1. A computer-implemented method for generating enhanced invoice payment documents, the method comprising:
receiving, by a computer system having a processor, a plurality of invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers and issued to a plurality of different recipients;
creating, by the computer system, a digital image of each of the plurality of invoices;
storing, by the computer system, the digital images of the plurality of invoices in a database connected to the computer processor;
receiving, by the computer system, an authorization from one of the recipients to make a payment by check for one or more of the plurality of invoices of a common issuer, as selected by said recipient;
retrieving, by the computer system, an image of the selected one or more of the plurality of invoices from the database;
generating, by the computer system, an enhanced invoice payment document, the enhanced invoice payment document containing (1) a check payable to an issuer of the selected invoice or invoices, and (2) the image of each of the selected one or more invoices;
displaying, by the computer system, a layout of the enhanced invoice payment document to said recipient for approval; and
responsive to receiving an approval from said recipient for the layout, preparing, by the computer system, the enhanced invoice payment document to be transmitted to an issuer.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:
the receiving authorization comprises receiving authorization from said recipient to make payment by a single check for two or more invoices selected by said recipient, the selected invoices all issued by a single issuer; and
the enhanced invoice payment document further containing images of each of the selected invoices, wherein the images of each of the selected invoices are laid out on a same page as the check in the graphical representation of the enhanced invoice payment document.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
responsive to receiving a disapproval from said recipient for the layout, generating a separate enhanced invoice payment document for each one of the selected invoices, wherein each of the separate enhanced invoice payment documents for each selected invoice includes (1) a separate check payable to an issuer for payment of that selected invoice, and (2) the corresponding image of that selected invoice.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced invoice payment document further comprises at least one of the following: a note about an underlying transaction, a mini-statement, and an advertisement.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the image of the one or more invoices is printed on a back side of the paper on which the check is printed.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein a classic statement is printed on a front side of the paper.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
comparing the received plurality of invoices to determine distinguishing features of templates of invoices from different issuers;
selecting templates for the invoices based on the determined distinguishing features, each template being identified with an issuer; and
extracting data from the received plurality of invoices based on the selected templates.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded executable computer program instructions, the executable computer program instructions comprising instructions for:
receiving, by a computer system having a processor, a plurality of invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers and issued to a plurality of different recipients;
creating, by the computer system, a digital image of each of the plurality of invoices;
storing, by the computer system, the digital images of the plurality of invoices in a database connected to the computer processor;
receiving, by the computer system, an authorization from one of the recipients to make a payment by check for one or more of the plurality of invoices of a common issuer, as selected by said recipient;
retrieving, by the computer system, an image of the selected one or more of the plurality of invoices from the database;
generating, by the computer system, an enhanced invoice payment document, the enhanced invoice payment document containing (1) a check payable to an issuer of the selected invoice or invoices, and (2) the image of each of the selected one or more invoices;
displaying, by the computer system, a layout of the enhanced invoice payment document to said recipient for approval; and
responsive to receiving an approval from said recipient for the layout, preparing, by the computer system, the enhanced invoice payment document to be transmitted to an issuer.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein:
the receiving authorization comprises receiving authorization from said recipient to make payment by a single check for two or more invoices selected by said recipient, the selected invoices all issued by a single issuer; and
the enhanced invoice payment document further containing images of each of the selected invoices, wherein the images of each of the selected invoices are laid out on a same page as the check in the graphical representation of the enhanced invoice payment document.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the executable computer program instructions further comprise instructions for:
responsive to receiving a disapproval from said recipient for the layout, generating a separate enhanced invoice payment document for each one of the selected invoices, wherein each of the separate enhanced invoice payment documents for each selected invoice includes (1) a separate check payable to an issuer for payment of that selected invoice, and (2) the corresponding image of that selected invoice.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the image of the one or more selected invoices is printed on a back side of the paper on which the check is printed.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the executable computer program instructions further comprise instructions for:
comparing the received plurality of invoices to determine distinguishing features of templates of invoices from different issuers;
selecting templates for the invoices based on the determined distinguishing features, each template being identified with an issuer; and
extracting data from the received plurality of invoices based on the selected templates.
