Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-04
2002-04-02
Alam, Hosain T. (Department: 2172)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C705S001100, C709S218000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06366925
ABSTRACT:
PARTIAL WAIVER OF COPYRIGHT PURSUANT TO 1077 O.G. 22 (MAR. 20, 1987)
All of the material in this patent application is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and of other countries. As of the first effective filing date of the present application, this material is protected as published material, and to the extent not already subject to protection for published material, as unpublished material.
However, permission to copy this material is hereby granted to the extent that the owner of the copyright rights has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to network based systems for processing information provided thereto by a client via an interrogative interface. More particularly, the invention relates to Internet based systems and/or websites on the world wide web which process information provided by users visiting the websites.
A variety of websites present an interrogative interface such as questionnaire or form to a visitor in order to receive information from the visitor. Particular examples include questionnaires posed to visitors in order to effect a registration and questionnaires posed to a visitor in order to effect a purchase of a product. See, e.g., “www.dell.com” and “www.gateway.com.” Thus, as used herein, the term “interrogative interface” means a computer-generated interface in which a user provides information in response to questions or entry blanks (e.g., a business form format). The questions and/or responses may be communicated by any of various input devices including keyboards, touch screens, speech recognition systems, handwriting recognition systems, and pointing devices, to name a few.
The manner in which the information is used and/or processed is as varied as the applications to which the information is pertinent. Further, the problems which these various systems are intended to address are similarly varied.
One recent U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,477, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes an automated system for providing real-time verification of health insurance eligibility. According to the abstract:
Data from a health care provider computer system is used to automatically request real-time electronic insurance eligibility verification information from health care insurance payers. A patient health insurance verification computer system is operatively connected to a patient registration computer system. The verification computer system obtains a data output stream such as a print image from the registration computer system. This data output stream is captured and broken down into separate data fields. The insurance carrier is determined, and the verification computer system determines which electronic data source to request patient eligibility data from. The verification computer system reformats the captured data to fit the data format required by the data source, establishes a communications link to the data source, and sends the reformatted data to the data source. The data source sends responsive patient specific eligibility data which the verification computer system uses to automatically verify insurance coverage. Health insurance verification becomes much more reliable since no human intervention is required to carry on the automatic verification process. Additionally, automatic verification can be performed conveniently without double data entry even in environments with preexisting admissions systems that cannot be easily modified.
This system also could be implemented over the Internet or some private network, depending on the target users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a legal services network that automates the receipt of information from a client, provides a secure attorney-client communication channel, and a data base format that enables an attorney to administer a plurality and variety of matters.
To that end, in an embodiment, the invention provides a network-based system in which a client may contract in real-time for the provision of legal services via a computer interface without directly contacting an attorney, transmit attorney-client communications to the legal services provider, and receive attorney-client communications from the legal services provider.
In a more particular embodiment, the invention provides a network based system for the provision of legal services via the world wide web, having:
(a) an interrogative interface via which a client submits information relevant to a legal service matter in connection with which a legal service provider is engaged;
(b) a retainer acknowledgment interface via which the client acknowledges engaging the legal service provider to perform a legal service;
(c) a query interface via which the client can post inquiries to the legal services provider; and
(d) a database comprising information relating to the status of one or more legal service matters for which the client has engaged the legal service provider.
As used herein, the term “immigration
aturalization” means and refers to legal processes for effecting immigration visas, non-citizen work permits or naturalizations (citizenship awards). Thus an “immigration
aturalization” application can refer to an application or form submitted to a legal service provider by a client engaging the service provider to assist the client in obtaining an immigrant or non-immigrant visa, work permit or naturalization, to an application (generally in the format of a completed form) submitted to the appropriate governmental authority, such as the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.
In an embodiment, the invention provides a system for the processing of an immigration
aturalization application by a service provider over a network in which:
a client is presented via a computer interface with a variety of application categories from which to select one for processing;
the client is then presented via a computer interface with a retainer agreement which must be acknowledged before the client is permitted to proceed within the system;
the client is presented via a computer interface with a questionnaire for inputting data used by the system to prepare an immigration
aturalization application on behalf of the client;
the client is notified via e-mail as to any further information which the client must supply in order to perfect the immigration
aturalization application filing;
the client is provided with hard copies of any forms which require signature; and
the service provider submits and administers the immigration
aturalization application on behalf of the client.
In an embodiment, the invention provides a system for processing of an immigration
aturalization application by a legal services provider, comprising:
(a) an interrogative interface via which a client inputs personal data relevant for an immigration
aturalization application;
(b) a retainer interface via which the client acknowledges engaging the legal services provider and submits a payment;
(c) a query interface via which the client can post inquiries to the legal services provider;
(d) a computer database comprising data relating to various matters for which the legal services provider has been engaged;
(e) an administrative interface comprising a matrix for listing matters for which the legal services provider has been engaged and data including the status of such matters.
In an embodiment, the invention provides a legal services system, comprising:
one or more servers on which a database and a set of HTML files are located; and
a network to which said one or more servers are connected; wherein,
said HTML files include a dynamically interactive interrogative interface via which a remote user accessing the HTML files is presented with a succession of questions, each succeeding question being selected ba
Garber Melissa E.
Meltzer Robert C.
Alam Hosain T.
American Services Network, PC
Nguyen Tam
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
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