Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TD Ref: 19152-EDB
Rowand Ref: 337-0189CAP1
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFIGURING DATA TRANSFERS
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to data transfers and, in particular, to
systems and methods
for securely transferring data between database records.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Computing systems can be used to process data from multiple sources.
For example, a
server may be configured to receive data that is transferred by one or more
transferor entities.
The received data may be used to, for example, update a database record
associated with the
server. That is, the server may update a database record based on data that is
received from
multiple different transferor entities.
[0003] When the data from transferor entities vary in types or formats, it may
be challenging for
a computing system to process the data in a reliable and predictable manner.
Further, errors in
addressing of the responses can pose security concerns, as the transferred
data may be leaked or
delivered to a wrong party. It would be advantageous to provide a secure
method for a group of
transferor entities to send data to a transfer recipient.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying
drawings which
show example embodiments of the present application and in which:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic operation diagram illustrating an operating
environment of an
example embodiment;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a high-level schematic diagram of an example computing
device;
[0007] FIG. 3 shows a simplified organization of software components stored in
memory of the
example computing device of FIG. 2;
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[0008] FIG. 4 shows, in flowchart form, an example method for processing
requests for
electronic data transfers to an intended recipient;
[0009] FIG. 5 shows, in flowchart form, an example method for providing user
interfaces which
enable configuring requests for electronic data transfers to an intended
recipient;
[0010] FIG. 6 shows, in flowchart form, another example method for processing
requests for
electronic data transfers to an intended recipient;
[0011] FIG. 7 shows an example user interface for configuring an electronic
invitation, in
accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0012] FIG. 8 shows an example electronic invitation, in accordance with
example embodiments
of the present disclosure; and
[0013] FIG. 9 shows an example transfer initiation user interface, in
accordance with example
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0014] Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like
elements and features.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0015] In an aspect, the present disclosure describes a computing system. The
computing system
includes a communications module communicable with an external network, a
memory, and a
processor coupled to the communications module and the memory. The processor
is configured
to: receive a first request to configure a recipient database record for
receiving one or more
electronic data transfers, the first request including identifying information
for the recipient
database record; receive a numerical indicator of value to be transferred via
a first electronic data
transfer to the recipient database record; send, to a server configured for
processing electronic
data transfers, a second request to provide, to a transferor entity, an
electronic data transfer
authorization request, the second request being a request to transfer value to
the recipient
database record in a first amount corresponding to the numerical indicator of
value; receive, from
the server, an indication of authorization for the electronic data transfer
from the transferor
entity; and increase a database record value associated with the recipient
database record by the
first amount.
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[0016] In some implementations, the first request may be received via a first
user interface for
inputting database record data associated with the recipient database record,
and the first user
interface may enable input of a first messaging address associated with the
transferor entity.
[0017] In some implementations, the numerical indicator of value may be
received via a second
user interface for inputting a desired transfer amount, and the processor may
be further
configured to send, to the first messaging address, a first message for
inviting the transferor
entity to initiate the first electronic data transfer to the recipient
database record, the first
message including an actuatable user interface element for launching the
second user interface.
[0018] In some implementations, the second user interface may enable input of
a second
messaging address associated with the transferor entity, and the second
request may comprise a
request to send, to the second messaging address, the electronic data transfer
authorization
request.
[0019] In some implementations, the first user interface may enable input of a
plurality of
objective values associated with the recipient database record and the second
user interface may
enable input of a selection of at least one of the objective values, and the
processor may be
configured to: receive, via the second user interface, an indication of a
selected one of the
objective values; and adjust the selected one of the objective values by the
first amount.
[0020] In some implementations, the first message may comprise a request to
respond to a query,
and the processor may be configured to receive a response to the query and the
numerical
indicator of value concurrently.
[0021] In some implementations, the server may comprise an electronic funds
transfer server,
and the second request may comprise an email money transfer request.
[0022] In some implementations, the second request may comprise a request to
send, to the first
messaging address, the electronic data transfer authorization request.
[0023] In some implementations, increasing the database record value
associated with the
recipient database record by the first amount may comprise crediting the
recipient database
record by the first amount.
[0024] In some implementations, the processor may be further configured to:
receive a third
request to process the electronic data transfer authorization; in response to
receiving the third
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request: authenticate a requesting user to a user database record associated
with the transferor
entity; and provide a prompt for confirming the electronic data transfer to
the recipient database
record.
[0025] In another aspect, the present disclosure describes a method for
processing requests for
electronic data transfers. The method includes: receiving a first request to
configure a recipient
database record for receiving one or more electronic data transfers, the first
request including
identifying information for the recipient database record; receiving a
numerical indicator of value
to be transferred via a first electronic data transfer to the recipient
database record; sending, to a
server configured for processing electronic data transfers, a second request
to provide, to a
transferor entity, an electronic data transfer authorization request, the
second request being a
request to transfer value to the recipient database record in a first amount
corresponding to the
numerical indicator of value; receiving, from the server, an indication of
authorization for the
electronic data transfer from the transferor entity; and increasing a database
record value
associated with the recipient database record by the first amount.
[0026] Other example embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to
those of
ordinary skill in the art from a review of the following detailed descriptions
in conjunction with
the drawings.
[0027] In the present application, the term "and/or" is intended to cover all
possible
combinations and sub-combinations of the listed elements, including any one of
the listed
elements alone, any sub-combination, or all of the elements, and without
necessarily excluding
additional elements.
