STORED-VALUE CARD WITH PEDOMETER AND CLIP

• US 20080223923A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Samardzija, Primoz, Clegg, Timothy P., Porvaznik, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 7,661,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• 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 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A financial transaction card includes an enclosure, a step detector, and a processing device. The enclosure includes an account identifier linked to a financial account or record such that the financial transaction card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services. The step detector is positioned within the enclosure and configured to perceive movement caused each time a person carrying the financial transaction card takes a step. The processing device is positioned within the enclosure and in communication with the step detector, the processing device being configured to identify movement perceived by the step detector and to determine a cumulative number of steps taken by the person while carrying the financial transaction card. Stored-value card assemblies, methods of promoting sales of stored-value cards, methods of using a stored-value card, and other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A stored-value card comprising:

a housing including a machine readable bar code linked to a stored-value account or record such that the stored-value card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services;

a movement sensing mechanism substantially enclosed within the housing and configured to detect movement caused when a step is taken by a person carrying the stored-value card;

an electrical assembly substantially enclosed within the housing and in communication with the movement sensing mechanism, the electrical assembly being configured to identify movement detected by the movement sensing mechanism such that the movement sensing mechanism and the electrical assembly collectively function as a pedometer; and

a clip coupled with the housing and biased toward an outside surface of the housing, the clip configured to maintain a garment associated with the person to selectively hold the stored-value card to the person via the clip.

2. The stored-value card of claim 1, wherein the electrical assembly includes a display screen configured to visually indicate content including one or more of a cumulative number of steps taken by the person, a cumulative distance walked by the person, and a cumulative number of calories burned by the person.

3. The stored-value card of claim 2, wherein the display screen is configured to visually indicate the cumulative number of steps taken by the person, the cumulative distance walked by the person, and the cumulative number of calories burned by the person, and wherein the stored-value card further comprises a button configured to interact with the electrical assembly to change the content shown on the display screen between the cumulative number of steps taken by the person, the cumulative distance walked by the person, and the cumulative number of calories burned by the person.

4. The stored-value card of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a base primary panel, a cover primary panel spaced from the base primary panel, and a side wall extending between the base primary panel and the cover primary panel about a perimeter of the stored-value card such that the movement sensing mechanism and the electrical assembly are stored between the base primary panel, the cover primary panel, and the side wall.

5. A financial transaction card comprising:

an enclosure including an account identifier linked to a financial account or record such that the financial transaction card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services;

a step detector positioned within the enclosure and configured to perceive movement caused each time a card bearer carrying the financial transaction card takes a step; and

a processing device positioned within the enclosure and in communication with the step detector, the processing device being configured to identify movement perceived by the step detector and to determine a cumulative number of steps taken by the card bearer while carrying the financial transaction card.

6. The financial transaction card of claim 5, wherein the processing device includes a display screen visible through an aperture defined by the enclosure, the display screen configured to visibly indicate content including the cumulative number of steps.

7. The financial transaction card of claim 6, wherein based on the cumulative number of steps, the processing device is configured to determine the cumulative distance walked by the card bearer and the cumulative number of calories burned by the card bearer, and wherein the financial transaction card further comprises a button configured to interact with the processing device to change the content shown on the display screen between the cumulative number of steps taken by the card bearer, the cumulative distance walked by the card bearer, and the cumulative number of calories burned by the card bearer.

8. The financial transaction card of claim 5, wherein the processing device includes an open circuit, and the step detector includes a conductive foot configured to selectively close the open circuit of the processing device when the card bearer takes a step.

9. The financial transaction card of claim 5, further comprising one or more buttons coupled with the enclosure and in communication with the processing device such that depression of the one or more buttons allows the card bearer carrying the financial transaction card to enter one or more of a stride length and a weight associated with the card bearer.

10. The financial transaction card of claim 5, wherein the enclosure includes:

a base;

a cover coupled to the base; and

a side wall extending between the base and the cover around a perimeter of the enclosure;

wherein the step detector and the processing device are disposed between the base and the cover.

11. The financial transaction card of claim 10, wherein the side wall is a first side wall and the financial transaction card further comprises a second side wall, the first side wall extending from a first primary panel of the cover to define a first edge opposite the first primary panel, and the second side wall extending from a second primary panel defined by the base to define a second edge opposite the second primary panel, wherein the first edge abuts the second edge when the cover is coupled to the base.

12. The financial transaction card of claim 10, wherein the cover and the base are coupled together with one or more connection devices formed separately from the cover and the base.

13. The financial transaction card of claim 5, further comprising a clip selectively coupled with the enclosure and configured to selectively extend over and be biased toward the enclosure to hold a garment of the person between the clip and the enclosure.

14. A stored-value card comprising:

a housing including an account identifier linked to a stored-value account or record such that the stored-value card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services, the housing defining a front primary panel and a rear primary panel;

a clip externally coupled with the housing and biased toward one of the front primary panel and the rear primary panel, such that a garment can be secured between the clip and the one of the front primary panel and the rear primary panel.

15. The stored-value card of claim 14, wherein the clip includes a U-shaped clip body having two ends, and a coupling member attached to each of the two ends of the U-shaped clip body, wherein each coupling member is configured to be coupled with the housing.

16. The stored-value card of claim 15, wherein the housing is substantially rectangular in shape other than a coupling portion extending outwardly from the otherwise substantially rectangular shape of the housing, wherein the coupling members of the U-shaped clip body are each configured to be received within an opposite end of the coupling portion of the housing.

17. The stored-value card of claim 16, wherein each of the coupling members includes a coupling member protrusion with a substantially X-shaped cross-section extending toward one another, and the coupling portion defines a cavity with a corresponding substantially X-shaped cross-section for receiving each coupling member protrusion.

18. The stored-value card of claim 16, wherein the clip body includes a metal material, and the clip includes a polymeric member extending around a portion of the clip body opposite the coupling members.

19. The stored-value card of claim 15, wherein the clip is selectively couplable to the coupling portion such that in a first coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the front primary panel and in a second coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the rear primary panel.

20. A method of promoting sales of and selling a stored-value card, the method comprising:

displaying a stored-value card including a housing linked to a stored-value account or record such that the stored-value card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services, a step detector maintained within the housing and configured to perceive movement caused when a step is taken by a person carrying the stored-value card, and an electrical assembly maintained within the housing and in communication with the step detector, the electrical assembly being configured to identify movement perceived by the step detector;

providing one or more buttons on the stored-value card for interacting with the electrical assembly to alter content displayed by a display screen of the electrical assembly and to enter additional information to the electrical assembly;

activating the stored-value card to permit deductions from the account or the record; and

receiving the stored-value card as payment for one or more of good and services, the value of the one or more of goods and services being deducted from the account or the record.