1. A method for accepting a payment from a consumer for monies owed by the consumer to a lender pursuant to a financial relationship between the consumer and the lender, the method comprising:
sending a promise-to-pay record from a lender system operated by the lender to a payment service provider system operated by a payment service provider distinct from the lender, the record comprising a set of identifiers forming a database, the database comprising existing promise-to-pay accounts, the set of identifiers being formatted into a consumer database, the promise-to-pay record identifying at least a payment amount and including a transaction identifier of the set of identifiers;
sending a record of receipt of a cash payment from the consumer to the payment service provider, the record of receipt identifying a paid amount and including a purported identifier provided by the consumer;
associating the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record, wherein associating the record of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record comprises matching the purported transaction identifier provided by the consumer with the transaction identifier included in the promise-to-pay record;
receiving a notice from the payment service provider system at the lender system, the notice comprising an indicator that a payment has been received for the promise to pay record at a location of the payment service from the consumer, the indicator identifying the paid amount and a purported identifier provided by the consumer wherein the consumer is physically present at the location of the payment service provider when the payment is made; and
receiving by the lender an electronic funds transfer of at least a portion of the paid amount from the payment service provider.
2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising storing a record of the cash payment in a database coupled with the payment service provider system.
3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the promise-to-pay record comprises a time limit, and wherein associating the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record comprises verifying with the payment service provider system that the cash payment was made to the payment service provider within the time limit.
4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising sending a request for instructions from the payment service provider system to the lender system if the time limit expires without the payment service provider receiving the cash payment.
5. The method as in claim 3 further comprising sending a request for instructions from the payment service provider system to the lender system if the consumer attempts payment after the time limit expires.
6. The method as in claim 1, wherein:
the promise-to-pay record includes information that identifies the customer; and
associating the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record comprises verifying a consumer identity through a comparison with the information that identifies the customer in the promise-to-pay record.
7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the customer comprises a borrower, and the promise-to-pay comprises a promise to pay a delinquent amount owed by the borrower.
8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising associating a transaction identifier with the promise-to-pay record with the lender system.
9. The method as in claim 8 further comprising providing the transaction identifier to the customer.
10. The method as in claim 1 further comprising receiving a request for instructions at the lender system from the payment service provider system.
11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising providing the payment service provider system with an instruction in response to the request for instructions from the lender system.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for accepting a payment from a consumer for monies owed by the consumer to a lender pursuant to a financial relationship between the consumer and the lender, having sets of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
send a promise-to-pay record from a lender system operated by the lender to a payment service provider system operated by a payment service provider distinct from the lender, the record comprising a set of identifiers forming a database, the database comprising existing promise-to-pay accounts, the set of identifiers being formatted into a consumer database, the promise-to-pay record identifying at least a payment amount and including a transaction identifier of the set of identifiers;
send a record of receipt of a cash payment from the consumer to the payment service provider, the record of receipt identifying a paid amount and including a purported identifier provided by the consumer;
associate the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record, wherein associating the record of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record comprises matching the purported transaction identifier provided by the consumer with the transaction identifier included in the promise-to-pay record;
receive a notice from the payment service provider system at the lender system, the notice comprising an indicator that a payment has been received for the promise to pay record at a location of the payment service from the consumer, the indicator identifying the paid amount and a purported identifier provided by the consumer wherein the consumer is physically present at the location of the payment service provider when the payment is made; and
receive by the lender an electronic funds transfer of at least a portion of the paid amount from the payment service provider.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 12, wherein the promise-to-pay record comprises a time limit, and wherein associating the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record comprises verifying with the payment service provider system that the cash payment was made to the payment service provider within the time limit.
14. The method as in claim 13 further comprising sending a request for instructions from the payment service provider system to the lender system if the time limit expires without the payment service provider receiving the cash payment.
15. The method as in claim 13 further comprising sending a request for instructions from the payment service provider system to the lender system if the consumer attempts payment after the time limit expires.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 12, wherein:
the promise-to-pay record includes information that identifies the customer; and
associating the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record comprises verifying a consumer identity through a comparison with the information that identifies the customer in the promise-to-pay record.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as in claim 12, wherein the customer comprises a borrower, and the promise-to-pay comprises a promise to pay a delinquent amount owed by the borrower.
18. The method as in claim 12 further comprising storing a record of the cash payment in a database coupled with the payment service provider system.
19. The method as in claim 12 further comprising associating a transaction identifier with the promise-to-pay record with the lender system.
20. The method as in claim 19 further comprising providing the transaction identifier to 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. Optical pulse source for generating optical supercontinuum pulses, comprising:
an optical pump laser operable to generate optical pump pulses at a pump pulse repetition rate Rf;
a nonlinear optical element comprising an optical fiber arranged to receive the optical pump pulses and configured to generate therefrom optical supercontinuum pulses;
an optical modulator provided between the pump laser and the optical fiber and operable to selectively control the launch of pump pulses into the optical fiber at a reduced, lower repetition rate Rr=RfN, wherein N is a positive integer, in order to generate optical supercontinuum pulses at a selectable repetition rate lower than the pump pulse repetition rate;
an optical fiber amplifier located between the optical modulator and the optical pump laser;
wherein the optical pulse source is configured such that the optical supercontinuum pulses generated by the optical fiber have a supercontinuum spanning from below 450 nm to greater than 2000 nm;
wherein the optical pulse source is provided with a microprocessor configured to determine when supercontinuum pulses are delivered; and
wherein the optical pulse source is configured to provide an output trigger signal.
2. The optical pulse source of claim 1 wherein the optical pulse source further comprises a wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter configured to receive an optical supercontinuum pulse and to wavelength filter the pulse at a predetermined wavelength.
3. The optical pulse source of claim 1 wherein the optical pulse source comprises an all-fiber source wherein said optical pump laser comprises a fiber oscillator, said optical modulator comprises a fiber coupled optical modulator, and wherein the optical pulse source is configured such that pump pulses are launched into said fiber without free space optics.
4. The optical pulse source according to claim 2 wherein the wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter comprises an acousto-optic tunable filter.
5. The optical pulse source according to claim 1 wherein said optical modulator comprises an acousto-optic modulator.
6. The optical pulse source of claim 1 configured to generate optical supercontinuum pulses at pulse repetition rates variable between 40 MHz and less than 100 kHz.
7. The optical pulse source according to claim 1, wherein the optical pulse source further comprises a gating device provided after the nonlinear optical element and configured to receive and pulse-pick optical supercontinuum pulses.
8. The optical pulse source according to claim 6 wherein pump pulses are launched into said optical fiber without the use of free space optics.
9. The optical pulse source according to claim 1 comprising a second optical fiber amplifier located between said optical modulator and said nonlinear optical element.
10. The optical pulse source according to claim 9 wherein pump pulses are launched into said optical fiber without the use of free space optics.
11. The optical pulse source according to claim 1 wherein pump pulses are launched into said optical fiber without the use of free space optics.
12. Optical pulse source for generating optical supercontinuum pulses, comprising:
an optical pump laser operable to generate optical pump pulses at a pump pulse repetition rate Rf;
a nonlinear optical element comprising an optical fiber arranged to receive the optical pump pulses and configured to generate therefrom optical supercontinuum pulses;
an optical modulator provided between the pump laser and the optical fiber and operable to selectively control the launch of pump pulses into the optical fiber at a reduced, lower repetition rate Rr=RfN, wherein N is a positive integer, in order to generate optical supercontinuum pulses at a selectable repetition rate lower than the pump pulse repetition rate;
wherein the optical pulse source is configured such that the optical supercontinuum pulses generated by the optical fiber have a supercontinuum spanning from below 450 nm to greater than 2000 nm;
wherein the optical pulse source is provided with a microprocessor configured to determine when supercontinuum pulses are delivered by the optical pulse source; and
wherein the optical pulse source is configured to provide an output trigger signal.
13. The optical pulse source according to claim 12 wherein pump pulses are launched into said optical fiber without the use of free space optics.
14. The optical pulse source of claim 13 wherein the optical pulse source further comprises a wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter configured to receive an optical supercontinuum pulse and to wavelength filter the pulse at a predetermined wavelength.
15. The optical pulse source of claim 12 wherein the optical pulse source further comprises a wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter configured to receive an optical supercontinuum pulse and to wavelength filter the pulse at a predetermined wavelength.
16. The optical pulse source according to claim 12 comprising an optical fiber amplifier located between said optical modulator and said nonlinear optical element.