Patent Application
20120024947
In general, embodiments of the invention relate to wearable articles. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to wearable articles having financial account functionality, such as, for example, point of sale payment functionality.
Financial institution customers typically have one or more payment devices that they carry in a clothes pocket, wallet, purse, money clip or other carrying device. Payment devices come in a variety of forms, such as, for example, traditional magnetic stripe debit and credit cards as well as smart debit and credit cards including varying amounts of embedded electronics. Many customers prefer to minimize the number and amount of payment devices and other items they must carry on their persons. In certain situations minimizing carried items is a necessity such as when a customer is vacationing at a beach where little clothing and baggage is used. In one example, a customer must carry at least one payment device and a form of identification on his or her person while walking a beach. If the customer desires an ocean swim, he or she must leave these belongings on the beach until returning, thereby creating a significant security risk.
Therefore, a wearable article having embedded electronics providing a customer the ability to make a payment at a point of sale is needed.
The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
Embodiments of the present invention address the above needs and/or achieve other advantages by providing a wearable article configured for providing payment information to a point of sale terminal during a transaction. The wearable article, in some embodiments, includes a band configured for wrapping around a body part of the customer and for carrying an electronic device. In some embodiments, the band has an attachment system for removably securing the band to the body part of the customer. The electronic device includes an energy storage element, a memory device, a communication device and a processing device. The processing device is configured for receiving a communication from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information for completion of the transaction. The processing device reads account information from the memory device and communicates payment information to the point of sale terminal. In some embodiments, the wearable article receives power from a field generated by the point of sale terminal.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a wearable article is configured for providing payment information to a point of sale terminal. The wearable article includes an electronic device carried by the wearable article including an energy storage element configured to power the electronic device and a memory device configured for storing account information corresponding to one or more accounts owned by the customer. The wearable article also includes a communication device configured for receiving a signal from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information and a processing device coupled with the energy storage element, the memory device, and the communication device. The processing device is configured for receiving a communication from the communication device corresponding to a request for payment information from the point of sale terminal, reading at least a portion of the account information from the memory device, and instructing the communication device to communicate the at least a portion of the account information read from the memory device to the point of sale terminal in response to the request.
In some embodiments, the wearable article also includes a band configured for wrapping around a body part of a customer and for carrying the electronic device. The band has a first end and a second end and includes an attachment system configured for removably securing the band to the body part of the customer. In some such embodiments, the band is configured for wrapping around a wrist of the customer, and the attachment system is configured for removably securing the band to the wrist of the customer. In other such embodiments, the band is configured for wrapping around an ankle of the customer, and the attachment system is configured for removably securing the band to the ankle of the customer.
In some embodiments, the wearable article includes a ring configured for wearing on a finger of the customer. In some embodiments, the communication device is further configured for receiving a field generated by the point of sale terminal, deriving a power signal from the field, and storing power from the derived power signal at the energy storage element. In some embodiments, the wearable article further comprises a second communication device configured for receiving a field generated by the point of sale terminal, deriving a power signal from the field, and storing power from the derived power signal at the energy storage element.
In some embodiments, the wearable article also includes a pocket configured to receive and house the electronic device. In some such embodiments, the pocket is configured to house the electronic device thereby protecting the electronic device from water. In some such embodiments, the pocket is configured to house the electronic device by way of a water-tight enclosure.
In some embodiments, the pocket is made of waterproof material. In some embodiments, the pocket is made of water resistant material. In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism includes the band, and the band is configured to stretch around the body part of the customer and retract against the body part of the customer, thereby removably securing the wearable article to the body part of the customer. In some embodiments, the band is made of waterproof material. In some embodiments, the band is made of water resistant material.
In some embodiments, the communication device is further configured for receiving a communication from the point of sale terminal indicating successful completion of the transaction. In some such embodiments, the processing device is further configured for indicating to the customer successful completion of the transaction.
In some embodiments, the wearable article also includes an indicator device configured for providing an indication to the customer regarding the transaction. In some such embodiments, the processing device is further configured for indicating to the customer successful completion of the transaction by instructing the indicator device to provide indication to the customer of the successful transaction. In other such embodiments, the indicator device comprises a display configured for displaying an indication to the customer regarding the transaction.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a method provides payment information to a point of sale terminal and includes powering, by an energy storage element of an electronic device, the electronic device carried by a wearable article. The method also includes receiving, at a processing device of the electronic device, a signal from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information, reading, using the processing device, at least a portion of account information stored at a memory device of the electronic device, and instructing, by the processing device of the electronic device, a communication device of the electronic device to communicate the at least a portion of account information to the point of sale terminal in response to the request.
In some embodiments, the method also includes receiving, at a communication device of the electronic device, a confirmation communication communicated from the point of sale terminal, the confirmation communication configured to communicate successful completion of the transaction. In some such embodiments, the method also includes instructing a display of the wearable article, by the processing device, to display an indication to the customer, the indication based at least in part on the received confirmation communication sent from the point of sale terminal and configured to communicate successful completion of the transaction.
In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a field at a communication device of the electronic device, the field generated by the point of sale terminal, deriving a power signal from the field, and storing power from the derived power signal at the energy storage element of the electronic device.
In some embodiments, the method includes receiving, at a communication device of the electronic device, a signal from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information and communicating the signal requesting payment information from the communication device to the processing device. In some such embodiments, the method includes receiving a field at a second communication device of the electronic device, the field generated by the point of sale terminal, deriving a power signal from the field, and storing power from the derived power signal at the energy storage element of the electronic device.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a computer program product provides payment information to a point of sale terminal, the computer program product including a non-volatile computer readable memory including computer-executable instructions. The instructions including instructions for powering, by an energy storage element of an electronic device, the electronic device carried by a wearable article, instructions for receiving, at a processing device of the electronic device, a signal from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information, instructions for reading, using the processing device, at least a portion of account information stored at a memory device of the electronic device, and instructions for instructing, by the processing device of the electronic device, a communication device of the electronic device to communicate the at least a portion of account information to the point of sale terminal in response to the request.
In some embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for receiving, at a communication device of the electronic device, a confirmation communication communicated from the point of sale terminal, the confirmation communication configured to communicate successful completion of the transaction. In some such embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for instructing a display of the wearable article, by the processing device, to display an indication to the customer, the indication based at least in part on the received confirmation communication sent from the point of sale terminal and configured to communicate successful completion of the transaction.
