Magnetic data recording device

• US 7,641,124 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qsecure Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Weidong, Thompson, Joyce, Pariseau, David K., Brown, Kerry D., Williams, Edgar M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/479,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20070241201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 235/493, 235/492, 235/449, 235/380, 235/451
• US Class Current: 235/493
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00808 magnetic cards

Abstract

A Q-Chip MEMS magnetic device comprises a thin-film electronic circuit for implantation in the Track-2 area of a magnetic stripe on the back of a credit card. The Q-Chip MEMS magnetic device periodically self-generates new sub-sets of magnetic data that are to be read in combination with other magnetic data that is permanently recorded in the surrounding surface of the magnetic stripe. A collocated battery and microcontroller provide operating power and new data for magnetic bit updates. A swipe sensor triggers such updates by sensing electrical contact with a legacy card reader. Several thin-film coils of wire are wound end-to-end around a common, flat, ferrous core. These are driven by the microcontroller. In one instance, such core comprises “hard” magnetic material with a coercivity of 200-300 Oersteds. Magnetic data written from the corresponding adjacent coils will persist for later readings by a legacy card reader. In another instance, the core comprises “soft” magnetic material with a coercivity of about one Oersted. A media stripe of “hard” magnetic film material overlays respective coils to receive magnetic data transfers. Magnetic data written from the corresponding adjacent coils will persist in the overlaying hard media for later readings by a legacy card reader. In a data input mode, the thin-film coils can be used as readers to provide updates and new programming to the microcontroller.

Claims

1. A magnetic data recording device, comprising:

a programmable magnetic device for presenting programmable and persistent magnetic data readable by a legacy card reader,

wherein, the programmable magnetic device is configured to be embedded in an opening in a magnetic stripe with a permanent magnetic data recording that is readable in combination with said programmable and persistent magnetic data by said legacy card reader;

wherein, programmable and permanent magnetic data are collectable and interpretable together as a valid use once account number in a single track data information.

2. The magnetic data recording device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of writing coils collinearly wound around a common flat longitudinal magnetic core and providing a mechanism with which to record said programmable and persistent magnetic data.

3. The magnetic data recording device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of writing coils collinearly wound around a common flat longitudinal magnetic core and beneath a magnetic media and providing a mechanism with which to record said programmable and persistent magnetic data.

4. The magnetic data recording device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of writing coils collinearly wound around a common flat longitudinal magnetic core; and

a microcontroller connected to provide changeable data to the plurality of writing coils for recording said programmable and persistent magnetic data.

5. The magnetic data recording device of claim 4, further comprising:

a swipe sensor disposed over the plurality of writing coils and providing for a trigger to the microcontroller to provide a timing for recording said programmable and persistent magnetic data.

6. The magnetic data recording device of claim 4, further comprising:

an inductor for communicating externally sourced card personalization data to the microcontroller.

7. The magnetic data recording device of claim 1, further comprising:

a bead of magnetic material disposed in a joint between the electronic device and a magnetic stripe surrounding it, and for matching said magnetic stripe to the programmable magnetic device to limit any magnetic discontinuities a legacy card reader would observe during a card swipe.

8. The magnetic data recording device of claim 1, further comprising:

a silicon substrate on which are disposed a plurality of writing coils, and set flush within a recess in a magnetic stripe surrounding it, and providing a mechanism with which to record said programmable and persistent magnetic data.

9. A magnetic device comprising:

means providing for the reading of programmable and persistent magnetic data by a legacy card reader in combination with permanent magnetic data recordings in a surrounding magnetic stripe; and

a capacitor to receive a slow charge from a battery and to deliver a fast discharge to each of the plurality of writing coils sufficient to record repeatable magnetic data for a later reading by said legacy card reader.

10. A thinfilm magnetic device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first insulation (ins-1) layer deposited on the substrate;

a first metallization (met-1) layer deposited on the ins-1 layer, and comprising copper (Cu), and forming a bottom half of a number of individual coil windings;

a second insulation (ins-2) layer deposited on the met-1 layer, and comprising an insulative material deposited, without a mask;

a hard magnetic core (mag-1) of ferromagnetic alloy deposited about 1-μ

m thick over the ins-2 layer;

a third insulation (ins-3) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer, and comprising an insulative material;

a second metallization (met-2) layer deposited on the ins-3 layer, and comprising copper (Cu), and forming a top half of said number of individual coil windings;

a fourth insulation (ins-4) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer, and comprising an insulative material; and

a passivation overcoat (psvn-1) of relatively hard material deposited over the ins-4 layer;

wherein, the met-1 and met-2 layers form coil windings that encircle a magnetic core formed by the mag-1 layer, and such provide for the writing of magnetic data readable by a legacy card reader shuttled along the surface of the psvn-1 layer.

