A mobile payment platform and service provides a fast, easy way to make payments by users of mobile devices. The platform also interfaces with nonmobile channels and devices such as e-mail, instant messenger, and Web. In an implementation, funds are accessed from an account holder s mobile device such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant to make or receive payments. Financial transactions may be conducted on a person-to-person (P2P) or person-to-merchant (P2M) basis where each party is identified by a unique indicator such as a telephone number or bar code. Transactions may be requested through any number of means including SMS messaging, Web, e-mail, instant messenger, a mobile client application, an instant messaging plug-in application or widget. The mobile client application, resident on the mobile device, simplifies access and performing financial transactions in a fast, secure manner.

Mobile person-to-person payment system

A mobile entertainment and communication device in a palm-held size housing has a cellular or satellite telephone capable of wireless communication with the Internet and one or more replaceable memory card sockets for receiving a blank memory card for recording data directly from the Internet and, in particular, musical performances that then can be selectively reproduced by the device for the enjoyment of the user, including both audio and visual recordings and reproductions. The device also includes a camera and microphone for recording images and sound within the range of the device that can be wirelessly transmitted, either selectively or automatically to a remote telephone. Further, the device includes sensors for sensing unusual conditions that may also be transmitted to a remote telephone, together with the location of the device as determined by a GPS section of the device.

Mobile Entertainment and Communication Device

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a music player may receive a requested music file through a wireless communication. For example, the device may establish a peer-to-peer wireless communication path(s) with another device to initiate a request for a music file without a priori knowledge of whether the file is available to the another device. The device may then receive the music file from the remote device through a peer-to-peer wireless communication path(s).

Wireless music device and method therefor

A virtual pooled account is used in operating a system having multiple financial partners. In a specific implementation, the system is a mobile banking system. Instead of maintaining separate general ledgers for each financial institution, the system will keep one general virtual pooled account. This will reduce the settlement and operational costs of the system. The owner of the virtual pooled account will receive the float on the virtual pooled account, and this float will be distributed to the multiple financial partners according to a formula.

Virtual pooled account for mobile banking

A system and method for providing promotional rewards is provided. First, a promotional reward is communicated to a customer. The promotional reward offer comprises a promotional reward associated with one or more promotional reward-earning behaviors and a promotional time frame. The offer may specify a customer population, and the customer may be enrolled in the promotional reward program if the customer is determined to be in the population. The customer is credited a promotional reward if the customer accomplishes the promotional reward-earning behavior(s) within the promotional time frame. The customer may also be enrolled in a base reward program. The promotional rewards and base rewards may be accumulated in a customer account. A system for implementing a promotional rewards program is also provided.

System and method for granting promotional rewards to credit account holders

Each device of a family of removable digital media devices (310, 320, 330, 340, 350 and 360) may be plugged into a host to permits the host to store data in it or to retrieve data from it. The form factors of the digital media devices in the family and the connector system used by the digital media devices are compact for minimizing the volume of space occupied in portable devices and for easy storage. Some embodiments (310, 320, 330, 350 and 360) provide an elongated compact form factor that provides easy and firm grasping for insertion and removal. The digital media devices of the family have respective body portions (312, 322, 332, 342, 352 and 362) preferably of a rigid or semi-rigid material. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family use serial memory requiring few power and signal lines, so that few electrical contacts are required. In particular, a small number of durable contact pads form the contact arrays (314, 324, 334, 344, 354 and 364) on the digital media devices, which in conjunction with corresponding contact pads mounted into a suitable socket provide for easy and convenient insertion and removal and for robust and reliable electrical contact over a long insertion lifetime. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family incorporate flash memory, which permits low voltage operation, low power consumption, and high capacity non-volatile data storage. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family are fabricated using surface mount techniques (310 and 320) or particularly inexpensive "Chip on Board" techniques (330, 340, 350 and 360). The digital media devices interface to the host either directly or through adapters. Access is handled either by a dedicated controller or other logic residing in the adapter or on the host, or by software running on the host.

Adapter for interfacing an insertable/removable digital memory apparatus to a host data part

Each device of a family of removable digital media devices (310, 320, 330, 340, 350 and 360) may be plugged into a host to permits the host to store data in it or to retrieve data from it. The form factors of the digital media devices in the family and the connector system used by the digital media devices are compact for minimizing the volume of space occupied in portable devices and for easy storage. Some embodiments (310, 320, 330, 350 and 360) provide an elongated compact form factor that provides easy and firm grasping for insertion and removal. The digital media devices of the family have respective body portions (312, 322, 332, 342, 352 and 362) preferably of a rigid or semi-rigid material. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family use serial memory requiring few power and signal lines, so that few electrical contacts are required. In particular, a small number of durable contact pads form the contact arrays (314, 324, 334, 344, 354 and 364) on the digital media devices, which in conjunction with corresponding contact pads mounted into a suitable socket provide for easy and convenient insertion and removal and for robust and reliable electrical contact over a long insertion lifetime. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family incorporate flash memory, which permits low voltage operation, low power consumption, and high capacity non-volatile data storage. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family are fabricated using surface mount techniques (310 and 320) or particularly inexpensive "Chip on Board" techniques (330, 340, 350 and 360).

Insertable/removable digital memory apparatus and methods of operation thereof

Each device of a family of removable digital media devices ( 310, 320, 330, 340, 350 and 360 ) may be plugged into a host to permits the host to store data in it or to retrieve data from it. The form factors of the digital media devices in the family and the connector system used by the digital media devices are compact for minimizing the volume of space occupied in portable devices and for easy storage. Some embodiments ( 310, 320, 330, 350 and 360 ) provide an elongated compact form factor that provides easy and firm grasping for insertion and removal. The digital media devices of the family have respective body portions ( 312, 322, 332, 342, 352 and 362 ) preferably of a rigid or semi-rigid material. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family use serial memory requiring few power and signal lines, so that few electrical contacts are required. In particular, a small number of durable contact pads form the contact arrays ( 314, 324, 334, 344, 354 and 364 ) on the digital media devices, which in conjunction with corresponding contact pads mounted into a suitable socket provide for easy and convenient insertion and removal and for robust and reliable electrical contact over a long insertion lifetime. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family incorporate flash memory, which permits low voltage operation, low power consumption, and high capacity non-volatile data storage. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family are fabricated using surface mount techniques ( 310 and 320 ) or particularly inexpensive “Chip on Board” techniques ( 330, 340, 350 and 360 ). The digital media devices interface to the host either directly or through adapters. Access is handled either by a dedicated controller or other logic residing in the adapter or on the host, or by software running on the host.

Insertble and removable digital memory apparatus

Each device of a family of removable digital media devices may be plugged into a host to permits the host to store data in it or to retrieve data from it. The form factors of the digital media devices and the connector system used by them are compact for minimizing the volume of space occupied in portable devices and for easy storage. Preferably, the digital media devices of the family use serial memory requiring few power and signal lines, so that few electrical contacts are required. For example, a small number of durable contact pads form the contact arrays on the digital media devices, which in conjunction with corresponding contact pads mounted into a suitable socket provide for easy and convenient insertion and removal and for robust and reliable electrical contact over a long insertion lifetime. The digital media devices interface to the host either directly or through adapters.

Robin J. Jigour

Papers

Adapter for interfacing an insertable/removable digital memory apparatus to a host data part

Insertable/removable digital memory apparatus and methods of operation thereof

Insertble and removable digital memory apparatus

Adapter apparatus for interfacing an insertable and removable digital memory device to a host port

Insertable and removable high capacity digital memory apparatus and methods of operation thereof