System and method for low-power close-proximity communications and energy transfer using a miniature multi-purpose antenna

• US 10,461,396 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fit Pay, Inc. (Nxt-Id, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tunnell, David, Zurasky, Jacob, Keen, Brian, Camuso, John, Parker, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/089,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20160292669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 105
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/48 Earthing means; Earth screens; Counterpoises
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/0053 Selective devices used as spatial filter or angular sidelobe filter
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/10 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/04 Resonant antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 : detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system for providing information to a magnetic card reader. The system comprises an antenna (in one embodiment comprising a multi-purpose antenna or an antenna module) and a microprocessor for applying a differential signal to the antenna. The differential signal represents data stored in a memory segment of the microprocessor or in a memory connected to the microprocessor. The antenna transmits an alternating magnetic field representing the information the alternating magnetic field is responsive to the differential signal and received by the magnetic card reader.

Claims

1. A system for providing information to a magnetic card reader, the system comprising:

an antenna having two terminal ends;

a microprocessor for applying an information signal differentially to the antenna by feeding the information signal simultaneously to the two terminal ends of the antenna, the informational signal representing information stored in a memory segment of the microprocessor or in a memory connected to the microprocessor; and

the antenna transmitting an alternating magnetic field representing the information, the alternating magnetic field responsive to the information signal and received by the magnetic card reader.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor applies the information signal directly to the antenna with no intervening driver or active components.

3. The system of claim 1 the microprocessor comprising general purpose input output (GPIO) pins selectively configured to operate as analog, digital, or RF input pins or output pins.

4. The system of claim 1 the antenna comprising a plurality of antennas and a continuous core extending through each one of the plurality of antennas, or comprising a plurality of cores with one of the plurality of antennas disposed on one of the plurality of cores.

5. The system of claim 1 the microprocessor comprising a plurality of outputs pins each connected to the antenna, wherein a state of each output pin is controlled by the microprocessor, and wherein the microprocessor activates one or more output pins responsive to a desired power of the information signal.

6. The system of claim 1 disposed within an item, the item further comprising a portable item, a mobile item, a wearable item, or a card.

7. The system of claim 6 the portable item or the mobile item comprising a phone.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the antenna transmits the alternating magnetic field responsive to a swiping action of the item through a slot of the magnetic card reader, responsive to insertion of the item into the slot, responsive to the item at rest within the slot, or responsive to the item positioned external to the magnetic card reader.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a card, the antenna and the microprocessor disposed on or in the card, the card further comprising an electrically conductive region on each of opposing surfaces of the card, the electrically conductive regions positioned such that when a user grasps the card contact is made to each electrically conductive region and responsive thereto the microprocessor is activated.

10. The system of claim 1 for providing information to an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader or to an EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa) reader, the system further comprising a sensor for detecting presence of the magnetic card reader, or presence of an NFC reader, or presence of an EMV reader, wherein the microprocessor performs a transaction via a detected reader, the detected reader comprising the magnetic card reader, the NFC reader, or the EMV reader.

11. The system of claim 10 responsive to the sensor detecting presence of the magnetic card reader, or presence of the NFC (Near Field Communication) reader, or presence of the EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa) reader, the microprocessor awakens from a low power state.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising transmission of the alternating magnetic field responsive to a user'"'"'s gesture as detected by a motion sensor.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the alternating magnetic field comprises microprocessor-selected field parameters, the field parameters comprising any one more of timing, delays, power, pulse width, bit rate, bit order, bit direction, data, operational frequency, location or orientation of a source of the alternating magnetic field relative to the magnetic card reader.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one passive component connected to the antenna, wherein the microprocessor activates the at least one passive component.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising a resistor selectively disposed in a circuit path to the antenna to lower a current supplied to the antenna.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises antenna windings configured to generate a radiated field pattern defining a field horn at the two terminal ends of the antenna.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising a core and the antenna comprising windings disposed about the core.

18. The system of claim 1 the antenna for receiving a wake-up signal from a separate device for waking up the microprocessor from a passive or a low-power state.

19. The system of claim 1 the antenna for receiving power from a power source for charging a battery, the battery supplying power to the microprocessor.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises one or more conductive traces on opposing surfaces of a dielectric substrate, the conductive traces connected by a conductive via through the dielectric substrate.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the one or more conductive traces are oriented at an acute angle or perpendicular to opposing parallel edges of the dielectric substrate.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of antennas disposed on a substrate, and wherein the microprocessor selects one of the plurality of antennas responsive to a desired frequency.

