초록 ▼

Method, system, and apparatus are described for automatically receiving, at an intermediate processing location, data from a wide variety of remote sources, identifying the format of the data, translating the data to a common file format, sending the data to a recipient in an intermediate format, th

Method, system, and apparatus are described for automatically receiving, at an intermediate processing location, data from a wide variety of remote sources, identifying the format of the data, translating the data to a common file format, sending the data to a recipient in an intermediate format, then translating the data to the specific format needed by the particular recipient. The system operates automatically with little human intervention. A unique system for automatically selecting and implementing specific translation modules is also described. Error checking features ensure that the transferred data matches the original data although the format is altered, and documentary receipts are sent to each section of the system that sends data, and logical, statistical and mathematical operations may be performed on the data. The system utilizes internal databases which allows it to know what format data will arrive in, what format to translate it to, and how many transactions to bill a data-receiving subscriber for. The system performs data translation and transfer, and performs validation, exception reporting, data analysis, and generates and sends receipts. Some or all such data processing may alternatively be performed at one or both of the data source and the data destination, without an intermediate processing location. A provider data file may also be prepared from a scanner, such as a fax transmission, which provides image data which are processed in order to derive the data file.

대표청구항 ▼

In a distributed computer system including a data provider section, a main processing section, and a data subscriber section, each said section selectably couplable to another section by a communications link including communications control means, a method for translating and transferring data from

In a distributed computer system including a data provider section, a main processing section, and a data subscriber section, each said section selectably couplable to another section by a communications link including communications control means, a method for translating and transferring data from a provider source format to a subscriber destination format using a priori knowledge of said source and destination formats between said data provider section and a said data subscriber section, said method comprising the steps of: (A) transmitting, by said provider section, a particular provider data file from said provider section to said main processing section via said communications link, said transmitting including the steps of: monitoring communications from said provider section; recognizing receipt of a valid communications initiation prompt generated by said provider section communications control means according to predetermined communications initiation rules, said rules providing safeguards for ensuring the quality of the data delivered to valid data subscribers; initiating connection of provider section with main processing section in response to receipt of said valid communications initiation prompt; connecting said provider section with said main processing section and upon being validated as a valid provider section, receiving clearance from said main processing section to transmit a copy of said provider data file to said main processing section; reading said provider data file; transmitting said provider data files over said communications link to said main processing section; and determining whether said provider data file has been transmitted successfully and signaling successful data transmission to said main processing section; and (B) receiving, by said main processing section, said provider data file from said provider section and storing said received data files in said main processing section; (C) translating, by said main processing section, said stored provider data file by: (i) copying said stored provider data file to a work area file within said main processor section, and (ii) converting said work area file from the native format of said provider data file to a midformat file format; (D) forming a communications link, by said main processing section, with a particular one of said subscriber sections and transmitting said midformat file to said subscriber section; (E) receiving, by subscriber section, said midformat file from said main processing section and storing said received file in storage within said subscriber section; and (F) translating using said selected second-to-third file translation procedure, by said subscriber section, said midformat file into a subscriber destination format file compatible with said preselected subscriber application software routine.