1. In a communication network having a plurality of electronic money issuers including one or more mobile network operators or other non-banking institutions wherein the mobile network operators can receive cash deposits from mobile subscribers, a method of certifying electronic money corresponding to cash received by a mobile network operator, said method comprising:
attaching an electronic money validator to the electronic money brought into circulation by a mobile network operator when a cash deposit is received from a mobile subscriber for deposit into the mobile subscriber’s account administered by the mobile network operator; and
retiring the electronic money validator when the electronic money is removed or taken out of circulation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic money validator is a watermark and a unique serial number that uniquely identify the electronic money.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic money validator is received from a third-party intermediary server.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the third-party intermediary server is administered by a central bank that regulates money flow by issuing electronic money validators for monies in electronic form.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the third-party intermediary server is administered by an international entity and issues electronic money validators for electronic money remitted between countries.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to the mobile subscriber in form of paper currency.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic money validator is retired by sending a retirement indication to a central bank intermediary server.
8. In a communication system having a plurality of electronic money issuers including one or more mobile network operators or other non-banking institutions, wherein the electronic money issuers can receive cash deposits from its customers, a method of certifying electronic money originated by said electronic money issuers, said method comprising:
attaching at least one electronic money validator to electronic money, said electronic money validator certifying said electronic money brought into circulation by the electronic money issuer when a cash deposit is received from a customer for deposit into the customer’s account administered by the electronic money issuer, and
withdrawing the electronic money validator when the electronic money is removed from circulation, wherein said withdrawal is by transmitting a withdrawal indication that the electronic money validator has been withdrawn from circulation.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said withdrawal indication is transmitted to a central bank intermediary server.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said central bank intermediary server issued said electronic money validator prior to the attaching step and wherein said central bank intermediary server regulates electronic money flow by issuing electronic money validators to electronic money issuers within a designated geographical region.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is a serial number that uniquely identifies the electronic money.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is a watermark and a serial number that uniquely identify the electronic money.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to the customer in paper currency form.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to an authorized representative of the customer.
15. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is used to purchase a product.
16. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is used to purchase a service.
17. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to a bank account of the customer.
18. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to a bank account of an authorized representative of the customer.
19. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is associated with a predetermined currency amount of cash deposit.
20. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is associated with a total amount of cash deposit from the mobile subscriber.
21. The method of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is associated with a total amount of cash deposit from at least two customers.
22. The method of claim 8 further comprising using said electronic money validator to track the electronic money and forwarding a transaction report indicating transactions involving the electronic money during existence of the electronic money.
23. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to:
attach an electronic money validator to electronic money brought into circulation by a mobile network operator when a cash deposit is received from a mobile subscriber for deposit into the mobile subscriber’s account administered by the mobile network operator; and
retire the electronic money validator when the electronic money is removed or taken out of circulation.
24. The system of claim 23 wherein the electronic money validator is received from a third-party intermediary server.
25. The system of claim 24 wherein the third-party intermediary server is administered by a central bank that regulates money flow by issuing electronic money validators for monies in electronic form.
26. The system of claim 23 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to the mobile subscriber in form of paper currency.
27. The system of claim 23 wherein the electronic money validator is retired by sending a retirement indication report to a central bank intermediary server.
28. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to:
attach at least one electronic money validator to electronic money in order to validate said electronic money brought into circulation by an electronic money issuer when a cash deposit is received for deposit into the customer’s account administered by the electronic money issuer; and
withdraw the electronic money validator upon the electronic money being removed from circulation, wherein said withdrawal is by transmitting a withdrawal notification report indicating that the electronic money validator has been withdrawn from circulation.
29. The system of claim 28 wherein the withdrawal notification report is transmitted to a central bank intermediary server, wherein said central bank intermediary server issued said electronic money validator prior to the attaching step and wherein said central bank intermediary server regulates electronic money flow by issuing electronic money validators to electronic money issuers within its jurisdiction.
30. The system of claim 28 wherein said electronic money validator is a serial number that uniquely identifies the electronic money.
31. The system of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to the customer in paper currency form.
32. The system of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is used to purchase a product.
33. The system of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is used to purchase a service.
34. The system of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is taken out of circulation when the cash deposit is returned to a bank account of the customer.
35. The system of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is associated with a predetermined denomination of currency.
36. The system of claim 8 wherein said electronic money validator is associated with a total amount of cash deposit received from the customer.
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. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:
an internal combustion engine including at least one recirculating gas generating cylinder capable of recirculating a part of its exhaust gas to an intake system and at least one recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder that does not recirculate its exhaust gas to the intake system;
an exhaust gas recirculating path having one end connected to an exhaust path through which exhaust gas only from the recirculating gas generating cylinder flows and having the other end connected to the intake system;
an exhaust catalyst for purifying exhaust gas provided on an exhaust path through which exhaust gas from the recirculating gas generating cylinder and the recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder flows;
a recirculating catalyst provided on the exhaust gas recirculating path for purifying exhaust gas that recirculates to the intake system;
fuel cut means that executes fuel cut for temporarily stopping fuel injection of the internal combustion engine; and
rich control means that performs rich control for controlling an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine to be temporarily richer than a theoretical air-fuel ratio when the fuel injection is restarted after return from the fuel cut,
wherein the rich control means includes air-fuel ratio control means that controls an air-fuel ratio in the recirculating gas generating cylinder to be richer than an air-fuel ratio in the recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder when the rich control and an exhaust gas recirculation by the exhaust gas recirculating path are simultaneously performed.
2. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the air-fuel ratio control means controls the air-fuel ratio in the recirculating gas generating cylinder to be richer when an exhaust gas recirculation rate is low as compared to when the exhaust gas recirculation rate is high.
3. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1, wherein the air-fuel ratio control means controls the air-fuel ratio in each of the recirculating gas generating cylinder and the recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder so that an adjustment of an oxygen storage amount in the recirculating catalyst is completed simultaneously with or before completion of an adjustment of an oxygen storage amount in the exhaust catalyst.
4. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 further comprising:
second air-fuel ratio control means that controls the air-fuel ratio in the recirculating gas generating cylinder to be the theoretical air-fuel ratio and controls the air-fuel ratio in the recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder to be richer than the theoretical air-fuel ratio when the adjustment of the oxygen storage amount in the recirculating catalyst is completed before the adjustment of the oxygen storage amount in the exhaust catalyst is completed.
5. A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising:
an internal combustion engine including at least one recirculating gas generating cylinder capable of recirculating a part of its exhaust gas to an intake system and at least one recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder that does not recirculate its exhaust gas to the intake system;
an exhaust gas recirculating path having one end connected to an exhaust path through which exhaust gas only from the recirculating gas generating cylinder flows and having the other end connected to the intake system;
an exhaust catalyst for purifying exhaust gas provided on an exhaust path through which exhaust gas from the recirculating gas generating cylinder and the recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder flows;
a recirculating catalyst provided on the exhaust gas recirculating path for purifying exhaust gas that recirculates to the intake system;
a fuel cut device that executes fuel cut for temporarily stopping fuel injection of the internal combustion engine; and
a rich control device that performs rich control for controlling an air-fuel ratio of the internal combustion engine to be temporarily richer than a theoretical air-fuel ratio when the fuel injection is restarted after return from the fuel cut,
wherein the rich control device includes air-fuel ratio control device that controls an air-fuel ratio in the recirculating gas generating cylinder to be richer than an air-fuel ratio in the recirculating gas nongenerating cylinder when the rich control and an exhaust gas recirculation by the exhaust gas recirculating path are simultaneously performed.