Data reader module combinable with a pager

• US 20030127515A1
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHARGE Anywhere LLC
• Original Assignee: CHARGE Anywhere LLC
• Inventors: McCahery, Brian J., Heino, Kurt R., Finch, Charles F., Rinne, Carl J. Jr., Sabella, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 6,715,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

A caddy receivably retains a two-way messaging pager. The caddy has a connector for power and data transfer between the pager and caddy. The caddy can also be equipped with a magnetic strip card reader. This enables remote transactions using a magnetic strip card such as a credit card or debit card. The caddy has serial bus ports for attaching the caddy to peripheral devices such as printers and taxi fare meters.

Claims

1. A pager caddy, comprising:

a housing, said housing having a cradle to receivably retain a pager,

data reader, located in the housing, and

a connector for engaging a pager to provide data transfer between the pager and said data reader.

2. The pager caddy of claim 1, further comprising serial bus ports for connecting said caddy to peripheral devices.

3. The pager caddy of claim 1, wherein said data reader is a magnetic strip reader.

4. The pager caddy of claim 1, wherein said data reader is a optical code reader.

5. The pager caddy of claim 1, further comprising a power source for said data reader.

6. The pager caddy of claim 5, wherein said data reader is a magnetic strip reader.

7. The pager caddy of claim 5, wherein said data reader is a optical code reader.

8. The pager caddy of claim 2, further comprising a second data reader attached to one of said serial bus ports by a cable.

9. The pager caddy of claim 8, wherein said second data reader is an optical code reader.

10. The pager caddy of claim 1, further comprising a power source in said housing for said data reader.

11. A pager caddy and pager, comprising:

a housing receivably retaining said pager,

a data reader, located in the housing,

a first connector for providing data transfer between said pager caddy and pager, and

a second connector for connecting the magnetic strip reader to the pager, the second connector attached to the first connector by a first cable.

12. The pager of claim 11, further comprising a serial bus port in said housing, said serial bus port connected to the first connector by a second cable.

13. A pager caddy, comprising:

a housing, said housing having a cradle to receivably retain a pager,

a serial bus port for connecting said caddy to a peripheral device,

a connector for engaging a pager to provide data transfer between the pager and said serial bus port, and

a data reader attached to said serial bus port.

14. The pager caddy of claim 13, wherein said data reader is an optical code reader.

15. The pager caddy of claim 13, wherein said data reader is a magnetic strip reader.