[0028] In the present application, the phrase "at least one of ...or..." is
intended to cover any
one or more of the listed elements, including any one of the listed elements
alone, any sub-
combination, or all of the elements, without necessarily excluding any
additional elements, and
without necessarily requiring all of the elements.
[0029] The present application discloses techniques for a group to securely
transfer data to a
recipient database record. A server may provide a platform for generating
requests for data,
which can be forwarded to one or more selected parties. The server may, for
example, provide a
data request configuration interface which allows a user, or recipient, to
configure a request to
receive electronic data transfers. Together with the configuration of the data
request, a selectable
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option to configure a recipient database record is provided by the server. The
recipient database
record is directly associated with the data request, and represents a database
record that is
intended to receive the electronic data transfers which are initiated in
response to the data
request. The recipient database record may, for example, be a receiving
account, such as a bank
account, associated with the recipient.
[0030] The data request is forwarded to one or more transferor entities. When
the data request is
accessed by a transferor entity, it includes a selectable option to input data
for transfer to the
recipient database record. The input data may include a response to a query.
The response may,
for example, indicate a value to be transferred to the recipient.
Specifically, the response may
include a numerical indicator of value for transfer to the recipient database
record via an
electronic data transfer.
[0031] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the data request may be
an electronic
invitation to an event. The transferor entities may be the event invitees for
the event. An
electronic invitation that is configured in accordance with present
embodiments may include
options to input a response to the invitation and a value to transfer to the
event host or honored
guest, such as an "e-gift". The electronic invitation may be configured such
that transfers of
value from event invitees are automatically set up to be directed to a
recipient database record
(e.g. bank account of the event host/honored guest).
[0032] According to embodiments of the present application, the transfer of
data from the
transferor entities to the recipient leverages use of an intermediary server
that is configured for
processing electronic data transfers. For example, the intermediary server may
be an electronic
funds transfer server which facilitates direct transfer of value to recipient
database records. When
a transferor entity inputs data to be transferred to the recipient, a request
is sent to the
intermediary server to provide, to the transferor entity, an electronic data
transfer authorization
request. In particular, the intermediary server is requested to send, to the
transferor entity, an
authorization request for the transferor entity to authorize the electronic
data transfer. Upon
receiving an indication of authorization, a secure electronic data transfer to
the recipient database
record is processed. As the recipient database record is designated at the
time of configuring the
data request, the transfer of data is made directly to the recipient database
record, which may
significantly limit the risk of theft or loss of data.
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[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary operating environment in
accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary components
of a system 100,
including one or more client devices 110, a resource server 140, a protected
data resource 150,
and a data transfer processing (DTP) server 180. The components of system 100
may be
configured to provide, in conjunction, various functionalities including,
among others,
configuring requests to transfer data to a recipient database record,
processing the requested data
transfers, and updating the recipient database record based on the processed
data transfers.
[0034] As illustrated, a resource server 140 and client device 110 communicate
via the network
120. The client device 110 is a computing device that may be associated with
an entity, such as a
user or client, having resources associated with the resource server 140
and/or the protected data
resource 150. For example, the resource server 140 may track, manage,
maintain, and/or lend
resources to the entity. The resources may, for example, be computing
resources, such as
memory or processor cycles. By way of further example, the resources may
comprise stored
value, such as fiat currency, which may be represented in the protected data
resource 150.
[0035] The resource server 140 is coupled to the protected data resource 150,
which may be
provided in secure storage. The secure storage may be provided internally
within the resource
server 140 or externally. In some embodiments, the secure storage may be
provided remotely
from the resource server 140. For example, the secure storage may include one
or more data
centers. The data centers may, for example, store data with bank-grade
security.
[0036] The protected data resource 150 stores secure data. In particular, the
protected data
resource 150 may include records for a plurality of accounts associated with
various entities.
That is, the secure data may comprise account data for one or more specific
entities. For
example, an entity that operates the client device 110 may be associated with
an account having
one or more records in the protected data resource 150. In at least some
embodiments, the
records may reflect a quantity of stored resources that are associated with an
entity. Such
resources may include owned resources and/or borrowed resources (e.g.
resources available on
credit). The quantity of resources that are available to or associated with an
entity may be
reflected by a balance defined in an associated record.
[0037] For example, the secure data in the protected data resource 150 may
include financial
data, such as banking data (e.g. bank balance, historical transactions data
identifying transactions
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such as debits from and credits to an account, etc.) for an entity. In
particular, the resource server
140 may be a financial institution (e.g. bank) server and the entity may be a
customer of the
financial institution which operates the financial institution server. The
financial data may, in
some embodiments, include processed or computed data such as, for example, an
average
balance associated with an account, an average spending amount associated with
an account, a
total spending amount over a period of time, or other data obtained by a
processing server based
on account data for the entity.
[0038] In some embodiments, the protected data resource 150 may be a computer
system that
includes one or more database servers, computer servers, and the like. In some
embodiments, the
protected data resource 150 may comprise an application programming interface
(API) for a
web-based system, operating system, database system, computer hardware, or
software library.
