Self-Provisioning Billing System Configuration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic billing and payment systems require extensive custom software development, are costly, and inflexible, necessitating significant time and resources for implementation and maintenance, with modifications often causing system downtime and errors.

Innovation Solution

A self-provisioning bill presentment and payment system that allows businesses to configure and deploy an automated billing system without custom programming, supporting multiple interfaces and payment networks, enabling dynamic updates and customization, and facilitating real-time bill presentment and payment processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If custom software development is used to implement billing systems, then the system can be tailored to specific enterprise needs, but the implementation cost and time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem customizationVSAvoidimplementation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal billing system platform that can serve multiple enterprises with different requirements through configuration rather than custom development. The system provides pre-built functionalities for bill generation, payment processing, and reporting that can be adapted to various billing paradigms (utility billing, subscription billing, project-based billing) without requiring custom software development for each case.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs dynamic configuration capabilities that allow enterprises to modify billing parameters, payment methods, and system behavior through configurable settings rather than code changes. This enables the system to adapt to specific enterprise needs while maintaining a standardized core platform, reducing both implementation time and customization costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If custom software development is used to implement billing systems, then the system can be tailored to specific enterprise needs, but the development cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem customizationVSAvoiddevelopment cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables enterprises to self-configure their billing parameters, payment methods, and operational settings through user-friendly interfaces without requiring external software developers. This self-service capability eliminates the need for expensive custom development while still allowing full customization of billing behavior to match specific enterprise requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If the billing system is hard coded into a particular billing paradigm, then the system structure remains stable, but modification costs and development time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem structureVSAvoidmodification flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If additional payment entry points are added to the billing system, then the system versatility improves, but software development time and error risk increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment method flexibilityVSAvoidsystem stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides a universal payment processing framework that supports multiple payment entry points and methods (online payments, offline payments, various payment gateways) through a standardized interface. This allows the system to accommodate diverse payment requirements while maintaining consistent error handling and transaction management, thereby preserving system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements an intermediary payment processing layer that sits between the billing system and various payment gateways. This intermediary handles the complexity of different payment methods and entry points, providing a standardized interface to the core billing system. By isolating payment-specific logic in this intermediary layer, the system can add new payment methods without affecting the stability of the core billing functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10489762B2System and method for automated provisioning bill presentment and payment

Publication Date: 2019.11.26 ALIASWIRE

AI summary

A system and method for self or automated provisioning bill presentment and payment is provided. Billing software executing on a central billing server enables billers to configure a bill presentment and payment website to enable multiple forms of electronic payment and presentment to be made without the need for programming customized applications.