Settlement Generator API for Payment Testing

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Solution Overview

Problem

The complexity of electronic payment processes, particularly in microservices environments, hampers software developers due to the need for intricate programming knowledge and understanding of disparate data formats and processing entities, leading to challenges in testing and development of robust payment features.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for generating and testing authorization and settlement transactions using human-readable JSON files, which are converted into binary formats for processing, enabling developers to create test scenarios without complex programming, thereby simplifying the development process and facilitating testing across various microservices components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If developers implement code for electronic payment processes using traditional methods, then the payment transactions can be processed, but the development complexity increases and testing becomes difficult due to disparate data formats and processing entities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepayment process reliabilityVSAvoiddevelopment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary testing system that sits between the developer's code and the actual payment processing infrastructure. This intermediary layer provides simplified interfaces for generating test authorizations and accessing test settlements, eliminating the need for developers to directly interact with complex disparate data formats and processing entities while maintaining reliable payment process testing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates simplified copies of the actual payment processing data and structures. Instead of requiring developers to work with the complex real payment data formats, the system provides standardized test data copies that replicate the essential characteristics needed for testing while being much easier to work with and understand

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Manufacturing precision

If developers use complex programming knowledge to handle different data formats, then accurate payment processing is achieved, but the ease of operation decreases and development time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepayment processing accuracyVSAvoiddeveloper ease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal testing interface that handles multiple data formats and processing scenarios through a single standardized API. This universal interface can generate test authorizations, access test settlements, and handle various payment scenarios without requiring developers to learn different programming approaches for each case, thereby maintaining processing accuracy while dramatically improving ease of operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If comprehensive testing of payment processes is performed, then reliability is improved, but the time required for development and testing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepayment feature reliabilityVSAvoiddevelopment time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-generating test authorization data and pre-preparing test settlement files before the developer needs them. The system can create test scenarios in advance, including rare edge cases, and have them ready for immediate testing. This eliminates the time-consuming process of manually setting up test data and allows comprehensive testing to be performed much faster

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11775420B2Methods, systems, and media for accessing data from a settlement file
Publication Date: 2023.10.03 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES LLC
  • US11775420B2 patent drawing
  • US11775420B2 patent drawing
  • US11775420B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The present disclosure is directed to systems, media, and methods of accessing data from a test settlement file. An application programming interface (API) configured to permit alteration of one or more fields of test data in a test data file is exposed by a settlement generator. One or more fields of test data exposed by the API are altered. A test data file in a configurable format is generated based on the one or more fields of test data and alteration. The test data file is transmitted from the settlement generator to an orchestrator. A binary file, converted from the test data file, is transmitted from the settlement generator to a third-party processor. One or more pieces of data from a test settlement file are retrieved by the settlement generator, where the test settlement file includes processing results of the binary file received from the third-party processor.