[0039] The client device 110 may be used, for example, to configure a data
transfer from an
account at the protected resource 150 that is associated with the client
device 110. More
particularly, the client device 110 may be used to configure a data transfer
from an account
associated with an entity operating the client device 110. The data transfer
may involve a
transfer of data between a record in the protected data resource 150
associated with such an
account and another record in the protected data resource 150 (or in another
data resource such
as a database associated with a different server, not shown, provided by
another financial
institution, for example). The other record may be associated with a data
transfer recipient such
as, for example, a bill payment recipient. The data involved in the transfer
may, for example, be
units of value and the records involved in the data transfer may be adjusted
in related or
corresponding manners. For example, during a data transfer, a record
associated with the data
transfer recipient may be adjusted to reflect an increase in value due to the
transfer, whereas the
record associated with the entity initiating the data transfer may be adjusted
to reflect a decrease
in value which is at least as large as the increase in value applied to the
record associated with
the data transfer recipient.
[0040] The system 100 includes at least one data transfer processing (DTP)
server 180. The DTP
server 180 may be associated with a third-party service which facilitates
electronic data transfers
between two or more different computing systems. For example, the DTP server
180 may itself
be configured to receive data from one or more sender (or transferor)
entities, and relay the data
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to one or more intended recipients. The DTP server 180 may process the data
prior to forwarding
to recipients, e.g. transform the data into different formats, etc., or simply
relay the data as-is.
[0041] As another example, the DTP server 180 may be configured to process
requests for data
transfers and instruct one or more remote computing systems to complete the
transfers based on
the processed requests. The DTP server 180 may, for example, receive a request
for a transfer of
data from a first database record associated with a first computing system
(e.g. a database) to a
second database record associated with a second computing system. The first
and second
computing systems may be associated with entities that are enrolled in an
electronic data transfer
service administered by the DTP server 180. The service may, for example, be a
funds transfer
service. The data transfer request may be sent by a transferor associated with
the first database
record. Upon receiving the data transfer request, the DTP server 180 may
generate a message
directed to a recipient associated with the second database record that allows
the recipient to
retrieve the data. For example, the message may include instructions on how to
complete the data
transfer.
[0042] The actual transfer of data between the first and second database
records may be
completed in various different ways. In some embodiments, the message from the
DTP server
180 may contain a link to retrieve the data that is to be transferred. The
link may, for example, be
a selectable user interface element that is included in the message forwarded
by the DTP server
180. The link enables a direct transfer of data to the recipient's database
record. In some other
embodiments, the data may be transferred indirectly. More specifically, the
DTP server 180 may
be configured to instruct the first and second computing systems to adjust the
data associated
with the first and second database records, respectively, in order to execute
an indirect transfer of
data between the database records. For example, when the recipient completes
the steps for
retrieving the transferred data, the DTP server 180 may be configured to
instruct the first
computing system to reduce a value associated with the first database record
by the transfer
amount and the second computing system to increase a value associated with the
second database
record by the transfer amount.
[0043] In some embodiments, a DTP server may also be configured to generate
messages for
requesting transfers of data to a recipient. For example, a DTP server may
send, to one or more
selected entities, a message requesting the entities to transfer certain data
to a specific recipient.
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Such message may, for example, comprise a request (a data transfer
authorization request) for a
transferor entity to authorize an electronic data transfer to the recipient. A
data transfer
authorization request may present various options for the transferor entity to
authorize and
complete a requested data transfer to the recipient. For example, a data
transfer authorization
request may provide one or more choices of databases (e.g. financial
institution databases) from
which a selection can be made by the transferor entity based on which database
record, i.e.
account, is desired to be used for making the requested data transfer.
[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the DTP server 180 may be connected to the
client device 110
and the resource server 140 via the network 120. The client device 110, the
resource server 140,
and the DTP server 180 may be in geographically disparate locations. Put
differently, the client
device 110 may be remote from one or both of the resource server 140 and the
DTP server 180.
[0045] The client device 110, the resource server 140, and the DTP server 180
are computer
systems. The client device 110 may take a variety of forms including, for
example, a mobile
communication device such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, a wearable
computer such as a
head-mounted display or smartwatch, a laptop or desktop computer, or a
computing device of
another type.
[0046] The network 120 is a computer network. In some embodiments, the network
120 may be
an internetwork such as may be formed of one or more interconnected computer
networks. For
example, the network 120 may be or may include an Ethernet network, an
asynchronous transfer
mode (ATM) network, a wireless network, or the like.
[0047] FIG. 2 is a high-level operation diagram of the example computing
device 105. In some
embodiments, the example computing device 105 may be exemplary of one or more
of the client
devices 110, the resource server 140, and the third-party DTP server 180. The
example
computing device 105 includes a variety of modules. For example, as
illustrated, the example
computing device 105, may include a processor 200, a memory 210, an input
interface module
220, an output interface module 230, and a communications module 240. As
illustrated, the
foregoing example modules of the example computing device 105 are in
communication over a
bus 250.
[0048] The processor 200 is a hardware processor. The processor 200 may, for
example, be one
or more ARM, Intel x86, PowerPC processors or the like.
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[0049] The memory 210 allows data to be stored and retrieved. The memory 210
may include,
for example, random access memory, read-only memory, and persistent storage.
Persistent
storage may be, for example, flash memory, a solid-state drive or the like.
Read-only memory
and persistent storage are a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable
medium may be
organized using a file system such as may be administered by an operating
system governing
overall operation of the example computing device 105.
