User-activated payment card

• US 8,052,052 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Power, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US12/328,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/492, 235/379
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0718 the sensor being of the biometric kind, e.g. fingerprint sensors fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/13; biometric access-control systems in general, see G07C9/00
• 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: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data

Abstract

Embodiments of a payment card (such as a credit card), a financial-transaction system that uses the payment card, and a method are described. These embodiments may be used to protect financial information stored on the payment card, while providing ease of use to a user of the payment card when conducting a financial transaction. In particular, the payment card may include a transducer that detects a physical phenomenon. If this physical phenomenon is detected, a wireless communication circuit in or on the payment card is enabled, so that the wireless communication circuit can provide the user'"'"'s financial information in response to an external signal received from an external reading device (such as an a radio-frequency identification signal from a card reader).

Claims

1. A payment card, comprising:

a transducer configured to detect a presence or an absence of a gating signal, which is provided by an external source;

an enable circuit, electrically coupled to the transducer, which is configured to provide an enable signal based on the detected gating signal; and

a wireless communication circuit, electrically coupled to the enable circuit, configured to provide financial information, which is stored on the payment card, when an external signal is received and when the enable signal is present.

2. The payment card of claim 1, wherein the external signal includes a radio-frequency identification signal from an external reading device.

3. The payment card of claim 1, wherein the external signal provides power to the payment card.

4. The payment card of claim 1, further comprising a power source which is electrically coupled to the transducer, the enable circuit and the wireless communication circuit.

5. The payment card of claim 1, wherein the payment card includes a debit card or a credit card.

6. The payment card of claim 1, wherein the transducer detects a physical phenomenon, and wherein the enable circuit is further configured to provide the enable signal based on the detected physical phenomenon.

7. The payment card of claim 6, wherein the transducer includes a photo-detector sensor that detects a light-intensity change when a user removes the payment card from a storage location.

8. The payment card of claim 1, wherein the enable signal is disabled when the gating signal is present.

9. The payment card of claim 1, wherein the external source includes a companion card which is stored in proximity to the payment card between uses of the payment card.

10. A method for communicating financial information using a payment card, comprising:

detecting a presence or an absence of a gating signal, which is provided by an external source through a transducer on the payment card;

providing an enable signal based on the detected gating signal;

receiving an external signal; and

providing financial information, which is stored on the payment card, via wireless communication when the external signal is received and when the enable signal is present.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the external signal includes a radio-frequency identification signal from an external reading device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the external signal provides power to the payment card.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment card includes a debit card or a credit card.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a physical phenomenon through the transducer, and wherein the enable signal is provided based on detecting the physical phenomenon.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the physical phenomenon involves detecting a light-intensity change when a user removes the payment card from a storage location.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the enable signal is disabled when the gating signal is present.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the external source includes a companion card which is stored in proximity to the payment card between uses of the payment card.

18. A payment card, comprising:

a photo-detector sensor that detects a light-intensity change when a user removes the payment card from a storage location;

an enable circuit, electrically coupled to the photo-detector, which is configured to provide an enable signal based on the detected light-intensity change; and

a wireless communication circuit, electrically coupled to the enable circuit, configured to provide financial information, which is stored on the payment card, when an external signal is received and when the enable signal is present.