US 12,243,034 B2
Integrated utility distribution and automated billing
Daniel David, Charlotte, NC (US); Andrew J. Garner, IV, State Road, NC (US); and Rajib Roy, Charlotte, NC (US)
Assigned to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on May 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/197,520.
Application 17/328,292 is a division of application No. 15/350,693, filed on Nov. 14, 2016, granted, now 11,030,595.
Application 18/197,520 is a continuation of application No. 17/328,292, filed on May 24, 2021, granted, now 11,651,340.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/255,845, filed on Nov. 16, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2023/0281586 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. G06Q 20/14 (2012.01); G06Q 20/10 (2012.01); G06Q 50/06 (2012.01)
CPC G06Q 20/145 (2013.01) [G06Q 20/102 (2013.01); G06Q 50/06 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of controlling provision of utility by a computing system associated with a financial institution, the computing system includes a financial database that stores customer financial information concerning a plurality of account holders for accounts with the financial institution and a utility database that stores associations between a set of utility meters associated with a plurality of customers of a utility company and the plurality of account holders for the accounts with the financial institution, the plurality of account holders includes a user associated with a utility meter of the set of utility meters, the method comprising:
verifying, by the computing system, a negative account balance associated with the user is below an enrollment threshold, the negative account balance comprising a balance owed to the financial institution from the account of the user with the financial institution;
in response to determining that the negative account balance is below the enrollment threshold, enrolling, by the computing system, the user into a utility billing and payment program offered by the financial institution;
in response to enrolling the user into the utility billing and payment program, determining, by the computing system, that a negative utility account balance of the negative account balance exceeds a balance threshold permitted past due amount, the negative utility account balance associated with the utility meter; and
in response to determining that the negative utility account balance exceeds the balance threshold, sending, by the computing system, a stop signal to the utility meter, the stop signal instructing the utility meter to cut off the provision of the utility to a property serviced by the utility meter.