In some embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for receiving a field at a communication device of the electronic device, the field generated by the point of sale terminal, instructions for deriving a power signal from the field, and instructions for storing power from the derived power signal at the energy storage element of the electronic device.
In some embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for receiving, at a communication device of the electronic device, a signal from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information and instructions for communicating the signal requesting payment information from the communication device to the processing device. In some such embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for receiving a field at a second communication device of the electronic device, the field generated by the point of sale terminal, instructions for deriving a power signal from the field, and instructions for storing power from the derived power signal at the energy storage element of the electronic device.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a point of sale terminal receives payment information from an electronic device carried by a wearable article worn by a customer. The point of sale terminal includes a communication device configured for wireless communication with the electronic device and a processing device coupled with the communication device. The processing device is configured for instructing the communication device to communicate a request for payment information to the electronic device and instructing the communication device to receive payment information corresponding with at least a portion of account information stored by the electronic device, the portion of account information corresponding with one or more accounts owned by the customer.
In some embodiments, the communication device is further configured for generating a field configured for providing power to the electronic device. In some embodiments, the point of sale terminal includes a second communication device configured for generating a field configured for providing power to the electronic device.
In some embodiments, the processing device is further configured for determining that an account corresponding to the payment information received from the electronic device has sufficient funds to complete the transaction. In some such embodiments, the processing device is further configured for instructing the communication device to communicate a confirmation communication to the electronic device, the confirmation communication including information indicating success of the transaction.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a method for receiving payment information from an electronic device carried by a wearable article worn by a customer, the method includes instructing, by a processing device, the communication device to communicate a request for payment information to the electronic device and instructing, by a processing device, the communication device to receive payment information corresponding with at least a portion of account information stored by the electronic device, the portion of account information corresponding with one or more accounts owned by the customer.
In some embodiments, the method includes determining, by the processing device, that an account corresponding to the payment information received from the electronic device has sufficient funds to complete the transaction. In some such embodiments, the method includes instructing, by the processing device, the communication device to communicate a confirmation communication to the electronic device, the confirmation communication including information indicating success of the transaction.
In some embodiments, the method includes generating, by a communication device, a field configured for providing power to the electronic device. In some embodiments, the method includes generating, by a second communication device, a field configured for providing power to the electronic device.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a computer program product for receiving payment information from an electronic device carried by a wearable article includes a non-volatile computer readable memory including computer-executable instructions. The instructions include instructions for instructing, by a processing device, the communication device to communicate a request for payment information to the electronic device and instructions for instructing, by a processing device, the communication device to receive payment information corresponding with at least a portion of account information stored by the electronic device, the portion of account information corresponding with one or more accounts owned by the customer.
In some embodiments, the instructions include instructions for determining, by the processing device, that an account corresponding to the payment information received from the electronic device has sufficient funds to complete the transaction. In some such embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for instructing, by the processing device, the communication device to communicate a confirmation communication to the electronic device, the confirmation communication including information indicating success of the transaction.
In some embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for generating, by a communication device, a field configured for providing power to the electronic device.
In some embodiments, the instructions also include instructions for generating, by a second communication device, a field configured for providing power to the electronic device.
The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of one or more embodiments of the invention. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various embodiments may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such embodiments and their equivalents.
Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Embodiments of the invention provide for a wearable article configured for providing payment information to a point of sale terminal during a transaction. The wearable article, in some embodiments, includes a band configured for wrapping around a body part of the customer and for carrying an electronic device. In some embodiments, the band has an attachment system for removably securing the band to the body part of the customer. The electronic device includes an energy storage element, a memory device, a communication device and a processing device. The processing device is configured for receiving a communication from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information for completion of the transaction. The processing device reads account information from the memory device and communicates payment information to the point of sale terminal. In some embodiments, the wearable article receives power from a field generated by the point of sale terminal.
More particularly,
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In this example embodiment, the watch 60 can also be used as a payment device during a transaction with a POS terminal. In such an embodiment, the memory device 76 includes account identifying information that the processing device 74 communicates to a POS terminal using the antenna 72. In one embodiment, the processing device 74 only communicates account identifying information wirelessly when the customer holds down the button 86. In this way the customer can hold the button down when in close proximity to a POS terminal's antenna, but also be confident that others cannot attempt to wirelessly hack into the customer's wearable payment device when the button 86 is not depressed.
The three example embodiments of the invention described with regard to
Referring now to
With regard to the payment functionality, the wearable article 102 communicates, such as by wireless communication, with a vendor's 104 point of sale terminal 106 via the point of sale terminal's 106 communication device 112. The point of sale terminal 106, in the embodiment shown, also includes a processing device 108 operatively coupled to the communication device 112, as well as a display 110, a memory device 114, and/or other devices or components for interacting with the customer 101. The processing device 108 is configured for controlling the communication device 112, the display 110, the memory device 114, and/or the other devices or components for interacting with the customer 101. The processing device 108 reads the memory device 114 having computer-readable program code stored thereon. The computer-readable program code includes, in some embodiments, code for instructing the communication device 112 for communicating with the wearable article 102. In some embodiments, the computer-readable program code includes code for instructing the communication device 112 for communicating across a payment network 116 with the financial institution, such as with the financial institution servers 120. The payment network 116, in some embodiments, includes one or more computing systems such as, for example, one or more servers maintained by one or more financial institutions. In some embodiments, the payment network 116 includes one or more backend systems maintained by a financial institution such as, for example, a bank. The backend systems include, in some embodiments, one or more servers or other computing devices and include one or more databases including, in some embodiments, information 125 regarding one or more customer accounts.
With regard to the financial indicator functionality, in some embodiments the wearable article 102 communicates across a communication network 119 with one or more of the financial institution servers 120. For example, in various embodiments, the wearable article 102 communicates with the financial institution's communication device 122. In some such embodiments, the wearable article 102 may be configured to receive communications, i.e., “financial indicators,” from the financial institution servers 120 regarding financial information (e.g., financial health state information, financial activity information, and/or the like) corresponding to one or more accounts associated with the customer carrying the wearable article 102. Thereby, the wearable article 102 is configured to communicate the financial information regarding the customer's account(s) to the customer.
