Apparatus for encouraging timely periodic payments associated with a computer system

Abstract

A method of encouraging timely period payments that are associated with a computer system includes the step of storing passwords in the computer system wherein each password is associated with a separate payment period. Another step of the method includes determining based upon the passwords stored in the computer system whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period. The method also includes enabling use of the computer system based upon determining that the supplied password corresponds to the current payment period. The method may further include the step of disabling use of the computer system based upon determining that the supplied password does not correspond to the current payment period.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of encouraging timely periodic payments that are associated with a computer system, comprising the steps of: 
 storing a plurality of passwords in said computer system, each password of said plurality of passwords associated with a separate payment period;    determining based upon said plurality of passwords whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period; and    enabling use of said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 disabling use of said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 terminating execution of all processes on said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining whether said supplied password corresponds to a predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period, wherein said enabling step further comprises the step of: 
 enabling use of said computer system based further upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 in response to determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period, determining whether said computer system is within a pre-notification period associated with a second payment period that immediately follows said current payment period, and    displaying a warning message concerning said second payment period in response to determining that said computer system is within said pre-notification period associated with said second payment period.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 detecting whether a system time of said computer system has been changed in an unauthorized manner; and    disabling said computer system based upon detecting that said system time has been changed in said unauthorized manner.    
     
     
         7 . A computer system that encourages timely periodic payments, comprising: 
 a non-volatile storage medium in which is stored a plurality of passwords, each password of said plurality of passwords associated with a separate payment period;    a system clock operable to provide a system time;    a processor operably coupled to said non-volatile storage medium and said system clock; and    a memory operably coupled to said processor, said memory comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed by said processor cause said processor to: 
 determine based upon said system time and said plurality of passwords whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period; and  
 enable execution of user processes based upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period.  
   
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further cause said processor to: 
 disable execution of user processes based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.    
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further cause said processor to: 
 terminate execution of all processes on said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.    
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further cause said processor to: 
 determine whether said supplied password corresponds to a predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period,    enable execution of user processes based further upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period.    
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further cause said processor to: 
 determine, in response to determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period, whether said system time is within a pre-notification period associated with a second payment period that immediately follows said current payment period, and    displaying a warning message concerning said second payment period in response to determining that said system time is within said pre-notification period associated with said second payment period.    
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said processor further cause said processor to: 
 detect whether said system time of said system clock has been changed in an unauthorized manner; and    disable execution of user processes based upon detecting that said system time has been changed in said unauthorized manner.    
     
     
         13 . A computer readable medium for encouraging timing periodic payments associated with a computer system, said computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions which when executed by said computer system cause said computer system to: 
 determine based upon a plurality of passwords associated with a plurality of payment periods whether a supplied password corresponds to a current payment period; and    enable use of said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period.    
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said computer system further cause said computer system to: 
 disable use of said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.    
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said computer system further cause said computer system to: 
 terminate execution of all processes on said computer system based upon determining that said supplied password does not correspond to said current payment period.    
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said computer system further cause said computer system to: 
 determine whether said supplied password corresponds to a predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period,    enable use of said computer system based further upon determining that said supplied password corresponds to said predetermined grace period associated with said current payment period.    
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said computer system further cause said computer system to: 
 determine, in response to determining that said supplied password corresponds to said current payment period, whether said computer system is within a pre-notification period associated with a second payment period that immediately follows said current payment period, and    displaying a warning message concerning said second payment period in response to determining that said computer system is within said pre-notification period associated with said second payment period.    
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said plurality of instructions when executed by said computer system further cause said computer system to: 
 detect whether a system clock of said computer system has been changed in an unauthorized manner; and    disable use of said computer system based upon detecting that said system time has been changed in said unauthorized manner.