Systems and methods for passive identification circuitry

• US 8,820,650 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Wilson, Matt, Wen, Xuancong
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D
• Application Number:
  US14/052,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/385, 235/449, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/087 flux-sensitive, e.g. magnetic, detectors G06K7/10336 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction

Abstract

A card reader includes a read head in a housing. A jack is coupled to the housing and adapted to be inserted into a microphone input associated with a mobile device. An electronic system includes a card reader circuit, a communication system, a monitor system to manage card reader behavior between power cycles, a pathway system and a power subsystem that in operation receives a bias voltage from a mobile device.

Claims

1. A card reader, comprising:

a housing that includes a read head;

a jack coupled to the housing adapted to be inserted into a microphone input associated with a mobile device, the read head including a slot for swiping of a magnetic stripe of a buyer'"'"'s financial transaction card with the slot in response to a financial transaction between a buyer and seller, the read head reading data on the magnetic stripe and producing a signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe; and

an electronic system that includes a card reader circuit, a communication subsystem, a control unit, a monitor system to manage card reader behavior between power cycles, a pathway system, and a power subsystem that in operation receives a bias voltage from a mobile device, wherein following the control unit booting up, the communication subsystem checks a status bit in the monitor system, with control unit being notified of the electronic system awakening and forcing a power cycle.

2. The card reader of claim 1 wherein a size of the card reader is miniaturized to be portable with the mobile device.

3. The card reader of claim 1 wherein a size of the device is miniaturized with an overall length of less than 1.5″

.

4. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the card reader has a unique ID.

5. The card reader of claim 4, wherein the unique ID is fixed per card reader device and remains the same when the card reader device is moved from one mobile device to another.

6. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the jack is a TRS connector.

7. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the jack is retractable within the housing.

8. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the jack is extendable beyond the housing in order to accommodate connection with the mobile device having a case or a recessed plug-in socket.

9. The card reader of claim 1, wherein power from the mobile device is received via the jack.

10. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the card reader includes passive ID circuitry.

11. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit detects when there is an edge from leading zeros of a card being swiped in the slot, and in response initiates the power cycle.

12. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the power cycle is initiated in enough time to process and encrypt a card swipe signal.

13. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the card reader is in communication with a payment system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the payment system includes at least one of a, user database, product database, and transaction database.

15. The card reader of claim 14, wherein the payment system stores information about the buyer.

16. The card reader system of claim 1, wherein a confirmation of payment is made to the buyer in response to completion of the financial transaction.

17. The card reader of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the buyer is present with the seller at the time of the financial transaction.

18. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the financial transaction card is selected from at least one of, credit financial transaction card, debit financial transaction card, gift financial transaction card, fund transfer financial transaction card, and other types of payment authenticating piece capable of carrying out the financial transaction.

19. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a portable electronic device that includes at least one of, software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof, that is capable of at least receiving a signal, decoding the signal if required, exchange information with a third party financial institution or payment network to verify a buyer and/or seller'"'"'s account information and conduct the transaction.

20. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile digital device.

21. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the financial transaction is an electronic transaction conducted over the Internet or a financial transaction card present point-of-sale transaction where the buyer makes the purchase at a store front, other “

brick-and-mortar”

location, or in a presence of the seller.

22. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the card reader sends a signal to the mobile data that includes financial transaction data selected from at least one of, amount of the transaction, additional notes related to the transaction, authorization and/or signature of the buyer.

23. The card reader of claim 22, wherein the signal includes financial transaction card information selected from at least one of, one or more of financial transaction card number, financial transaction card holder'"'"'s name, expiration date, and security code.

24. The card reader of claim 22, wherein the signal is indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe with minimum error via a single swipe of the financial transaction card.

25. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the slot is configured to reduce torque applied on the card reader when the financial transaction card is swiped through the slot in order to maintain accuracy and reliability of the data read by the card reader.