Distributed budgeting and accounting system with secure token device access

US6418420B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Sun Microsystems Inc. · US

Inventors

• Rinaldo DiGiorgio · Easton, US
• Michael S. Bender · Erfurt, DE
• Anders Holm · Säter, SE
• Diana Neiman · Los Altos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 30, 1998
• Grant date: Jul 9, 2002
• Expiry date: Jun 30, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q20/403
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A distributed budgeting and accounting system is designed to operate with secure token devices. The secure token devices serve both as electronic currency purses and as secure vehicles for authorization. The distributed budgeting and accounting system allows a budget to be defined for an organization. The budget is implemented via the secure token devices by transferring electronic currency tokens representing portions of the budgets to secure token devices associated with different portions of the organization. The funds may be transferred down a hierarchical organization by transferring funds between respective pairs of secure token devices. Once the budget has been fully distributed, members of the organization may spend electronic currency tokens on their secure token devices to cover the cost of using resources. Each card holder of the secure token device may only spend up to the amount provided on the associated secure token device. Secure token devices may be provided for service providers so that these funds that are spent to cover the use of resources may be accumulated to it. Accumulated funds may be returned to a central bank. The distributed budgeting and accounting sys…