In some embodiments of the invention, the wearable article 102 communicates with the financial institution servers 120 via a mobile terminal 103 that may be possessed, held, owned, and/or maintained by the customer 101. In this regard, the mobile terminal 103 may include a near-field wireless communication device for communicating with the wearable article 102 located a short distance away from the mobile terminal 103, and a far-field wireless communication device (such as a wireless telephony antenna) for communicating with the financial institution servers 120 located a greater distance away over the communication network 119. In some embodiments, the mobile terminal 103 merely relays communications between the financial institution servers 120 and the wearable article 102. In other embodiments, however, the mobile terminal 103 may play a more active role by authenticating the customer to the financial institution servers 120, processing financial information received from the servers 120 and outputting the financial indicator or other user out instructions to the wearable device, creating or storing the customer's financial indicator profile, and/or the like.
The communication network 119, in various embodiments, is or includes a wireless network and is or includes a WiFi network, one or more cellular networks (e.g., GSM networks) or other wireless networks, one or more wired networks, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and/or global area networks (GANs). The communication network 119, in some embodiments, is connected to one or more intranets and/or the Internet in order to communicate with the financial institution servers 120. For example, in some embodiments of the invention, the wearable article communicates with the financial institution servers 120 whenever it is in a public or private Internet hotspot.
The financial institution server(s) 120 include a processing device 128 communicably coupled with a communication device 122 for communicating over the communication network 119 with the mobile terminal 103 and/or the wearable article 102. The financial institution server 120 communication device 122 may also be configured to communicate with the payment network 116 to facilitate payment debits and credits, for example, during a transaction at a POS terminal 106. The processing device 128 is also communicably coupled with a memory device 124 configured to store a financial indicator profile 126 and/or financial account information 125. The processing device is configured to access the memory device in order to execute computer-readable program code or other code stored thereon, such as the financial indicator profile 126 and/or the financial account information 125.
The financial indicator communicated to the wearable article 102 and, thereby, to the customer 101, relates to financial information of interest to the customer 101, such as interest about one or more of the customer's financial accounts and/or financial market information of interest to the customer 101. For example, in some embodiments, the financial indicator provides information about a financial health state which is information about status/state of a customer account or a group of customer accounts or about the customer's finances or financial interests generally. The status may include information about balances in individual accounts, balances across multiple accounts, available credit in individual accounts, available credit across multiple accounts, amount of money spent, transferred, or received during a particular time period for one or multiple accounts, interest on one or more accounts, fees on one or more accounts, savings information on one or more accounts, customer's net worth, customer cash flow metrics, customer savings metrics, customer's household, business, or organization financial metrics, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the financial indicator provides information about financial activity which is information about transactions involving or changes in the financial accounts associated with the customer or the customer's financial interests generally. The customer financial accounts may include, for example, credit accounts, deposit accounts, checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, demand deposit accounts, investment accounts, business/commercial accounts, shared accounts, linked accounts, individual accounts, fundraising accounts, and/or the like.
In some embodiments of the invention, financial indicators or other user output instructions are provided to the wearable article 102 in accordance with a pre-established financial indicator profile, such as the financial indicator profile 126 stored in the memory device 124 of the financial institution server 120 in the embodiment of
The mobile terminal 103 generally includes a processing device 210 communicably coupled to such devices as a memory device 220, user output devices 236, user input devices 240, a communication device 260, and a power source 215. The processing device 210 generally includes circuitry for implementing communication and/or logic functions of the mobile terminal 103 or other system/device with which the processing device is communicably coupled, such as, for example, the financial article 102. For example, the processing device 210 may include a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, and/or other support circuits. Control and signal processing functions of the mobile terminal 103 are allocated between these devices according to their respective capabilities. The processing device 210 thus may also include the functionality to encode and interleave messages and data prior to modulation and transmission. The processing device 210 can additionally include an internal data modem. Further, the processing device 210 may include functionality to operate one or more software programs, which may be stored in the memory device 220. For example, the processing device 210 may be capable of operating a connectivity program, such as a web browser application 222. The web browser application 222 may enable the mobile device 200 to transmit and receive web content, such as, for example, location-based content and/or other web page content, according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), one or more security/encryption protocols, and/or the like. The processing device 210 may be further capable of operating a wearable financial indicator application 221 that instructs the processing device 210 to perform the wearable financial indicator communication and processing functions that are described herein with regard to some embodiments of the invention.
The processing device 210 is configured to use the communication device 260 to communicate with the wearable article 102 and one or more other devices on the communication network 119, such as with the financial institution server 120. In this regard, the communication device 260 may include two different types of communication devices, one for near field communication with the wearable article 102 and one for far-field communication with the financial institution server 120. For example, the mobile terminal 103 may include a far-field antenna 276A operatively coupled to a far field transmitter 274A and a far-field receiver 272A (together a “transceiver”). The processing device 210 is configured to provide signals to and receive signals from the transmitter 274A and receiver 272A, respectively. The signals may include signaling information in accordance with the air interface standard of the applicable cellular system of a wireless telephone network. In this regard, the mobile terminal 103 may be configured to operate with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. By way of illustration, the mobile terminal 103 may be configured to operate in accordance with any of a number of first, second, third, and/or fourth-generation communication protocols and/or the like. For example, the mobile terminal 103 may be configured to operate in accordance with second-generation (2G) wireless communication protocols IS-136 (time division multiple access (TDMA)), GSM (global system for mobile communication), and/or IS-95 (code division multiple access (CDMA)), with third-generation (3G) wireless communication protocols, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), CDMA2000, wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and/or time division-synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), with fourth-generation (4G) wireless communication protocols, and/or the like. The mobile terminal 103 may also be configured to operate in accordance with non-cellular communication mechanisms, such as via a near-field communication devices, via near-field antenna 276B, near-field transmitter 274B, and near-field receiver 272B. For example, the near-field antenna 276B and transceiver may use known radio frequency modulation and transmission technology, infrared technology, or other short range wireless technology and/or standards (e.g., the Bluetooth® communication standard) to communication information to and/or from the wearable article 102. The mobile terminal 103 may also be configured to temporarily power-up the wearable article 102 when it sends the wearable article 102 a transmission by modulating a short-range electromagnetic field.
