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| 20080262919 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE PAYMENT TERMS - A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090254478 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE DEFERRED PAYMENT TERMS - A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090259548 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE ELECTION OF PAYMENT TERMS - A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance. | 10-15-2009 |
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| 20120123827 | System and Method for an Electronic Gift Key - A system and method facilitating delivery of a fully-integrated physical item providing access to non-physical content is presented. The method includes enabling access to an electronic greeting card, exclusive content, promotion, and/or store credit from a remote system after a gift key is linked to a local system. The system includes a local system and a gift key facilitating access to an electronic greeting card, exclusive content, promotion, and/or store credit after linkage between the local system and the gift key. The gift key includes a decorative cover, an integrated circuit, and an antenna or physical connector. The local system is a personal computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a Smart TV. A gift key could be disposed along a box, a bag, a ribbon, an envelope, or a gift wrapping or configured as a sticker with an adhesive backing. | 05-17-2012 |
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| 20090064581 | PLASMA-ASSISTED WASTE GASIFICATION SYSTEM - A plasma-assisted waste gasification system and process for converting waste stream reaction residues into a clean synthesis gas (syngas) is disclosed. The feedstock is fed into a reactor roughly one-third from the bottom through the use of a feed mechanism. The reactor has three zones; a bottom zone where melting occurs, a middle zone where gasification takes place, and a top zone with integrated plasma torches to control the temperature and polish the syngas. The residence times in the three zones are selected to optimize the syngas composition and melted products. The syngas leaves the reactor and is partially quenched with relatively cooler synthesis gas. The partially quenched syngas is further cooled to recover heat for steam generation and/or preheating the waste stream to the reactor. The cold syngas is then processed to remove pollutants. The clean synthesis gas is combusted in power generation equipment to generate electricity, or converted to other fuels by chemical processes. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20110100439 | RADIOISOTOPE POWER SOURCE - A radioisotope power sources that includes radioisotope nanoparticles and scintillator materials. An embodiment of the radioisotope power source includes radioisotope nanoparticles suspended within a polycrystalline scintillator; additional polycrystalline scintillator at least partially surrounding the polycrystalline scintillator with the radioisotope nanoparticles; and a photovoltaic device in light communication with the surrounding polycrystalline scintillator. A system that employs the radioisotope power source and a method of generating an electrical current are also disclosed. The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiment(s), and it is recognized that equivalents, alternatives, and modifications, aside from those expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of the appending claims. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110162278 | SYSTEM FOR REMOVING FINE PARTICULATES FROM SYNGAS PRODUCED BY GASIFIER - A system and method is provided for the removal of particulates from a fluid. Accordingly, a system is provided that includes a particulate removal system. For example, the particulate removal system may include a plasma torch that is configured to remove particulate matter from a fluid downstream from a gasifier. | 07-07-2011 |
| 20110290637 | SENSING AND CONTROL FOR PLASMA-ASSISTED WASTE GASIFICATION - A plasma-assisted waste gasification system including a sensing mechanism and process for converting waste stream reaction residues into a clean synthesis gas (syngas) is disclosed. The gasification system includes a first sensor located between a gas quench unit and a heat recovery unit to measure a first temperature and first flow rate of the synthesis gas exiting the gas quench unit; a second sensor to measure a second temperature and a second flow rate of a low temperature synthesis gas entering the gas quench unit; wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are connected to an inferential sensing mechanism. The inferential sensing mechanism is capable of estimating the temperature of the synthesis gas in the reactor, based on the measured first temperature and first flow rate, and the measured second temperature and second flow rate, using a mass-energy balance relationship that is based on the measurements of the two sensors. Another aspect of the invention relates to a control unit to control the temperature of the reactor to a required operating temperature range. | 12-01-2011 |
