Stored-value card with pedometer and clip

• US 7,661,588 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: Samardzija, Primoz, Clegg, Timothy P., Porvaznik, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODMAN, KEITH E
• Application Number:
  US11/687,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20080223923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 235/105, 235/375, 235/487, 235/380, 702/160, 245/781.7, 245/881.2, 247/00, 246/85, 246/86, 246/88, 246/971, 248/685, 248/445, 248/447, 248/688, 248/231.81, 206/101
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• 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 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• 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 financial transaction card includes an enclosure, a step detector, and a processing device. The enclosure includes an account identifier linked to a financial account or record such that the financial transaction card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services. The step detector is positioned within the enclosure and configured to perceive movement caused each time a person carrying the financial transaction card takes a step. The processing device is positioned within the enclosure and in communication with the step detector, the processing device being configured to identify movement perceived by the step detector and to determine a cumulative number of steps taken by the person while carrying the financial transaction card. Stored-value card assemblies, methods of promoting sales of stored-value cards, methods of using a stored-value card, and other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A stored-value card comprising:

a housing including a machine readable bar code linked to a stored-value account or record such that the stored-value card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services;

a movement sensing mechanism substantially enclosed within the housing and configured to detect movement caused when a step is taken by a person carrying the stored-value card;

an electrical assembly substantially enclosed within the housing and in communication with the movement sensing mechanism, the electrical assembly being configured to identify movement detected by the movement sensing mechanism such that the movement sensing mechanism and the electrical assembly collectively function as a pedometer; and

a clip coupled with the housing and biased toward an outside surface defined by the housing, the clip configured to maintain a garment associated with the person, via interaction between the garment and each of the clip and the outside surface of the housing, to selectively hold the stored-value card to the person;

wherein the electrical assembly includes a display screen viewable through the outside surface of the housing, the outside surface is substantially planar, and the clip extends over the outside surface around at least three sides of the display screen.

2. The stored-value card of claim 1, wherein the display screen is configured to visually indicate content including one or more of a cumulative number of steps taken by the person, a cumulative distance walked by the person, and a cumulative number of calories burned by the person.

3. The stored-value card of claim 2, wherein the display screen is configured to visually indicate the cumulative number of steps taken by the person, the cumulative distance walked by the person, and the cumulative number of calories burned by the person, and wherein the stored-value card further comprises a button configured to interact with the electrical assembly to change the content shown on the display screen between the cumulative number of steps taken by the person, the cumulative distance walked by the person, and the cumulative number of calories burned by the person.

4. The stored-value card of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a base primary panel, a cover primary panel spaced from the base primary panel, and a side wall extending between the base primary panel and the cover primary panel about a perimeter of the stored-value card such that the movement sensing mechanism and the electrical assembly are stored between the base primary panel, the cover primary panel, and the side wall.

5. The stored-value card of claim 1, wherein the outside surface is a first outside surface, the housing defining a second outside surface, which is substantially planar and positioned opposite the first outside surface, and the machine readable bar code is included on the second outside surface.

6. The stored-value card of claim 1, wherein:

the outside surface of the housing is a cover surface of the housing,

the housing additionally defines;

a base surface opposite the cover surface,

a sidewall extending between the cover surface and the base surface, and

a coupling portion extending away from the sidewall in a direction substantially parallel to the cover surface,

the machine readable bar code is affixed to the base surface,

the clip includes;

a U-shaped clip body having two opposing ends, and

two coupling members, each of the two coupling members being attached to a different one of the two opposing ends of the U-shaped clip body,

the coupling portion of the housing defines two ends opposite one another,

each of the two coupling members of the clip is selectively coupled to a different one of the two ends of the coupling portion of the housing such that the U-shaped clip body extends directly over and is biased toward one of the cover surface and the base surface,

each of the two coupling members of the clip is configured to be readily uncoupled from the different one of the two ends of the coupling portion of the housing and readily coupled with opposite ones of the two ends of the coupling portion such that the U-shaped clip body extends directly over and is biased toward the other one of the cover surface and the base surface,

and when coupled, interaction between the two coupling members of the clip and the two ends of the coupling portion of the housing substantially prevents rotation of the two coupling members of the clip relative to the coupling portion of the housing.

