System for maintaining party and communication point data
According to one embodiment of the invention, an architecture is provided for a data processing system that processes data for a service provider itself or a client of a service provider as in the case of a third party processor. The elements of the architecture can be managed separately. For example, the architecture can be organized around eight subject areas, such as account, party, communication point, presentation instrument, rules, balances, transactions, and product. Relationships between each of the subject areas as well as between sub-types of each subject area can be established to provide flexibility in the management of the data.
1 . A method of storing data for a service business, said method comprising:
storing party data identifying a party as a separate set of data;
storing communication point data identifying a communication point as a separate set of data;
associating said party data with said communication point data so as to relate said communication point with said party.
2 . The method as described in claim 1 wherein said associating said party data with said communication point data comprises:
assigning a first identifier with said party data;
assigning a second identifier with said communication point data;
associating said first identifier with said second identifier so as to relate said party data with said communication point data.
3 . The method as described in claim 2 and further comprising:
indicating an association type for said party data and said communication point data.
4 . The method as described in claim 2 wherein said party data comprises:
a name of said party.
5 . The method as described in claim 2 wherein said communication point data comprises:
a communication point identifier; and
a communication point type.
6 . The method as described in claim 2 wherein said party data comprises a name of said party and wherein said communication point data comprises:
a communication point identifier; and
a communication point type; and
wherein said method further comprises indicating an association type for said party data and said communication point data.
7 . A system for storing data for a service business, said system comprising:
a party database for storing data identifying a party as a separate set of data;
a communication point database for storing data identifying a communication point as a separate set of data;
wherein said party data and said communication point data identify a communication point for said account.
8 . The system as described in claim 7 wherein said party database and said communication point database each have a separate processor.
9 . The system as described in claim 7 and further comprising:
a party-communication point database for relating said party data with said communication point data.
10 . The system as described in claim 7 wherein said party-communication point database for relating said party data with said communication point data comprises:
a party name;
a communication point identifier;
an association type between said party and said communication point identifier.
11 . A method of storing data for a service business, said method comprising:
storing data for a plurality of product types, wherein each of said plurality of product types designates a service having defined parameters;
storing data for an account as a separate set of data, wherein said account is identified by an account identifier;
associating said data for said plurality of product types with said data for said account so as to relate said plurality of product types with said account.
12 . A method of storing data for a service business, said method comprising:
storing data for a product type, wherein said product type designates a service having defined parameters;
storing data for an account as a separate set of data, wherein said account is identified by an account identifier;
associating said data for said product type with said data for said account so as to relate said product type with said account.
13 . The method as described in claim 12 and further comprising:
assigning a first identifier with said data for said product type;
assigning a second identifier with said data for said account;
associating said first identifier with said second identifier so as to relate said data for said product type with said data for said account.
14 . The method as described in claim 12 and further comprising:
relating a second set of data for a second product type with said data for said account so as to relate a plurality of product types with said account.
15 . A system for storing data for a service business, said system comprising:
a product database for storing data for a product type as a separate set of data;
an account database for storing data for an account as a separate set of data;
an account-product database for associating said data for a product type with said data for said account.
16 . The system as described in claim 15 wherein said product database stores data for a plurality of product types and wherein said account-product database associates said plurality of product types with said data for an account.
17 . The system as described in claim 16 wherein an account identifier identifies said plurality of product types as being associated with said data for said account.