In some examples, a method of manufacturing a densified wood transaction instrument includes boiling a sheet of wood in a chemical solution, compressing the boiled sheet of wood using a die in a press to form one or more features in the sheet of wood, during the compressing of the boiled sheet of wood, heating the boiled sheet of wood to create a sheet of densified wood, and attaching one or more payment elements to at least one of the one or more features formed in the sheet of densified wood to form a sheet of one or more densified wood transaction instruments.

A management server is configured to perform a process including: setting a basic fee of a first monthly fee when a utilization manner is battery lease; setting discount rates based on the weight, capacity, manufacturer, degree of initial deterioration, amount of power consumption, number of times of performing quick electric charging, utilization region, and utilization period of the battery; determining the first monthly fee; setting a basic fee of a second monthly fee when the utilization manner is vehicle lease; setting discount rates based on the weight of the battery, a utilization region of the vehicle, and a utilization period; determining the second monthly fee; and determining a total monthly fee.

Provided is a control method including: receiving, from first power equipment, first transaction data including, for example, transmitted power amount information indicating the amount of power transmitted to power accumulation equipment; obtaining, from the power accumulation equipment, received power information including, for example, received power amount information indicating the amount of power received from the first power equipment; verifying the first transaction data by referring to the received power information; executing a first consensus algorithm with second servers when the first transaction data is verified successfully; and recording a block including the first transaction data in a distributed ledger of a first server when the validity of the first transaction data is verified through the first consensus algorithm.

A method of processing a transaction includes receiving a site location code. Site configuration information corresponding to the received site location code is received from a database. That information includes more product record(s), each corresponding to a reservable product or a non-reservable product. A selection of one or more of the product records in the retrieved information is received. If any selected product record corresponds to a reservable product, a reservation command is produced. That command requests reservation of selected reservable product(s). A method of selecting a product includes receiving a location input and determining a site location code with it. The site location code is transmitted and one or more product records are received. Representations of one or more of the received product records are presented and a selection of products is received. An indication of the selection is transmitted.

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machines employ electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. By default, each portable electrical energy storage device is disabled from accepting a charge unless it receives authentication information from an authorized collection, charging and distribution machine, other authorized charging device, or other authorized device that transmits the authentication credentials. Also, by default, each portable electrical energy storage device is disabled from releasing energy unless it receives authentication information from an external device to which it will provide power, such as a vehicle or other authorization device.

A system and method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is disclosed. The method includes identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle. Also included is identifying that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. Then, using mapping data defined for the parking location. The mapping data at least in part is used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The method includes instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location. The electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors. The path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path. The destination location is a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location.

A distributed ledger based utility system architecture may be configured to enable secure payments, data transmission, and meter configuration of smart sensors. The utility system architecture may be a tiered architecture including multiple nodes at different levels of the architecture where each level may contain a different portion of the distributed ledger. As information is added to the distributed ledger, each portion of the distributed ledger may be updated based on whether the information is relevant to that node. The information may include rate contract transactions, meter configuration data transactions, payment transactions, or the like.

A method includes determining a fuel amount; providing navigation directions; determining a vehicle arrival; transmitting a fuel purchase request; controlling a tank cover; receiving fuel; detecting that a tank is full; and transmitting a stop fueling request. A computer system includes a processor configured to: determine a fuel amount; provide navigation directions; determine a vehicle arrival; transmit a fuel purchase request; cause a pump to provide fuel; control a tank cover; detect that a tank is full; and transmit a stop fueling request. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a set of instructions that, when executed on a processor, causes the processor to: determine a fuel amount; provide navigation directions; determine a vehicle arrival; transmit a fuel purchase request; cause a pump to provide fuel; control a tank cover; detect that fuel tank is full; and transmit a stop fueling request.

A method of providing an account is provided. The method includes receiving identification information associated with a user during a communication session and communicating a request for credit information, the request including at least a portion of the identification information. The requested credit information is received, and an account is approved and opened based at least on the received credit information. During the communication session, a request made using the opened account to place a first order to trade a first product is received. A risk value for the first order is determined. One or more current balances for the account are also determined. The method further includes determining whether to approve the first order based at least on the risk value determined for the first order and one or more of the current balances for the account, and if the first order is approved, placing the first order.

A method of providing an account is provided. The method includes receiving identification information associated with a user during a communication session and communicating a request for credit information, the request including at least a portion of the identification information. The requested credit information is received, and an account is approved and opened based at least on the received credit information. During the communication session, a request made using the opened account to place a first order to trade a first product is received. A risk value for the first order is determined. One or more current balances for the account are also determined. The method further includes determining whether to approve the first order based at least on the risk value determined for the first order and one or more of the current balances for the account, and if the first order is approved, placing the first order.