Hierarchical Billing Navigation for Corporate EBPP Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) systems are inadequate for corporate customers due to limitations in handling complex billing information, analysis capabilities, and scalability, failing to provide efficient management and analysis tools, leading to cumbersome user interfaces and security concerns.
Innovation Solution
An electronic bill presentment, analysis, and payment (EBPAP) system that includes a hierarchical paging schema, automated password reissuance, and advanced rate management utilities, enabling users to define analyses, create custom reports, and securely manage billing information, addressing the limitations of prior systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If prior art EBPP systems use simple paging with numeric hyperlinks for navigation, then the system is easy to implement, but it becomes cumbersome and inefficient when handling hundreds or thousands of pages in corporate billing information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hierarchical paging structure that adds a dimensional layer to the navigation system. Instead of linear numeric hyperlinks, the system organizes pages into hierarchical groups and subsets, allowing users to navigate through structured levels (groups containing subsets containing individual pages). This dimensional reorganization enables efficient access to specific pages within large document sets by providing multiple navigation paths and contextual groupings, transforming the flat one-dimensional navigation into a multi-dimensional hierarchical structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If prior art EBPP systems provide only predefined static reports, then the system is simple to maintain, but it lacks the analysis capability needed for corporate customers who require custom analysis tools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal analysis engine that can perform multiple analysis functions through a single integrated system. The engine provides both predefined analysis templates and custom analysis capabilities, allowing the same infrastructure to serve diverse analytical needs. Users can select from various analysis types (variance analysis, trend analysis, what-if analysis) and customize parameters without requiring separate systems for each function. This multi-functional approach enables corporate customers to perform complex analyses while the system maintains a unified, manageable architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The analysis system transitions from static predefined reports to dynamic customizable analysis tools. The analysis engine allows users to dynamically configure analysis parameters, select different data sources, modify time periods, and adjust comparison criteria based on specific corporate needs. The system adapts to varying analysis requirements by allowing real-time modification of analysis parameters and generation of custom reports, transforming the rigid static report structure into a flexible dynamic analysis platform.
3Adaptability or versatility
If prior art EBPP systems provide extensive access to billing data for analysis purposes, then users can perform detailed analysis, but it creates security risks and administrative burdens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary analysis engine that acts as a secure buffer between users and the underlying billing data. Instead of providing direct access to raw billing information, the system processes analysis requests through the engineered analysis platform, which retrieves data, performs analysis, and returns results. This intermediary layer maintains security by controlling data access, logging queries, and preventing direct manipulation of sensitive billing information while still enabling comprehensive analysis capabilities through controlled interfaces.
4Adaptability or versatility
If prior art EBPP systems are designed for consumer billing information, then the system is simple to deploy, but it cannot accommodate the complexity of corporate billing information spanning hundreds or thousands of pages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing large corporate billing documents into hierarchical groups and subsets. The system automatically segments billing information into logical categories (such as service groups, account types, or time periods) and organizes them in a hierarchical structure. This segmentation enables the system to handle large volumes of billing data by breaking them into manageable units that can be navigated, analyzed, and presented efficiently, transforming the monolithic consumer billing structure into a scalable hierarchical architecture capable of accommodating corporate-scale complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing system facilitating electronic bill presentment and payment features for authorized users via a user interface is introduced including an analysis engine. The analysis engine, in response to user interaction with the user interface, selectively performs user-defined analysis on at least a subset of retrieved billing information associated with one or more billers. The analysis engine further generates one or more user-defined report(s) based, at least in part, on the user-defined analysis.