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| 20080293019 | Money Storage Device with Separately Interactive Virtual Teller - A personal savings bank, for use by children, which is attachable to a computer as a peripheral device and simulates interactions with a teller as paper money and coins are deposited into and withdrawn from the device is described. The invention includes a money storage peripheral, a communications system, and software executed by a computer adjacent to and separate from the money storage device. The money storage peripheral is attached to the computer via a wire or wireless link. The software program controls a teller displayed on the computer which interacts with a child in response to cues from the money storage peripheral. The teller could include a real person or an animated character who speaks, commands, and responds to a child during use of the money storage peripheral. In some embodiments, the virtual teller projects the future value of an account, develops a saving plan, displays money-related references, and/or enables a child to play a game after deposit of a coin or paper money into the money storage peripheral. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090063297 | System and Method for an Electronic Gift Key - A system and method for a physically-based gift key enabling a purchaser to deliver a single, fully-integrated gift item to a recipient and including an electronic greeting card and store credits redeemable online is presented. The method includes the steps of activating a gift key, customizing an electronic greeting card associated with the gift key at a host site via physical or wireless linkage of a gift key to a first local computer, accessing the greeting card at the host site via linkage of the gift key to a second local computer, and redeeming a store credit associated with the gift key at a retail website accessible from the host site. The system includes a gift key and a host computer system directly or indirectly controlling a host site. The gift key has a housing, an integrated circuit within the housing, and a connector or wireless interface extending from the housing so as to allow linkage of the gift key with a computer remotely located with respect to the host and retailer sites. The local computer automatically launches a website at the host or retailer levels when the gift key is linked to the local computer. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20110040649 | System and Method for an Electronic Gift Key - A system and method for a physically-based gift key enabling a purchaser to deliver a single, fully-integrated gift item to a recipient and including an electronic greeting card and store credits redeemable online is presented. The method includes the steps of activating a gift key, customizing an electronic greeting card associated with the gift key at a host site via physical or wireless linkage of a gift key to a first local computer, accessing the greeting card at the host site via linkage of the gift key to a second local computer, and redeeming a store credit associated with the gift key at a retail website accessible from the host site. The system includes a gift key and a host computer system directly or indirectly controlling a host site. The gift key has a housing, an integrated circuit within the housing, and a connector or wireless interface extending from the housing so as to allow linkage of the gift key with a computer remotely located with respect to the host and retailer sites. The local computer automatically launches a website at the host or retailer levels when the gift key is linked to the local computer. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110248041 | Interactive Manual Cup Dispenser - A use-activated cup dispenser capable of sensing the manual removal of individual cups therefrom is provided. Manual removal is understood to include physical contact between a hand and a cup and extraction of the cup from the cup dispenser by the user. The invention includes a decorative cover including a housing disposed between first and second covers, at least one switch mechanism, a control circuit, and at least one active element including light elements, motor elements, scent dispensers, and/or audio elements. The decorative cover further includes an opening along one end. One or more switch mechanisms are provided along the first cover adjacent to the opening. The functionality of switch mechanisms includes direct contact, indirect contact, and non-contact between the cup and an optical or mechanical switch. The control circuit could be disposed on a circuit board and controls the functionality of the active elements. Active elements are attached to the decorative cover and are actuated when a cup interacts with at least one switch mechanism. Active elements enhance the entertainment and interactive properties of the cup dispenser. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20120123827 | System and Method for an Electronic Gift Key - A system and method facilitating delivery of a fully-integrated physical item providing access to non-physical content is presented. The method includes enabling access to an electronic greeting card, exclusive content, promotion, and/or store credit from a remote system after a gift key is linked to a local system. The system includes a local system and a gift key facilitating access to an electronic greeting card, exclusive content, promotion, and/or store credit after linkage between the local system and the gift key. The gift key includes a decorative cover, an integrated circuit, and an antenna or physical connector. The local system is a personal computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or a Smart TV. A gift key could be disposed along a box, a bag, a ribbon, an envelope, or a gift wrapping or configured as a sticker with an adhesive backing. | 05-17-2012 |
