Credit card communication system

• US 7,006,846 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Stratmoen, Scott Alan, Stone, Jeffrey Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/802,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/88, 455/575.6, 455/90.3, 455/90.2, 455/557, 455/575.1, 455/575.3, 455/575.7, 455/575.8, 455/90.1, 343/880, 343/881, 343/873, 343/760.MS, 343/702, 343/846, 343/882, 235/487, 235/488, 235/492
• US Class Current: 455/558
• 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 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10029 the collision being resolved in the time domain, e.g. using binary tree search or RFID responses allocated to a random time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/02 using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

A system for long range communications is disclosed. The system includes a base station and credit card sized wireless long range communications devices. The wireless long range communication devices each include a transceiver, a man machine interface (e.g., display and pushbuttons), a processor, a power supply (e.g., primary and secondary battery) and an antenna. Preferably, the wireless communication devices are flexible (e.g., like a smart card).

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a single forward channel transmitter base station;

at least one wireless communications device having an edge and dimensions similar to the length, width, and thickness of a credit card, the at least one device having components embedded therewithin, including;

a receiver;

a man machine interface;

a processor;

a power supply; and

a thin flexible sheet having an antenna embedded therewithin and being pivotally connected to the edge of the at least one device, the sheet being pivotable substantially adjacent the edge to alternate between folded and unfolded positions, the sheet being sized and configured to cover the man machine interface and generally coplanar with the at least one device when in the folded position, the sheet being generally angularly displaced from the at least one device when in the unfolded position, wherein the sheet is deployable to the unfolded position to facilitate communication between the at least one wireless communications device and the base station.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the base station comprises a high temperature superconductivity receiver.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the least one wireless communications device further comprising a transmitter.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a frequency shift keying receiver.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a direct sequence spread spectrum modulator.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein the direct sequence spread spectrum modulator comprises differential phase shift keying.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the man machine interface comprises a display.

8. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the display is a thin polymer emissive display.

9. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the display is capable of displaying graphical and textual information.

10. The communication system of claim 7, wherein the man machine interface further comprises at least one pushbutton.

11. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises a primary battery.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the primary battery is a lithium non-rechargeable battery.

13. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises a secondary battery.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the secondary battery is a lithium rechargeable battery.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the power supply further comprises:

a) a constant current source charger; and

b) a low dropout analog regulator.

16. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a monopole antenna.

17. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a dipole antenna.

18. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a patch antenna.

19. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the system is a voice response architecture and further comprises:

a) a microphone; and

b) an integrated broadband processor.

20. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communications device is structurally flexible.

21. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communications device and the base station can communicate within in a range of about 30 kilometers.

22. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the single high powered forward channel transmitter base station is located in an aircraft.

23. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communications device receives its location from a Global Positioning System and uploads the location to the base station.

24. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communications device communicates with the single forward channel transmitter base station using an interrogation protocol.

25. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communications device has a thickness of about 0.79 mm.

26. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communication device has a length of about 9.6 cm and width of about 6.4 cm.

27. The communications system of claim 22, wherein the aircraft is a remote controlled drone flying within 30 miles of the at least one wireless communications device.

28. A credit card sized wireless communications device comprising:

a smart card produced from a flexible die having a thickness of about 0.79 mm., a length of about 9.6 cm, and width of about 6.4 cm;

a processor integrated within said smart card which utilizes a forward and reverse channel, wherein said processor processes forward channel information for display and generation of reverse channel information, wherein the forward channel utilizes simple repetition to minimize power consumption and high forward channel carrier interference, and wherein the reverse channel utilizes forward error correcting code;

a transceiver mounted within said smart card comprising,

a receiver embedded in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) device which utilizes single conversion frequency shift keying (FSK) for receiving transmitted information, and

a transmitter which utilizes direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) differential phase shift keying (DPSK) modulation for rejecting interference and enhancing reverse channel link range;

a man machine interface integrated into a front side of said smart card including,

a one-quarter VGA size dot matrix thin polymer emissive display capable of displaying a combination of text and graphics, and

at least one push button to perform functions;

a contact pad integrated on an exterior side of said smart card for communicating to an integrated processor of a separate base station via a bi-directional serial bit communications link, and for providing power and an electrical ground from an outside source;

a power supply attached within said smart card composed of a high energy density battery having a planar shape, a constant current source charger, and a low drop out analog regulator; and

an antenna embedded into said smart card;

wherein said at least one communication device communicates, via a reservation “

Slotted Aloha”

interrogation protocol, with a high-powered forward channel transmitter base station having a high temperature superconductivity receiver.

29. The communications device according to claim 28, said battery comprising at least one of a single lithium polymer secondary chemistry rechargeable battery, a primary non-rechargeable thin Li battery, and a secondary rechargeable thin Li polymer battery.

30. The communications device according to claim 28, further comprising a voice response feature comprising a MEMS microphone for transmitting voice information, wherein voice traffic is permitted on the reverse channel, wherein said processor has integrated baseband capabilities capable of processing vocodes, forward error correction codes and frames.

31. The communications device according to claim 28, said antenna comprising a monopole antenna embedded on a thin flexible sheet having a length of about 9.6 cm and width of about 6.4 cm, said sheet hinged to an edge of said smart card such that said monopole antenna may be deployed by unfolding said sheet from said platform.

32. The communications device according to claim 28, said antenna comprising a center fed dipole antenna having a first L-shaped portion and second L-shaped portion, each portion having a long and short leg, said first L-shaped portion embedded on a thin flexible sheet having a length of about 9.6 cm and width of about 6.4 cm, said sheet hinged to an edge of said smart card such that said first L-shaped portion may be deployed by unfolding said sheet from said smart card, said second L-shaped portion embedded within said smart card, said short legs of said L-shaped portions configured in a parallel manner about hinged edge of said smart card and flexible sheet.

