Abstract: An architecture is disclosed allowing a server to communicate bidirectionally with a gateway over a first communication link, over which service requests are initiated by the server. In response to a transaction received from a host legacy system at the gateway, the gateway parses one or more transaction response values from the host message, maps the one or more transaction response values to a canonical response code, and stores the canonical response code in a transaction log. According to a broad aspect of a preferred embodiment of the invention, communication networks that employ transactions between applications must effectively manage transactions that flow over the network. In addition, networking systems must also detect counterfeit transactions, especially, when the networking systems are utilized for financial transactions. An active, on-line database is utilized as a transaction log to track original requests, valid retrys and detect fradulant transactions.

Abstract: A server communicates bidirectionally with a gateway over a first communication link, over which service requests flow to the server for one or more merchants and/or consumers. Service requests are associated with a particular merchant based on storefront visited by a consumer or credentials presented by a merchant. Service requests result in merchant specific transactions that are transmitted to the gateway for further processing on existing host applications.

Abstract: An architecture is disclosed allowing a server to communicate bidirectionally with a gateway over a first communication link, over which service requests are initiated by the server. In response to a transaction received from a host legacy system at the gateway, the gateway parses one or more transaction response values from the host message, maps the one or more transaction response values to a canonical response code, and stores the canonical response code in a transaction log. According to a broad aspect of a preferred embodiment of the invention, communication networks that employ transactions between applications must effectively manage transactions that flow over the network. In addition, networking systems must also detect counterfeit transactions, especially, when the networking systems are utilized for financial transactions. An active, on-line database is utilized as a transaction log to track original requests, valid retrys and detect fradulant transactions.

Abstract: An architecture for processing a plurality of transactions from a single point of initiation is disclosed. The initiating computer selects a terminal identification token, and associates the token with a transaction request, thereby ensuring the association of the transaction with a unique terminal identification despite being originated by the same terminal. The tokens are obtained from a token table, which contains a row for each token defined to the system. The table includes a column for the token, a column that identifies a system with which the token may be used, and a column that identifies a date and time field indicating when a particular token was selected for use. A null value in the date-time field indicates that the token for that row is not in use. A query operation selects a token with a null date-time value, and a set operation sets the date-time value to the then-current time to mark it in use.

Abstract: Secure transmission of data is provided between a plurality of computer systems over a public communication system, such as the Internet. Secure transmission of data is provided from a customer computer system to a merchant computer system, and for the further secure transmission of payment information regarding a payment instrument from the merchant computer system to a payment gateway computer system. The payment gateway system evaluates the payment information and returns a level of authorization of credit via a secure transmission to the merchant which is communicated to the customer by the merchant. The merchant can then determine whether to accept the payment instrument tendered or deny credit and require another payment instrument. An architecture that provides support for additional message types that are not SET compliant is provided by a preferred embodiment of the invention. A server communicating bidirectionally with a gateway is disclosed.

Abstract: A control system presents to a user, in the user's native language, the list of acceptable functions that a word processing system can perform. After the user selects the name of the desired function, the control system automatically builds a list of control parameters for executing the selected function and presents these control parameters to the user. Each of the control parameters has a range of values associated with it. The user may select the predetermined set of "standard" values which are the first presented for each parameter, or may cause each parameter in turn to present its range of values, any one of which may be selected. The selected parameters are then converted to machine usable language and inserted into the selected function program.

Abstract: A system for sorting records of a file to find the record in the file having the highest or lowest data in a first field of the records, provided that the record qualifies to be sorted in accordance with the data in a second field of the records. A plurality of such records are stored on a plurality of blocks of a segmented serial storage device. Random access memory used by the system to accomplish the qualifying and sorting is a small fraction of the size of the file. In the preferred embodiment, a multiplicity of qualifying fields and sort fields may be specified. The system may typically be used, for example, to provide names, addresses and other variable text to be merged with form letter text in a printing system to sequentially print automatic form letters in the alphabetical or zip code order of their intended recipients. This information can also be used to list a qualified sublist of a master file in the order specified by the sort information.