Read head device with slot configured to reduce torque

• US 9,004,356 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: McKelvey, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US13/533,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20120280036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/435, 235/439, 235/449, 235/492, 23547201-47203, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• 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 read head system has a housing and a read positioned in the housing with a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a financial transaction card with the slot utilized to enable a financial transaction between a buyer and seller. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. The read head includes an output jack configured to be coupled to at least one of a audio jack or microphone port of a mobile device. The read head provides the signal to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A card reader, comprising:

a housing;

a read head positioned in the housing and having a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a financial transaction card with the slot utilized to enable a financial transaction between a buyer and seller, the slot having a predetermined width for receiving the financial transaction card, the slot being positioned off-center a width of the housing, the read head configured to read data on the magnetic stripe and produce a signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic strip;

an output jack configured to be coupled and de-coupled to at least one of an audio jack or microphone port of a mobile device, the output jack configured to provide the signal to the mobile device;

one or more supports that suspend the read head in the housing; and

a spring in the housing that provides an ability of the read head to swivel in the housing while maintaining a contact pressure of the slot to track the stripe of the card being swiped, the spring being connected to at least one of the one or more supports in the housing to enable the swivel without causing the one or more supports to move,

whereby, in response to receiving a swipe of the financial transaction card through the slot, an amount of torque applied between the read head and the output jack is reduced based at least in part on the predetermined width of the slot, the slot being positioned off-center the width of the housing, and the spring being connected to the at least one of the one or more supports.

2. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the slot has a width of no more than 1 mm.

3. The card reader of claim 1, wherein a decoding includes error checking.

4. The card reader of claim 1, wherein a decoding includes detecting that data in the signal is from the financial transaction card, seeing the beginning and ending sentinels and reconstructing data in the signal from a pattern of pulses.

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

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

a positioning element configured to determine a position of the card reader with respect to the buyer, wherein the financial transaction is performed in response to determining that the position of the card reader is within a predetermined distance of the buyer.

7. 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.

8. 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 the buyer and/or seller'"'"'s account information and conduct the financial transaction.

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

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

brick-and-mortar”

location, or in a presence of the seller.

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

12. The card reader of claim 1, 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.

13. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the signal produced is indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe with minimum error via a single swipe of the financial transaction card.

14. The card reader of claim 1, wherein acceptance and initialization of incoming signals from a swipe of the financial transaction card are performed until the signal reaches a steady state, wherein the financial transaction card swipe is detected once steady state is reached, and wherein peaks in the signal are identified when the financial transaction card swipe is detected.

15. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the financial transactions is completed without sharing financial transaction card information with the seller.