As described above, the mobile terminal 103 has a user interface that is, like other user interfaces described herein, made up of user output devices 236 and/or user input devices 240. The user output devices 236 include a display 330 (e.g., a liquid crystal display or the like) and a speaker 232 or other audio device, which are operatively coupled to the processor 210. The user input devices 240, which allow the mobile terminal 103 to receive data from a user such as the customer 101, may include any of a number of devices allowing the mobile terminal 103 to receive data from a user, such as a keypad, keyboard, touch-screen, touchpad, microphone, mouse, joystick, other pointer device, button, soft key, and/or other input device(s).
The mobile terminal 103 further includes a power source 215, such as a battery, for powering various circuits and other devices that are used to operate the mobile terminal 103.
The mobile terminal 103 also includes a memory device 220 operatively coupled to the processing device 210. As used herein, memory includes any computer readable medium (as defined herein below) configured to store data, code, or other information. The memory 220 may include volatile memory, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. The memory 220 may also include non-volatile memory, which can be embedded and/or may be removable. The non-volatile memory can additionally or alternatively include an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or the like.
The memory 220 can store any of a number of applications which comprise computer-executable instructions/code executed by the processing device 210 to implement the functions of the mobile terminal 103 described herein. For example, the memory 220 may include such applications as a conventional web browser application 222 and/or a wearable financial indicator application 221. These applications may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display 230 that allows the customer 101 to communicate with the consumer mobile terminal 103, the financial institution server 120, the wearable article 102, and/or other devices. In some embodiments, the applications may allow a customer 101 to create a financial indicator profile, allow a customer 101 to authenticate him or herself to the server 120, and/or relay communications in short range to/from the wearable article 102 using a first protocol, for example, near field communications, and/or relay communications in long range to/from the financial institution server 120 using a second protocol.
The memory 220 can also store any of a number of pieces of information, and data, used by the mobile terminal 103 and the applications and devices that make up the mobile terminal 103 or are in communication with the mobile terminal 103 to implement the functions of the mobile terminal 103 and/or the other systems described herein. For example, the memory 220 may include such data as the wearable financial indicator application 221, the web browser application 222, the financial indicator 223, the financial indicator profile 224, the authentication information 225, and/or the financial information 226. The wearable financial indicator application 221 includes instructions/code for instructing the processing device 210 to perform the wearable financial indicator communication and processing functions that are described herein with regard to some embodiments of the invention. The web browser application 222 includes instructions/code for instructing the processing device 210 to present a browser to the customer, such as, for navigating the world wide web (WWW) and/or navigating a financial institution website and/or online banking functionality provided by the website. The financial indicator 223 includes instructions/code for instructing the processing device 210 to provide an indication to the customer, such as described elsewhere herein, for example, in the form of a visual, audible, audio-visual or other financial indicator. In some embodiments, the financial indicator 223 is configured to instruct the processing device 210 to provide instructions to the wearable article 102, and in other embodiments, the financial indicator 223 is stored at the wearable article 102 and is configured to instruct the processing device of the wearable article 102. In some embodiments, both the mobile terminal 103 and the wearable article 102 have financial indicators, such as financial indicator 223 configured to interact and collectively instruct the wearable article 102 present the indicator to the customer. The financial indicator profile 224 as discussed elsewhere herein includes information regarding the customer's preferences and/or other settings with regard to indication and instructions based thereon, such as, for example, communication protocols used to communicate the financial indicator from the mobile device 103 to the wearable article 102.
Referring to
In some embodiments of the wearable article 102, the communication device 312 of the electronic device 300 is configured for receiving an external signal from a field 502, typically initiated at a point of sale terminal 106 as illustrated in
In one example, the output of the communication device 312 is a voltage signal, such as a DC voltage, which may include but is not limited to a low voltage such as, for example, approximately 1.25 volts. In some embodiments, for example, the electronic device 300 includes a voltage regulator 322. The voltage regulator 322 is coupled with output of the communication device 312. The voltage regulator provides a stable or regulated output voltage for use by other components within the electronic device 300. For example, the voltage regulator 322, in one embodiment, includes circuit elements such as diodes, resistors, and/or capacitors for stabilizing the output signal received from the communication device 312. The voltage regulator 322, in some embodiments, is also configured for providing a regulating voltage to the other components within the electronic device 300. The voltage regulator 322, in some embodiments, includes other circuits and/or components configured for providing a regulated voltage and/or configured for stabilizing the voltage on the output of the voltage regulator 322.
The electronic device 202 includes or is coupled with one or more energy storage elements 320, also referred to as energy storage circuits, in some circumstances. The energy storage elements 320, in some embodiments, are coupled with the output of the communication device 312. In one embodiment, for example, the energy storage element 320 couples with the communication device output in order to store energy received from the communication device 312 and provide the energy to the input of the voltage regulator 322. Alternatively or additionally in various embodiments, energy storage elements 320 are coupled with the output of the voltage regulator 322 so as to store energy and provide energy to the components downstream of the voltage regulator 322 within the electronic device 300. The energy storage elements 320, in some embodiments, include capacitors, inductors, or other energy storage elements or circuits configured for providing energy storage.
In some embodiments, for example, one or more level shifters 324, also referred to as voltage conversion circuits or voltage translator circuits, are configured to provide or create the voltage levels utilized by the user interface 314 and/or by the memory device 316. In an alternative embodiment, a voltage regulator 322 is configured to provide multiple output voltage signals 332. In such an embodiment, each output voltage signal is a different voltage level in order to supply various voltage levels as required by multiple components of the electronic device 300, such as, for example, the processing device 318, the user interface 314, and/or the memory device 316 and/or other components. In some embodiments, the one or more level shifters 324 use other circuits and/or mechanisms configured for shifting a voltage signal.
