System and method and computer readable code for visualizing and managing digital cash

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer readable code for visualizing and managing digital cash. For example, a system for visualizing digital cash on a computing device includes: a digital cash status engine to determine at least one attribute of a digital cash bundle; and a digital cash management interface to represent said digital cash bundle as a graphical item associated with a visual indication of said at least one attribute, wherein the at least one determined attribute comprises an indication of a World Wide Web location that accepts said digital cash bundle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with features and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanied drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A-B illustrate some embodiments of a computer including a processor.

FIGS. 2A-C provides an image of exemplary graphical icons representing digital cash bundles.

FIG. 3 provides a block diagram of system components for handling digital cash in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 provides an image of files visualized using specific icons selected according to file type (prior art).

FIG. 5 shows an image of an exemplary digital cash bundle represented as an XML file as viewed through an XML viewer.

FIG. 6 shows the temporal evolution of the status of two digital cash bundles in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates how moving the mouse over one of the digital cash bundle in a folder results in the textual information for that digital cash bundle being shown by the graphical operating system in a floating text box, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 depicts exemplary removable media or devices containing removable media onto which digital cash bundles may be copied in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows exemplary display of the files in a folder including digital cash bundle files.

FIG. 10 provides a block diagram of system components for handling digital cash in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 describes an exemplary process of creating a cash bundle by dragging-and-dropping a taskbar icon into a file folder in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 12A-D illustrate how one user may send a cash bundle to another user using MSN Messenger in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 13A-B illustrate how one user may send a cash bundle to another user using SkyPE in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 14A-B illustrate how a user may attach an existing cash bundle to a mail message in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 15A-B illustrate how a user may create and attach a cash bundle to a Microsoft Word document in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 16A-B illustrate exemplary use scenarios involving dragging-and-dropping a digital cash bundle into applications accepting only text in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 17 depicts how a user may cancel a cash bundle through the use of a menu command in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 18A-B depict how a user may edit a cash bundle through the use of a menu command in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 19A-B depicts how a user may split a cash bundle into two cash bundles in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 20 depicts how a user can combine two cash bundles into one bundle in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 21 depicts how the usage of a cash bundle template may save a user time entering the details of a cash bundle he is creating in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 22A shows how a user can create a password-protected cash bundle in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 22B shows an exemplary sequence of events when redeeming a password-protected cash bundle in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 23 illustrates exemplary usage of a repeat cash bundle sent to multiple users in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 24A shows how a user can create a cash bundle with an acceptance request in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 24B shows an exemplary sequence of events when redeeming a cash bundle with acceptance request in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 25 shows an exemplary sequence of events when accepting a digital cash payment with acceptance request effected without the use of a cash bundle in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 26 shows exemplary cash bundles with attached personal or advertising message display requests in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 27A-C show an exemplary sequence of events when a buyer pays for an item with a bundle protected by a password which a shipping agent is requiring at the time of delivery, using three different ways of accepting and processing the password, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 28A-C show exemplary effects of a user accepting an auto-install cash bundle for the first time in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 29 illustrates several exemplary formats for auto-install cash bundles in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 30A-B illustrate purchasing an item on a web site using one cash bundle in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 31A-D illustrate purchasing an item on a web site using multiple cash bundles in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 32A-B illustrate purchasing an item on a web site using one cash bundle, with digital cash bundle change returned in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 33A-B illustrates an exemplary display of mail messages with embedded digital cash and the sorting of these messages based on attributes of the embedded digital cash in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 34 illustrates an exemplary digital cash bundle restricted to a specified vendor's web site where it may be used for purchases.

FIG. 35 illustrates the interaction between a user and a digital cash bundle restricted for use to a specified web site.

FIGS. 36A-B illustrate the dual representation of digital cash bundles as a web page or digital cash file/icon and how the web representation can be used for purchases.

FIG. 37 shows a digital cash bundle entitling its owner a discount on the specified vendor web site.

FIGS. 38A-C illustrates how a discount digital cash bundle may be combined with a regular digital cash bundle to complete a purchase.

FIGS. 39A-B shows how linkages between digital cash payments can enable multi-party business transactions using linked digital cash payments.

FIG. 40 shows how automatically exchanging a digital cash payment can protect a recipient from other people's reuse of that digital cash payment.

FIGS. 41A-C show how a digital cash bundle may be reloaded with monetary value.

FIGS. 42A-F show how vendor incentives as digital cash bundles with short-term time expiration can be used to encourage consumers to make quick purchasing decisions.

FIG. 43 illustrates the delivery of digital cash notes directly to a personal computer of a consumer.

Claims

1. A system for visualizing digital cash on a computing device, the system comprising: a digital cash status engine to determine at least one attribute of a digital cash bundle; anda digital cash management interface to represent said digital cash bundle as a graphical item associated with a visual indication of said at least one attribute,wherein the at least one determined attribute comprises an indication of a World Wide Web location that accepts said digital cash bundle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphical item comprises a graphical logo of a merchant associated with said World Wide Web location.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphical item substantially entirely includes a graphical logo of a merchant associated with said World Wide Web location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said digital cash management interface is operative to redirect a World Wide Web browser World Wide Web location upon a user engagement of said graphical item.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said digital cash bundle comprises a representation of a discount coupon usable at said World Wide Web location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said digital cash bundle comprises a representation of a voucher usable at said World Wide Web location, wherein the voucher is selected from a group consisting of: a percentage discount voucher,a pre-defined monetary amount discount voucher, anda voucher representing a right to receive a free item from said Word Wide Web location.

7. A method comprising: generating a digital cash bundle associated with a URL; andin response to a request to access said URL, generating a code readable by a computing device, the code operative to display an indication of at least one attribute of said digital cash bundle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating comprises: distributing a plurality of copies of said digital cash bundle to a respective plurality of computing devices.

9. A computing device comprising: an icon interface to display a graphical item representing a digital cash bundle; anda web-page interface to present at least one attribute of said digital cash bundle within-a web-page.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the computing device is to launch said web-page interface upon a user engagement of said graphical item.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein said at least one attribute comprises a unique serial number corresponding to said digital cash bundle.

12. A system for receiving a digital cash payment, the system comprising: a payment-receiving component able to receive digital cash payments,wherein the payment-receiving component comprises at least a graphical payment-receiving component and a textual payment-receiving component,wherein the graphical payment-receiving component is able to receive digital cash payments upon detection of an engagement of a digital cash bundle, andwherein the textual payment-receiving component is able to receive digital cash payments upon entry of a textual representation uniquely identifying said digital cash bundle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphical payment-receiving component is operative to receive said digital cash bundle through a drag-and-drop thereon of a graphical representation of said digital cash bundle.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said engagement is selected from a group consisting of: a click on a graphical representation of the digital cash bundle,a double-click on a graphical representation of the digital cash bundle, anda selection of a graphical representation of the digital cash bundle.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising: a controller to monitor utilization of one or more digital cash bundles through said graphical payment-receiving component and said textual payment-receiving component, and to transfer to a vendor system one or more attributes of the utilized digital cash bundles.

16. A method comprising: generating first and second digital cash bundles; andin response to a redemption of the first digital cash bundle, modifying a characteristic of the second digital cash bundle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying a characteristic comprises: revoking validity of the second digital cash bundle.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein generating comprises: generating first and second inter-linked digital cash bundles,wherein the first digital cash bundle is distributable to a first user and the second digital cash bundle is distributable to a second user.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: sending to the second user a notification of said modifying.

20. A system comprising: a digital cash clearinghouse component to create a link between first and second digital cash bundles, and to modify an attribute of the first digital cash bundle in response to a modification of an attribute of the second digital cash bundle.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the digital cash clearing component is to revoke validity of the first digital cash bundle in response to a redemption of the second digital cash bundle.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the digital cash clearing component is to revoke validity of the first digital cash bundle in response to validity revocation of the second digital cash bundle.

23. A system comprising: a digital cash management interface to detect that a first computing device received a first digital cash bundle from a second computing device,to revoke validity of the first digital cash bundle,to generate a second digital cash bundle having attributes corresponding to the attributes of the first digital cash bundle, andto transfer the second digital cash bundle to the first computing device,wherein the first digital cash bundle has a first unique identifier, and the second digital cash bundle has a second, different, unique identifier.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the received first digital cash bundle and the generated second digital cash bundle have a substantially identical monetary amount and a substantially identical expiration date.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the system is to substantially automatically exchange the first digital cash bundle with the second digital cash bundle.

26. A system comprising: a server to perform a search based on a received search query,to serve onto a presentation platform one or more search results associated with the search query, andto selectively serve onto said presentation platform at least one digital cash bundle associated with a search result of said one or more search results.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the received search query comprises a query for a product intended for purchase.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the digital cash bundle comprises a digital discount coupon.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the digital cash bundle is set to expire at a pre-defined time subsequent to the serving of the digital cash bundle onto the presentation platform.

30. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a reload interface to receive a first digital cash bundle having a first monetary amount, to receive a payment having a second monetary amount, and to replace the first digital cash bundle with a second digital cash bundle having a third monetary amount,wherein the third monetary amount is substantially a sum of the first and second monetary amounts.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said first digital cash bundle is associated with a representation having an indication pointing to a web-site hosting said reload interface, the indication comprises an indication selected from a group consisting of: a hyperlink to said web-site hosting said reload interface, and a shortcut to said web-site hosting said reload interface.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein said graphical item includes a printable bar-code corresponding to a representation of said at least one attribute of said digital cash bundle.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein said digital cash bundle comprises a digital cash rebate provided to a recipient substantially upon purchase of a product.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said digital cash rebate represents a credit amount applicable towards at least one purchase from said World Wide Web location.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said digital cash rebate is associated with a cash redemption date, and wherein said digital cash rebate may be converted to a cash amount as of the cash redemption date in the amount of the digital cash rebate amount less any purchases made from said World Wide Web location using said digital cash rebate.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein said digital cash rebate is provided pre-stored in said product upon said purchase.

37. The system of claim 1, comprising a digital cash bundle delivery component to deliver said digital cash bundle from a vendor associated with said World Wide Web location to said computing device.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said digital cash bundle delivery component is to notify a user of said computing device that said digital cash bundle is offered to be delivered to said computing device, and to receive the user of from said computing device an indication representing acceptance or rejection of said offer.

39. The system of claim 26, wherein said server is further to serve onto said presentation platform indicators of acceptability of digital cash bundles at World Wide Web locations associated with said search results.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein said indicators of acceptability indicate availability of a digital cash voucher capable of being applied towards purchase from said World Wide Web location of a product derived from the search query.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said indicators of acceptability indicating availability of said digital cash voucher are produced based on a response to an acceptability query to a URL associated with said World Wide Web location.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the response to said acceptability query includes said digital cash voucher capable of being applied towards purchase of said product from said World Wide Web location.