Systems and methods for spike suppression for dynamic magnetic stripe communications devices

• US 10,062,024 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Inventors: Bohac, Jr., Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Application Number:
  US14/714,088
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 235492, 235486, 235487, 235493, 235380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06206 the magnetic marking being emulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches

Abstract

Dynamic magnetic stripe communications devices are provided as magnetic stripe emulators on a card or device having one or more communication channels. An application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) may include one or more waveform generators that include spike suppression circuitry to reduce excessive signal excursions during power-up and/or activation of the one or more communication channels on the card or device. Data to be communicated by the magnetic stripe emulator may be encoded within the one or more waveforms and communicated to a magnetic stripe reader.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting power-up of a device including an integrated circuit;

disabling a first portion of the integrated circuit in response to the detection of the power-up of the device without disabling a second portion of the integrated circuit;

detecting a target value of an operational signal while the first portion of the integrated circuit is disabled; and

enabling the first portion of the integrated circuit in response to the detection of the target value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),

the target value is an amplitude, and

the disabling a first portion of the ASIC includes clamping at least one selected from an input signal and an output signal of the first portion of the ASIC until the operational signal is at about the target value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the integrated circuit is a driver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the integrated circuit is an output driver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational signal is an operational voltage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and

the first portion of the ASIC is an output driver.

8. A method comprising:

detecting a reader while a communications device of a transaction device is muted;

unmuting the communications device in response to the detection of the reader; and

ramping a signal within the unmuted communications device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operational signal is a current signal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the ramping a signal includes slowly ramping the signal to a minimum amplitude.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the ramping a signal includes ramping the signal at a rate less than a rate inducing a signal spike in an apparatus external to the device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal is a current signal, and

the ramping a signal includes increasing a current magnitude of the signal to about 3 mA in about 30-50 μ

sec.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the ramping a signal includes ramping a voltage.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the ramping a signal includes linearly increasing a signal using a ramp generator.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the ramping a signal includes linearly decreasing a signal using a ramp generator.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sensing, by the transaction device, an environment.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sensing, by the transaction device, that the reader is a particular type of reader,

wherein the ramping a signal includes generating the signal based on the particular type of reader.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction device includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and

the signal is at least based on a signal received from the ASIC.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction device includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),

the ASIC includes at least one circuit selected from a ramp generator, a signal shaper, a mute control and a driver, and

the signal is received from the at least one circuit.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction device includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),

the signal is at least based on a signal provided by the ASIC,

the ASIC includes a ramp generator, a signal shaper, a mute control and a driver,

a shape of the signal provided by the ASIC is determined by at least the signal shaper,

a magnitude of the signal provided by the ASIC is determined by at least the mute control,

a signal type of the signal is determined by at least the driver, and

a slope of the signal is determined by at least the ramp generator.