Controllable RFID card

• US 20060187040A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,624,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.100
• 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 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing personalized information are provided. Based on an identification of a customer through the use of a card, personalized information is selectively produced and wirelessly provided to a display such as a wireless display. The identification of the customer, as well as additional information, can be provided through the use of the card, wherein functions of the card can be enabled or disabled by the customer through the use of on-card switches, buttons, slides and/or bistable domes.

Claims

1. A display system, comprising:

a display;

an information reader; and

a card with at least one control, wherein the control enables or disables a function of a card, and wherein information on the card is read by the information reader.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the card comprises a smart card.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the smart card comprises a RFID tag.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control comprises a switch, a slide, a button, a bistable inverting dome and/or a momentary contact switch.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the card comprises multiple controls.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control comprises a tactile or visual response display on the card.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a cigarette sales promotion system, a consumer buying pattern recognition system, a game of chance system, or an electronic price display system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the information reader receives information from the card identifying a customer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is provided by the card, wherein the information reader reads an electronic product code from a microchip in the card, transmits the electronic product code through a processor to the internet or an intranet and receives display information through the processor corresponding to the card.

10. A method of displaying personalized information, comprising:

providing an electromagnetic radiation field;

reading an identification card or tag to obtain identification information using the electromagnetic radiation field;

accessing and processing personalized information corresponding to the identification information read;

transmitting the personalized information via the electromagnetic radiation field to a display; and

displaying the personalized information on the display.

11. A customer controllable identification card, comprising:

a card with first and second planar surfaces;

at least one radio frequency identification tag within the card; and

one or more controls located on the card, wherein the one or more controls enable or disable radio frequency readable functions of the card.

12. The card of claim 11, wherein the one or more controls extend beyond the first planar surface when positioned in an up direction and extend beyond the second planar surface in a down direction.

13. The card of claim 11, wherein the one or more controls are switches, slides, buttons, bistable domes and/or momentary contact switches.

14. The card of claim 11, wherein the one or more controls are located on the card.

15. The card of claim 11, wherein the one or more controls are physically movable on a surface of the card.

16. The card of claim 11, wherein the one or more controls can be used to limit access to the radio frequency identification tag or affect responses by the card to radio frequency fields.