In some embodiments, the communication device 312 receives a signal from the field 502 generated by the communication device 112 (
The processing device 318, in some applications, changes the state of the user interface 314 by writing data to the user output device 340 (as discussed with reference to
Referring again to the embodiment shown in
The user interface 314, in various embodiments, is collocated with the electronic device 300 on the wearable article 102, and in other embodiments, the user interface 314 is coupled with the electronic device 300 but is located separate from the electronic device 300 on or in the wearable article 102. In some embodiments, the display device 341 of the user interface 314 is or includes a persistent display which, once written, will display the desired data and will persistently maintain the display of that data until the display is re-written or otherwise changed. The display device 341, in some embodiments, is a fixed segment display, a dot matrix display, a positive or negative reflective display which can be read by the user or cardholder using ambient light, a liquid crystal display, or other display. In other embodiments, the display device 341 is a single indicator such as a light emitting diode (LED). In some embodiments, the display device 341 includes one or more indicators configured to provide different colors intended to communicate different messages to the customer. In some embodiments, the wearable article 102 is configured for communicating financial health to the customer as discussed in further detail below. In some such embodiments, the display device 341 includes one or more indicators configured for multiple color light emission. In some embodiments, for example, the display device 341 is a single indicator configured to emit red light when the customer's account is overdrawn or within some predetermined amount of being overdrawn. Similarly, in another embodiment, for example, the display is a single indicator configured to emit a yellow light when the customer's account is within some predetermined amount of being overdrawn, and in yet another embodiment, for example, the display is a single indicator configured to emit a green light when the customer's account is outside a predetermined amount of being overdrawn. In various other embodiments, the wearable device 102 includes one or more additional indicator devices such as auditory devices 342, for example speakers and the like, and/or vibratory devices 343. Such additional indicator devices can be used, in some embodiments, in lieu of a display device 341 for indicating the financial information to the customer or some other information, or can be used in conjunction with the display device 341 in other embodiments.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the wearable article 102 includes an electronic device 300 embedded on, embedded in, and/or formed integrally with band 400. As discussed in further detail below, many different embodiments of the electronic device 300 are envisioned, such as the embodiment discussed in detail with reference to
Referring again to
In some embodiments, as shown in
In various other embodiments, the attachment system 410 includes a male portion disposed at a first distal end of the band 400 and a female portion disposed at a second distal end of the band 400. The male portion and female portion are configured for detachably mating. For example, in one embodiment, the male portion is a plastic piece having three prongs, one stable middle prong configured for guiding the male portion into the female portion and two prongs movable toward the middle prong configured for fitting inside the female portion and coupling therewith such that the male and female portions remain mated until the movable prongs of the male portion are depressed by a customer for detaching. In other embodiments, for example, magnets are used for detachably mating the distal ends of the band 400 with one another. In one embodiment, for example, one magnet is disposed at a distal end of the band 400 and is configured to detachably mate with a magnetic piece disposed at the opposite distal end of the band 400. In yet another embodiment, for example, a clasp and hook attachment system 410 is used, and in another embodiment, two clasps are detachably mated with one another.
In various embodiments of the wearable device 102, the wearable device 102 is configured for wearing on various body parts other than the wrist or ankle, and in other embodiments, the wearable article 102 is configured for wearing on the wrist or ankle in alternate configurations. For example, in one embodiment, the wearable device 102 is worn as an earring. In another embodiment, the wearable device 102 is worn as some other type of piercing, and in yet other embodiments, the wearable device 102 is attached to the customer's clothing such as by clip, snap, Velcro®, pin, or some other attachment mechanism. In some embodiments, the wearable device is a sticker that attaches either to the customer's skin or to the customer's clothing. In some embodiments, the wearable device is disposable and includes a pocket or other electronic device receiver, and the electronic device is reusable such that when the customer discards the wearable device 102, she can retain the electronic device and attach it to another wearable device 102. In some embodiments, the wearable article 102 is or includes a charm wearable on a chain around the neck, ankle or wrist or is or includes a necklace. In other embodiments, the wearable device 102 is or includes one or more rings, a wristwatch or incorporated into a wristwatch, eyeglass rims, eyeglasses, such as embedded in and/or on eyeglass lenses, contact lenses, shoes, purse, wallet, a cap, a hat, a visor, a shoelace, a button, a belt, a belt buckle, an implant, or some other clothing accessory or personal accessory worn or carried on a customer's person.
Referring to
In various applications and embodiments, the user output device includes one or more of the display device 341, the auditory device 342, the vibratory device 343 and/or a user input device 345. In various embodiments the methods discussed herein, such as presenting data, are performed in whole or in part by one or more of these devices, which are or are included in various embodiments of the user output device 340.
In some alternate embodiments, as discussed in greater detail herein, the electronic device does not receive power from the field, but only communications, and in some embodiments, the electronic device receives both power and communications from one or more external fields and/or wireless networks. In some embodiments, for example, the communication device of the electronic device receives data over a wireless network sent from a financial institution, such as by a financial institution server or backend system. The data, in some embodiments, includes financial information indicating the financial state and/or activity of one or more of the customer's accounts. When the communication device receives the data, the processing device instructs the user output device to present a representation of some or all of the financial information. In some embodiments discussed herein, the communication device of the electronic device receives data from a mobile device via short range communication protocol.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, process step 708 occurs after the wearable article is removed from the field. In other embodiments, process step 708 occurs before the wearable article has been removed from the field, and process step 710 occurs after the wearable article has been removed from the field. In other words, the processing device, in various embodiments, creates, obtains or receives the new data for presentation before, during or after the wearable article is removed from the field.
When the wearable article is placed in the field, as represented by block 804, the wearable device derives power from the field. In one embodiment, for example, the voltage regulator 322 and/or energy storage elements 320 of the electronic device 202 are powered from the field 402. In block 806, the processing device turns on by utilizing the power provided by the field. In one embodiment, for example, the communication device 312 receives the field, and derives a signal based at least in part on the received field. In alternate embodiments, the communication device 312 receives the field, and the processing device is powered by a signal generated by the energy storage element 320. The signal, in some embodiments, is regulated by the voltage regulator 322 and then provided to the processing device 318. At block 808, the processing device 318 creates, obtains or receives new data to be written to the memory device.
At block 810, power is applied to the memory device. In some embodiments, for example, power is applied to the memory device in order to enable writing new data to the memory device. In some embodiments, the power is applied in response to control by the processing device, and in other embodiments, power is applied in response to the wearable article entering the field automatically, that is, without requiring instruction from the processing device. At block 812, the processing device writes new data to the memory device. In such embodiments, the processing device records the new data on one or more portions of the memory device, thereby changing the state of the memory device. At block 814, power is removed from the memory device. In some embodiments, when the power is removed, the write operation is disabled. Once the wearable article is removed from the field, as represented by block 816, the processing device powers down.
