Abstract:
A method and system for providing a media to keep a record of its usage, and for the record to belong to the user of the media, are disclosed. The media includes a media content, and a media content processor for retrieving the media content in response to a media content retrieval request. The method and system further includes a usage record for storing at least one media usage record, where the media usage record comprises information about the media content retrieval request. The usage record belongs to a user of the media, where the user directly accesses the usage record via a usage record retrieval request for retrieving information from the usage record. The processing of the media content retrieval request and the usage record retrieval request are performed in separate transactions.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Field  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to media, and more specifically to a method and apparatus to process a media with a usage record.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     Usage of portable media is becoming popular. People carry credit cards, gift cards, prepaid phone cards, digital music players, medical cards, identity cards, or employee cards. Each card is a media containing useful content for specific purposes. People use these cards frequently. John had a gift card of $200 value for a department store. He went to shop at the department store. He bought a tie, a pair of shoes, and a cup of coffee. The next day, he went and bought a shirt, a pair of ear-ring for his wife, a cup of coffee and a coffee pot. He lost a few receipts. A month later, John wanted to know what he bought at the department store. He could not find all the receipts. He had the gift card but did not know the remaining amount because the record for the gift card belongs to the department store, and John does not have access to this record.  
         [0005]     Mary bought an electronic book for her daughter Jane. On and off, Jane read the electronic book. Mary wants to know if Jane has been reading, when, the progress and for how long. The electronic book does not keep a record of how it was read by Jane.  
         [0006]     The above illustrates a need for a media to keep a record of its usage and for the record to belong to the user.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     A method and system for providing a media to keep a record of its usage, and for the record to belong to the user of the media, are disclosed. The media includes a media content, and a media content processor for retrieving the media content in response to a media content retrieval request. The method and system further includes a usage record for storing at least one media usage record, where the media usage record comprises information about the media content retrieval request. The usage record belongs to a user of the media, where the user directly accesses the usage record via a usage record retrieval request for retrieving information from the usage record. The processing of the media content retrieval request and the usage record retrieval request are performed in separate transactions. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a media in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cash card in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates a process to reduce cash value.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates a process to increase cash value.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of using a cash card. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a media in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0014]     A media includes media content  120 . In one embodiment, media content  120  represents a monetary value. A media is a gift certificate, a money card, or a money card from a retail store.  
         [0015]     In one embodiment, media content  120  includes audio content, such as a song, a speech, recorded sound, or audio clip. In one embodiment, media content  120  includes video content, such as a movie, an animation clip, a video clip, a television program recording, or a video recording. In one embodiment, media content  120  includes a live concert, televised sport event, live news broadcast. In one embodiment, media content  120  includes an article, such as a book, a piece of news, written paper, spreadsheet, or presentation slides. In one embodiment, media content  120  includes a picture, such as a photo, graphical image, graph, or table.  
         [0016]     A media includes media content processor  110 . In one embodiment, media content processor  110  processes a request to retrieve media content  120 . Media content processor  110  retrieves media content  120 . Media content processor  110  receives a media content retrieval request and replies to the request by retrieving the retrieved media content. In one embodiment, the media content retrieval request includes additional information. In one scenario, additional information includes time information; requester information, such as a merchant identity; or transaction information, such as debit amount, or media content usage duration. Media content processor  110  processes retrieved media content based on the addition information. Media content processor  110  replies to the media content retrieval request with the processed retrieved media content. In one embodiment, media content processor  110  modifies media content  120  after the retrieval. In an embodiment, media content processor  110  updates media content  120  with the processed retrieved media content.  
         [0017]     Usage record  160  includes a plurality of media usage records. In one embodiment, the media includes the usage record  160 . In another embodiment, the usage record  160  is external to the media.  
         [0018]     Media content processor  110  stores media usage record to usage record  160 . Media usage record includes information about a media content retrieval request. In one embodiment, media usage record includes time information, additional information included in the media content retrieval request, retrieved media content information, or processed retrieved media content information. The usage record  160  belongs to the user, where the retrieval of the usage record  160  is directly requested by the user.  