[0050] The input interface module 220 allows the example computing device 105
to receive
input signals. Input signals may, for example, correspond to input received
from a user. The input
interface module 220 may serve to interconnect the example computing device
105 with one or
more input devices. Input signals may be received from input devices by the
input interface
module 220. Input devices may, for example, include one or more of a
touchscreen input,
keyboard, trackball or the like. In some embodiments, all or a portion of the
input interface
module 220 may be integrated with an input device. For example, the input
interface module 220
may be integrated with one of the aforementioned exemplary input devices.
[0051] The output interface module 230 allows the example computing device 105
to provide
output signals. Some output signals may, for example allow provision of output
to a user. The
output interface module 230 may serve to interconnect the example computing
device 105 with
one or more output devices. Output signals may be sent to output devices by an
output interface
module 230. Output devices may include, for example, a display screen such as,
for example, a
liquid crystal display (LCD), a touchscreen display. Additionally, or
alternatively, output devices
may include devices other than screens such as, for example, a speaker,
indicator lamps (such as
for, example, light-emitting diodes (LEDs)), and printers. In some
embodiments, all or a portion
of the output interface module 230 may be integrated with an output device.
For example, the
output interface module 230 may be integrated with one of the aforementioned
example output
devices.
[0052] The communications module 240 allows the example computing device 105
to
communicate with other electronic devices and/or various communications
networks. For
example, the communications module 240 may allow the example computing device
105 to send
or receive communications signals. Communications signals may be sent or
received according
to one or more protocols or according to one or more standards. For example,
the
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communications module 240 may allow the example computing device 105 to
communicate via
a cellular data network, such as for example, according to one or more
standards such as, for
example, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple
Access
(CDMA), Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO), Long-term Evolution (LTE) or the
like. The
communications module 240 may allow the example computing device 105 to
communicate
using near-field communication (NFC), via Wi-Fi (TM), using Bluetooth (TM) or
via some
combination of one or more networks or protocols. In some embodiments, all or
a portion of the
communications module 240 may be integrated into a component of the example
computing
device 105. For example, the communications module may be integrated into a
communications
chipset.
[0053] Software comprising instructions is executed by the processor 200 from
a computer-
readable medium. For example, software may be loaded into random-access memory
from
persistent storage of memory 210. Additionally, or alternatively, instructions
may be executed by
the processor 200 directly from read-only memory of memory 210.
[0054] FIG. 3 depicts a simplified organization of software components stored
in memory 210 of
the example computing device 105. As illustrated these software components
include an
operating system 280 and an application 270.
[0055] The operating system 280 is software. The operating system 280 allows
the application
270 to access the processor 200, the memory 210, the input interface module
220, the output
interface module 230 and the communications module 240. The operating system
280 may be,
for example, Apple's iOSTM, Google's Android, LinuxTM, Microsoft's WindowsTM,
or the like.
[0056] The application 270 adapts the example computing device 105, in
combination with the
operating system 280, to operate as a device performing particular functions.
For example, the
application 270 may cooperate with the operating system 280 to adapt a
suitable embodiment of
the example computing device 105 to operate as the client device 110, the
resource server 140,
the application evaluation server 170, and the DTP server(s) 180.
[0057] While a single application 270 is illustrated in FIG. 3, in operation,
the memory 210 may
include more than one application 270, and different applications 270 may
perform different
operations. For example, in embodiments where the computing device 105 is
functioning as a
client device 110, the application 270 may comprise a value transfer
application which may, for
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example, be a personal banking application. The value transfer application may
be configured
for secure communications with the resource server 140 and may provide various
banking
functions such as, for example, display of account balances, transfers of
value (e.g. bill
payments, money transfers), and other account management functions.
[0058] In some embodiments, the application 270 may comprise an event
management
application. An event management application may allow users (i.e. event
hosts) to create,
modify, monitor, and manage various types of events. For example, an event
management
application may be used to create events, generate and send invitations to
events, monitor replies
to event invitations, and modify event details. The event management
application may provide
user interfaces which enable a host to input various event and invitee
information. In addition,
the event management application may implement a functionality for requesting
invitees to
transfer certain types of data to the event host. For example, the event
management application
may provide user interfaces for generating requests for data transfers and
configuring a recipient
database record for receiving data transfers from the invitees. As will be
described below, an
event management application may implement functionalities relating to, among
others,
generating and sending requests for data transfers and configuring a recipient
database record for
receiving the requested data transfers.
[0059] Reference is made to FIG. 4, which shows, in flowchart form, an example
method 400
for processing requests for electronic data transfers to an intended
recipient. The operations of
method 400 may be performed as part of a processor-implemented process for
managing an
event. For example, the method 400 may be implemented in providing a user
interface for
configuring event details, generating and sending event invitations, and
processing reply data
from event invitees.
[0060] Operations 402 and onward may be performed by one or more processors of
a computing
device such as, for example, the processor 200 (FIG. 2) of one or more
suitably configured
instances of the example computing device 105 (FIG. 2). In at least some
embodiments, the
method 400 may be performed by a server system. In particular, a server (such
as resource server
140) which has access to a protected data resource and which is communicably
connected to a
client device associated with a user that has an account in the protected data
resource may
perform all of part of the operations of method 400. In some embodiments, a
resource server may
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perform the operations of method 400 in conjunction with an event management
server (e.g. a
back-end server associated with an event management platform).
