Multi-application smart card with currency exchange, location tracking, and personal identification capabilities

• US 7,588,180 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Patential Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Apparel Group, LLC
• Inventors: Carmichael, Connie, Carmichael, Chris, Crotty, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US09/493,756
• Time in Patent Office: 3,518 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/487, 235/492, 902/25, 902/26, 902/27, 340/571, 340/573.1, 342/357.1, 342/357.12, 705/13, 705 35- 45, 360/75, 725/139
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• 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 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A smart card capable of performing more than one function, said smart card comprising a first memory means comprising a first set of data to access a bank account, a second set of data to access a credit card account, a third set of data representing the identification of a holder of the smart card, and a fourth set of data to access telephone communication services. The smart card further comprises a microprocessor, said microprocessor being in electrical communication with a second memory means, and a location tracking means for determining a location of the smart card.

Claims

1. A smart card, comprising:

a card housing;

an automated location tracking means, within said card housing, operating to automatically detect a geographic location of the smart card;

a memory having a first memory part storing a first set of data including financial account data, and having a second memory part storing geographical position data;

a microprocessor, in contact with both first financial account data in said first memory part, and with said geographical position data in said second memory part; and

a program, on the smart card and executed by said microprocessor, which automatically converts a predetermined currency value from a first currency to a second currency in the smart card based on the determined geographic location.

2. A smart card as in claim 1, wherein said smart card has the dimensions of a conventional plastic credit card.

3. A smart card of claim 1, wherein the first memory part comprises a magnetic strip that is separate from the second memory part.

4. A smart card of claim 1, wherein the second memory part comprises EPROM or EEPROM.

5. A smart card of claim 1, wherein the second memory part comprises RAM and ROM.

6. A smart card of claim 1, wherein the second set of data comprises a credit card account number.

7. A smart card of claim 1, wherein the third set of data comprises a name, address, physical characteristics, and identification number of a holder of the smart card.

8. A smart card of claim 1, wherein said second memory part also stores at least one telephone-based account number.

9. A smart card of claim 1, wherein the financial account data a bank account number.

10. The smart card of claim 9, wherein the fourth set of data represents a cash balance.

11. The smart card of claim 1 wherein the second memory part has stored therein a program which is executed by said microprocessor to track a history of transactions made using the smart card and to generate a transaction history statement.

12. The smart card of claim 1, wherein the first set of data represents numbers for accessing a credit card account.

13. The smart card of claim 1, wherein the memory has stored therein a program which is executed by said microprocessor to process data received from a global satellite, to store said data in the memory, and to generate a travel log based on said data.

14. A method of using an access device upon payment of a value, the method comprising:

using a smart card which is a standalone card to automatically determine a current geographical position data using location tracking means within the smart card housing;

storing information in a memory of said smart card, including financial account data, and said current geographical position data determined automatically by said smart card; and

running a program in said smart card that automatically converts a first currency value to a second currency value based on said current geographical position data that has been automatically determined by said using and stored in said memory.

15. A method as in claim 14, further comprising storing a first set of data to access a bank account, a second set of data to access a credit card account, a third set of data representing the identification of a holder of the smart card, and fourth set of data to access telephone communication services.

16. A method as in claim 14, further comprising

inserting the smart card into the access device, wherein the access device is shaped to receive a smart card having the dimensions of a conventional plastic credit card.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising

responsive to said inserting, reading at least one of said our sets of data;

performing a first authentication process on said at least one set of data; and

permitting access if said step of performing a first authentication process meets a required condition.