         [0019]     In one embodiment, a media includes usage record retriever  170 . Usage record retriever  170  processes a request to retrieve usage record  160 . Usage record retriever  170  retrieves usage record  160 . Usage record retriever  170  replies to the usage record retrieval request with the retrieved information from usage record  160 . The retrieval of the usage record is independent of the retrieval of the media content  120  per a media content retrieval request.  
         [0020]     In one embodiment, a usage record retrieval request requests for all media usage records. Usage record retriever  170  retrieves all media usage records in usage record  160 , and replies to the usage record retrieval request with the retrieved media usage records.  
         [0021]     In one embodiment, a usage record retrieval request requests for a media usage record. In a scenario, usage record retrieval request requests for the latest media usage record. Usage record retriever  170  obtains the latest media usage record from usage record  160 .  
         [0022]     In a scenario, usage record retrieval request requests for the first media usage record. Usage record retriever  170  obtains the first media usage record from usage record  160 .  
         [0023]     In a scenario, a usage record retrieval request requests for the next media usage record. Usage record retriever  170  includes a memory storing an identity of the last media usage record retrieved. Usage record retriever  170  obtains the next media usage record from usage record  160 , based on the stored identity.  
         [0024]     In one embodiment, a media usage record includes a key. A usage record retrieval request includes a request key. Usage record retriever  170  matches the request key with usage record  160 , and retrieves a plurality of media usage records matching the request key.  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates a cash card. A cash card is a media. A cash card includes a cash value  220 . Cash value  220  is a media content. In one embodiment, cash value  220  includes a number representing a monetary amount. In another embodiment, cash value  220  includes an identity. The identity can be a number, a sequence of alphabets and digits, or a name. The identity can be used to relate to a monetary amount.  
         [0026]     A cash card includes a cash processor  210 . Cash processor  210  is a media content processor. Cash processor  210  processes a cash query about cash value  220 . In one embodiment, a cash query is to retrieve cash value  220 , to reduce cash value  220 , or to increase cash value  220 . Cash processor  210  retrieves cash value  220  and processes the cash query based on the retrieved cash value.  
         [0027]     Cash processor  210  stores to usage record  260  cash usage record. A cash usage record is a media usage record. In one embodiment, a cash usage record includes a time, the retrieved cash value, the processed cash value, or the amount of cash value changed. In one embodiment, the cash query includes additional information such as merchant information, bank information, merchandize information, or user information. Cash usage record includes the additional information to usage record  260 .  
         [0028]     Usage record  260  includes a plurality of cash usage records. In one embodiment, the media includes the usage record  260 . In another embodiment, the usage record  260  is external to the media.  
         [0029]     In one embodiment, a cash card includes cash usage record retriever  270 . A cash usage record retriever  270  is a usage record retriever. The usage record  260  belongs to the user, where the retrieval of the usage record  260  is directly requested by the user.  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  illustrates a process to reduce cash value. In one embodiment, a cash processor processes a cash query to reduce cash value. The process of cash processor includes a plurality of steps illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0031]     In step  312 , cash processor receives a cash query  304  to reduce cash value. Cash query  304  includes the reduction amount. In one embodiment, cash query  304  includes additional information. In a scenario, the additional information includes time, time of transaction, merchandize or product information, merchant information, buyer information, bank information, institution information, or transaction authorization information.  
         [0032]     In step  313 , cash processor retrieves cash value from cash value  320 .  
         [0033]     In step  315 , cash processor subtracts the reduction amount from the retrieved cash value. Cash processor generates a reduced cash value from the subtraction. In one embodiment, cash processor determines the retrieved cash value is larger than or equal to the reduction amount before the subtraction. In step  316 , cash processor stores into cash value  320  with the reduced cash value. Cash processor generates a cash usage record. The cash usage record includes information related to cash query  304 . In one embodiment, the cash usage record includes the reduction amount, or reduced cash value. In another embodiment, the cash usage record includes the additional information in cash query  304 . In a different embodiment, cash usage record includes the current time. Cash processor stores, in step  318 , cash usage record in usage record  360 .  
