Credit card communication system

• US 20020128034A1
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Stratmoen, Scott Alan, Stone, Jeffrey Jay
• Granted Patent: US 7,006,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10029 the collision being resolved in the time domain, e.g. using binary tree search or RFID responses allocated to a random time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

A system for long range communications is disclosed. The system includes a base station and credit card sized wireless long range communications devices. The wireless long range communication devices each include a transceiver, a man machine interface (e.g., display and pushbuttons), a processor, a power supply (e.g., primary and secondary battery) and an antenna. Preferably, the wireless communication devices are flexible (e.g., like a smart card).

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a) at least one credit card sized wireless long-range communications device;

b) wherein the credit card sized wireless long-range communication device(s) communicate with a base station.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station comprises a high temperature superconductivity receiver.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless long-range communications device comprises:

a) a receiver;

b) an antenna;

c) a man machine interface;

d) a processor; and

e) a power supply.

4. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the credit card sized wireless long-range communications device further comprises a transmitter.

5. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the receiver comprises a frequency shift keying receiver.

6. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the receiver comprises a direct sequence spread spectrum modulator.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the direct sequence spread spectrum modulator comprises differential phase shift keying.

8. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the man machine interface comprises a display.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the display is a thin polymer emissive display.

10. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the display is capable of displaying graphical and textual information.

11. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the man machine interface further comprises at least one pushbutton.

12. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the power supply comprises a primary battery.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the primary battery is a lithium non-rechargeable battery.

14. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the power supply comprises a secondary battery.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the secondary battery is a lithium rechargeable battery.

16. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the power supply further comprises:

a) a constant current source charger; and

b) a low dropout analog regulator.

17. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the antenna is a monopole antenna.

18. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the antenna is a dipole antenna.

19. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the antenna is a patch antenna.

20. The communication system of claim 3, wherein the system is a voice response architecture and further comprises:

a) a microphone; and

b) an integrated broadband processor.

21. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the credit card sized wireless long range communication device(s) are flexible.

22. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the credit card sized wireless long-range communication device(s) can communicate in the range of about 30 kilometers.