1. A system for supporting the prevention or deterrence of the utilization of an email sending service to send, to a recipient, an email that the recipient does not wish to receive, the system comprising:
an email sending service that, on behalf of a service consumer, utilizes a computer processor that is a functional component of a computing device to send a separate email to each of a plurality of recipients,
wherein each of the separate emails contains an identical collection of content selected by themselves consumer for mass distribution to the plurality of recipients,
wherein the email sending service adds an item of content to a message body of each of the separate emails, the item of content in each of the separate emails being recipient-specific in that it is selected so as to be customized for the one of the plurality of recipients to which it is sent by the email sending service,
wherein the email sending service adds to each separate email an encrypted representation of the service consumer’s identity,
wherein the encrypted representation is encrypted in that it is an identifier that uniquely identifies the service consumer such that the identifier is not directly indicative of the identity of the service consumer but can be utilized to derive the identity of the service consumer,
wherein the recipient’s email service provider integrates, into an interface of each of the separate emails, a mark-as-spam component in the form of a control that when activated by the recipient of the email identifies the email as spam,
wherein when the email is identified as spam, the email service provider forwards the encrypted representation to the email sending service for identifying the service consumer, thereby enabling prevention of subsequent emails from the identified service consumer to the recipient, and
wherein said control is of a nature that makes it such that said activation by the recipient does not require navigation of a hyperlink.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the encrypted representation is an encoded representation of the service consumer’s identity.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the email sending service applies a key to the identifier so as to determine the service consumer’s identity.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein applying the key to the identifier comprises cross referencing the identifier within a collection of cross referencing data maintained by the email service provider, wherein the collection of cross referencing data correlates the identify of the service consumer to the identifier.
5. The system of claim 3, wherein applying the key to the identifier comprises applying a decryption key to the identifier so as to decipher the service consumer’s identity.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the recipient-specific item of content in each of the separate emails is a postal mailing address of the recipient to which it is sent by the email sending service.
7. The system of claim 1, the recipient-specific item of content in each of the separate emails is a unique uniform resource locator containing identifying information specifically indicative of the recipient to which it is sent by the email sending service.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the email sending service identifies the service consumer by cross-referencing said identifier that uniquely identifies the service consumer.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the email sending service adds said identifier to each of the separate emails before they are sent to the plurality of recipients.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein said control is of a nature that makes it such that said activation by the recipient does not require activating an unsubscribe link.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein said control is a check box control.
12. A computer-implemented method for supporting the prevention or deterrence of the utilization of an bulk email sending service to send, to a recipient, an email that the recipient does not wish to receive, the method comprising:
utilizing a computer processor that is a functional component of a computing device to attach identifying information to an email;
sending the email, with the identifying information to a recipient; and
receiving a copy of the email,
wherein the identifying information is encrypted to uniquely identify the customer of the bulk email sending service,
wherein said steps of utilizing, sending, and receiving are all steps performed by an email sending service,
wherein the email contains a collection of content selected by a service consumer on whose behalf the bulk email sending service sends the email to the recipient,
wherein the bulk email sending service utilizes the computer processor to add an item of content to the email, the item of content being recipient-specific in that it is selected so as to be customized for the recipient,
wherein the recipient’s email service provider integrates into an interface of each of the separate emails, a mark-as-spam component in the form of a control that when activated by the recipient of the email identifies the email as spam,
wherein when the email is identified as spam, the email service provider forwards the encrypted representation to the bulk email sending service for identifying the service consumer, thereby enabling prevention of subsequent emails from the identified service consumer to the recipient, and
wherein said control is of a nature that makes it such that said activation by the recipient does not require navigation of a hyperlink.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein attaching comprises attaching a cross-referencing mechanism.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving comprises receipt by the bulk email sending service from the email service provider that provides email service to the recipient.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving comprises receipt by the bulk email sending service as a report received from the email service provider that provides email service to the recipient.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-29. (canceled)
30. A method for converting light to electric power, comprising:
coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first set of characteristic properties and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second set of characteristic properties different from the first set of characteristic properties;
coupling in parallel at least two devices in at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power; and
coupling in series the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first set of characteristic properties and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second set of characteristic properties different from the first set of characteristic properties includes:
coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first spectral response and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second spectral response different from the first spectral response.
32. The method of claim 30, wherein the coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first set of characteristic properties and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second set of characteristic properties different from the first set of characteristic properties includes:
coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first energy band-gap and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second energy band-gap different from the first energy band-gap.
33. The method of claim 30, wherein the coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first set of characteristic properties and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second set of characteristic properties different from the first set of characteristic properties includes:
coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first conversion efficiency and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second conversion efficiency different from the first conversion efficiency.
34. The method of claim 30, wherein the coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first set of characteristic properties and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second set of characteristic properties different from the first set of characteristic properties includes:
coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first output current and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second output current different from the first output current.
35. The method of claim 30, wherein the coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first set of characteristic properties and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second set of characteristic properties different from the first set of characteristic properties includes:
coupling in parallel at least a first device in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a first light-to-current response and at least a second device in the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power having a second light-to-current response different from the first light-to-current response.
36-85. (canceled)
86. A method for converting light to electric power, comprising:
coupling in parallel at least two devices in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;
coupling in parallel at least two devices in at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;
coupling in series the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power; and
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry.
87. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one power converter.
88. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one voltage management device.
89. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one voltage converter.
90. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one DC-DC converter.
91. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one DC-AC inverter.
92. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one voltage regulator.
93. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one series voltage regulator, at least one shunt regulator, at least one zener diode, at least one fixed voltage regulator, or at least one adjustable regulator.
94. The method of claim 86, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with power management circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with switching circuitry to switch between open circuit and closed circuit.
95. The method of claim 94, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with switching circuitry to switch between open circuit and closed circuit includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one relay system, at least one electromagnetic relay system, at least one solid state relay system, at least one transistor, at least one microprocessor controlled relay system, at least one microprocessor controlled relay system programmed to respond to at least one external parameter, or at least one microprocessor controlled relay system to respond to at least one internal parameter.
96. A method for converting light to electric power, comprising:
coupling in parallel at least two devices in a first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;
coupling in parallel at least two devices in at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power;
coupling in series the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with the at least one additional plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power; and
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with protection circuitry.
97. The method of claim 96, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with protection circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with bypass circuitry.
98. The method of claim 97, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with bypass circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one bypass diode.
99. The method of claim 97, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with bypass circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one active bypass device controlled by switching circuitry.
100. The method of claim 99, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one active bypass device controlled by switching circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one relay system, at least one electromagnetic relay system, at least one solid state relay system, at least one transistor, at least one microprocessor controlled relay system, at least one microprocessor controlled relay system programmed to respond to at least one external parameter, or at least one microprocessor controlled relay system to respond to at least one internal parameter.
101. The method of claim 96, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with protection circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with circuitry responsive to current.
102. The method of claim 101, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with circuitry responsive to current includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one fuse.
103. The method of claim 101, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with circuitry responsive to current includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with switching circuitry.
104. The method of claim 103, wherein the coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with switching circuitry includes:
coupling at least a portion of the first plurality of devices suitable to convert light to electric power with at least one relay system, at least one electromagnetic relay system, at least one solid state relay system, at least one transistor, at least one microprocessor controlled relay system, at least one microprocessor controlled relay system programmed to respond to at least one external parameter, or at least one microprocessor controlled relay system to respond to at least one internal parameter.
105-139. (canceled)
140-217. (canceled)