Patents by Inventor Paul Lauffenburger

Paul Lauffenburger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20040254823
    Abstract: A workflow management system and method is described. The illustrated embodiment is a contact management system, more particularly adapted for employment in a debt collection context. Methods and systems are described for allowing a debt collector to associate debtors with different categories, either manually or automatically in response to predetermined condition. Thus, the system can efficiently manage the status of debtors by associating each debtor with a particular category. As part of this system, the debtor accounts are moved from one category to another, and from one individual to another, as the collection process is undertaken. The system maintains each debtor account within a predetermined category, and then displays each of the categories to a collector on a graphical display. The graphical display uses rectangular bars for representing each category, and indicates within the rectangular bars how many contacts belong to the category.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: James B. A. Tracey, Bruce MacKinlay, Joseph Tagupa, Paul Lauffenburger, Daniel Exline, Harold T. Leach
  • Patent number: 6798413
    Abstract: A workflow management system and method is described. The illustrated embodiment is a contact management system, more particularly adapted for employment in a debt collection context. Methods and systems are described for allowing a debt collector to associate debtors with different categories, either manually or automatically in response to predetermined condition. Thus, the system can efficiently manage the status of debtors by associating each debtor with a particular category. As part of this system, the debtor accounts are moved from one category to another, and from one individual to another, as the collection process is undertaken. The system maintains each debtor account within a predetermined category, and then displays each of the categories to a collector on a graphical display. The graphical display uses rectangular bars for representing each category, and indicates within the rectangular bars how many contacts belong to the category.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: DCS, Inc.
    Inventors: James B. A. Tracey, Bruce Mackinlay, Joseph Tagupa, Paul Lauffenburger, Daniel Exline, II, Harold T. Leach, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6795071
    Abstract: Methods of managing workflow information in an account-based system are described. The illustrated embodiments include a contact management system, and some embodiments are adapted for employment in a debt collection context. In addition, methods and systems are described for allowing a debt collector to associate debtors with different categories, either manually or automatically in response to predetermined condition. Thus, the system and method provide for efficiently managing the status of debtors by associating each debtor with a particular category. In certain embodiments, the debtor accounts are moved from one category to another, and from one individual to another, as the collection process is undertaken. The system and method maintain each debtor account within a predetermined category, display each of the categories to a collector on a graphical display, and display a list of debtor accounts within the category in response to the collector pressing a function key corresponding to a category.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: DCS, Inc.
    Inventors: James B. A. Tracey, Bruce Mackinlay, Joseph Tagupa, Paul Lauffenburger, Daniel Exline, II, Harold T. Leach, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20040117277
    Abstract: A system and method of distributing accounts in a workflow system based in part on whether or not an individual resolved the account. The system and method include resolution based account distribution and non-resolution based account distribution. Also included are one or more data storage areas for storing new accounts, resolved accounts and/or unresolved accounts. In one embodiment, accounts may be distributed according to many factors, for example, individual resolution points, account distribution type, resolution type and priority, some or all of which may be updated on a periodic basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Joseph Tagupa, Paul Lauffenburger, Umadevi Vootukuri
  • Publication number: 20030083917
    Abstract: Methods of managing workflow information in an account-based system are described. The illustrated embodiments include a contact management system, and some embodiments are adapted for employment in a debt collection context. In addition, methods and systems are described for allowing a debt collector to associate debtors with different categories, either manually or automatically in response to predetermined condition. Thus, the system and method provide for efficiently managing the status of debtors by associating each debtor with a particular category. In certain embodiments, the debtor accounts are moved from one category to another, and from one individual to another, as the collection process is undertaken. The system and method maintain each debtor account within a predetermined category, display each of the categories to a collector on a graphical display, and display a list of debtor accounts within the category in response to the collector pressing a function key corresponding to a category.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: James B. A. Tracey, Bruce MacKinlay, Joseph Tagupa, Paul Lauffenburger, Daniel Exline, Harold T. Leach
  • Publication number: 20030083916
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and enforcing compliance with contractual obligations in an account-based system are described. The illustrated embodiments additionally include a contact management system, and some embodiments are adapted for employment in a debt collection context. Certain embodiments are described for allowing a debt collector to associate debtors with different categories, either manually or automatically in response to predetermined condition. Thus, the system can efficiently manage the status of debtors by associating each debtor with a particular category. As part of this system, the debtor accounts are moved from one category to another, and from one individual to another, as the collection process is undertaken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: James B. A. Tracey, Bruce MacKinlay, Joseph Tagupa, Paul Lauffenburger, Daniel Exline, Harold T. Leach