Electronic magnetic recorded media emulators in magnetic card devices

• US 8,579,203 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Inventors: Lambeth, David N., Cloutier, Bruce S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US13/303,466
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 361/737, 235/380, 235/449, 235/450, 235/487, 235/492, 235/493, 705/41, 705/64, 705/65, 340/572.1, 340/10.1
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06206 the magnetic marking being emulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0806 Details of the card record carriers per se G06K
• 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: G11B 5/00808 magnetic cards

Abstract

A card (e.g., a payment card) or device (e.g., a token or phone) is provided with a magnetic emulator having a soft magnetic material whose reluctance is controlled.

Claims

1. A card comprising:

a bias magnetic field generation device;

a first conductive coil; and

a uniaxially anisotropic soft magnetic material within said first conductive coil,

wherein dimensions of said soft magnetic material include a length, a width, and a thickness,

said length is greater than said width, and said width is greater than said thickness,

an easy axis of said soft magnetic material is in a widthwise direction of said soft magnetic material, said easy axis being perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of said soft magnetic material, and

a bias magnetic field of said bias magnetic field generation device is in said widthwise direction.

2. The card of claim 1, wherein a reluctance of said soft magnetic material is controlled by said bias magnetic field, and said bias magnetic field is produced by a permanent magnet.

3. The card of claim 1, wherein a reluctance of said soft magnetic material is controlled by said bias magnetic field, and said bias magnetic field is produced by a current in said first coil.

4. The card of claim 1, wherein said first coil is at least ½

half inch long.

5. The card of claim 1, wherein said first coil is at least 1.5 inches long.

6. The card of claim 1, further comprising a second coil.

7. The card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coil,

wherein said second coil comprises a soft-magnetic material.

8. The card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coil,

wherein said card is operational without a static magnetic stripe.

9. The card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coil; and

a processor,

wherein said processor is operational to control current supplied to said first coil and said second coil such that a first track of information is communicated through said first coil and a second track of information is communicated through said second coil.

10. The card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coil; and

a processor,

wherein said processor is operational to control current supplied to said first coil and said second coil such that a first track of information is communicated through said first coil and a second track of information is communicated through said second coil, wherein said first and second tracks of data each comprise a payment number that is the same on both tracks.

11. The card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coil; and

a processor,

wherein said processor is operational to control current supplied to said first coil and said second coil such that a first track of information is communicated through said first coil and a second track of information is communicated through said second coil, wherein at least one of said first and second tracks of data comprises a payment number.

12. The card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coil; and

a processor,

wherein said processor is operational to control current supplied to said first coil and said second coil such that a first track of information is communicated through said first coil and a second track of information is communicated through said second coil, wherein at least one of said first and second tracks of data comprises a payment number and said payment number was generated by said processor based on time.

13. A card, comprising:

a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device including a bias magnetic field generation device, the dynamic magnetic stripe communications device operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe card reader, a reluctance of the dynamic magnetic stripe communications device greater than a reluctance of the magnetic stripe card reader,

wherein the dynamic magnetic stripe communications device further comprises a coil that encompasses a uniaxially anisotropic magnetic material, the coil having a length and a width,

the uniaxial anisotropy is across the coil width, and a bias magnetic field produced by the field generation device is provided across the coil width.

14. The card of claim 13, wherein the bias magnetic field generation device comprises a permanent magnet.

15. The card of claim 13, wherein the bias magnetic field generation device comprises at least one of a coil and a wire.

16. The card of claim 13, wherein the bias magnetic field contributes to the reluctance of the dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

17. The card of claim 13, wherein the anisotropy of the uniaxially anisotropic magnetic material is one of a shape anisotropy, a stress anisotropy, a magnetostriction anisotropy, an induced anisotropy, and any combination thereof.

18. The card of claim 13, wherein the field generation device provides a uniform bias field.

19. The card of claim 13, wherein the field generation device provides a non-uniform bias field.