In
At block 908, after the wearable article is removed from the field, the processing device creates, obtains, or receives new data to write to the memory device. In some embodiments, however, process step 908 occurs before the wearable article is removed from the field, that is, while the wearable article is within the field. At block 910, power from the energy storage element is applied to the memory device in order to write the new data to the memory device. At block 912, the processing device writes the new data to the memory device. In some embodiments, similar to those discussed above, the new data is recorded on one or more portions of the memory device of the wearable article.
In various embodiments of the wearable article 102, the electronic device 202 uses a battery for powering the other components of the electronic device, which, in some embodiments includes various combinations of the processing device 318, the user output device 340, the memory device 316 and/or others such as those illustrated in
Referring now to
Next, as represented by block 1008, the wearable article communicates account information to the point of sale terminal so that the account can be debited. In this step, the processing device 318 reads the memory device 316 to access financial account information 350 regarding one or more of the customer's accounts (see
Finally, as represented by block 1010, the point of sale terminal 106 communicates transaction information to the wearable article 102. In this step, the point of sale terminal has already received account information, processes the transaction by, in some embodiments, communicating with the payment network 116 to determine approval for the transaction, and then communicates confirmation of completion of the transaction to the wearable article 102. In some embodiments, the processing device of the wearable article 102 then instructs the user output device to present an indication of transaction completion to the customer. Such an indication, in one embodiment, for example, is a textual message indicating transaction completion, and in another embodiment, for example, is merely a visual indicator such as a colored LED indication.
Referring now to
In the next step, represented by block 1104, the processing device of the electronic device receives a signal from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information. In this step, the communication device of the point of sale terminal communicates a signal containing a message to the electronic device after the customer has initiated a transaction. In some embodiments, the message includes information related to the amount of the transaction.
In the next step, represented by block 1106, the processing device reads at least a portion of the account information stored at the memory device of the electronic device. In some embodiments, the account information includes account identification information such as account number and/or routing number. In other embodiments, other financial account information 350 and/or device-identifying information 351 or other information is included.
In the next step, represented by block 1108, the processing device instructs the communication device of the electronic device to communicate at least a portion of the information read from the memory device to the point of sale terminal in response to the request by the point of sale terminal. In this step, the communication device communicates some or all of the account information identifying or pointing to identification information regarding the account the customer wishes to use to make the purchase. Finally, as represented by block 1110, the communication device receives confirmation of completion of the transaction from the point of sale terminal. In some embodiments, the processing device then instructs the display to display an indication of completion of the transaction based at least in part on the confirmation received from the point of sale terminal to the customer. In some such embodiments, the indication of completion includes a textual message and in other embodiments the indication includes a color LED indication.
In various other embodiments, the point of sale terminal 106 communicates with the mobile terminal 103 in order to carry out the transaction. In such embodiments, the mobile terminal 103 communicates with the wearable article as necessary to output information or receive input from the customer, but in some such embodiments, as illustrated in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Next, as represented by block 1306, the financial institution server requests financial indication parameters from the customer. Such parameters include, in various embodiments, information regarding one or more account(s) the customer wishes to associate with the financial indicator profile. In some embodiments, the server provides the customer with a list of eligible accounts. In one such embodiment, the server provides a list of all deposit accounts associated with the customer's online banking profile for the customer's consideration. In addition to the account(s) to be associated with the financial indicator profile, the customer is also asked to establish rules defining the various financial indications. For example, in one embodiment, the server asks the customer to establish multiple thresholds representing amounts of funds within an account. For example, the customer may establish a “very serious” threshold at $100 for his checking account. As another example, the customer may establish a “moderately serious” threshold at $500 for her checking account. As yet another example, the customer may establish a “mildly serious” threshold at $1000 for her checking account. Of course, the customer can establish many different threshold levels for the one or more account(s) and can also establish additional rules for defining financial indications. For example, in one embodiment, the customer can establish a rule taking into account day of the month, day of the week, and/or time of day. For example, in one specific embodiment, a customer may establish a rule defining a “very serious” threshold as his savings account dropping under $1000 after the 20th of the month. Such a rule, for example, may be useful in order to ensure the customer is aware his funds are below a threshold necessary for him to pay his mortgage payment after the first of the month. In another example, in another embodiment, a customer may establish a rule defining a “mildly” serious” threshold as her savings account rising above $10,000. Such a rule, for example, may be useful in order to alert the customer that her account has sufficient funds for transferring into a higher yield account, or in another embodiment, the rule may be helpful if the customer is saving for a particular purchase. Thus, rules may be established based on a variety of considerations including multiple considerations, such as, for example, taking into account time of day in addition to levels of funds in one or more accounts. Furthermore, in other embodiments, multiple accounts can be tied into one rule. For example, a customer may desire a financial indication when she has at least a certain amount of funds in one account along with having less than another amount of funds in another account.
At block 1308, the financial institution server receives the financial indication parameters from the customer and defines a financial indicator profile for the customer based at least in part on the parameters received. In block 1308A, the financial institution server associates one or more display outputs with one or more specific financial health states. In this step, which is included in some embodiments and not in others, the server assigns a specific type of display output, such as a red light, to a specific financial health state, such as a “very serious” state. In other embodiments, the server assigns multiple display outputs and/or other indicator outputs such as audible or vibratory outputs with the various financial states. In some embodiments, the server does not assign display outputs or other indicator outputs to the various financial states, but merely identifies and defines the financial states. In such embodiments, the financial states will be communicated to the wearable device in a later step and the wearable device processes the financial states and determines the appropriate indicator output based on the received and processed financial state. In some such embodiments, the customer and/or the server assigns one or more of the various indicator outputs during set-up of the financial indicator profile and appropriate program code is downloaded to the memory device of the wearable article in order for the wearable article to be configured for receiving the financial state, processing the financial state, and displaying appropriate corresponding indicator outputs based on the financial state communicated from the server.