[0061] In operation 402, the server receives a first request to configure a
recipient database
record for receiving one or more electronic data transfers. The server may
implement a platform
for generating requests for data. For example, the server may provide a user
interface for
generating an event invitation which may be forwarded to the invitees of an
event. The platform
may enable a user, or recipient, to select a database record that is intended
to receive the
electronic data transfers. In the example of an event invitation, the
requested data may be
responses from the event invitees, such as an RSVP and other data associated
with the event. The
recipient database record may be a record that is designated by an event host
(or honored guest,
etc.) for receiving all or part of the data responses from the event invitees.
[0062] The first request may be input by a user via the user interface
provided by the server. For
example, the user interface may enable input of details for the recipient
database record
associated with an event. The first request includes, at least, identifying
information for the
recipient database record. The recipient database record may, for example, be
a record, or
account, in a protected data resource that is associated with an intended
recipient of the
electronic data transfers. The first request may include the source of the
request, an identifier of
the protected data resource (e.g. institution number, transit number, etc.),
an identifier of the
recipient database record (e.g. account number), and identifying information
for the recipient
(e.g. name, date of birth, etc.). In at least some embodiments, the source of
the request may be an
event management platform. For example, the first request may be generated
when the host of a
first event requests, via the event management platform, to configure a
recipient database record
for receiving transfers of data from one or more invitees of the first event.
In particular, the first
request may be a request to associate the recipient database record with the
first event and any
transfers of data associated with the first event.
[0063] Upon receiving the first request, the server may perform various steps
for configuring the
recipient database record to receive electronic data transfers. In some
embodiments, the server
may maintain a database which stores mappings of events to recipient database
records. The
database may, for example, contain a listing of events and details of
recipient database records
that are associated with the respective events. The server may process the
first request and create
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a new entry in the database corresponding to the first event, and the new
entry may specify the
recipient database record associated with the first event.
[0064] Once the recipient database record has been configured, the server may
distribute
requests for data transfers. In at least some embodiments, the data transfer
requests may be
included as part of requests to provide responses to a specific query, such as
a poll, a survey, or
an event invitation. For example, in the context of event management, after
the operation 402,
the server may forward event invitations, which incorporate a request for
transferring data to a
host of an event, to invitees of the event. More generally, the server may
distribute, to one or
more transferor entities, a message inviting the transferor entity to attend
an event and to initiate
an electronic data transfer to a recipient database record associated with the
event.
[0065] In operation 404, the server receives, from a transferor entity, a
numerical indicator of
value to be transferred to the recipient database record that was configured
in operation 402. The
numerical indicator of value represents a value that is to be transferred to
the recipient database
record. In at least some embodiments, the server may receive the numerical
indicator of value in
a response to a request for a data transfer. For example, the numerical
indicator of value may be
included in a response, provided by a transferor entity, to a query for data
(e.g. an event
invitation). That is, the numerical indicator of value is provided by a
transferor entity, and
represents a value that is desired to be transferred to the recipient by the
transferor entity.
[0066] As explained above, various types of data transfers may leverage use of
an intermediary
server which facilitates electronic data transfers between two or more
computing systems. More
specifically, an electronic data transfer from a transferor entity to a
recipient may be executed via
an intermediary data transfer processing (DTP) server. In operation 406, the
server, sends to an
intermediary DTP server, a second request to provide, to a transferor entity,
an electronic data
transfer authorization request. In particular, the second request includes a
request to transfer
value to the recipient database record in a first amount that corresponds to
the numerical
indicator of value received in operation 404. The server may provide, as part
of the second
request, various details of the requested data transfers, to the DTP server.
For example, the
second request may be an email money transfer request. The second request may
indicate the
transfer value (i.e. amount corresponding to the numerical indicator of
value), identifying
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information for the pre-configured recipient database record, and contact
details, such as
messaging addresses, of one or more transferor entities.
[0067] In operation 408, the server receives, from the DTP server, an
indication of authorization
for the electronic data transfer from the transferor entity. The DTP server,
which is configured to
process electronic data transfers, may send to one or more transferor entities
a request to
authorize a transfer of value to the recipient database record. In particular,
the authorization
request may request each transferor entity to authorize a transfer of value in
an amount
corresponding to the numerical indicator of value that was inputted by the
transferor entity. If the
transferor entity provides the requested authorization, the DTP server may be
configured to
inform the server implementing the method 400. For example, the DTP server may
send an
indication of the transferor entity's authorization for a data transfer.
[0068] Upon receiving the indication of authorization for the data transfer,
the server can take
certain actions. In particular, the server updates the recipient database
record, in operation 408.
Specifically, the server increases a database record value associated with the
recipient database
record by the transfer amount of the data transfer from the transferor entity.
For example, the
server may credit the recipient database record by the transfer amount. This
operation presumes
that the server maintains and/or has access to the recipient database record,
and that the server
can cause a change in database record value for the recipient database record.
In some
embodiments, the server may instruct a second server to increase a value
associated with the
recipient database record. For example, if the recipient database record is
maintained by a second
server (e.g. a different bank), a request to adjust the value associated with
the recipient database
record by a transfer amount may be sent to the second server.
[0069] Once a recipient database record is configured for receiving electronic
data transfers, it
can continually be used for such transfers, without any further input. For
example, once a
recipient database record is designated for an event, any electronic data
transfers associated with
the event may be sent to (or used to update) the recipient database record. In
particular, transferor
entities associated with the event need not specify a database record to which
their data is to be
transferred.
[0070] Reference is made to FIG. 5, which shows, in flowchart form, an example
method 500
for providing user interfaces which enable configuring requests for electronic
data transfers to an
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intended recipient. The operations of method 500 may be performed by an event
management
platform or service.