23. The system of claim 1 the antenna further comprising a plurality of winding segments disposed around a common core each one of the plurality of winding segments for operation at a different frequency, wherein one of the plurality of winding segments is selected by the microprocessor for transmitting the alternating magnetic field.

24. The system of claim 1 the antenna comprising a plurality of antennas having different resonant frequencies and connected to different output terminals of the microprocessor, the microprocessor for selecting one of the plurality of antennas for transmitting.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor stores the information as bit values and forms pulses from stored bit values as controlled by a microprocessor clock, the pulses comprising the information signal.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the information signal comprises pulses, and the microprocessor controls timing of the pulses to critically damp the antenna.

27. The system of claim 1 further comprising filter components, EMF (electromagnetic field) blocking material, or one or more Faraday rings proximate the antenna.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the antenna comprises first and second antennas disposed on a substrate in proximate relation, the first antenna for transmitting the magnetic field and the second antenna for detecting presence of a magnetic read head of the magnetic card reader.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the information signal comprises pulses, and any one or more of pulse parameters, comprising power, pulse rate, pulse width, pulse direction, pulse order, delay between pulses, pulse timing, and pulse magnitude is responsive to a swipe speed of the antenna along a magnetic read head of the magnetic card reader.

30. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more components for determining one or both of swipe speed and characteristics of the magnetic card reader, one or more parameters of the alternating magnetic field responsive to the swipe speed or to the characteristics of the magnetic card reader, the parameters comprising operative tracks of the magnetic card reader and operational frequency of the magnetic card reader.

31. The system of claim 1 the antenna and the microprocessor disposed on a card, and wherein a user swipes the card through the magnetic card reader, the system further comprising a movement detection component for detecting a swipe action and a swipe speed.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the movement detection component comprises an accelerometer.

33. The system of claim 1 further comprising a magnetic head detection component.

34. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor controls a start time of the information signal responsive to a location of a magnetic read head relative to a location of the antenna, the magnetic read head an element of the magnetic card reader.

35. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more sensors proximate the antenna for detecting presence of a document insertion processor (DIP) card reader.

36. The system of claim 1 the antenna and the microprocessor disposed on a card, and wherein a user swipes the card through the magnetic read head, parameters of the information signal are modified responsive to a number of unsuccessful swipes or transmissions, or a number of swipes or transmissions by the user.

37. The system of claim 1 wherein the information signal comprises pulses that represent a token derived from the information or that represent an encrypted form of the information.

38. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic card reader comprises a plurality of magnetic read heads and the antenna is located and dimensioned such that the alternating magnetic field is received by one or more of the plurality of magnetic read heads.

39. The system of claim 1 the antenna and the microprocessor disposed on a card, and wherein a user swipes the card through the magnetic card reader, the antenna positioned on the card such that the antenna traverses at least a portion of a magnetic track reader within the magnetic card reader.

40. The system of claim 1 the antenna for receiving a location signal based on a location of the antenna relative to a location of the magnetic card reader, the microprocessor for processing the location signal to determine a location of the antenna and responsive to the location for transmitting the alternating magnetic fields.

41. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetic card reader comprises a first and a second magnetic read head and the alternating magnetic field comprises a first and a second alternating magnetic field, and wherein the antenna transmits the first alternating magnetic field for receiving by one or both of the first and second magnetic read heads and the antenna then transmits the second alternating magnetic field for receiving by one or both of the first and second magnetic read heads.

42. The system of claim 1 further comprising a timer, wherein a user sets a time-out time and after the timer has reached the time-out time the microprocessor erases data from the memory segment or from the memory connected to the microprocessor.

43. They system of claim 1 further comprising a timer, wherein a user sets a time-out time and after the timer has reached the time-out time the system is no longer operable.

44. The system of claim 1 the microprocessor performing biometric or behavior recognition of a user of the system to authenticate the user, wherein upon after successful authentication of the user the microprocessor supplies the information signal to the antenna.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein authentication of the user is executed by a computer or a point of sale terminal to which the magnetic card reader is responsive.

46. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is capable of performing a plurality of transactions in conjunction with the magnetic card reader, a biometric or a behavior metric provided by a user is associated with one of the plurality of transactions, the system further comprising a sensor for receiving the biometric or the behavior metric and for permitting the system to conduct a transaction from among the plurality of transactions that is associated with the biometric or the behavior metric.

47. The system of claim 1 wherein the microprocessor comprises general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins connected to the antenna, wherein activation of one or more of the general purpose input/output pins controls parameters of the alternating magnetic field, the parameters comprising timing of transmission, delays, power, pulse width, bit rate, bit order, bit direction, data, operational frequency, location, orientation and/or combinations of the alternating magnetic field relative to the magnetic card reader.