Displaceable card reader circuitry

• US 10,579,836 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/692,501
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0873 Details of the card reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0893 the card reader reading the card in a contactless manner

Abstract

Aspects of the technology provide a multi-purpose card reader configured for use with a mobile electronic device (e.g., a mobile host), such as a smart phone or tablet computer. In certain aspects, the card reader is integrated into a case for enclosing the mobile electronic device and configured for reading financial information from a payment card to facilitate a financial transaction between a buyer and a merchant. To facilitate operability of the card reader, the case can include multiple card slots, such as a swipe-slot (e.g., for receiving a magnetic stripe payment card), and a dip-slot (e.g., for use in receiving an IC type payment card).

Claims

1. A payment object reader comprising:

a first slot of a plurality of slots, the first slot configured for receiving a magnetic stripe of a magnetic stripe payment card;

a second slot of the plurality of slots, wherein an interior planar surface of the second slot is disposed parallel to an interior planar surface of the first slot, the second slot configured for receiving an integrated circuit (IC) chip of an IC chip payment card;

stacked reader circuitry comprising magnetic stripe read circuitry and IC chip read circuitry electrically coupled to two respective surfaces of a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the magnetic stripe read circuitry is configured to read information from the magnetic stripe of the magnetic stripe payment card upon receipt of the magnetic stripe via the first slot, wherein the IC chip read circuitry is configured to read the information from the integrated circuit (IC) chip of the IC payment card upon receipt of the IC chip via the second slot, wherein at least a portion of the magnetic stripe read circuitry is configured to displace toward the second slot upon receipt of the magnetic stripe via the first slot, and wherein at least a portion of the IC chip read circuitry is configured to displace toward the first slot upon receipt of the IC chip via the second slot; and

a battery to supply power to the stacked reader circuitry.

2. The payment object reader of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the magnetic stripe read circuitry is configured to pass through the PCB when the magnetic stripe read circuitry displaces toward the IC chip read circuitry upon receipt of the magnetic stripe via the first slot.

3. The payment object reader of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the IC chip read circuitry is configured to pass through the PCB when the IC chip read circuitry displaces toward the magnetic stripe read circuitry upon receipt of the IC chip via the second slot.

4. The payment object reader of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver that communicates the information from the payment object reader to a mobile computing device via at least one of Bluetooth™

or Bluetooth™

low-energy.

5. The payment object reader of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector that conveys the information from the payment object reader to a mobile computing device.

6. The payment object reader of claim 1, further comprising a power interface connector that is configured to draw power from an external power source, wherein the power interface connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

7. The payment object reader of claim 1, further comprising a power interface connector that is configured to draw power from an external power source, wherein the power interface connector includes at least one of an audio jack or an audio plug.

8. The payment object reader of claim 1, further comprising a power interface connector that is configured to draw power from an external power source, wherein the power interface connector is a Lightning™

connector.

9. The payment object reader of claim 1, further comprising a power interface connector that is configured to draw power from an external power source, wherein the power interface connector is a dock connector.

10. The payment object reader of claim 1, wherein the magnetic stripe read circuitry is configured to displace toward the IC chip read circuitry temporarily upon receipt of the magnetic stripe via the first slot, and wherein the IC chip read circuitry is configured to displace toward the magnetic stripe read circuitry temporarily upon receipt of the IC chip via the second slot.

11. The payment object reader of claim 1, wherein the PCB includes a plurality of conductive layers and anti-tamper circuitry connected to the plurality of conductive layers, the anti-tamper circuitry to detect a drill passing through the plurality of conductive layers of the PCB.

12. A printed circuit board (PCB) for use in a payment object reader, the PCB comprising:

a first surface of the PCB;

a second surface of the PCB;

integrated circuit (IC) chip read circuitry at least partially disposed along the first surface of the PCB, wherein the IC chip read circuitry is configured to read information from an IC chip of an IC chip card that passes over and parallel to the first surface of the PCB;

magnetic stripe read circuitry at least partially disposed along the second surface of the PCB, wherein the magnetic stripe read circuitry is configured to read the information from a magnetic stripe of a magnetic stripe card that passes over and parallel to the second surface of the PCB and that displaces the magnetic stripe read circuitry toward the IC chip read circuitry; and

power supply circuitry disposed on the PCB, wherein the power supply circuitry is configured to couple a battery to the magnetic stripe read circuitry and to the IC chip read circuitry.

13. The PCB of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the magnetic stripe read circuitry is configured to pass through the second surface of the PCB when the magnetic stripe read circuitry displaces toward the IC chip read circuitry.

14. The PCB of claim 12, wherein the IC chip read circuitry is configured to displace toward the magnetic stripe read circuitry when the IC chip passes over and parallel to the first surface of the PCB.

15. The PCB of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the IC chip read circuitry is configured to pass through the first surface of the PCB when the IC chip read circuitry displaces toward the magnetic stripe read circuitry.

16. The PCB of claim 12, further comprising a wireless transceiver that communicates the information from the payment object reader to a mobile computing device via at least one of Bluetooth™

or Bluetooth™

low-energy.

17. The PCB of claim 12, wherein the power supply circuitry includes a power interface connector that is configured to draw power from an external power source, wherein the power interface connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

18. The PCB of claim 12, wherein the power supply circuitry includes a power interface connector that is configured to draw power from an external power source, wherein the power interface connector is a dock connector.

19. A method for facilitating a payment transaction, the method comprising:

receiving an integrated circuit (IC) chip via a first slot;

powering IC chip read circuitry via a battery;

reading IC chip information from the IC chip via the IC chip read circuitry in response to receiving the IC chip via the first slot and powering the IC chip read circuitry via the battery;

receiving a magnetic stripe via a second slot, wherein an interior planar surface of the second slot is disposed parallel to an interior planar surface of the first slot;

powering magnetic stripe read circuitry via the battery, wherein the magnetic stripe read circuitry is configured to displace toward the IC chip read circuitry upon receipt of the magnetic stripe via the first slot;

reading magnetic stripe information from the magnetic stripe via the magnetic stripe read circuitry in response to receiving the magnetic stripe via the first slot and powering the magnetic stripe read circuitry via the battery; and

communicating the magnetic stripe information and the IC chip information wirelessly to a mobile computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the magnetic stripe information and the IC chip information are communicated wirelessly to the mobile computing device via at least one of Bluetooth™

or Bluetooth™

low-energy.