7. A financial transaction card comprising:

an enclosure including an account identifier linked to a financial account or record such that the financial transaction card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services, the enclosure including;

a base panel,

a cover panel coupled to the base panel, and

a side wall extending between the base panel and the cover panel around a perimeter of the enclosure;

a step detector positioned within the enclosure and configured to perceive movement caused each time a card bearer carrying the financial transaction card takes a step;

a processing device positioned within the enclosure and in communication with the step detector, the processing device being configured to identify movement perceived by the step detector and to determine a cumulative number of steps taken by the card bearer while carrying the financial transaction card, wherein the step detector and the processing device are disposed between the base panel and the cover panel;

a clip reception portion extending from the side wall away from a remainder of the enclosure; and

a clip coupled to each of opposite ends of the clip reception portion and extending over and biased toward one of the base panel and the cover panel such that an item can be maintained between the clip and the one of the base panel and the cover panel.

8. The financial transaction card of claim 7, wherein the processing device includes a display screen visible through an aperture defined by the enclosure, the display screen configured to visibly indicate content including the cumulative number of steps.

9. The financial transaction card of claim 7, wherein the processing device includes an open circuit, and the step detector includes a conductive foot configured to selectively close the open circuit of the processing device when the card bearer takes a step.

10. The financial transaction card of claim 7, further comprising one or more buttons coupled with the enclosure and in communication with the processing device such that depression of the one or more buttons allows the card bearer carrying the financial transaction card to enter one or more of a stride length and a weight associated with the card bearer.

11. The financial transaction card of claim 7, wherein the side wall is a first side wall and the financial transaction card further comprises a second side wall, the first side wall extending from the cover panel to define a first edge opposite the cover panel, and the second side wall extending from the base panel to define a second edge opposite the base panel, wherein the first edge abuts the second edge when the enclosure is assembled.

12. The financial transaction card of claim 7, wherein the cover panel and the base panel are coupled together with one or more connection devices formed separately from the cover panel and the base panel.

13. A stored-value card comprising:

a housing including an account identifier linked to a stored-value account or record such that the stored-value card can be used toward the purchase or use of at least one of goods and services, the housing defining a front primary panel and a rear primary panel;

a clip externally coupled with the housing and biased toward one of the front primary panel and the rear primary panel, such that a garment can be secured between the clip and the one of the front primary panel and the rear primary panel;

wherein the clip includes coupling members and a U-shaped clip body having two ends, each coupling member is attached to a different one of the two ends of the U-shaped clip body, wherein each coupling member is separately coupled with the housing;

wherein the housing is substantially rectangular in shape other than a coupling portion extending outwardly from the otherwise substantially rectangular shape of the housing, and the coupling members are each configured to be received within an opposite end of the coupling portion of the housing.

14. The stored-value card of claim 13, wherein the U-shaped clip body includes a metal material, and the clip includes a polymeric member extending around a portion of the clip body opposite the coupling members.

15. The stored-value card of claim 13, wherein the clip is selectively couplable to the housing such that in a first coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the front primary panel and in a second coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the rear primary panel.

16. A stored-value card comprising:

a housing including an account identifier linked to a stored-value account or record such that the stored-value card can be used toward a purchase or use of at least one of goods and services, the housing defining a front primary panel and a rear primary panel;

a clip externally coupled with the housing and biased toward one of the front primary panel and the rear primary panel, such that a garment can be secured between the clip and the one of the front primary panel and the rear primary panel;

wherein the clip includes coupling members and a U-shaped clip body having two ends, each coupling member is attached to a different one of the two ends of the U-shaped clip body, each coupling member is separately coupled with the housing, the housing is substantially rectangular in shape other than a coupling portion extending outwardly from the otherwise substantially rectangular shape of the housing, the coupling members are each configure to be received within an opposite end of the coupling portion of the housing, each of the coupling members includes a coupling member protrusion with a substantially X-shaped cross-section extending toward one another, and the coupling portion defines a cavity with a corresponding substantially X-shaped cross-section for receiving each coupling member protrusion.