In block 1308B, the financial institution server defines communication settings including associating one or more wearable article(s) with the financial indicator profile. At block 1308C, the financial institution server stores the financial indicator profile at the server, and in some embodiments stores some or all of the financial indicator profile remotely at the wearable article(s). Finally, at block 1310, the financial institution server communicates the initial financial state to the wearable article(s) based on the stored financial indicator profile and application of the rules saved in the profile to the present circumstances of the customer's account(s) and any other necessary input information. In some embodiments, the wearable article indicates the initial financial state, and in other embodiments, it does not. In some embodiments, the wearable article only indicates the financial state if the state is determined, by the processing device of the server or the electronic device or both, to be abnormal, thereby necessitating indication to the customer.
As discussed above, once the wearable article(s) have been associated with the financial health profile, in some embodiments, program code and/or variables are downloaded to the wearable article(s) to configure the wearable articles to provide appropriate indicator output given each specifically defined financial state and/or financial activity. In some embodiments, no code is downloaded to the wearable article(s), but rather the wearable article(s) are pre-programmed with embedded code during or proximate manufacture such that the wearable article(s) are pre-configured for processing information regarding various financial indicator states received from a server or point of sale terminal. In some embodiments, the wearable article(s) are both pre-programmed and configured to some extent and the server also downloads some program code for configuring the wearable article(s) regarding proper indication for the various financial states established during set-up of the customer's financial indicator profile. In some embodiments, the financial states are standardized and the wearable article(s) are pre-programmed for receiving information regarding the financial state and indicating to the customer based on the pre-programming in light of the information. In some other embodiments, the information communicated from the server or point of sale terminal regarding financial state includes information instructing the wearable article(s) regarding proper indication for the financial state. For example, in one embodiment, the communication from the server including financial state, such as the initial financial state, includes instructions for the processing device of the wearable article configured to instruct the user output device of the wearable article for appropriate presentation to the customer, such as, for example, a flashing red light indicating some financial state and/or financial activity.
Referring now to
Next, as represented by block 1406, the financial institution server applies the financial parameters established by the customer thereby determining a financial state and/or activity including financial information based at least in part on the detected one or more triggering events. As represented by block 1408, in the next step, the financial institution server communicates the current state to the wearable article(s) when the financial state is unchanged. For example, in one embodiment, if a single threshold for a single account has been set at a particular amount such that an indication with be made when the account balance falls below the threshold, but the account balance has not fallen below that threshold (which would have been a triggering event), then the financial state is considered unchanged. Hence, if the wearable article is already persistently displaying the current financial state, then the indication will remain unchanged. Or, if the wearable article(s) was not indicating a financial state at all, the state can be communicated to the wearable article(s) for indication.
Next, as represented by block 1410, the financial institution server communicates a state change to the wearable article(s) when the financial state is changed. Referring back to the above example, in one embodiment, when the account balance falls below the threshold, it is considered a triggering event and the financial state is considered changed based on the pre-established parameters and the rules derived from the customer inputted parameters. Thus, in this step, the server communicates the state change to the wearable article(s) for indication to the customer.
Referring now to
In various embodiments of the processes discussed, including but not limited to processes 1300, 1400, and 1500, encryption and decryption techniques can be used to secure information communicated from the server and/or point of sale terminal to the wearable device and/or from the wearable device to the server and/or point of sale terminal.
In various embodiments, market conditions are taken into account when establishing the financial indicator profile. For example, the parameters input by the customer and the rules derived from the parameters can take into account a drop or rise of a market indicator such as an index of the stock market. The customer can request an indication on the wearable article regarding one or more markets passing certain thresholds or other indication mechanisms. Additionally, the rules, in some embodiments, can be established such that the customer's personal account(s) associated with the wearable article are examined in conjunction with market activity or some other external source of information before financial states are determined and communicated to the wearable article. This allows the customer to, if desired, take steps to buy or sell stocks or other products upon receiving certain indications from the wearable article.
In various embodiments of the financial health indicator functionality, the wearable article is configured for providing an indication based on peer behaviors. That is, in some embodiments, the financial indicator profile is established such that activity other than the customer's is indicated to the customer through the financial indicator. For example, in one embodiment, the customer is monitoring an account owned by one of the customer's children such that when the balance falls below a threshold predetermined by the customer, and input into the financial indicator profile, the server determines communicates the financial state to the wearable article thereby indicating to the customer the balance having fallen below the threshold. In another example, in one embodiment, a group with a common goal establishes a financial indicator profile, and the entire group is alerted to progress towards the common goal based on predetermined thresholds saved in the profile. The server communicates financial state messages to wearable articles carried by each of the members of the group. In one specific example, the members of the group are raising funds for a charity. As the funds are deposited into the earmarked account, which is associated with the financial indicator profile and thereby the wearable articles also associated with the profile, the server communicates financial states including information regarding the financial state and/or activity of the account to the wearable articles for indication to the members of the group. For example, as the funds pass predetermined thresholds, each member of the group is alerted to the level of funds by one or more indications by each of their wearable articles. In one example, the wearable articles are decorative pins that change colors as certain thresholds are passed in response to communications from the financial institution server acting in accordance with the established financial indicator profile. In some embodiments, indicators are made based on the customer's financial information in relation to others in the customer's peer group, such as those of similar income levels, age, geographic area, and the like.
In various embodiments, the wearable article 102 communicates with the point of sale terminal, one or more financial institutions or both. For example, in one embodiment, the wearable article receives financial information in the form of financial state information from either the point of sale terminal, if it is within proximity of a field or network generated by the point of sale terminal or the financial institution server if it is within proximity of a wireless network or other network in communication with the financial institution server.
Furthermore, in various embodiments wherein the electronic device 202 retains energy in the energy storage element 320 while outside of the field 502, the wearable article 102 can be used for transactions such as payment transactions at point of sale terminals 106 without requiring a field 502 for power. For example, in one embodiment, a point of sale terminal communication device 112 communicates in one or more wireless communication protocols such as, but not limited to, the Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, Bluetooth, electro-magnetic communication protocols, radio frequency (RF) communication protocols and the like. In such embodiments, the wearable article 102 communicates with the point of sale terminal but does not receive power from a field generated by the terminal. In other embodiments, both a field 502 and an additional communication network are generated by the terminal such that the wearable device 102 receives power via the field 502 and communicates via the communication network with the terminal. In some embodiments, the field 502, the communication network or both are generated by an entity other than the point of sale terminal. In some embodiments
It should be noted that in various embodiments of the invention, the field does not power the voltage regulator, energy storage element, processing device, display, memory device communication device, or other components of the electronic device of the wearable article, but rather, the components are powered by previously stored power held by the energy storage element. In some embodiments, for example, the energy storage element is one or more batteries configured for powering the electronic device. In other alternate embodiments, the field powers some but not all the components of the electronic device of the wearable article. For example, in some embodiments, the field is received by the communication device of the electronic device and is converted into a signal. The signal is used to power the voltage regulator and the energy storage element for present and/or future operation of the various components of the electronic device such as but not limited to, for example, the processing device.
