each other's
implementation detail, following a system communication standard. An
information filter enforces security and privacy of licensing information.
The national hub is a special implementation of the system architecture.
The national hub does not allow centralized order placing, but rather routes a
member to an individual system licensee, according to the member's geographic
selection. The national hub downloads order information and process status
from
the local licensee systems so that order information and process status can be
reviewed. The national hub allows each system licensee to form its own hub
architecture in a more complicated business environment.
The licensee system, with reference to FIGURE 4, includes the same
features as the national hub such as intelligent form completion, order status
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tracking, personalized membership, and the active response system via
correspondence folders and the like, etc. The licensee system is able to
automatically receive orders placed by members via the hub system and is able
to
exchange transaction information with other licensee systems on the hub where
permitted.
The multi-component transaction processing system according to the
invention is an easy to use and administer e-commerce program providing a
secure
membership-based system, powerful client profiling, and next generation order
entry. The system incorporates order status reporting along with automated
IO correspondence tracking. Web-based administration facilitates
administrative
tasks and system modification. Product lists are generated according to member
profiles and member purchase history, thereby making product ordering easier.
The system is configured to automate correspondence tracking by archiving in a
correspondence file correspondence such as e-mail or the like corresponding to
each product. Other sections of the system provide helpful information to
assist
the purchaser in determining which products are best suited for completing
processing of the multi-component transaction.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently
considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed
embodiments, but
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on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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