System and Method for Debt Presentment and Resolution

Abstract

A system and method for debt presentment and resolution through an Intranet or Internet content provider is disclosed. Said system and method include a plurality of “transaction communities” which are electronic forums allowing interaction between a plurality of debtors and creditors through means of electronic mail (e-mail) or other electronic communication means. The Internet/Intranet based software application allows said debtors to access and input information related to a particular debt with any Internet browser software. Said debtors are provided with the URL (Universal Resource Locator) for said content provider along with a unique identification code from the collection agency(s) through mail correspondence or other communication means. Upon said user entering said URL and entering said identification code, said user may then proceed to choose from a variety of settlement options listed on the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) page.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for allowing selective access by a client of a collection agency to information from debt collection by the collection agency, comprising:
 storing a plurality of account data items in a database, each data item being associated with an account belonging to the client of the collection agency, the plurality of data items including information relating to debt owed to the client by one or more debtors;   processing database access requests with a network server from a user process controlled by a remote user;   processing credentials to authenticate the remote user as a client representative; and   processing data access requests in accordance with a defined access scheme such that the client representative can access only data items associated with an account belonging to the client to allow remote review and reporting of the account data items.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising allowing access to data items in accordance with a defined access scheme providing for a plurality of access tiers such that the client representative is allowed access only to those client account data items allowed by the tier to which the client representative has been assigned. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising accessing data stored in the database with a database server, wherein the network server communicates with the database server by a common gateway interface script executed by the network server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising accessing data stored in the database with a database server, wherein the network server communicates with the database server by executing a java applet that communicates with the database server over the network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the database contains one or more tables with each table containing one or more records with one or more defined data fields for storing data items therein according to type, the records thereby serving to group the data items into data entities, with each of such data entities being associated with a particular account. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein one of the stored data items is an account identifier that is related to each data item in the database to identify the account with which the data item is associated. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein one of the stored data items is a client identifier that is related to the account identifier to identify the client to which the account belongs. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising restricting a particular client's data access to views of the data items that include the client identifier for that client. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising restricting data access of particular client-representatives to selected views of the data items to which the client has data access. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising presenting to a client representative accessing the database through a web browser, upon request, a plurality of selected views of data items associated with accounts belonging to the client. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the data items related to an account and presented in a selected view are chosen from a group consisting of an account identifier, a name of a debtor on the account, a state in which the debtor is located, amounts paid on the account, amounts owing on the account, original amount due, account status, and a collector's notes on an account. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising presenting a selected view that includes data items sorted according to a selected data item. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising presenting a selected view that includes data items sorted according to a selected data item chosen from a group consisting of a debtor name, a debtor identifier, the account identifier, state in which a debtor is located, account status, date on which an account was entered into a system, and by a range of amounts owed on an account. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising presenting a selected view that includes a link to an online-ledger for each account represented in the selected view, wherein the online-ledger presents a plurality of data items associated with a single account. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising allowing the client to insert comments into a designated record field in accordance with a particular access tier. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the data items include a debtor identifier and amount owed on an account. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising processing credentials transmitted by the user process to authenticate the identity of the user as an agency representative, and wherein the tiered access scheme includes an access tier for agency representatives that allows access to all data items contained in the database. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising allowing for differential client access to accounts owned by a client among representatives of the client in accordance with a management structure of the client. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising allowing a client representative to enter a new account into a system along with data items associated with that account in accordance with an access tier. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising allowing a user process to query the database with relational expressions and be presented with data responsive to the query in accordance with the defined access scheme. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out on a network that is the Internet. 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 receiving logon credentials over a network from a user, the logon credentials providing access to an online system that stores debtor account data of debts owned by a creditor that is a client of a collection agency that maintains the data in the online system;   authenticating the user as a client of the collection agency;   generating a report as a function of at least a portion of the logon credentials, the generating of the report comprising:
 retrieving debtor account data of debtor accounts of the debts owned by the creditor placed with the collection agency and represented in a database of the online system, the retrieved debtor account data for each debtor account including debtor identifying data, debtor account status data, and a date associated with the account; 
 formatting the retrieved account data in a format displayable by web browser computer application, the formatted data comprising a document; and 
 transmitting the document from the online system over the network to the user. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the formatting of the retrieved account data includes embedding a hypertext link in the document for each debtor account represented in the document, the hypertext links providing a link to retrieve further data from the database over the network, the further data regarding the debtor account of the respective hyperlink. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the document is an HTML document. 
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 receiving input identifying a debtor account placed with a collection agency by a creditor;   retrieving debtor account data from a database including data representative of debtor accounts placed with the collection agency for collection activity, the database including data representative of collection activities performed by the collection agency with regard to individual accounts represented in the database, the retrieved debtor account data for each debtor account including debtor identifying data, debtor account status data, and a date associated with the account;   formatting the retrieved debtor account data in a format displayable by web browser computer application, the formatted data comprising a document; and   transmitting the document from the online system over the network to the user.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the formatting of the retrieved account data includes embedding a hypertext link in the document for each debtor account represented in the document, the hypertext links providing a link to retrieve further data from the database over the network, the further data regarding the debtor account of the respective hyperlink. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the document is an HTML document.