Coded data generation or conversion – Digital code to digital code converters
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-30
2004-11-16
Jeanglaude, Jean Bruner (Department: 2819)
Coded data generation or conversion
Digital code to digital code converters
C341S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06819270
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present subject matter relates to a method and system for converting MCC codes, SIC codes or other similar codes into one universal code from which reports based on one code can be generated. More specifically, a method and system are provided for taking, for example, an MCC code provided by a first party and converting the codes to SIC codes which can be used by the first party or another party.
BACKGROUND
ISO Standard Industrial Classification (“SIC”) codes are four digit numerical codes assigned by the U.S. government to business establishments to identify the primary business of the establishment. The classification was developed to facilitate the collection, presentation and analysis of data, and to promote uniformity and comparability in the presentation of statistical data collected by various agencies of the federal government, state agencies and private organizations. The classifications covers all economic activities, including, agriculture; forestry; fishing; hunting and trapping; mining; construction; manufacturing; transportation; communications; electric, gas and sanitary services; wholesale trade; retail trade; finance; insurance and real estate; personal, business, professional, repair, recreation and other services; and public administration.
Generally, the first two digits of the SIC code identify the major industry group, the third digit identifies the industry group and the fourth digit identifies the industry. For example for a SIC code of 3672, the digits “36” refer to electronic and other electric equipment, the digits “367” refer to electronic components and accessories, and the digits “3672” refer to printed circuit boards.
SIC code information can be gathered by transaction card issuers from merchants that accept payment for goods or services using a transaction card. For example, each time a merchant requests approval for a transaction using a card, the card issuers can record the MCC or SIC code, or other similar code, for the merchant. However, transaction card issuers gather these different types of information but do not all gather the same type of code information about merchants.
For example, some, some transaction card issuers gather Merchant Category Code (“MCC”) information about merchants. The MCC code is a four digit code that is assigned to a vendor by a bank that issues transaction cards or by transaction card processors at the time the merchant is set up to accept a particular transaction card, e.g., a credit or charge card. The MCC code represents the major commodity sales for that vendor. Other codes are also used sometimes and may other publicly known codes or proprietary codes developed by a card issuer.
Issuers of transaction cards offer their customers various reports to track spending made with the cards. One such report that may be desirable is a report showing the SIC code for all transactions made on the card. Unfortunately, not all card issuers may gather SIC code information about a merchant and/or transaction. Transactions made with a certain card, may be cleared over a number of different merchant networks, not all of which gather or provide SIC transaction data. For example, VISA provides the MCC data, but not SIC code data. It is desirable to be able to receive MCC data, or other code data, from an external network and combine it into a single type of code data, such as SIC code data, which is gathered from an internal network, and provide a report with a single type of code data for all transactions to a card holder.
Accordingly, there is a need for converting MCC data into SIC code data and visa versa. There is also a need to provide a report based on SIC code data. Such reports could include a “spend by industry” report for a transaction card user summarized by SIC codes.
SUMMARY
The present subject matter relates to a method and system for converting one type of data, e.g., MCC code data, to a second type of code data, e.g., SIC code data and for providing a report including the second type of data.
An objective is to provide a global “spend by industry” report based on the second type of code date, e.g., SIC codes, to holders of transaction cards.
Another objective is to enhance a card holder's ability to summarize global transaction data from internal transaction processing networks that utilize SIC data (or other type of data) and external transaction processing networks that do not utilize the same type of code data, but rather utilize another type of code data.
Another objective is to provide card holder's with the ability to more accurately manage and control their spending.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the examples will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages of the concepts may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies, instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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Anderson James R.
Cales Lori J.
Coomer William G.
Khandekar Aniruddha V.
Raveendrakumar Gopakumar K.
American Express Travel Related Services Company Inc.
Jeanglaude Jean Bruner
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
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