Enhanced system and method for wireless transactions

• US 7,240,836 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Virtual Fonlink, Inc.
• Inventors: Elias, Georges F., Vrotsos, Demetrios G.
• Primary Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US10/831,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20050236480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.02, 235/439, 235/440, 235/451, 455/348, 455/349, 455/407
• US Class Current: 235/439
• 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 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• 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: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device

Abstract

An attachment that may be coupled to a wireless communication device, such as a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or the like, to perform commercial or other information transactions, as well as to an apparatus or system for conducting such transactions. The wireless communication device generally includes an antenna that may be directly accessed by a processor in the attachment for transmission of data to a remote computer over a communication network. The attachment may also include an input device, such as a magnetic stripe reader, smartcard reader, barcode scanner, optical scanner, fingerprint scanner, proximity detector, or the like. When input is received at the input device, the input information may be sent to the attachment processor for processing and transmission to the remote computer via the antenna. The remote computer may process the received attachment-processed data and generate a response to send to the device processor.

Claims

1. An attachment to be utilized with a wireless communication device, comprising:

a communication interface to receive a transaction request from the wireless communication device via a first localized wireless networking protocol and to transmit the transaction request;

a processor to receive the transaction request and to issue an initialization request; and

a first input device to receive the initialization request and to capture data from a card and to transmit the data,

wherein the processor receives the data from the first input device, encrypts the data to create encrypted data, and transmits the encrypted data to the communication interface, and the communication interface transmits the encrypted data via a second localized wireless networking protocol to a receiving device, the receiving device being a different device from the wireless communication device.

2. The attachment of claim 1, wherein the localized wireless networking protocols is one of a group of a 802.22(a), a 802.22(b), a 802.22(i), a 802.22(n), and a 802.22(g) protocol.

3. The attachment of claim 1, further including a removable memory to store user specific information.

4. The attachment of claim 1, further including a removable memory to be utilized as additional storage for applications of the wireless communication device.

5. The attachment of claim 1, wherein the input device captures magnetic data from a card.

6. The attachment of claim 1, wherein the input device optically captures optical data from a card and transmits corresponding data to the processor.

7. The attachment of claim 6, wherein the input device is selected from a group consisting of an optical scanner, a MICR scanner, a one-dimensional bar-code scanner, a biometric reader and a two-dimensional bar-code scanner.

8. The attachment of claim 6, wherein the processor performs character recognition on the optical data to create digital data and the processor encrypts the digital data.

9. The attachment of claim 1, wherein the input device is supported by a reader assembly, a side wall of an attachment slot, and at least one alignment post.

10. The attachment of claim 1, wherein the attachment includes a charging port for connection to an external charger, a diode to prevent excessive current or voltage conditions, and a voltage regulator to supply necessary voltages to components of the attachment.

11. The attachment of claim 1, further including a connector to be utilized to physically connect to the wireless communication device and a bracket assembly to allow a rocking motion for the connector during engagement of the wireless communication device and the attachment.

12. The attachment of claim 1, the attachment further including a top housing and a bottom housing, wherein the top housing and the bottom housing each include a plurality of matching one-way referencing tabs to provide additional mechanical engagement support.

13. The attachment of claim 1, further including a printer to print data or messages related to a transaction completed by the attachment.

14. The attachment of claim 1, the attachment further including a display to display messages related to the attachment.

15. A method of operating a wireless attachment, comprising:

receiving an initialization command from a wireless communication device via a first localized wireless communication protocol and initializing the wireless attachment;

activating a reader assembly in the wireless attachment;

capturing, by the reader assembly, data from an object, and transmitting the data to a processor;

encrypting the data, by the processor, to create encrypted data and transmitting the encrypted data to a communications interface in the attachment; and

receiving the encrypted data at the communications interface and transmitting the encrypted data to a receiving computing device other than the wireless communication device which submitted the initialization command via a second localized wireless communication protocol.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless attachment receives a status transmission from a server and enters into a hibernation state to conserve energy.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein capturing data from an object includes capturing optical data from the object and transmitting the corresponding data to the processor.

18. The method of claim 17, further including performing character recognition by the optical data by the processor to generate digital data and having the processor encrypt the digital data to created encrypted transaction data.

19. The method of claim 15, further including storing application data from the wireless communication device in a removable memory of the wireless attachment.

20. The method of claim 19, further including requiring the utilization of a media key to access data stored in the removable memory or the wireless attachment.

21. The method of claim 15, further including storing in an internal memory an encryption key that is utilized to create the encrypted data.

22. A machine-readable medium having recorded thereon instructions, such that when said instructions are executed, said instructions cause a wireless attachment to:

receive an initialization command from a wireless communication device via a first localized wireless communication protocol and initialize the wireless attachment;

activate a reader assembly in the wireless attachment;

capture, by the reader assembly, data from an object, and transmit the data to a processor;

encrypt the data, by the processor, to create encrypted data and transmit the encrypted data to a communications interface in the attachment; and

receive the encrypted data at the communications interface and transmit the encrypted data to a receiving computing device, other than the wireless communication device which submitted the initialization command, via a second localized wireless communication protocol.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, including instructions which when executed cause the wireless attachment to receive a status transmission and place a wireless attachment into a hibernation state.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the capture of data from the object includes capturing optical data from the object and transmitting the corresponding data to the processor.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, including instructions which when executed, cause the wireless attachment to performing character recognition of the optical data by the processor to generate digital data and to have the processor encrypt the digital data.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, including instructions which when executed cause the wireless attachment to store application data from the wireless communication device in a removable memory of the wireless attachment.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 22, including instructions which when executed cause the wireless attachment to store in a removable memory an encryption key that is utilized to create the encrypted data.