         [0034]     In step  319 , cash processor responses to cash query  304 . In a scenario, the response from cash processor includes the reduced cash value. In another scenario, the response is an indication of the completion of the reduction of cash value  320 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 4  illustrates a process to increase cash value. In one embodiment, a cash value processor processes a cash query to increase cash value. The process of cash processor includes a plurality of steps illustrated in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0036]     In step  412 , cash processor receives a cash query  404  to increase cash value. Cash query  404  includes the increment amount. In one embodiment, cash query  404  includes additional information. In a scenario, the addition information includes time, time of transaction, merchandize or product information, merchant information, buyer information, bank information, institution information, or transaction authorization information.  
         [0037]     In step  413 , cash processor retrieves cash value from cash value  420 .  
         [0038]     In step  415 , cash processor adds the increment amount to the retrieved cash value. Cash processor generates an incremented cash value from the addition. In step  417 , cash processor stores into cash value  420  with the incremented cash value. Cash processor generates a cash usage record. The cash usage record includes information related to cash query  404 . In one embodiment, the cash usage record includes the increment amount, or incremented cash value. In another embodiment, the cash usage record includes the additional information in cash query  404 . In a different embodiment, cash usage record includes the current time. In step  418  Cash processor stores the cash usage record in usage record  460 .  
         [0039]     In step  419 , cash processor responses to cash query  404 . In a scenario, the response from cash processor includes the reduced cash value. In another scenario, the response is an indication of the completion of the reduction of cash value  420 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 5  illustrates an embodiment of using a cash card.  
         [0041]     A user uses a cash card to pay for a purchase.  
         [0042]     The cash card includes cash processor  510 , cash value  520 , usage record  530  and cash usage record retriever  570 .  
         [0043]     The cash card includes a storage, such as a magnetic tape, a flash random access memory, a mini drive, a random access memory powered by an associated battery, or a Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM), such as a Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) or a carbon nanotubes memory. Usage Record  530  resides in the storage.  
         [0044]     The cash card connects to a merchant point-of-sale  580 . Merchant point-of-sale  580  includes a merchant card reader that accepts the cash card. The user puts the cash card in the merchant card reader. Cash processor  510  receives a cash query request from merchant point-of-sale  580 . Cash processor  510  processes the cash query request by retrieving cash value  520 ; reducing cash value  520  based on the monetary amount of the purchase; generates and stores a cash usage record in usage record  530  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . In one embodiment, merchant point-of-sale  580  includes an electronic funds transfer module that uses the response of the cash query request to complete an electronic fund transfer transaction.  
         [0045]     A user uses a home personal computer  590  to read the cash card. Home personal computer  590  connects to a personal card reader that accepts the cash card. Home personal computer  590  includes an application that processes cash usage record. The user puts the cash card in the personal card reader.  
         [0046]     Cash usage record retriever  570  receives a usage record retrieval request from home personal computer  590  over the personal card reader. Cash usage record retriever  570  retrieves the cash usage record from usage record  530  and returns the cash usage record to home personal computer  590 .  
         [0047]     Home personal computer  590  receives the cash usage record. The application displays information based on the cash usage record on a graphic display screen connected to home Personal computer  590  or prints the information to a printer connected to home personal computer  590 .  
         [0048]     In one embodiment, a cash card can be used as a gift card, a money card, a bank account card for banking accounts such as saving accounts and certificates of deposit, a food stamp card, or a debit card. Cash usage records stored in the cash card can be retrieved for further processing. In one scenario, a company gives a debit card to a traveling worker. The worker returns the debit card to the company after the trip. The company generates a traveling expense report based on the usage record in the debit card.  
         [0049]     In one scenario, a mother gives a cash card to her son studying in a college. At the end of each week, the mother retrieves the usage record of the cash card, and checks if her son uses the cash for abnormal purchases such as alcohol purchase, expensive item purchase.  
         [0050]     Foregoing described embodiments of the invention are provided as illustrations and descriptions. They are not intended to limit the invention to precise form described. In particular, it is contemplated that functional implementation of invention described herein may be implemented equivalently in hardware, software, firmware, and/or other available functional components or building blocks, and that networks may be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless. Other variations and embodiments are possible in light of above teachings, and it is thus intended that the scope of invention not be limited by this Detailed Description, but rather by Claims following.