[0071] Operations 502 and onward may be performed by one or more processors of
a computing
device such as, for example, the processor 200 (FIG. 2) of one or more
suitably configured
instances of the example computing device 105 (FIG. 2). In at least some
embodiments, the
method 500 may be performed by a server system. In particular, a server (such
as resource server
140) which has access to a protected data resource and which is communicably
connected to a
client device associated with a user that has an account in the protected data
resource may
perform all of part of the operations of method 500. In some embodiments, a
resource server may
perform the operations of method 400 in conjunction with an event management
server (e.g. a
back-end server associated with an event management platform).
[0072] In operation 502, the server provides a user interface for configuring
an electronic
invitation. More specifically, the server provides a first user interface for
configuring an
invitation for an event. The first user interface is a graphical user
interface that is provided for
display on a device associated with an event host or honored guest (a "host
device"). The first
user interface enables an operator of the host device to remotely configure an
electronic
invitation for an event, such as a wedding.
[0073] The first user interface may be provided in response to a request
received from the host
device. In some embodiments, the request may be a hypertext transfer protocol
(HTTP) request,
such as an HTTP GET. The request may be issued by a web browser operating on
the host
device. The web browser may, for example, receive a command through selection
of a link or
input of an address (e.g. a Uniform Resource Locator) associated with an
invitation configuration
platform or service. The request may, in other embodiments, be issued by an
application other
than a web browser. For example, a value transfer application, such as a
personal banking
application, operating on the host device may issue the request.
[0074] An example invitation configuration interface is illustrated in FIG. 7.
As illustrated, the
example invitation configuration interface 700 includes a plurality of
interface elements which
may be used in configuring an electronic invitation. For example, the example
invitation
configuration interface 700 includes a text field 702 to input text associated
with an invitation for
an event, a selectable option 708 to specify a date associated with the
invitation for the event, a
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selectable option 704 to configure a receiving account (i.e. recipient
database record), a
selectable option 706 to define one or more invitees for the event, and a
confirmation interface
element 710 to send invitees to event invitees. The invitation configuration
interface 700 may
include other interface elements apart from those illustrated in FIG. 7. Other
interface elements
may allow, for example, selection of one or more graphics, uploading of
photographs, inputting a
location of an event, etc.
[0075] The various interface elements included in the invitation configuration
interface 700 may
allow invitation details associated with an event to be defined. For example,
a text-based
description of the event or an honored guest associated with the event (e.g.
the bride(s) and/or
groom(s) for a wedding) may be input through interaction with the invitation
configuration
interface 700. One or more event invitees may also be defined through
interaction with the
invitation configuration interface 700. For example, a messaging address (e.g.
an email address)
for each invitee may be inputted, together with a name of the invitee and, in
at least some
embodiments, other guests (such as significant others, family members, or
other guests that are
to be included on a common instance of the electronic invitation).
[0076] The selectable option 704 for configuring a receiving account may, when
selected, cause
the host device to prompt for one or more configuration parameters associated
with a receiving
account. The configuration parameters may include, for example, any one or
more of: an
account number associated with a bank account, an institution number
associated with a bank, a
transit number, a swift code, or an alias for any such numbers.
[0077] In at least some embodiments, the selectable option 704 to configure a
receiving account
may be provided within a value transfer application, such as a banking
application provided on
the host device. For example, the banking application may include value added
features, such as
the ability to configure electronic invitations. In at least some such
embodiments, the selectable
option 704 to configure a receiving account may include an option to select an
account, from a
list of available accounts. For example, the option may allow for selecting
between a chequing
account and a savings account.
[0078] Conveniently, by integrating the electronic invitation features with a
banking application,
the electronic invitation may be automatically configured with a host (or
honored guest) name
based on a name that is associated with an active banking account. For
example, if the electronic
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invitation is configured while a user is in a session that was authenticated
using credentials for a
particular client (e.g. "John Smith"), the server may automatically include
the name of the client,
"John Smith", in the electronic invitation.
[0079] While the example invitation configuration interface of FIG. 7
illustrates interface
elements that are virtual buttons, other types of interface elements may be
used instead of or in
addition to the interface elements illustrated. For example, the interface
elements may include
fields, check boxes, radio boxes, buttons, keys, slider bars, etc.
[0080] Referring again to FIG. 5, the server receives, through the invitation
configuration
interface, one or more configuration parameters. The configuration parameters
are based on
input received at the host device through the invitation configuration
interface. For example, the
server may receive one or more signals which may represent at least the date
associated with the
invitation and a messaging address for an invitee. In operation 504, the
server receives a first
request to configure a recipient database record for receiving one or more
electronic data
transfers associated with the event. In particular, the server receives a
signal which represents a
request for a specific database record to be set up to receive electronic data
transfers that are
initiated by invitees and/or guests of the event. The signal may, for example,
represent a
selection of a bank account. The signals may be received when the associated
selectable options
in the invitation configuration user interface are selected and used to input
the associated data.
[0081] Other data may be received from the host device at the server. For
example, invitation
data, such as a description of the event, the names of one or more honored
guests associated with
the event, the location of the event, or other invitation data may be
received.
