Magnetic stripe track signal having multiple communications channels

• US 8,727,219 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Inventors: Mullen, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US12/902,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 235379-381, 235/449, 235/487, 235/492, 235/435, 235/439
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06196 Constructional details

Abstract

An electronic card (e.g., an electronic payment card) or another device (e.g., a wireless telephonic device) is provided that may communicate dynamic magnetic stripe data to a magnetic stripe reader. Information may be embedded into a magnetic track of data representative of additional information such as, for example, a unique identification number or an additional track of magnetic stripe data.

Claims

1. A card comprising:

a battery;

a processor; and

a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device,

wherein said card is operable to communicate first magnetic stripe track data via frequency/double-frequency F2F encoding and is operable to communicate additional data embedded in said first magnetic stripe track data as amplitude modifications to said first magnetic stripe track data, said amplitude modifications being associated with a plurality of data states.

2. The card of claim 1, wherein said additional data includes second magnetic stripe track data, said first magnetic stripe track data being data of a different track from said second magnetic stripe track data.

3. A wireless telephonic device comprising the card of claim 1.

4. A card comprising:

a battery;

a processor; and

a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device,

wherein said card is operable to communicate first magnetic stripe track data via frequency/double-frequency F2F encoding, is operable to communicate additional data embedded in said first magnetic stripe track data as amplitude modifications to said first magnetic stripe track data, and is operable to communicate a HIGH state and a LOW state discernible by a magnetic stripe reader based on said amplitude modifications.

5. A card comprising:

a battery;

a processor; and

a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device,

wherein said card is operable to communicate first magnetic stripe track data via frequency/double-frequency F2F encoding,

said card is operable to communicate additional data embedded in said first magnetic stripe track data as amplitude modifications to said first magnetic stripe track data,

said card is operable to communicate a plurality of data states, and

each of said plurality of data states is based on a current magnitude.

6. A card comprising:

a battery;

a processor; and

a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device,

wherein said card is operable to communicate first magnetic stripe track data via frequency/double-frequency F2F encoding,

said card is operable to communicate additional data embedded in said first magnetic stripe track data as amplitude modifications to said first magnetic stripe track data,

said dynamic stripe communications device includes at least one coil,

said amplitude modifications are associated with a plurality of data states, and

each of said plurality of data states is based on a current magnitude of current in said at least one coil.

7. A card, comprising:

a battery;

a processor; and

a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device,

wherein the card is operable to communicate a variable magnitude electromagnetic signal including flux transversals,

at least a plurality of the flux transversals are associated with first data,

at least a plurality of magnitudes of the electromagnetic signal are associated with second data,

the card is operable to vary a magnitude of the electromagnetic signal between the plurality of magnitudes, and

the plurality of magnitudes correspond to a plurality of different data states.

8. The card of claim 7, wherein the first data is magnetic stripe track data and the second data is embedded in the magnetic stripe track data.

9. The card of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic signal is a single polarity signal.

10. The card of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic signal is a dual polarity drive signal.

11. The card of claim 7, wherein the first data is first magnetic stripe track data of a first magnetic stripe track, and

the second data is second magnetic stripe track data of a second magnetic stripe track, the first track different from the second track.

12. A wireless telephonic device comprising the card of claim 7.

13. A card comprising:

a battery;

a processor; and

a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device,

wherein the card is operable to communicate a variable magnitude electromagnetic signal including flux transversals,

at least a plurality of the flux transversals are associated with first data,

at least a plurality of magnitudes of the electromagnetic signal are associated with second data, and

the card is operable to vary a magnitude of the electromagnetic signal between at least three different magnitudes corresponding to three different data states.

14. A method, comprising:

communicating, from a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device, first data and second data using a variable amplitude frequency/double-frequency F2F encoded signal, the F2F encoding being associated to the first data and the variable amplitude being associated to the second data,

wherein the variable amplitude of the signal varies between amplitudes in at least a plurality of amplitude ranges, each amplitude range corresponding to a different data state.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

decoding the signal at a card reader to extract the first data and the second data,

wherein differences in amplitude of the F2F encoded signal are not used to decode the first data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating the signal, at a card, from information including the first data and the second data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the card is at least part of a wireless telephonic device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the variable amplitude of the signal varies between amplitudes in at least three amplitude ranges, each amplitude range corresponding to a different data state.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first data includes at least a portion of first magnetic stripe track data, and

the second data includes at least a portion of second magnetic stripe track data, the first magnetic stripe track data corresponding to a different track from the second magnetic stripe track data.

20. A method comprising:

communicating, from a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device, first data and second data using a variable amplitude frequency/double-frequency F2F encoded signal, the F2F encoding being associated to the first data and the variable amplitude being associated to the second data, and

setting, for at least a plurality of different cards, at least a plurality of different amplitude ranges to communicate different portions of one or more tracks of magnetic stripe data.