In various embodiments, the financial information, that is, the financial state and/or financial activity, is real-time information or near-real-time information about the customer's account(s). In some embodiments, the information is presented to the customer constantly, periodically, or consistently by being pushed to the wearable article 102 by either the financial institution server 120 and/or the mobile terminal 103. In other embodiments, such information is pulled by the wearable article 102 based upon a customer request or other input. In some embodiments, the customer interaction may require authentication and/or encryption of data being communicated, such as account information being communicated from the wearable article to the point of sale terminal. In some embodiments, one or more encryption keys are stored in the wearable article and/or in the mobile terminal. In some embodiments, the indications to the customer and the information being indicating may be customized so that security and/or authentication may not be required. In various other embodiments, communications among the wearable article, the mobile terminal and/or the financial institution server may or may not include confidential information and may or may not include generic indicators for indicating to the wearable article to present a particular financial state and/or activity.
In various embodiments, kinetics, that is, human generated energy technology is used to power the wearable article 102.
In various embodiments, the established thresholds of the financial indicator profile are related to meeting forecasted payment obligations or representing progress towards one or more goals, such as, for example, savings for a child's college education, a house, car or other large item down payment, or the like.
In various embodiments, the wearable device is configured to present to the customer different presentations throughout a day or other time period. For example, presenting information regarding expense management in the morning, information regarding investment portfolios in the evening and the like.
In various embodiments, a game scenario is used in conjunction with the wearable article such that, for example, a group of friends can all establish financial indicator profiles setting individual goals and engaging in a competition against one another. The indicator, in some embodiments, represents how each customer is doing with respect to the others of the group. One example of this embodiment, is a game used in a charity fund raising event, and another example is with respect to business teams competing against one another.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a wearable article configured for providing payment information to a point of sale terminal during a transaction. The wearable article, in some embodiments, includes a band configured for wrapping around a body part of the customer and for carrying an electronic device. In some embodiments, the band has an attachment system for removably securing the band to the body part of the customer. The electronic device includes an energy storage element, a memory device, a communication device and a processing device. The processing device is configured for receiving a communication from the point of sale terminal requesting payment information for completion of the transaction. The processing device reads account information from the memory device and communicates payment information to the point of sale terminal. In some embodiments, the wearable article receives power from a field generated by the point of sale terminal.
Although some embodiments of the invention described herein are generally described as involving a “financial institution,” one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the invention may be utilized by other businesses that take the place of or work in conjunction with financial institutions to perform one or more of the processes or steps described herein as being performed by a financial institution.
As used herein, unless specifically limited by the context, the term “transaction” may refer to a purchase of goods and/or services (collectively referred to herein as “products”), a withdrawal of funds, an electronic transfer of funds, a payment transaction, a credit transaction, a PIN change transaction or other interaction between a cardholder and the bank maintained a bank account owned by the cardholder. As used herein, a “bank card” refers to a credit card, debit card, ATM card, check card, or the like, or other payment device such as, but not limited to, those discussed above that are not cards. An “account” or “bank account” refers to a credit account, debit account, deposit account, demand deposit account (DDA), checking account, budgeting account or the like. Although the phrases “bank card” and “bank account” include the term “bank,” the card or payment device need not be issued by a bank, and the account need not be maintained by a bank and may instead be issued by and/or maintained by other financial institutions.
As used herein, a “processing device” generally refers to a device or combination of devices having circuitry used for implementing the communication and/or logic functions of a particular system. For example, a processing device may include a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and other support circuits and/or combinations of the foregoing. Control and signal processing functions of the system are allocated between these processing devices according to their respective capabilities.
As used herein, a “communication device” generally includes a modem, server, transceiver, and/or other device for communicating with other devices directly or via a network, and/or a user interface for communicating with one or more users. As used herein, a “user interface” generally includes a display, mouse, keyboard, button, touchpad, touch screen, microphone, speaker, LED, light, joystick, switch, buzzer, bell, and/or other user input/output device for communicating with one or more users.
As used herein, a “memory device” or “memory” generally refers to a device or combination of devices including one or more forms of non-transitory computer-readable media for storing instructions, computer-executable code, and/or data thereon. Computer-readable media is defined in greater detail herein below. It will be appreciated that, as with the processing device, each communication interface and memory device may be made up of a single device or many separate devices that conceptually may be thought of as a single device.
As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the present invention may be embodied as a method (including, for example, a computer-implemented process, a business process, and/or any other process), apparatus (including, for example, a system, machine, device, computer program product, and/or the like), or a combination of the foregoing. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may generally be referred to herein as a “system.” Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-readable medium having computer-executable program code embodied in the medium.
Any suitable transitory or non-transitory computer readable medium may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples of the computer readable medium include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires; a tangible storage medium such as a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage device.
In the context of this document, a computer readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to the Internet, wireline, optical fiber cable, radio frequency (RF) signals, or other mediums.
Computer-executable program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present invention may be written in an object oriented, scripted or unscripted programming language such as Java, Perl, Smalltalk, C++, or the like. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present invention may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.
Embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and/or combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable program code portions. These computer-executable program code portions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the code portions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer-executable program code portions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the code portions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction mechanisms which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block(s).
The computer-executable program code may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the code portions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block(s). Alternatively, computer program implemented steps or acts may be combined with operator or human implemented steps or acts in order to carry out an embodiment of the invention.
As the phrase is used herein, a processor/processing device may be “configured to” perform a certain function in a variety of ways, including, for example, by having one or more general-purpose circuits perform the function by executing particular computer-executable program code embodied in computer-readable medium, and/or by having one or more application-specific circuits perform the function.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of, and not restrictive on, the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations, combinations, and modifications of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