[0082] In at least some embodiments, the server may validate at least some of
the invitation
configuration data received from a host device. For example, authentication
may be performed
to ensure that the receiving account is associated with a party identified on
the invitation. For
example, the name of a host (or honored guest) on the invitation may be
compared with the name
associated with the receiving account to ensure that the names correspond to
one another. Such
authentication may, for example, reduce the possibility of an attack in which
a malicious party
sends a fraudulent invitation that has been configured with a receiving
account for the malicious
party but that purports to be for an event honoring another party. In some
embodiments, the
name associated with the receiving account may be specified by a configuration
parameter for
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the receiving account and may be received from the host device. In some
embodiments, the
server may interact with a resource server associated with a protected
resource (e.g. a bank
database) in order to validate a receiving account. For example, the server
may communicate
with a third-party bank server to confirm that a name associated with the
receiving account
specified by the configuration parameters received from the host device
corresponds to a name
that is configured to be displayed on the electronic invitation. For example,
the server may send
a message to the bank server asking for confirmation of a name associated with
specified account
parameters. If the validation fails, the server may issue an error. This error
may be
communicated to the host device and the electronic invitation may not be sent.
[0083] In operation 506, the server receives a request to send invitations to
event invitees. For
example, the server may receive a signal associated with a selectable option
in the invitation
configuration interface to send a generated invitation to event invitees. In
operation 508, the
server sends the electronic invitation to one or more messaging addresses
associated with the
event invitees. The electronic invitation may, for example, be an email
message. In some
embodiments, the electronic invitation may be sent within an email message. In
some
embodiments, a message may be sent that includes a link to the electronic
invitation.
[0084] An example electronic invitation 800 is illustrated in FIG. 8. The
example electronic
invitation 800 may be launched and displayed on a device of an invitee (or
"transferor device").
The example electronic invitation includes a first interface element 802 for
sending an electronic
response to the invitation (e.g. to "RSVP") and a second interface element 804
to transfer value
to a pre-defined receiving account (e.g. to "e-gift").
[0085] The first interface element 802 to send an electronic response to the
invitation may be
selected via interaction with an input module associated with a transferor
device to cause a
response message to be sent to the server. The response message may include an
indication of
whether an invitee is attending or not attending an event. The response
message may also
specify a number of individuals that are contemplated by the response. For
example, the response
message may indicate the number of guests that will accompany an invitee to
the event.
[0086] The second interface element 804 may be actuated to initiate a transfer
using
configuration parameters for the receiving account. In particular, the second
interface element
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804 may allow an invitee to configure an electronic transfer of value to a
host (or honored guest)
of the event.
[0087] Selection of the second interface element 804 to transfer value may
cause the transferor
device to prompt for transfer parameters including a quantum of value that is
to be transferred.
The transfer parameters may also include, for example, credit card or debit
card parameters, such
as a personal account number (PAN), expiry date, credit card verification
(CCV) number,
authorization data (such as a password, PIN, security question/answer that is
to be used by the
host/honoured guest to accept the transfer of value).
[0088] In some embodiments, the second interface element 804 to transfer value
to the receiving
account is configured to cause the transferor device to, in response to
receiving selection of the
second interface element 804, launch a value transfer application stored on
the transferor device.
The value transfer application may, for example, be a banking application. If
the value transfer
application is already operating in an authenticated session, launching the
value transfer
application may cause the value transfer application to be brought to the
foreground. If the value
transfer application is not operating in an authenticated session, the value
transfer application
may prompt for authentication information.
[0089] The selection of the second interface element 804 may cause the
transferor device to
provide the configuration parameters for the receiving account and/or other
data (such as a
suggested quantum of value and/or date) to the value transfer application. For
example, the
configuration parameters may be passed to the value transfer application as
parameters when the
value transfer application is called. By providing such data directly to the
value transfer
application, the value transfer application may initiate a transfer without
requiring input of such
information. For example, an account number associated with the host or
honoured guest may
not need to be manually input since the account number may be automatically
input to the value
transfer application.
[0090] The second interface element 804 may be further configured for
automatically
configuring a date associated with the transfer with the date associated with
the event. For
example, the date of the event may be automatically passed to the value
transfer application and
used as the default date for a transfer of value. Conveniently, the transfer
may be automatically
configured to occur on the date of the event.
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[0091] In some other embodiments, actuating the second interface element 804
may cause a
second user interface, for configuring a data transfer to the receiving
account, to be displayed.
For example, the second interface element 804 may be a selectable link for
launching a second
user interface. Referring back to FIG. 5, in operation 510, the server
provides a second user
interface for an event invitee to provide a response to the electronic
invitation. More specifically,
a second user interface is provided for display on a transferor device,
allowing the invitee to
input requested data ("RSVP") and/or a desired transfer amount for an
electronic data transfer to
the recipient database record. The second user interface enables input of
various different kinds
of information. In at least some embodiments, the second user interface may
enable an invitee to
input a numerical indicator of value indicating a desired transfer amount,
such as in operation
404 of method 400. The numerical indicator of value may, for example,
represent a value of a
monetary gift that the invitee desires to send to the event host or honored
guest. The second user
interface may also enable input of a messaging address associated with the
invitee. The
messaging address may be an email address for the invitee. As will be
described below, the
messaging address may be used by the server in forwarding an electronic data
transfer
authorization request to the invitee.
[0092] The second user interface may be displayed, for example, after
activation of the second
interface element 804 in an electronic invitation to an event. A suggested
quantum of value may
be displayed in the second user interface. An example second user interface
900 is illustrated in
FIG. 9. The example second user interface 900 specifies the suggested quantum
of value and, in
the example, includes a value configuration field 902 for inputting a selected
quantum of value.
