Secure card for E-commerce and identification
First Claim
1. A card comprising:
- a magnetic strip;
a layer of material disposed over the magnetic strip, the layer, in a first state having a first average dipole orientation and in a second state having a second average dipole orientation; and
a control circuit coupled to control the states of the layer of material wherein in the first state the layer substantially interferes with reading of information stored within the magnetic strip and in the second state the layer substantially allows reading of information stored within the magnetic strip.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A secure card such as a credit card having a magnetic strip thereon is disclosed. The magnetic strip is coated with a thin amorphous layer having electrical characteristics and a processor. In a first state, the amorphous layer acts to interfere with reading of information from the magnetic strip. Identification of a user of the card as an authorized user thereof results in a second state in which the information stored in the magnetic strip is accessible. For example, biometric identification or the use of a PIN entered either directly into the card or through an input terminal cause the processor to switch power from the amorphous strip thereby removing the interference and unmasking the information on the magnetic strip.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A card comprising:
-
a magnetic strip; a layer of material disposed over the magnetic strip, the layer, in a first state having a first average dipole orientation and in a second state having a second average dipole orientation; and a control circuit coupled to control the states of the layer of material wherein in the first state the layer substantially interferes with reading of information stored within the magnetic strip and in the second state the layer substantially allows reading of information stored within the magnetic strip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A card comprising:
-
a magnetic strip; a layer of material disposed over the magnetic strip, the layer, in a first state having a first average dipole orientation and in a second state having a second average dipole orientation; a port for receiving authorisation information; a rechargeable battery; a photovoltaic cell electrically coupled with the battery, the photovoltaic cell for charging the battery; and a control circuit coupled with the battery for verifying the authorisation data against a previously stored authorisation template and for generating an electric field for affecting the average dipole orientation within the layer to switch the layer between states in dependence upon the comparison result, wherein in a first state the layer substantially interferes with reading of information stored within the magnetic strip and in a second state the layer substantially allows reading of information stored within the magnetic strip. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A card comprising:
-
a layer of material disposed proximate an outer surface of the card, the layer divided into cells, each cell in a first state having a first average dipole orientation and in a second state having a second average dipole orientation; and a control circuit coupled with the layer for independently controlling the state of cells within the layer of material for affecting the dipole orientation within each cell, wherein in a first state the layer comprises magnetic strip data for reading by a magnetic strip reader. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification