Method and apparatus for encouraging timely payments associated with a computer system

• US 6,738,810 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: D Michael Corporation
• Original Assignee: D Michael Corporation
• Inventors: Kramer, Gerald Arthur, Whitlow, Eric Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): CHILCOT, RICHARD E
• Application Number:
  US09/433,168
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/13, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 340/825.22, 702/78, 709/224, 709/217, 379/144, 713/202
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method of encouraging timely period payments that are associated with a computer system includes the step of storing passwords in the computer system wherein each password is associated with a separate payment period. Another step of the method includes determining based upon the passwords stored in the computer system whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period. The method also includes enabling use of the computer system based upon determining that the supplied password corresponds to the current payment period. The method may further include the step of disabling use of the computer system based upon determining that the supplied password does not correspond to the current payment period.

Claims

1. A method of encouraging timely periodic payments that are associated with a computer system, comprising the steps of:

storing a plurality of passwords in said computer system, each password of said plurality of passwords associated with a separate payment period;

determining based upon said plurality of passwords whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period;

monitoring a system time of the computer system to determine if the system time has been changed in an unauthorized manner; and

enabling use of said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period and upon determining that the system time has not been changed in said unauthorized manner.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

disabling use of said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

terminating execution of all processes on said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said supplied password corresponds to a predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period, wherein said enabling step further comprises the step of:

enabling use of said computer system based further upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in response to determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period, determining whether said computer system is within a pre-notification period associated with a second payment period that immediately follows said current payment period, and

displaying a warning message concerning said second payment period in response to determining that said computer system is within said pre-notification period associated with said second payment period.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of disabling said computer system based upon determining that said system time has been changed in said unauthorized manner.

7. A method of encouraging timely payments associated with a computer system including a user input device, a processor and a system clock, the method comprising:

executing an application with the processor of the computer system during a startup process of the computer system, the application configured to determine whether a payment is associated with the computer system based in part on a value of the system clock of the computer system;

disabling at least a portion of the user input device during the startup process of the computer system; and

enabling use of the computer system based upon determining that a payment is associated with the computer system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein appropriate references to the application are added to a registry database of the computer system such that the application is executed during the startup process of the computer system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the appropriate references are added to at least one of a Run key of the registry database and a Run Once key of the registry database.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the appropriate references are configured to permit the computer system to complete the startup process based upon a determination that a payment is associated with the computer system.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the user input device is a keyboard and at least one key combination is disabled, the at least one key combination configured to cause the computer system to perform a function selected from the group consisting of the computer system switching between a first executing process and a second executing process and the computer system prematurely terminating the application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the keyboard includes an Alt key, a Tab key, a first function key, a Ctrl key, an Esc key and a Delete key, and the at least one key combination includes at least one of the Alt key, the Tab key, the first function key, the Ctrl key, the Esc key and the Delete key.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of disabling use of the computer system based upon determining that a payment is not associated with the computer system.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether a payment is associated with the computer system comprises the steps of:

receiving a first password with the user input device of the computer system;

selecting a second password stored on the computer system based on the value of the system clock; and

comparing the first password and the second password, the payment being associated with the computer system if the first password and the second password are equal.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer system further includes a display and further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the value of the system clock is within a pre-notification period;

generating a pre-notification warning if the value of the system clock is within the pre-notification period; and

displaying the pre-notification warning on the display of the computer system.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the computer system further includes a display and further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the value of the system clock is within a grace period;

generating a warning message if the value of the system clock is within the grace period; and

displaying the warning message on the display of the computer system.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring the system clock to determine if the system clock has been changed in unauthorized manner; and

disabling use of the computer system if the system clock has been changed in an unauthorized manner.

18. A method of encouraging timely payments, the method comprising:

providing a computer system configured to execute user processes, the computer system comprising a processor operably coupled to a system clock, a user input device, a mass storage device, and a memory; and

installing an application on the computer system, the application configured to be executed with the processor of the computer system at least to determine whether a payment is associated with the computer system based in part on a value of the system clock of the computer system, and to enable use of the computer system based upon determining that a payment is associated with the computer system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of installing the application comprises the steps of:

copying the application to the computer system; and

updating configuration information of the computer system, such that the application is executed during a startup process of the computer system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of updating the configuration information of the computer system comprises the step of adding appropriate references to the application in a registry database of the computer system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein appropriate references to the application are added to at least one of a Run key of the registry database and a Run Once key of the registry database.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the application is further configured to disable use of the computer system based upon determining that a payment is not associated with the computer system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the computer system is disabled by the application preventing the completion of the startup process of the computer system.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein determining whether a payment is associated with the computer system, comprises the steps of:

receiving a first password with the user input device of the computer system;

selecting a second password stored on the computer system based on the value of the system clock; and

comparing the first password and the second password, the payment being associated with the computer system if the first password and the second password are equal.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer system further comprises a display and further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the value of the system clock is within a pre-notification period;

generating a pre-notification warning if the value of the system clock is within the pre-notification period; and

displaying the pre-notification warning on the display of the computer system.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer system further comprises a display and further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the value of the system clock is within a grace period;

generating a warning message if the value of the system clock is within the grace period; and

displaying the warning message on the display of the computer system.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring the system clock to determine if the system clock has been changed in an unauthorized manner; and

disabling use of the computer system if the system clock has been changed in an unauthorized manner.