Portable E-wallet and universal card

• US 8,788,418 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gonow Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Gonow Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Spodak, Douglas, Natarajan, Peruvemba
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Hatem M
• Application Number:
  US13/310,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20120074232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06206 the magnetic marking being emulated
• 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: G06K 19/0725 the arrangement being a circuit for emulating a plurality of record carriers, e.g. a single RFID tag capable of representing itself to a reader as a cloud of RFID tags
• 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: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3563 Software being resident on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

Universal cards are used in place of all the other traditional cards which a person may want to carry. The universal card can include a short range communications transceiver to communicate with a mobile device. The mobile device can include a user interface and an e-wallet application so that the user can interface with the e-wallet application for programming the universal card via the short range communication link. Once programmed, the universal card emulates a function of a traditional card.

Claims

1. A universal card configured to emulate a traditional card when interacting with a terminal, the universal card comprising:

a short range transceiver configured to connect to a mobile computing device via a short range wireless communication link and to receive instructions for programming the universal card to emulate one of a plurality of traditional cards via the short range communication link, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, wherein the universal car is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card;

a dynamic magnetic stripe capable of emulating a static magnetic stripe of each of the plurality of traditional cards; and

an EMV chip configured to interact with an EMV chip enabled terminal, wherein the EMV chip is associated with a default traditional card of the plurality of traditional cards, wherein the EMV chip complies with the EMV standard;

wherein, in response to receiving a request to emulate one of the plurality of traditional cards from the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, the universal card is configured to cause the dynamic magnetic stripe to emulate a static magnetic stripe of the one of the plurality of traditional cards.

2. The universal card of claim 1, wherein the short range transceiver is either an NFC transceiver or a Bluetooth transceiver.

3. The universal card of claim 1, wherein the plurality of traditional cards comprises the default traditional card.

4. The universal card of claim 1, further comprising:

a second short range transceiver, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the one of a plurality of traditional cards by configuring the second short range transceiver to emulate a short range transmitter of the traditional card.

5. The universal card of claim 4, wherein the universal card is configured to configure the dynamic magnetic stripe to emulate the static magnetic stripe of the one of the plurality of traditional cards and to configure the second short range transceiver to emulate the short range transmitter of the traditional card upon receiving the instructions for programming the universal card to emulate the one of the plurality of traditional cards.

6. The universal card of claim 1, further comprising:

a radio communications apparatus, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the one of the plurality of traditional cards by configuring the radio communications apparatus to emulate a radio communications apparatus of the traditional card.

7. The universal card of claim 1, further comprising:

a secure element configured to store traditional card data received from the computing device via the short range communication link.

8. The universal card of claim 7, wherein the computing device comprises an e-wallet application configured to manage the traditional card data.

9. The universal card of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to encrypt traditional card data prior to transmitting the traditional card data to the universal card.

10. The universal card of claim 1, wherein a second default traditional card is associated with the dynamic magnetic stripe.

11. The universal card of claim 10, wherein the default traditional card and the second default traditional card are the same traditional card.

12. The universal card of claim 1, further comprising:

a power indicator configured to indicate whether the universal card is active.

13. The universal card of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch configured to activate the universal card.

14. The universal card of claim 13, wherein the switch is a snap switch.

15. The universal card of claim 14, further comprising:

a power indicator configured to indicate whether the universal card is active.

16. The universal card of claim 1, wherein the universal card is configured to include coupon information in the dynamic magnetic stripe when the dynamic magnetic stripe is configured to emulate the static magnetic stripe of the one of the plurality of traditional cards.

17. The universal card of claim 1, wherein the short range transceiver is further configured to send a warning signal to the computing device via the short range communication link.

18. The universal card of claim 17, wherein the warning signal is indicative of a power level or indicative of a change in emulation of the one of the plurality of traditional cards by the universal card.

19. A universal card configured to emulate a traditional card when interacting with a terminal, the universal card comprising:

a short range transceiver configured to connect to a mobile computing device via a short range wireless communication link, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, wherein the universal card is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card;

a dynamic magnetic stripe capable of emulating a static magnetic stripe of each of a plurality of traditional cards; and

a secure element configured to store card data received from the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, wherein the secure element is configured to store the card data in accordance with a pre-established level of security;

wherein, in response to receiving a request to emulate one of the plurality of traditional cards from the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, the universal card is configured to cause the dynamic magnetic stripe to emulate a static magnetic stripe of the one of the plurality of traditional cards using the card data stored in the secure element.

20. The universal card of claim 19, wherein the short range transceiver is either an NFC transceiver or a Bluetooth transceiver.

21. The universal card of claim 19, wherein a default traditional card is associated with the dynamic magnetic stripe.

22. The universal card of claim 21, wherein the plurality of traditional cards comprises the default traditional card.

23. The universal card of claim 19, further comprising:

a second short range transceiver, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the one of the plurality of traditional cards by configuring the second short range transceiver to emulate a short range transmitter of the traditional card.

24. The universal card of claim 23, wherein the universal card is configured to configure the dynamic magnetic stripe to emulate the static magnetic stripe of the one of the plurality of traditional cards and to configure the second short range transceiver to emulate the short range transmitter of the traditional card upon receiving the instructions for programming the universal card to emulate the one of the plurality of traditional cards.