The value configuration field 902 may default to the suggested quantum of
value but may be
modified through an input module of the recipient device. The example second
user interface
900 also includes a reply interface element 903 for providing a response (e.g.
"RSVP") to the
event invitation, a text field 904 for inputting a messaging address, and a
confirmation interface
element 905 for initiating the transfer. The messaging address provided in
text field 904 may be
used for forwarding an electronic data transfer authorization request to the
invitee.
[0093] Referring again to FIG. 5, in operation 512, the server processes the
inputted data from
the event invitee. In particular, the server processes data that is inputted
via the second user
interface displayed on the transferor device associated with the invitee. The
server then sends, to
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an electronic data transfer processing server, a second request to provide to
the invitee a data
transfer authorization request, in operation 514. The electronic data transfer
processing server
may, for example, be an electronic funds transfer processing server. The data
transfer
authorization request may be sent, by the electronic data transfer processing
server, to the
messaging address received via the second user interface. That is, the data
transfer authorization
request may be forwarded to a messaging address that was provided by the
invitee, and not to a
messaging address which may have been provided by a host (or honored guest)
that sent the
electronic invitation to the event.
[0094] Reference is made to FIG. 6, which shows, in flowchart form, another
example method
600 for processing requests for electronic data transfers to an intended
recipient. The operations
of method 600 may be performed, for example, by an event management platform
or service.
Operations 602 and onward may be performed by one or more processors of a
computing device
such as, for example, the processor 200 (FIG. 2) of one or more suitably
configured instances of
the example computing device 105 (FIG. 2). In at least some embodiments, the
method 600 may
be performed by a server system, such as a server which has access to a
protected data resource
and which is communicably connected to a client device associated with a user
that has an
account in the protected data resource.
[0095] In operation 602, the server provides a first user interface for
inputting one or more
objective values associated with a recipient database record. The first user
interface allows an
event host or honored guest to configure an electronic invitation to an event.
In particular, using
the first interface, the host or honored guest can configure parameters of a
recipient database
record (e.g. bank account) for receiving transfers from event invitees, one or
more objectives for
the recipient database record, and values associated with the objectives. The
objectives may, for
example, comprise objectives toward which event invitees can contribute
financially. That is, the
first user interface allows the host or honored guest to provide one or more
options for objectives
that an event invitee can select and provide financial contributions to the
selected ones of the
objectives. In some embodiments, the first user interface may allow for
defining a list containing
a plurality of different objectives and associated objective values.
[0096] In operation 604, the server receives a first request to issue
invitations to invitees of the
event. For example, the host or honored guest can indicate on the first user
interface that the
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electronic invitation for the event is complete and that the generated
invitation should be sent to
event invitees. The event invitees and their contact information may, for
example, be defined
using the first user interface, such that the server can send the electronic
invitation to the desired
invitees.
[0097] In operation 606, the server sends the electronic event invitation to
one or more
messaging addresses associated with the event invitees. The event invitee may
launch the
electronic invitation on their device, or transferor device. The electronic
invitation may contain,
at least, an interface element allowing the event invitee to respond to the
invitation and a
selectable option to provide an "e-gift", or transfer of value, to the event
host.
[0098] In operation 608, the server provides a second user interface, which
may be displayed on
a transferor device, for responding to the electronic event invitation. In
particular, the second
user interface allows an event invitee to select at least one of the objective
values and desired
transfer amounts toward the at least one objective value. The event invitee
may select a single
objective and input a transfer amount for the selected objective, or select a
plurality of objectives
and input transfer amounts for the respective selected objectives.
[0099] Once the invitee has filled out the response (e.g. by selecting an
"RSVP" option, one or
more objectives, and transfer amounts to contribute to the respective
objectives), the response
can be sent to the server from the transferor device. If the server maintains
or has access to the
recipient database record to which transfers from the event invitees are
directed, the server can
monitor the various objectives defined by the event host and the transfer
amounts contributed to
the respective objectives by event invitees. For example, the server may
allocate transfer
amounts to the different objectives of the event host (or honored guest). In
operation 610, the
server adjusts the selected at least one of the objective values by the
desired transfer amounts
inputted by the event invitee. That is, the objective values may be reduced by
the desired transfer
amounts contributed to the respective values. The server may, for example,
credit one or more
financial buckets associated with the defined objectives by the transfer
amounts. As another
example, the server may maintain a historical record of transfers from event
invitees, the defined
objectives of the event host, and current status of each objective (e.g.
whether objective is
achieved, how much remaining until objective is achieved, etc.). The tracked
objective
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information may be provided to the host, or an account holder associated with
the recipient
database record.
[0100] The various embodiments presented above are merely examples and are in
no way meant
to limit the scope of this application. Variations of the innovations
described herein will be
apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art, such variations being within
the intended scope of
the present application. In particular, features from one or more of the above-
described example
embodiments may be selected to create alternative example embodiments
including a sub-
combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. In
addition, features from
one or more of the above-described example embodiments may be selected and
combined to
create alternative example embodiments including a combination of features
which may not be
explicitly described above. Features suitable for such combinations and sub-
combinations would
be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art upon review of the present
application as a whole.
The subject matter described herein and in the recited claims intends to cover
and embrace all
suitable changes in technology.
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