Device and method for promoting the selection and use of a transaction card

• US 20020190121A1
• Filed: 10/26/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Schneier, Bruce, Fincham, Magdalena M., Walker, Jay S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,739,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides for sensing a physical change at a transaction card, such as a credit card, and providing content, such as information or entertainment information, in response to sensing the physical change.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing at a transaction card a physical change; and

providing content in response to sensing the physical change.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising;

determining the content based on the physical change.

4. The method of claim 1, in which providing comprises:

activating a transducer of the transaction card to produce at least one output signal.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

deactivating the transducer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the content.

7. The method of claim 6, in which receiving comprises:

receiving the content from a user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the content.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the content comprises at least one of:

a joke,

sports information,

market information,

a quotation,

a text message,

a display pattern,

a song,

a tone,

an audio message,

a lottery number,

sales information,

schedule information,

exchange rate,

travel information,

weather information, and

a horoscope.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the transaction card is a credit card.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request for the content.

13. The method of claim 12, in which determining comprises:

receiving the content.

14. The method of claim 12, in which determining comprises:

determining the content based on the physical change.

15. The method of claim 12, in which the content comprises at least one of:

a joke,

sports information,

market information,

a quotation,

a text message,

a display pattern,

a song,

a tone,

an audio message,

a lottery number,

sales information,

schedule information,

exchange rate,

travel information,

weather information, and

a horoscope.

16. The method of claim 12, in which the transaction card is a credit card.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting a request for the content.

19. The method of claim 17, in which the first output signal is an audio signal.

20. The method of claim 17, in which the first output signal is a display signal.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing the content.

22. The method of claim 17, in which receiving comprises:

receiving the content from a user.

23. The method of claim 17, in which receiving comprises:

receiving the content from a content provider.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving second content at the credit card;

sensing at the credit card a second physical change; and

activating the transducer of the credit card to produce a second output signal that is based on the second content, in response to sensing the second physical change.

12. A method comprising:

sensing at a transaction card a physical change;

determining content;

activating a transducer of the transaction card to produce at least one output signal that is based on the content; and

deactivating the transducer.

17. A method comprising:

sensing at a credit card a first physical change;

receiving content at the credit card;

activating, in response to sensing the first physical change, a transducer of the credit card to produce a first output signal that is based on content, in which the content comprises at least one of;

a joke,

sports information,

market information,

a quotation,

a text message,

a display pattern,

a song,

a tone,

an audio message,

a lottery number,

sales information,

schedule information,

exchange rate,

travel information,

weather information, and

a horoscope; and

deactivating the transducer.