Performing horological functions in commercial transactions using time cells
First Claim
1. A method for processing a commercial transaction using data processing devices, the method comprising:
- determining a state of a time cell that is associated with a commercial transaction that has been at least partially performed on a first data processing device at a time prior to a current time;
generating, at a second data processing device, a first time value that represents when the time cell was programmed at the time prior to the current time, based on the determined state of the time cell; and
processing information about the commercial transaction using the first time value to represent when the commercial transaction occurred at the time prior to the current time, wherein;
the time cell is an electrical device having an insulating medium and an electrostatic charge storage element that is programmed by giving the electrostatic charge storage element a desired electrical potential,the time cell discharges electrostatic charge from the electrostatic charge storage element through the insulating medium at a predetermined rate of discharge, anddetermining the state of the time cell comprises detecting a current electrostatic charge stored in the electrostatic charge storage element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Mechanisms for controlling a commercial transaction is presented. An article of manufacture has a time cell that is read by an electronic apparatus. In response to a determination of a state of the time cell by the electronic apparatus, usage of the article of manufacture in a commercial transaction is enabled or denied based on the determined state of the time cell. The expiration period of a time cell controls the time period during which the commercial transaction is enabled or is denied to be performed; an unexpired time cell may both enable or deny performance of a commercial transaction, and an expired time cell may also both enable or deny performance of a commercial transaction. The time cell may be used to restrict the usage period of a coupon, a promotional offer, a pre-paid service, or some other commercial transaction that involves an article of manufacture.
44 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for processing a commercial transaction using data processing devices, the method comprising:
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determining a state of a time cell that is associated with a commercial transaction that has been at least partially performed on a first data processing device at a time prior to a current time; generating, at a second data processing device, a first time value that represents when the time cell was programmed at the time prior to the current time, based on the determined state of the time cell; and processing information about the commercial transaction using the first time value to represent when the commercial transaction occurred at the time prior to the current time, wherein; the time cell is an electrical device having an insulating medium and an electrostatic charge storage element that is programmed by giving the electrostatic charge storage element a desired electrical potential, the time cell discharges electrostatic charge from the electrostatic charge storage element through the insulating medium at a predetermined rate of discharge, and determining the state of the time cell comprises detecting a current electrostatic charge stored in the electrostatic charge storage element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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4. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the computer executable instructions, when executed in a data processing system, cause the data processing system to:
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determine a state of a time cell that is associated with a commercial transaction that has been at least partially performed on a first data processing device at a time prior to a current time; generate, at a second data processing device, a first time value that represents when the time cell was programmed, at the time prior to the current time, based on the determined state of the time cell; and process information about the commercial transaction using the first time value to represent when the commercial transaction occurred at the time prior to the current time, wherein; the time cell is an electrical device having an insulating medium and an electrostatic charge storage element that is programmed by giving the electrostatic charge storage element a desired electrical potential, the time cell discharges electrostatic chare from the electrostatic charge storage element through the insulating medium at a predetermined rate of discharge, and determining the state of the time cell comprises detecting a current electrostatic charge stored in the electrostatic charge storage element. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A system for supporting a commercial transaction that is processed using data processing devices, the system comprising:
an article of manufacture comprising; a time cell state detector that determines a state of a time cell that is associated with a commercial transaction that has been at least partially performed on a data processing device different from the apparatus at a time prior to a current time; and a time converter that generates a first time value that represents when the time cell was programmed, at the time prior to the current time, based on the determined state of the time cell; and a data processing device that processes information about the commercial transaction using the first time value to represent when the commercial transaction occurred at the time prior to the current time, wherein; the time cell is an electrical device having an insulating medium and an electrostatic charge storage element that is programmed by giving the electrostatic charge storage element a desired electrical potential, the time cell discharges electrostatic charge from the electrostatic charge storage element through the insulating medium at a predetermined rate of discharge, and determining the state of the time cell comprises detecting a current electrostatic charge stored in the electrostatic charge storage element. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
Specification