1. A financial management method executed by a third party service provider for reserving funds in anticipation of meeting a financial obligation of a customer without reducing, avoiding, or deferring any portion of the financial obligation, the financial obligation including a payment amount due to a creditor by a payment due date, the method comprising:
receiving financial data corresponding to the customer, the financial data including data regarding the financial obligation;
during a set-aside period leading up to the payment due date, transferring one or more amounts of money from a monetary source corresponding to the customer to a set-aside account, where the sum of the transferred amounts of money is equal to or more than the payment amount, at least one of the monetary source and the set-aside account being a stored value account; and
in a single transaction prior to or on the payment due date, using the money in the set-aside account to meet the financial obligation without reducing, avoiding, or deferring any portion of the financial obligation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer is able to withdraw money from the set-aside account before the money is used to meet the financial obligation.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer is able to adjust at least one of an amount of money transferred and a timing of a transfer of money during the set-aside period.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set-aside account is a stored value card, and the method further includes providing the stored value card to the customer.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the stored value card can be used by the customer in lieu of a bank card.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein amounts of money are transferred from at least one monetary source to a plurality of stored value cards in anticipation of meeting a plurality of financial obligations, and each of the stored value cards includes a visibly perceptible indication that identifies to which of the financial obligations it is directed.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set-aside account is a stored value account maintained by a data processing system as information in a database.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the money transferred to the stored value account is automatically disbursed by the third party service provider to meet the financial obligation.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the money is disbursed electronically.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
monitoring during the set-aside period an amount of funds available from the monetary source; and
determining at least one of when to transfer money to the set-aside account and how much money to transfer to the set-aside account according to the amount of funds available from the monetary source.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the creditor is a taxing authority.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the financial obligation is an estimated tax payment.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the estimated tax due as a function of the received financial data.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial obligation is a mortgage payment.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the monetary source is at least one of a bank account, a stock portfolio account, and a trust fund.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the monetary source is cash or a cash equivalent provided by the customer to the third party service provider
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial source is a source of wages for the customer.
18. The method of claim 1, further comprising borrowing money so as to provide funds for transfer to the set-aside account.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more amounts of money are transferred to the set-aside account periodically according to a set-aside schedule.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising;
accepting from the customer set-aside preferences including a preferred set-aside period and an amount per period to be set aside; and
determining the set-aside schedule according to the set-aside preferences.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying to the customer the set-aside schedule, and enabling the customer to accept or adjust the set-aside schedule.
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 apparatus for determining a value indicative of a desired charge density of a combustion mixture for an engine having an inlet air pathway, comprising:
a first sensor coupled with the engine and operable to determine a first characteristic indicative of an engine speed of the engine, and to transmit an engine speed signal as a function thereof;
a second sensor coupled with the engine and operable to determine a second characteristic indicative of a load on the engine, and to transmit an engine load signal as a function thereof; and
a processing device coupled with the first sensor to receive the engine speed signal and with the second sensor to receive the engine load signal, the processing device operable to determine a value indicative of a desired charge density for the combustion mixture as a function of the engine speed signal and the engine load signal.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first sensor comprises an engine speed sensor.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second sensor comprises an engine load sensor.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a generator coupled with the engine; and
wherein the second sensor is coupled with the generator and transmits the engine load signal as a function of a load on the generator.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second sensor comprises:
a current sensor; and
a voltage sensor.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a charge density sensing device coupled with the inlet air pathway, the charge density sensing device operable to determine a value indicative of an actual charge density of the combustion mixture and to transmit at least one charge density signal as a function thereof;
wherein the processing device is coupled with the charge density sensing device to receive the at least one charge density signal, and is operable to determine a value indicative of a desired fuel flow for the engine as a function of the at least one charge density signal.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the value indicative of a desired fuel flow comprises at least one of:
a value indicative of desired fuel flow quantity;
a value indicative of desired fuel flow duration;
a value indicative of desired position of a fuel valve;
a value indicative of desired change in position of the fuel valve;
a value indicative of desired rate of change of the position of the fuel valve;
a value indicative of desired air flow quantity;
a value indicative of desired air flow duration;
a value indicative of desired position of an air valve;
a value indicative of desired change in position of the air valve; and
a value indicative of desired rate of change of the position of the air valve.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a third sensor coupled with the inlet air pathway and operable to determine a pressure of a combustion mixture in the inlet air pathway, and to transmit a pressure signal as a function thereof;
a fourth sensor coupled with the inlet air pathway and operable to determine a temperature of the combustion mixture in the inlet air pathway, and to transmit a temperature signal as a function thereof; and
wherein the processing device is coupled with the third sensor to receive the pressure signal and with the fourth sensor to receive the temperature signal, and is operable to determine a value indicative of a desired fuel flow for the engine as a function of the pressure signal, the temperature signal, and the desired charge density of the combustion mixture.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the third sensor comprises a pressure sensor.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the fourth sensor comprises a temperature sensor.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the inlet air pathway comprises an inlet air manifold; and
the third and fourth sensors are coupled with the inlet air manifold.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the processing device is operable to determine a value indicative of an actual charge density of the combustion mixture as a function of the pressure signal and the temperature signal.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the processing device is operable to determine the value indicative of the actual charge density as a function of the pressure signal divided by the temperature signal.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a fifth sensor coupled with the inlet air pathway and operable to determine a value indicative of a massflow of the combustion mixture in the inlet air pathway, and to transmit a massflow signal as a function thereof;
wherein the processing device is coupled with the fifth sensor to receive the massflow signal, and is operable to determine a value indicative of a desired fuel flow as a function of the massflow signal and the desired charge density signal.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the fifth sensor comprises a massflow sensor.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processing device is operable to determine a value indicative of an actual charge density of the combustion mixture as a function of the massflow signal.