33. The communications device according to claim 28, said antenna comprising a patch antenna affixed to at least one of a frontside and backside of said smart card.

34. The communications device according to claim 28, said smart card being structurally flexible.

35. The communications device of claim 28, said communications device being able to communicate with a base station within a range of about up to 30 kilometers.

36. The communication system of claim 28, wherein the communications device receives its location from a Global Positioning System and uploads the location to a base station.

37. At least one credit card sized wireless communications device in combination with a single high powered forward channel transmitter base station having a high temperature superconductivity receiver, said at least one credit card sized wireless communications device comprising:

a smart card produced from a flexible die having a thickness of about 0.79 mm, a length of about 9.6 cm, and a width of about 6.4 cm;

a processor integrated within said smart card which utilizes a forward and reverse channel, wherein said processor processes forward channel information for display and generation of reverse channel information, wherein the forward channel utilizes simple repetition to minimize power consumption and high forward channel carrier interference, and wherein the reverse channel utilizes forward error correcting code;

a transceiver mounted within said smart card comprising,

a receiver embedded in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) device which utilizes single conversion frequency shift keying (FSK) for receiving transmitted information, and

a transmitter which utilizes direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) differential phase shift keying (DPSK) modulation for rejecting interference and enhancing reverse channel link range;

a man machine interface integrated into a front side of said smart card including,

a one-quarter VGA size dot matrix thin polymer emissive display capable of displaying a combination of text and graphics, and

at least one push button to perform functions;

a contact pad integrated on an exterior side of said smart card for communicating to an integrated processor of a separate base station via a bi-directional serial bit communications link, and for providing power and an electrical ground from an outside source;

a power supply attached within said smart card composed of a high energy density battery having a planar shape, a constant current source charger, and a low drop out analog regulator; and

an antenna embedded into said smart card;

wherein said at least one communication device communicates, via a reservation “

Slotted Aloha”

interrogation protocol, with a high-powered forward channel transmitter base station having a high temperature superconductivity receiver.

38. The communications device according to claim 37, said battery comprising at least one of a single lithium polymer secondary chemistry rechargeable battery, a primary non-rechargeable thin Li battery, and a secondary rechargeable thin Li polymer battery.

39. The communications device according to claim 37, further comprising a voice response feature comprising a MEMS microphone for transmitting voice information, wherein voice traffic is permitted on the reverse channel, wherein said processor has integrated baseband capabilities capable of processing vocodes, forward error correction codes and frames.

40. The communications device according to claim 37, said antenna comprising a monopole antenna embedded on a flexible sheet having a length of about 9.6 cm and width of about 6.4 cm, said sheet hinged to an edge of said smart card such that said monopole antenna may be deployed by unfolding said sheet from said platform.

41. The communications device according to claim 37 said antenna comprising a center fed dipole antenna having a first L-shaped portion and second L-shaped portion, each portion having a long and short leg, said first L-shaped portion embedded on a flexible sheet having a length of about 9.6 cm and width of about 6.4 cm, said sheet hinged to an edge of said smart card such that said first L-shaped portion may be deployed by unfolding said sheet from said smart card, said second L-shaped portion embedded within said smart card, said short legs of said L-shaped portions configured in a parallel manner about hinged edge of said smart card and flexible sheet.

42. The communications device according to claim 37, said antenna comprising a patch antenna affixed to at least one of a frontside and backside of said smart card.

43. The communications device according to claim 37, said smart card being structurally flexible.

44. The communications device of claim 37, said communications device being able to communicate with said base station within in a range of about up to 30 kilometers.

45. The communication system of claim 37, wherein the communications device receives its location from a Global Positioning System and uploads the location to a base station.

46. The communication system of claim 37 wherein said single high powered forward channel transmitter base station is located in an aircraft.

47. The communications system of claim 46, wherein the aircraft is a remote controlled drone flying within 30 miles of said at least one credit card sized wireless communications device.

48. A communications device comprising a flexible smart card having a length, width, and thickness similar to the dimensions of a credit card, said smart card having components embedded within including a receiver, an antenna, a man machine interface, a processor, and a power supply, wherein said device communicates with a base station, and wherein said antenna comprises a center fed dipole antenna having a first L-shaped portion and second L-shaped portion, each portion having a long and short leg, said first L-shaped portion embedded on a thin flexible sheet having a length of about 9.6 cm and width of about 6.4 cm, said sheet hinged to an edge of said smart card such that said first L-shaped portion may be deployed by unfolding said sheet from said smart card, said second L-shaped portion embedded within said smart card, said short legs of said L-shaped portions configured in a parallel manner about the hinged edge of said smart card and said sheet.

49. A wireless communications device communicable with a base station, the device comprising:

a device body having an edge and dimensions similar to the length, width, and thickness of a credit card, the device body having components embedded within, including;

a receiver;

a man machine interface;

a processor;

a power supply; and

a thin flexible sheet having an antenna embedded therewithin and being pivotally connected to the edge of the device body, the sheet being pivotable substantially adjacent the edge to alternate between folded and unfolded positions, the sheet being sized and configured to cover the man machine interface and generally coplanar with the device body when in the folded position, the sheet being generally angularly displaced from the device body when in the unfolded position, wherein the sheet is deployable to the unfolded position to facilitate communication between the device and the base station.

50. The device of claim 49 wherein the device body is flexible, and the body is conformable to the sheet.

51. The device of claim 49 wherein the sheet is generally coplanar with the device body when in the folded position.