System for processing conditional payment request in an electronic financial transaction

Abstract

A mechanism is presented for processing conditional payment requests in an electronic financial transaction system. In particular, the mechanism provides for the handling of concurrent conditional payment events. The status of a payment condition may be categorized into three categories, and a priority assigned relative to the category. In this way, concurrent events may be prioritized according to their respective categories. Events may then be executed in order of assigned priority.

1 . (canceled) 
   
   
       2 . The computer program product of  claim 3  wherein said conditional payment events trigger a change in status of a conditional payment in said electronic transaction system. 
   
   
       3 . A computer program product in a tangible storage medium, the program product for processing concurrent conditional payment events comprising programming instructions for:
 enqueueing said concurrent conditional payment events in a queue according to a predetermined priority policy;   executing an enqueued conditional payment event having a first priority position in said queue; and   deleting remaining conditional payment events having a same priority from said queues wherein conditional payment events comprise a predetermined set of requests for performing a corresponding action on a conditioned payment in an electronic transaction system;   wherein said step of deleting said remaining conditional payment events is bypassed if the executed conditional payment event fails.   
   
   
       4 . The computer program product of  claim 3  wherein said policy comprises enqueueing each conditional payment event having a same priority in accordance with a random selection. 
   
   
       5 . The computer program product of  claim 4  wherein conditional payment events having a first priority are enqueued before conditional payment events having a second priority, wherein said first priority is higher than said second priority. 
   
   
       6 . The computer program product of  claim 2  wherein the status of a conditional payment comprises one of a predetermined set of statuses. 
   
   
       7 . The computer program product of  claim 6  wherein the predetermined set of statuses of a conditional payment comprises the group including: Registered, CDPProcessing, Failed, Waived, Canceled, Discharged and Expired. 
   
   
       8 . The computer program product of  claim 6  wherein a first subset of the predetermined set of statuses comprises an intermediate category of statuses, and a second subset of the predetermined set of statuses comprises a terminal category of statuses. 
   
   
       9 . The computer program product of  claim 8  wherein said policy comprises the intermediate category having a first priority and the terminal category having a second priority, wherein said first priority is lower than said second priority. 
   
   
       10 - 19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . The data processing system of  claim 21  wherein said conditional payment events trigger a change in status of a conditional payment in said electronic transaction system. 
   
   
       21 . A data processing system for processing concurrent conditional payment events comprising:
 circuitry operable for enqueueing said concurrent conditional payment events in a queue according to a predetermined priority policy;   circuitry operable for executing an enqueued conditional payment event having a first priority position in said queue;   circuitry operable for deleting remaining conditional payment events having a same priority from said queues wherein conditional payment events comprise a predetermined set of requests for performing a corresponding action on a conditioned payment in an electronic transaction system:   wherein said step of deleting said remaining conditional payment events is bypassed if the executed conditional payment event fails.   
   
   
       22 . The data processing system of  claim 21  wherein said policy comprises enqueueing each conditional payment event having a same priority in accordance with a random selection. 
   
   
       23 . The data processing system of  claim 22  wherein conditional payment events having a first priority are enqueued before conditional payment events having a second priority, wherein said first priority is higher than said second priority. 
   
   
       24 . The data processing system of  claim 20  wherein the status of a conditional payment comprises one of a predetermined set of statuses. 
   
   
       25 . The data processing system of  claim 24  wherein the predetermined set of statuses of a conditional payment comprises the group including: Registered, CDPProcessing, Failed, Waived, Canceled, Discharged and Expired. 
   
   
       26 . The data processing system of  claim 24  wherein a first subset of the predetermined set of statuses comprises an intermediate category of statuses, and a second subset of the predetermined set of statuses comprises a terminal category of statuses. 
   
   
       27 . The data processing system of  claim 26  wherein said policy comprises the intermediate category having a first priority and the terminal category having a second priority, wherein said first priority is lower than said second priority.