APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR ELECTRONIC FILING OF FORMS

摘要

An apparatus and process for the electronic filing of forms with an entity. The apparatus, referred to as a filing center ("filing center"), enables an entity ("outside world") to electronically file a form containing communications commands and data with the filing center. The filing center comprises a protocol manager which manages communication between the entity and the center; a command negotiator which determines the order of commands and data sent and received by the protocol manager; a command dispatcher which turns each command and data received from the command negotiator into a job, the job processing a form; a job queue which stores the job until it can be processed; a process schedule which assigns priorities to each job in the job queue, regulates job volume, and routes each job to be executed; and a pluarlity of command processes, wherein groups of command processes execute a particular type of job.