Credit card operated cellular phone

• US 5,729,591 A
• Filed: 09/03/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ken Bailey
• Inventors: Bailey, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trost, William G.
• Application Number:
  US08/707,096
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/91, 379/144, 379/357, 379/430, 379/447, 379/450, 455/89, 455/90
• US Class Current: 455/558
• 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: 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: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/106 using commercial credit or debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A credit card operated cellular telephone includes an interface assembly that allows addition of a credit card reader and an electronics board thereto. The interface assembly mates with the existing telephone and battery, and allows a cellular telephone to be easily modified.

Claims

1. A cellular pay telephone assembly comprising:

a cellular telephone body, including a front surface, a second surface including an electrical contact set, and first and second side surfaces, each said side surface extending between said front surface and said second surface, said front surface including at least a keypad, said telephone also including a receiver, a transmitter and an antenna;

a slot assembly including first and second substantially flat side surfaces which are substantially parallel to one another and which define a reading area therebetween, and said slot assembly also including and having its inside area bounded by a bottom surface which is a substantially flat surface extending between first portions of respective first and second side surfaces of said slot assembly, said slot assembly located adjacent and bordering said first side of said cellular telephone body and attached to said cellular telephone body;

a reader assembly, extending into said inside area of said slot assembly, said reader assembly having a reading surface positioned to read information from an element which is passed through said inside area of said slot assembly;

an electronic assembly, including electronic circuitry thereon which drives the reader assembly and receives and interprets information therefrom;

a battery electrically in contact with said electrical contact on said second surface, said battery providing electrical power for said electronic circuitry;

an interface assembly, connected to said slot assembly, said interface assembly coupled to said second surface of said body of said cellular telephone and including a planar plastic sheet connected to said slot assembly, said planar plastic sheet defining two parallel surfaces, a first of said parallel surfaces having a clip and slot assembly, said clip and slot assembly mating with corresponding structures on the battery to hold the battery in place and having an electrical contact set which is electrically coupled to said electrical contact on said second surface, and receiving the battery connected thereto, and a second of said parallel surfaces connected against said second surface of said cellular telephone body, said slot assembly extending above said second parallel surface in a plane perpendicular to said first and second parallel surfaces, in a direction away from said first parallel surface and located bordering said telephone body.