17. An apparatus for determining a value indicative of a fuel flow for an engine having an inlet air pathway, and a generator coupled with the engine to receive power from the engine, comprising:
a speed sensor coupled with the engine and operable to determine a first characteristic indicative of an engine speed of the engine, and to transmit an engine speed signal as a function thereof;
a load sensor coupled with the generator and operable to determine a second characteristic indicative of a load on the engine, and to transmit an engine load signal as a function thereof;
a pressure sensor coupled with the inlet air pathway and operable to determine a value indicative of a pressure of a combustion mixture in the inlet air pathway, and to transmit a pressure signal as a function thereof;
a temperature sensor coupled with the inlet air pathway and operable to determine a value indicative of a temperature of the combustion mixture in the inlet air pathway, and to transmit a temperature signal as a function thereof; and
a processing device coupled with the first sensor to receive the engine speed signal, with the second sensor to receive the engine load signal, with the third sensor to receive the pressure signal, and with the fourth sensor to receive the temperature signal, the processing device operable to:
determine a value indicative of a desired charge density for the combustion mixture as a function of the engine speed signal and the engine load signal;
determine a value indicative of an actual charge density for the combustion mixture as a function of the pressure signal divided by the temperature signal; and
determine a value indicative of a fuel flow for the engine as a function of the value indicative of the desired charge density and the value indicative of the actual charge density of the combustion mixture.
18. A method for determining a value indicative of a desired charge density for a combustion mixture for an engine, comprising:
determining a first characteristic indicative of an engine speed of the engine;
determining a second characteristic indicative of a load on the engine;
determining a value indicative of a desired charge density for the combustion mixture as a function of the first and second characteristics.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first characteristic comprises the engine speed.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the second characteristic comprises a power output of the engine.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein a power receiving device is coupled with the engine to receive power produced by the engine, and the second characteristic comprises a load on the power receiving device.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein the power receiving device comprises a generator.
23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
determining a third characteristic indicative of a pressure of the combustion mixture;
determining a fourth characteristic indicative of a temperature of the combustion mixture; and
determining a value indicative of a desired fuel flow as a function of the desired charge density, the third characteristic and, and the fourth characteristic.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the value indicative of a desired fuel flow comprises at least one of:
a value indicative of desired fuel flow quantity;
a value indicative of desired fuel flow duration;
a value indicative of desired position of a fuel valve;
a value indicative of desired change in position of the fuel valve;
a value indicative of desired rate of change of the position of the fuel valve;
a value indicative of desired air flow quantity;
a value indicative of desired air flow duration;
a value indicative of desired position of an air valve;
a value indicative of desired change in position of the air valve; and
a value indicative of desired rate of change of the position of the air valve.
25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
determining a value indicative of an actual charge density of the combustion mixture as a function of the third and fourth characteristics; and
wherein determining the value indicative of the desired fuel flow comprises determining the value indicative of the desired fuel flow as a function of the desired charge density and the actual charge density of the combustion mixture.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein determining a value indicative of an actual charge density comprises dividing the third characteristic by the fourth characteristic.
27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
determining a fifth characteristic indicative of a massflow of the combustion mixture; and
determining a value indicative of the desired fuel flow as a function of the fifth characteristic and the desired charge density.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
determining a value indicative of an actual charge density of the combustion mixture as a function of the massflow of the combustion mixture; and
wherein determining the value indicative of the desired fuel flow comprises determining the value indicative of the desired fuel flow as a function of the value indicative of the desired charge density and the value indicative of the actual charge density of the combustion mixture.
29. A method for determining a value indicative of a fuel flow of an engine, comprising:
determining a value indicative of a desired charge density of a combustion mixture for the engine;
determining a value indicative of a desired fuel flow as a function of the value indicative of the desired charge density of the combustion mixture.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
determining a value indicative of an actual charge density of the combustion mixture for the engine; and
wherein determining a value indicative of the desired fuel flow comprises determining a value indicative of a desired fuel flow as a function of the difference between the values indicative of the actual and desired charge densities of the combustion mixture.
31. A method for determining a value indicative of a desired fuel flow for an engine coupled with a generator, comprising:
determining a first characteristic indicative of an engine speed of the engine;
determining a second characteristic that is indicative of a load on the generator;
determining a third characteristic indicative of a pressure of the combustion mixture;
determining a fourth characteristic indicative of a temperature of the combustion mixture; and
determining a value indicative of a desired charge density for the combustion mixture as a function of the first and second characteristics.
determining a value indicative of an actual charge density of the combustion mixture as a function of the third characteristic divided by the fourth characteristic of the combustion mixture;
determining a value indicative of a desired fuel flow as a function of the values of the desired charge density and the actual charge density of the combustion mixture.