Distributed budgeting and accounting system with secure token device access

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention addresses the limitations of the prior art by providing a distributed budgeting and accounting system that utilizes secure token devices, such as smart cards or ibuttons.
A secure token device is a device that holds currency tokens and other information in a secure fashion.
Preferably, the secure token device is of a size, shape and weight that it is easily carried by a user.
The secure token devices are used both for authentication and for participation in electronic commerce.
Specifically, the secure token devices hold electronic currency tokens that may be utilized to pay for the use of resources within an internal economy of an organization, such as a corporation.
The secure token devices also securely hold identification information that is used to confirm that a party is who the party purports to be.
To that end, the secure token device serves as a vehicle for decreasing fraudulent use of resources.
The owner of a secure token device may be required to enter a personal identification number (PIN) prior to gaining access to a resource to ensure that the proper party is using the secure token device.
The distributed budgeting and accounting system of the present invention allows holders of secure token devices to gain access to internal resources of an organization.
These internal resources may be, for example, computing resources but may also be non-computing resources that need to be monitored.
In order to use a resource, a holder (i.
e.
a "resource consumer") must place a secure token device that is owned by the holder into communication with a reader.
Based upon identification information contained within the secure token device, the system may determine whether the holder is permitted to access the resource or not.
The secure token device is then debited to cover the cost of using the resource.
This debiting may entail transmitting electronic currency tokens from the secure token device of the holder to a service provider secure token device or virtual service provider account