17. The stored-value card of claim 16, wherein the U-shaped clip body includes a metal material, and the clip includes a polymeric member extending around a portion of the clip body opposite the coupling members.

18. The stored-value card of claim 16, wherein the clip is selectively couplable to the housing such that in a first coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the front primary panel and in a second coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the rear primary panel.

19. The stored-value card of claim 16, wherein the clip extends directly over and is biased toward the front primary panel, and the stored-value card further includes a display screen viewable through the front primary panel.

20. The stored-value card of claim 19, wherein the clip extends around at least three sides of the display screen.

21. The store-value card of claim 16, wherein the clip extends directly over and is biases toward the front primary panel, and the stored-value card further includes a pedometer housed substantially within the housing and having buttons controlling at least a portion of the pedometer accessible through the front primary panel of the housing.

22. A method of promoting sales of and selling a stored-value card, the method comprising:

displaying a stored-value card including a housing linked to a stored-value account or record such that the stored-value card can be used toward a purchase or use of at least one of goods and services, a step detector maintained within the housing and configured to perceive movement caused when a step is taken by a person carrying the stored-value card, and an electrical assembly maintained within the housing and in communication with the step detector, the electrical assembly being configured to identify movement perceived by the step detector;

providing one or more buttons on the stored-value card for interacting with the electrical assembly to alter content displayed by a display screen of the electrical assembly and to enter additional information to the electrical assembly;

activating the stored-value card to permit deductions from the stored-value account or record; and

receiving the stored-value card as payment for one or more of good and services, the value of the one or more of goods and services being deducted from the stored-value account or record;

wherein each of the one or more buttons extends out of a substantially planar cover panel of the housing, and displaying the stored-value card includes displaying a clip that is selectively couplable to the housing via a clip reception portion such that in a first coupled position, the clip is biased toward the substantially planar cover panel such that the stored-value card is configured to maintain a garment associated with a user via interaction between the garment and each of the clip and the substantially planar cover panel of the housing, and in a second coupled position, the clip is biased toward a base panel of the housing.

23. A financial transaction card comprising:

an enclosure including an account identifier linked to a financial account or record such that the financial transaction card can be used toward a purchase or use of at least one of goods and services, the enclosure including;

a base panel,

a cover panel coupled to the base panel, and

a side wall extending between the base panel and cover panel around a perimeter of the enclosure;

a step detector positioned within the enclosure and configured to perceive movement caused each time a card bearer carrying the financial transaction card takes a step;

a processing device positioned within the enclosure and in communication with the step detector, the processing device being configured to identify movement perceived by the step detector and to determine a cumulative number of steps taken by the card bearer while carrying the financial transaction card, wherein the step detector and the processing device are disposed between the base panel and the cover panel;

a clip reception portion extending from the side wall away from a remainder of the enclosure; and

a clip coupled to the clip reception portion and extending over and biased toward one of the base panel and the cover panel such that an item can be maintained between the clip and the one of the base panel and the cover panel,

wherein the clip is selectively couplable with the clip reception portion such that in a first coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the cover panel and in a second coupled position the clip extends over and is biased toward the base panel.

24. The financial transaction card of claim 23, wherein the clip is configured such that the clip is uncoupled from the housing to transition the clip between the first coupled position and the second coupled position.

25. The financial transaction card of claim 23, further comprising a display screen electrically coupled with the processing device and viewable through the cover panel, wherein the account identifier is positioned on an outside surface of the base panel.