Controlled entertainment spending account
OwnerMichael J. Picciallo, Peter J. Butch IIIinventors
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Abstract
A computer-based method for allocating funds in pre-established accounts for use by customers, by creating for each customer a customer account file containing a record of funds deposited for the customer, and limiting how the funds in each customer account file may be spent on audio and video entertainment in the form of goods and services in response to command instructions from the fund depositor, wherein the limit on the funds is a limit on transaction amount or a limit according to content on the audio or video entertainment on which the funds may be spent. Computer-based systems implementing the inventive method are also disclosed.
Claims55
A system for allocating funds in preestablished accounts comprising:
- a controller processor programmed:
- (a) to process data;
- (b) to create for each customer a customer account file;
- and
- (c) to transfer funds from customer account files to vendors of audio and video entertainment in the form of goods and services, in response to customer command instructions,
- an input device for supplying command instructions to said controller processor;
- and
- a data storage device associated with said controller processor in which file records of said customer account files created by said controller processor are stored, including information on the amounts of funds deposited for said customer;
- wherein said controller processor is programmed to process and store information in said storage device for each customer account, in response to command instructions from fund depositors, limiting how said funds may be spent on said audio and video entertainment, wherein said limit on said funds is either a limit on transaction amount or a limit according to content on the audio or video entertainment on which said funds may be spent.
A computer-based method for allocating funds in preestablished accounts for use by customers, comprising:
- creating for each customer a customer account file containing a record of funds deposited for said customer;
- and
- limiting how said funds in said customer account file may be spent on audio and video entertainment in the form of goods and services in response to command instructions from the fund depositor;
- wherein said limit on said funds is a limit on transaction amount or a limit according to content on the audio and video entertainment on which said funds may be spent.
A system for allocating funds in preestablished accounts comprising:
- a controller processor programmed:
- (a) to process data;
- (b) to create for each customer a customer account file;
- (c) to transfer funds from customer account files to vendors of audio and video entertainment in the form of goods and services, in response to customer command instructions;
- and
- (d) to process command instructions from depositors to transfer funds periodically to customer account files;
- an input device for supplying command instructions to said controller processor;
- and
- a data storage device associated with said controller processor in which file records of said customer account files created by said controller processor are stored, including information on the amounts of funds deposited periodically for said customers by fund depositors.
A computer-based method for allocating funds in preestablished accounts for use by customers, comprising:
- creating for each customer a customer account file containing a record of funds deposited for said customer for spending on audio and video entertainment in the form of goods and services;
- and
- periodically depositing funds into customer account files in response to command instructions from the fund depositor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.