Financial transaction card with sound recording

• US 20040026506A1
• Filed: 11/20/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Card Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovative Card Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Finkelstein, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips

Abstract

A distinctive recorded sound is generated when a credit card or other financial transaction card is used at a point of sale (POS) terminal. As is common, the POS terminal includes a card reader through which the card is swiped to read data that is encoded on a magnetic stripe affixed to the card. A recorded sound may be stored in the card or in the card reader. In either case, the sound is played back through the card reader when the card is swiped.

Claims

1. A system for emitting a sound at a card reader terminal comprising:

a card;

a magnetic stripe disposed on the card, the magnetic stripe encoded with transaction data and audio data;

a card reader including means for reading the transaction data, means for reading the audio data, an audio driver and a sound transducer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio data is encoded on the magnetic stripe as an analog signal.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio data is encoded on the magnetic stripe as a digital signal.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the means for reading the audio data comprises a digital to analog converter.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the card reader further includes a sound storage device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the audio data specifies one of a plurality of sounds stored in the sound storage device.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the audio data comprises a portion of the transaction data.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the audio data comprises a portion of an account number.

9. A method of emitting a sound at a card reader terminal comprising:

providing a card with a magnetic stripe encoded with transaction data and audio data;

providing a card reader with means for reading the transaction data, means for reading the audio data, an audio driver and a sound transducer;

swiping the card through the card reader;

reading the audio data encoded on the magnetic stripe;

generating a first signal in accordance with the audio data;

asserting the first signal as an input to the audio driver;

generating a second signal in the audio driver in accordance with the first signal;

asserting the second signal as an input to the sound transducer, whereby the sound transducer emits a sound in accordance with the audio data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the audio data is encoded on the magnetic stripe as an analog signal.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the audio data is encoded on the magnetic stripe as a digital signal.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the means for reading the audio data comprises a digital to analog converter.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the card reader further includes a sound storage device coupled to the audio driver and further including storing at least one sound in the sound storage device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the audio data causes the sound storage device to generate the first signal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a plurality of sounds are stored in the sound storage device and wherein the audio data causes the sound storage device to generate the first signal in accordance with a value of the audio data.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the audio data comprises a portion of the transaction data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the audio data comprises a portion of an account number.

18. A card reader for reading a card having a storage medium encoded with transaction data and audio data comprising:

means for reading the transaction data;

means for reading the audio data;

an audio driver; and

a sound transducer.

19. The card reader of claim 18 wherein the means for reading the audio data comprises a digital to analog converter.

20. The card reader of claim 18 wherein the card reader further includes a sound storage device.

21. The card reader of claim 20 wherein the audio data specifies one of a plurality of sounds stored in the sound storage device.

22. The card reader of claim 18 wherein the audio data comprises a portion of the transaction data.

23. The card reader of claim 22 wherein the audio data comprises a portion of an account number.