13. A system comprising:
a processor and a memory storing instructions configured to instruct the processor to:
receive a plurality of invoices issued by a plurality of different issuers and issued to a plurality of different recipients;
create a digital image of each of the plurality of invoices;
store the digital images of the plurality of invoices in a database connected to the processor;
receive an authorization from one of the recipients to make a payment by check for one or more of the plurality of invoices of a common issuer, as selected by said recipient;
retrieve an image of the selected one or more of the plurality of invoices from the database;
generate an enhanced invoice payment document, the enhanced invoice payment document containing (1) a check payable to an issuer of the selected invoice or invoices, and (2) the image of each of the selected one or more invoices;
display a layout of the enhanced invoice payment document to said recipient for approval; and
responsive to receiving an approval from said recipient for the layout, prepare the enhanced invoice payment document to be transmitted to an issuer.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein:
the received authorization comprises receiving authorization from said recipient to make payment by a single check for two or more invoices selected by said recipient, the selected invoices all issued by a single issuer; and
the enhanced invoice payment document further containing images of each of the selected invoices, wherein the images of each of the selected invoices are laid out on a same page as the check in the graphical representation of the enhanced invoice payment document.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the processor to:
responsive to receiving a disapproval from said recipient for the layout, generate a separate enhanced invoice payment document for each one of the selected invoices, wherein each of the separate enhanced invoice payment documents for each selected invoice includes (1) a separate check payable to an issuer for payment of that selected invoice, and (2) the corresponding image of that selected invoice.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the image of the one or more selected invoices is printed on a back side of the paper on which the check is printed.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the processor to:
compare the received plurality of invoices to determine distinguishing features of templates of invoices from different issuers;
select templates for the invoices based on the determined distinguishing features, each template being identified with an issuer; and
extract data from the received plurality of invoices based on the selected templates.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuel source configured to provide a fuel;
an oxidizer source configured to provide an oxidizer;
a fuel cell configured to react the fuel with the oxidizer to operate at a given power-generation rate; and
a controller configured to regulate the reaction pressure of a reactant of the group consisting of the fuel and the oxidizer;
wherein the controller is configured to regulate the reaction pressure to be less than one atmosphere with the aircraft at a cruise altitude and the fuel cell operating at the given power-generation rate.
2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the cruise altitude is in the range of 55,000 to 70,000 feet.
3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the reaction pressure of the reactant is not greater than 11 psia.
4. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the reaction pressure of the fuel is not greater than 11 psia, and wherein the reaction pressure of the oxidizer is not greater than 11 psia.
5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the reaction pressure of the reactant is not greater than 10 psia.
6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the reaction pressure of the fuel is not greater than 10 psia, and wherein the reaction pressure of the oxidizer is not greater than 10 psia.
7. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the reaction pressure of the reactant is not greater than 6 psia.
8. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the reaction pressure of the reactant is approximately 6 psia and the cruise altitude is in the range of 55,000 to 70,000 feet.
9. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the reaction pressure of the reactant in response to the power requirements of the aircraft.
10. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the oxidizer source comprises an inlet for ambient air and a compression mechanism configured to compress the ambient air.
11. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the reaction pressure of the oxidizer by regulating the amount by which the compression mechanism compresses the ambient air.
12. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the fuel source comprises a hydrogen tank containing liquid hydrogen, and a heat source for controllably boiling the liquid hydrogen.
13. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the reaction pressure of the fuel by regulating the rate at which the heater boils the liquid hydrogen.
14. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate the reaction pressure of the fuel to be no greater than a predetermined increment above the reaction pressure of the oxidizer.
15. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein:
the oxidizer source comprises an inlet for ambient air and a compression mechanism configured to compress the ambient air;
the fuel source comprises a hydrogen tank containing liquid hydrogen, and a heat source for controllably boiling the liquid hydrogen; and
the controller is further configured to regulate the reaction pressure of the oxidizer by regulating the amount by which the compression mechanism compresses the ambient air, and to regulate the reaction pressure of the fuel by regulating the rate at which the heater boils the liquid hydrogen; and
the controller is further configured to regulate the reaction pressures of the fuel and the oxidizer such that the power-generation rate of the fuel cell varies in response to the power requirements of the aircraft, and the reaction pressure of the fuel is no greater than a predetermined increment above the reaction pressure of the oxidizer.
16. The aircraft of claim 15, wherein, with a cruise altitude in the range of 55,000 to 70,000 feet, the reaction pressure of the oxidizer is approximately 6 psia, and the predetermined increment is approximately 4-5 psi.
17. An aircraft, comprising:
a hydrogen source including a hydrogen tank and a mechanism configured to regulate delivery of hydrogen from the hydrogen tank;
an oxygen source including a compression mechanism configured to compress ambient air from outside of the aircraft;
a fuel cell configured to react hydrogen from the hydrogen tank with oxygen from the compression mechanism to generate power; and
a control system configured to control the operation of the hydrogen source and the oxygen source at a given aircraft flight condition such that the fuel cell reacts oxygen at a first reaction pressure with hydrogen at a second reaction pressure, wherein the first reaction pressure is less than one atmosphere, and wherein the difference between the first reaction pressure and the second reaction pressure is no greater than a predetermined limit.
18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the second reaction pressure is less than one atmosphere.
19. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the control system is configured to vary the first and second pressures based on power requirements of the aircraft.
20. The aircraft of claim 19, wherein the control system is configured such that at a stratospheric flight condition, the first pressure is approximately 6 psia, and the predetermined limit is not greater than 5 psi.