Point of sale and display adapter for electronic transaction device

• US 6,769,607 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2000
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C-SAM Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Merul Patel, Satyan G. Pitroda
• Inventors: Patel, Merul, Pitroda, Satyan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): TREMBLAY, MARK STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US09/587,998
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/382.5
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06206 the magnetic marking being emulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07739 comprising a first part capable of functioning as a record carrier on its own and a second part being only functional as a form factor changing part, e.g. SIM cards type ID 0001, removably attached to a regular smart card form factor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0013 by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers connectors in general H01R13/00; connectors for SIM cards used in mobile phones or the like H04B1/3816
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means

Abstract

An adapter for use with a conventional POS card reader to interface with PDA'"'"'s, Wireless Phones, and other Handheld devices, through Infrared or RF media, such that signals received from the devices can be converted to conventional magnetic stripe and/or smart card format, as required by the conventional POS card readers. The adapter includes a housing, including at least a reader-insertable portion capable of being inserted in the card reader, a receive circuit in the housing, a processor in the housing connected to the receive circuit; and a point of sale interface in the reader insertable portion of the housing and connected to the processor. The housing may be approximately the size of a conventional credit card and may be fully reader-insertable.

Claims

1. An adapter for use with point of sale card readers and electronic transaction devices, the adapter comprising:

a) a housing, including at least a reader-insertable portion capable of being inserted in the card reader;

b) a transceiver circuit in the housing adapted to receive information from an electronic transaction device and to transmit information to the electronic transaction device;

c) a processor in the housing connected to the transceiver circuit;

d) a communication circuit, connected to the processor and coupled to the point of sale card reader, and adapted to receive receipt information; and

e) a point of sale interface in the reader insertable portion of the housing connected to the processor.

2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the entire housing is reader insertable.

3. The adapter of claim 2, wherein the housing is substantially the same size as a conventional credit card.

4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the point of sale interface comprises a magnetic stripe emulator.

5. The adapter of claim 4, wherein the magnetic stripe emulator comprises at least one electromagnet.

6. The adapter of claim 4, wherein the magnetic stripe emulator comprises a plurality of electromagnets.

7. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the point of sale interface comprises a smart card emulator.

8. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the point of sale interface comprises a magnetic stripe emulator and a smart card emulator.

9. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit comprises an infra-red sensitive device.

10. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the transceiver circuit comprises a radio-frequency circuit.

11. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a data buffer connected to the processor.

12. The adapter of claim 11, wherein the data buffer is configured to purge at least a portion of the information received from the electronic transaction device after a predetermined period of time.

13. The adapter of claim 11, wherein the data buffer is configured to purge at least a portion of the information received from the electronic transaction device after a predetermined number of data transfer operations.

14. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises a data buffer.

15. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the data buffer is configured to purge at least a portion of the information received from the electronic transaction device after a predetermined period of time.

16. The adapter of claim 14, wherein the data buffer is configured to purge at least a portion of the information from the electronic transaction device after a predetermined number of data transfer operations.

17. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit comprises a serial port.

18. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit comprises an RS-232 port.

19. An adapter for use with point of sale card readers having serial ports and electronic transaction devices, the adapter comprising:

a) a housing capable of being inserted in the card reader;

b) a transceiver in the housing adapted to receive information from the electronic transaction device and to transmit information to an electronic transaction device;

c) a processor in the housing connected to the transceiver;

d) an electromagnet configured to emulate a magnetic stripe connected to the processor; and

e) an RS-232 communication port connected to the processor and configured to communicate with a serial port on a point of sale card reader.

20. The adapter of claim 19, wherein the housing is substantially the same size as a conventional credit card.

21. The adapter of claim 19, further comprising a smart card emulator connected to the processor.

22. The adapter of claim 19, wherein the transceiver comprises an infra-red transceiver.

23. The adapter of claim 19, wherein the transceiver comprises a radio-frequency transceiver.

24. The adapter of claim 19, further comprising a data buffer connected to the processor, the data buffer configured to purge data after a predetermined period of time.

25. The adapter of claim 19, further comprising a data buffer connected to the processor, the data buffer configured to purge data after a predetermined number of data transfer operations.

26. A method of using an adapter with a point of sale card reader, comprising:

a) selecting a card on an electronic transaction device;

b) placing the adapter in the card reader;

c) transmitting information corresponding to the selected card from the electronic transaction device to the adapter;

d) the adapter converting the information corresponding to the selected card to a format readable by the card reader;

e) the card reader reading the converted information;

f) the card reader outputting information corresponding to a printed receipt to the adapter via a communication port; and

g) the adapter transmitting the information corresponding to a printed receipt to the electronic transaction device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of converting the information corresponding to the selected card to a format readable by the card reader further comprises emulating a magnetic stripe.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of emulating a magnetic stripe comprises generating electromagnetic signals.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of emulating a magnetic stripe further comprises:

a) receiving the information corresponding to the selected card;

b) formatting the information corresponding to the selected card to conform with magnetic stripe standards; and

c) dynamically writing the formatted information to an electromagnet.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of converting the information corresponding to the selected card to a format readable by the card reader further comprises emulating a smart card.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of emulating a smart card further comprises:

a) receiving the information corresponding to the selected card;

b) formatting the information corresponding to the selected card to conform with smart card standards; and

c) dynamically writing the formatted information to electrical contacts conforming with smart card standards.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of placing the adapter in the card reader occurs before the step of transmitting information.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of transmitting information occurs before placing the adapter in the card reader, and further comprising the step of buffering the information corresponding to the selected card in the adapter.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of purging the information corresponding to the selected card after the step of reading the magnetic fields at the card reader.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of purging the information corresponding to the selected card after a predetermined period of time.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of purging the information corresponding to the selected card after a predetermined number of data transfer operations.

37. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of the adapter transmitting information to the electronic transaction device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of the adapter transmitting information to the electronic transaction device includes transmitting confirmation information to the electronic transaction device.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the step of the adapter transmitting information to the electronic transaction device includes transmitting an electronic receipt to the electronic transaction device.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of purging the information corresponding to the selected card after the step of the adapter transmitting information to the electronic transaction device.

41. A method of using an adapter having a card emulation interface with a point of sale card reader having a magnetic card reader interface and an electronic communication port, and at least one electronic transaction device, comprising:

a) coupling the adapter to the magnetic card reader interface and the electronic communication port of the point of sale card reader;

b) selecting promotional information to be transmitted to at least one electronic transaction device;

c) transmitting the selected promotional information from the point of sale card reader to the adapter; and

d) transmitting the selected promotional information from the adapter to at least one transaction device.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of selecting promotional information further comprises selecting promotional information based on transactional information from a presently occurring transaction.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of selecting promotional information further comprises selecting promotional information based on transactional information from past transactions.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of selecting promotional information further comprises the selecting promotional information based on a physical location of the point of sale terminal in a retail environment.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of filtering the selected promotional information at the electronic transaction device.

46. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of the adapter transmitting information to the electronic transaction device includes transmitting an electronic receipt to the electronic transaction device.