1. An apparatus for storing and transferring content, the apparatus comprising:
an interface configured to send and receive messages through a communications medium, the interface including a first cryptographic function for protecting messages being sent, and a second cryptographic function for verifying received messages;
a memory storing at least a current content, a respective unique identifier of the storage media, and a log of content transfers; and
a controller operatively coupled to the interface and the memory, the controller operating under control of instruction code to execute a Transfer-In process to record a transfer of message content to the storage media, and to execute a Transfer-Out process to record a transfer of message content from the storage media:
wherein the Transfer-In process comprises steps of:
receiving, via the interface, a content transfer message including at least a message content to be transferred
determining, using the second cryptographic function, a validity of the received content transfer message;
determining, using the log, whether the received content transfer message is likely a duplicate;
if the received content transfer message is valid and is not a duplicate, increasing the current content by the message content to be transferred and recording information of the content transfer in the log; and
wherein the Transfer-Out process comprises steps of:
receiving, via the interface, a content transfer request message including at least a message content to be transferred;
determining whether the current content is equal to or greater than the message content to be transferred, and if it is, then generating a content transfer message including the message content to be transferred, decreasing the current content by the message content amount to be transferred; recording information of the content transfer in the log, and using the first cryptographic function to protect the generated content transfer message.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each storage media comprises any one of:
a physical storage media; and
a virtual storage media instantiated and maintained by a server.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communications medium comprises any one or more of:
a network;
a communications device connected to the network and connected to a respective storage media via the interface, the communications device hosting the storage media for communications through the network; and
a direct link between the storage media and a terminal or another storage media.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network is the internet.
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the communications device is selected from the list comprising Personal Data Assistants (PDAs); cell phones, hand-held computers and lap-top computers.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the direct link is a wireless link.
7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the terminal is selected from the list comprising merchant’s point-of-sale devices, self-service kiosks and \u201ctouch-and-go\u201d terminals.
8-9. (canceled)
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each transfer request message contains a challenge word, and wherein detecting a likely duplicate transfer request message comprises:
for each content transfer process completed by the controller, storing the challenge word contained in the respective transfer request message, as part of the information of the content transfer stored in the log; and
upon receipt of a new transfer request message, comparing the respective challenge word contained in the new transfer request message to challenge words already stored in the log.
11-31. (canceled)
32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first cryptographic function comprises applying a digital signature to the message being sent, and wherein the second cryptographic function comprises determining a validity of a digital signature included in a received message.
33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information recorded in the log comprises a digest of each transfer message.
34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the digest comprises a hash of the respective transfer message.
35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display operatively connected to the controller, such that the controller can display information including the current content.
36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein the display is a touch-screen for receiving user input.
37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, further comprising at least one button for receiving user input.
38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein the transfer-out process comprises comparing the message content to be transferred to a user-input content, and generating the transfer message only if the message content to be transferred matches the user-input content.
39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein the received transfer request message includes a message content to be transferred having a null value, and wherein the transfer-out process comprises generating the transfer message using the user-input content as the message content to be transferred.
40. An electronic content exchange system comprising:
a communications medium; and
at least two storage media in accordance with claim 1.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A polymer electrolyte containing a block copolymer comprising one or more blocks having sulfonic acid groups and one or more blocks having substantially no sulfonic acid group, and at least one block among all the blocks is a block having aromatic rings in the main chain thereof.
2. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 1, wherein the blocks having sulfonic acid groups have a structure where the sulfonic acid groups are directly bonded to the aromatic rings.
3. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blocks having sulfonic acid groups are blocks composed of the repeating units represented by the general formula 1 into which sulfonic acid groups have been introduced:
8
in the formula, X represents O, S, NH or direct bond, R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a phenyl group, and a is an integer from 0 to 3, and when a plurality of R1s are present, these may be the same or different.
4. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 3, wherein X is O in the general formula 1.
5. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blocks having sulfonic acid groups are blocks composed of the repeating units represented by the general formula 2 into which sulfonic acid groups have been introduced:
9
in the formula, Ar1 represents a group selected from the following structures,
10
in the formulae, R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group or a phenoxy group, b is an integer from 0 to 4, and c is an integer from 0 to 6, and when a plurality of R2s are present, these may be the same or different.
6. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blocks having sulfonic acid groups are blocks composed of an epoxy resin into which sulfonic acid groups have been introduced.
7. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 6, wherein the blocks having sulfonic acid groups are blocks having a repeating unit represented by the general formula 3 into which sulfonic acid groups have been introduced:
11
in the formula 3, Ar2 represents a group selected from the following structures,
12
in the formulae, R3 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a phenyl group, d is an integer from 0 to 3, and e is an integer from 0 to 2; when a plurality of R3s are present, these may be the same or different; Y represents O, S, an alkylene group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a halogenated alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkylenedioxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and when a plurality of Ys are present, these may be the same or different.
8. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blocks having substantially no sulfonic acid group are aromatic polyethers having a repeating unit represented by the general formula 4:
13
in the formula, R4 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; f is an integer from 0 to 4; when a plurality of R4s are present, these may be the same or different; and Z represents CO or SO2.
9. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 8, wherein Z is SO2 in the general formula 4.
10. The polymer electrolyte according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of the block having substantially no sulfonic acid group is from 60 to 95% by weight based on the weight of the whole block copolymer.
11. A method for producing a polymer electrolyte of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: reacting a precursor of a block having repeating units represented by the general formula 1, 2 or 3, with a precursor of a block having a repeating unit represented by the general formula 4 to produce a block copolymer; and then sulfonating said copolymer.
12. The method for producing a polymer electrolyte according to claim 11, wherein it comprises a step of sulfonating the block copolymer with sulfuric acid having a concentration of 90% or more.
13. A fuel cell obtainable by using a polymer electrolyte of any one of claims 1 to 10.