Method and apparatus for promoting the selection and use of a transaction card

• US 8,632,005 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Downs, Michael D., Schneier, Bruce, Tedesco, Robert C., Fincham, Magdalena M., Jorasch, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/196,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20120286035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/382, 235/383, 235/379, 235/486, 235/487, 235/492, 705/41, 705/44, 705/67
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0704 the battery being rechargeable, e.g. solar batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0728 the arrangement being an optical or sound-based communication interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07345 by activating or deactivating at least a part of the circuit on the record carrier, e.g. ON/OFF switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention provide for detecting a physical change (e.g., via a sensor of a transaction card), and, in response to detecting the physical change, producing an output signal promoting use of a financial account.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal from a sensor, the signal indicating a physical change detected by the sensor;

determining at least one condition for producing an output signal; and

in response to receiving the signal indicating the detected physical change, producing by a transducer of a transaction card an output signal prompting use of a financial account.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the produced output signal is based on at least one of:

sports information,

market information,

sales information,

lottery information,

schedule information,

travel information,

a joke,

an image,

a video,

a quotation,

a display pattern,

a song,

a horoscope,

exchange rate information, and

weather information.

3. The transaction card of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the transducer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving content via a receiver of the transaction card.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the received content in a memory of the transaction card.

6. The method of claim 4, in which the content is received from a transmitting source.

7. The method of claim 4, in which the content is received from a transmitter associated with a merchant.

8. The method of claim 4, in which the content is received from a user of the transaction card.

9. The method of claim 4, in which the content is received from a second transaction card.

10. The method of claim 4, in which the content is received from a content provider.

11. The method of claim 4, in which the produced output signal comprises at least a portion of the received content.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting content stored in a memory of the transaction card; and

in which the produced output signal comprises the selected content.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the detected physical change comprises a change in ambient light.

14. The method of claim 1, in which the detected physical change comprises a change in pressure applied to the transaction card.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the detected physical change comprises use of the transaction card at a card reader.

16. The method of claim 1, in which the detected physical change comprises use of the transaction card at a point of sale terminal.

17. The method of claim 1, in which the detected physical change comprises a location of the device.

18. The method of claim 1, in which the detected physical change comprises a change in orientation of the transaction card.

19. The method of claim 1, in which the detected physical change comprises a change in ambient sound.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one condition has been satisfied; and

unlocking content stored in a memory of the transaction card in response to determining that the at least one condition has been satisfied,

in which the produced output signal comprises the unlocked content.

21. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one condition comprises at least one of:

use of the transaction card for a transaction,

activation of the financial account associated with the transaction card,

a minimum amount charged by a user to the financial account using the transaction card,

use of the financial account associated with the transaction card by a user with a predetermined frequency,

use of the transaction card by a user at a predetermined time,

use of the transaction card by a user at a predetermined location, and

detecting of a predetermined minimum number of physical changes.