11. The thinfilm magnetic device of claim 10, wherein:

the first insulation (ins-1) layer deposited on the substrate includes bisbenzocyclobutene (BCB) or photoresist about two micrometers (μ

m) thick;

the first metallization (met-1) layer deposited on the ins-1 layer comprises copper (Cu) about 8-μ

m thick;

the second insulation (ins-2) layer deposited on the met-1 layer comprises BCB or photoresist deposited about 5-μ

m thick;

the hard magnetic core (mag-1) is a CoFe alloy deposited about 1-μ

m thick and has a coercivity of about 200-600 Oe;

the third insulation (ins-3) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer comprises BOB deposited about 2-μ

m to 5-μ

m thick;

the second metallization (met-2) layer deposited on the ins-3 layer comprises copper (Cu) about 8-μ

m thick;

the fourth insulation (ins-4) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer comprises BCB or photoresist deposited about 2-μ

m to 5-μ

m thick; and

the passivation overcoat (psvn-1) comprises silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxide, or diamondlike carbon (DLC) deposited over the ins-4 layer about 0.05-82 m thick.

12. The thin-film magnetic device of claim 10, further comprising:

a conductive overlay on the passivation overcoat (psvn-1) to complete an electrical circuit to sense when a read head passes over.

13. A thin-film magnetic device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first insulation (ins-1) layer deposited on the substrate;

a first metallization (met-1) layer deposited on the ins-1 layer, and comprising copper (Cu), and forming a bottom half of a number of individual coil windings;

a second insulation (ins-2) layer deposited on the met-1 layer, and comprising an insulative material deposited, without a mask;

a soft magnetic core (mag-1) of deposited over the ins-2 layer, and having a coercivity of about one Oe;

a third insulation (ins-3) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer;

a second metallization (met-2) layer deposited on the ins-3 layer, and comprising copper (Cu), and forming a top half of said number of individual coil windings;

a fourth insulation (ins-4) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer;

a hard magnetic media (mag-2) of a ferromagnetic alloy deposited over the ins-4 layer; and

a passivation overcoat (psvn-1) deposited over the ins-4 layer;

wherein, the met-1 and met-2 layers form coil windings that encircle a magnetic core formed by the mag-1 layer, and such provide for the writing of magnetic data to the mag-2 layer which is readable by a legacy card reader when shuttled along the surface of the psvn-1 layer.

14. The thin-film magnetic device of claim 13, wherein:

the first insulation (ins-1) layer deposited on the substrate comprises bisbenzocyclobutene (BCB) or photoresist about two micrometers (μ

m) thick;

the first metallization (met-1) layer deposited on the ins-1 layer comprises copper (Cu) about 8-μ

m thick;

the second insulation (ins-2) layer deposited on the met-1 layer comprises BCB or photoresist deposited, without a mask, about 5-μ

m thick;

the soft magnetic core (mag-1) of nickel-iron (NiFe) deposited about 6-μ

m thick over the ins-2 layer, and having a coercivity of about one Oe;

the third insulation (ins-3) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer comprises BCB or photoresist deposited about 2-μ

m to 5-μ

m thick;

the second metallization (met-2) layer deposited on the ins-3 layer comprises copper (Cu) about 8-μ

m thick;

the fourth insulation (ins-4) layer deposited over the mag-1 layer comprises BCB or photoresist deposited about 2-μ

m to 5-μ

m thick;

the hard magnetic media (mag-2) is CoFe or CoNi deposited about 1-μ

m thick over the ins-4 layer, and has a coercivity of about 200-600 Oe; and

the passivation overcoat (psvn-1) comprises silicon nitride (SiN), silicon oxide, or diamondlike carbon (DLC) deposited over the ins-4 layer about 0.05-μ

m thick;

wherein, the met-1 and met-2 layers form coil windings that encircle a magnetic core formed by the mag-1 layer, and such provide for the writing of magnetic data to the mag-2 layer which is readable by a legacy card reader when shuttled along the surface of the psvn-1 layer.

15. The thinfilm magnetic device of claim 14, lastly further comprising:

a conductive overlay on the passivation overcoat (psvn-1) to complete an electrical circuit to sense when a read head passes over.