Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Distributed data processing – Processing agent
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-02
2001-08-07
Millin, Vincent (Department: 2164)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Distributed data processing
Processing agent
C709S241000, C705S004000, C705S03600T, C705S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06272528
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to computer systems for the delivery of financial services. Financial services include banking; general insurance; life assurance, pensions and investments; loans and mortgages; and financial planning and advisory services.
One of the channels for delivery of financial services is the Internet. For example, a customer wishing to purchase vehicle insurance, or a broker acting on behalf of a client, could access the websites of a number of insurance companies to obtain the cheapest quotation or get a quotation which is most suitable to a consumer's needs. Similarly, a consumer requiring advice about investments or pensions could access the websites of life assurance companies, banks or brokers.
This results in a number of problems for a consumer. The workings of the Internet are complex and a consumer may find it difficult to find the most appropriate sources of financial services. Financial products can be complicated so that a consumer may have difficulty in comparing the relative merits of each quotation. Similarly, financial advice can be complicated, and a consumer may have difficulty in understanding its relevance and so may be unable to apply the appropriate recommendations.
The object of the present invention is to provide a way of alleviating the problems discussed above.
The present invention makes use of an existing technology referred to herein as “mobile agents” (or simply “agents”). A mobile agent is software, which is able to transport itself between a number of different locations within a computer network (e.g. the Internet) and can, within limits, execute at any of those locations. Tools for providing an environment in which such agents can operate are commercially available from a number of different vendors including IBM (product is Aglet Work Bench), Fujitsu (Kafka), General Magic (Odyssey), ObjectSpace (Voyager), and Mitsubishi (Concordia). However, the present invention is not restricted to the use of any particular one of these tools. The embodiment of the invention to be described below uses Java as the agent programming language.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a computer system for delivery of financial services, the system comprising a plurality of user computers connected to a plurality of server computers by way of a network, and at least one mobile agent, said mobile agent comprising:
(a) means for obtaining details of a user's requirements and for obtaining financial information from the server computers on behalf of the user in the light of the user's requirements; and
(b) means for transporting said mobile agent over the network to the user computer of said user, and for delivering the financial information to the user at the user computer.
It can be seen that the invention allows the user to delegate the task of finding the information to the mobile agent. The agent can travel around the network, visiting the server computers or meeting agents from financial services companies on other host agent servers, to obtain the information required by the user, and then to report back to the user.
For example, the server computers may belong to insurance companies, and may provide access to information about vehicle insurance policies. The agent may visit the servers to obtain quotations on behalf of the user (customer or a broker), in the light of the user's requirements, and then report back with the lowest cost or most suitable quotation. Alternatively, the user's agent may broadcast its requirements to the insurance companies in the form of a mission statement, and then wait on its own server for the insurance company agents to come and visit it with the information it needs.
As another example, the server computers may belong to life assurance companies, and may provide access to information about private pension policies. The agent may visit the servers to obtain performance comparisons on behalf of the user, in the light of the user's requirements, and then report back with the most suitable product. Alternatively, the user's agent may broadcast its requirements to the life companies in the form of a mission statement, and then wait on its own server for the life company agents to come and visit it with the information it needs.
Preferably, the agents are allowed to negotiate with each other. For example, this may allow a service provider to sell a policy against other competitive interests. This negotiation may result in a lower price premium, some change to the policy details, some additional identifiable added value which may be of interest to the user (such as windscreen insurance cover, in the case of a vehicle policy, or a free premiums holiday in the case of a life policy), or an alternative product.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4831526 (1989-05-01), Luchs et al.
patent: 5655085 (1997-08-01), Ryan et al.
patent: 5850517 (1998-12-01), Verkler et al.
patent: 5862325 (1999-01-01), Reed et al.
patent: 5873071 (1999-02-01), Ferstenberg et al.
patent: 6009456 (1999-12-01), Frew et al.
patent: 6049819 (2000-04-01), Buckle et al.
patent: 6134580 (2000-10-01), Tahara et al.
patent: 6148327 (2000-11-01), Whitebread et al.
patent: WO 95/15635 (1995-06-01), None
Robert S. Gray, “Ph.D. Thesis proprosal: Transportable Agents”, Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. May 19, 1995.*
Chavez et al., “Kasbah: An Agent Marketplace for Buying and Selling Goods”, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA. Jul., 1996.*
Gilbert et al., “IBM Intelligent Agents”, IBM Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC. Jan. 21, 1997.
Cullen Terence David
Neill James Patrick
International Computers Limited
Kazimi Hani M.
Lee Mann Smith McWilliams Sweeney & Ohlson
Millin Vincent
LandOfFree
Computer method for delivery of financial services does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Computer method for delivery of financial services, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Computer method for delivery of financial services will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2511995