25. The universal card of claim 19, further comprising:

a radio communications apparatus, wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the one of the plurality of traditional cards by configuring the radio communications apparatus to emulate a radio communications apparatus of the traditional card.

26. The universal card of claim 19, wherein the computing device comprises an e-wallet application configured to manage the traditional card data.

27. The universal card of claim 19, wherein the computing device is configured to encrypt traditional card data prior to transmitting the traditional card data to the universal card.

28. The universal card of claim 19, further comprising:

a power indicator configured to indicate whether the universal card is active.

29. The universal card of claim 19, further comprising:

a switch configured to activate the universal card.

30. The universal card of claim 29, wherein the switch is a snap switch.

31. The universal card of claim 30, further comprising:

a power indicator configured to indicate whether the universal card is active.

32. The universal card of claim 19, wherein the universal card is configured to include coupon information in the dynamic magnetic stripe when the dynamic magnetic stripe is configured to emulate the static magnetic stripe of the one of the plurality of traditional cards.

33. The universal card of claim 19, wherein the short range transceiver is further configured to send a warning signal to the computing device via the short range communication link.

34. The universal card of claim 33, wherein the warning signal is indicative of a power level or indicative of a change in emulation of the one of the plurality of traditional cards by the universal card.

35. A method of using a mobile computing device to communicate traditional card data to a universal card, the traditional card data comprising information about one or more traditional cards, the method comprising:

receiving, by the mobile computing device, the traditional card data;

establishing a wireless communication link between the mobile computing device and the universal card, wherein the universal card comprises a secure element configured to store the traditional card data in accordance with a pre-established level of security, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the wireless communication link, and wherein the universal card is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card; and

transmitting, from the computing device to the universal card, the traditional card data, wherein the universal card is configured to store the traditional card data in the secure element upon receiving the traditional card data;

wherein, in response to receiving a request to emulate one of a plurality of traditional cards from the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, the universal card is configured to cause a dynamic magnetic stripe of the universal card to emulate a static magnetic stripe of the one of the plurality of traditional cards using the traditional card data stored in the secure element.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein receiving the traditional card data comprises receiving the traditional card data from a magnetic stripe reader.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the magnetic stripe reader is connected to a headphone port of the computing device.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein receiving the traditional card data comprises receiving the traditional card data from a remote computing device via a network.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the network comprises one or more of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the computing device is configured to receive the traditional card data and to transmit the traditional card data without storing the traditional card data.

41. A method of providing an authentication value for a particular transaction using a universal card having a dynamic magnetic stripe with one or more tracks, the method comprising:

receiving, from a mobile computing device via a short range wireless communication link, an indication of a traditional card to be emulated by the universal card, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, and wherein the universal card is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card;

configuring the dynamic magnetic stripe to emulate a static magnetic stripe of the traditional card by writing information about the traditional card to at least a first portion of the one or more tracks;

determining, based on the traditional card, whether the authentication value is static or dynamic; and

writing the authentication value to at least a second portion of the one or more tracks, wherein the authentication value is a static authentication value associated with the traditional card if the authentication value is determined to be static, and wherein the authentication value is a dynamic authentication value calculated for the particular transaction if the authentication value is determined to be dynamic;

wherein the authentication value written to at least the second portion of the one or more tracks is readable by a terminal having a magnetic stripe reader during the particular transaction.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the authentication value is determined to be dynamic, and wherein the authentication value is calculated based on a key stored in the universal card, a random number, and a transaction counter.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the particular transaction can be authenticated by the terminal by communicating the authentication value to an authentication service which is configured to verify that the authentication value is authentic.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the information about the traditional card and an indication whether the authentication value is static or dynamic are stored in a secure element of the universal card.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the information about the traditional card and an indication whether the authentication value is static or dynamic are stored in a secure element of a computing device in communication with the universal card.

46. A method of providing traditional card data to a universal card, the traditional card data comprising information about one or more traditional cards, the method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile computing device, the traditional card data;

storing, in a secure element of the mobile computing device, the traditional card data, wherein the secure element is configured to store the card data in accordance with a pre- established level of security;

establishing a wireless communication link between the mobile computing device and the universal card, wherein the universal card is configured to determine whether the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card in response to a connection with the mobile computing device via the short range wireless communication link, and wherein the universal card is configured to permit communication between the mobile computing device and the universal card only if the mobile computing device is authorized to communicate with the universal card; and

transmitting, from the mobile computing device to the universal card, instructions to emulate one traditional card of the one or more traditional cards and transmitting the traditional card data from the secure element corresponding to the one traditional card;

wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the one traditional card using the traditional card data.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the universal card comprises a dynamic magnetic stripe and wherein the universal card is configured to emulate the one traditional card using the traditional card data by the dynamic magnetic stripe emulating a static magnetic stripe of the one traditional card.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the communication link is one of an NFC link or a Bluetooth link.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein receiving the traditional card data comprises receiving the traditional card data from a magnetic stripe reader.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein receiving the traditional card data comprises receiving the traditional card data from a remote computing device via a network, wherein the network comprises one or more of a wired connection and a wireless connection.