Batteryless stored value card with display

• US 9,122,964 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tocreo Labs LLC
• Original Assignee: Mark Krawczewicz
• Inventors: Krawczewicz, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Obiniyi, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/108,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0701 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
• 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 19/07703 the interface being visual

Abstract

A stored value card such as a transit card, college meal plan card, other card such as a credit card, coupon redemption card or rewards/awards card has within it an integrated thin film flexible display and has RFID and security capabilities. In a preferred embodiment of a transit card or stored value card in accordance with the present invention, the display shows a remaining balance on the card. Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description, simply by illustrating a preferable embodiments and implementations.

Claims

1. A batteryless RFID card comprising:

a housing having a window;

a secure processor in said housing, said secure processor having internal chip memory in which encrypted data is stored;

a near-field antenna in said housing; and

a bi-state display in said housing for displaying alpha-numeric information through said window, wherein said display comprises a multi-digit alphanumeric display;

wherein said RFID card has no battery and said processor and said display are solely powered by energy received through said near-field antenna and are powered only while said near-field antenna is coupled to a reader and wherein alphanumeric information is displayed on said display using power from energy received through said near-field antenna, said display is changed only while said card is coupled to said reader and said displayed alphanumeric information is maintained on said display when said power from energy received through said near-field antenna is discontinued and alphanumeric information displayed on said display is changed multiple times to produce a scrolling or multiline message on said display when said near-field antenna is coupled to a reader; and

wherein a remaining monetary value is stored in memory on said card and said displayed alpha-numeric information comprises a remaining monetary value.

2. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 further comprising driver circuitry in said housing for driving said display.

3. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 further comprising a memory in said housing and connected to said processor, wherein said memory is powered solely by energy received through said near-field antenna.

4. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 wherein said display comprises a ten-digit alphanumeric display.

5. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 wherein said bi-state display comprises an electro-chromic display.

6. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 wherein said bi-state display comprises an electro-phoretic display.

7. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 wherein said bi-state display comprises a cholesteric display.

8. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 wherein said bi-state display comprises an E-Ink display.

9. A batteryless RFID card according to claim 1 further comprising a UHF antenna for reading data from said RFID card.

10. A method for displaying a monetary value on an RFID stored value card having a secure processor, a memory, a multi-digit bi-state display and a near-field antenna, comprising the steps of:

coupling said RFID stored value card to an RFID reader through said near-field antenna;

powering said secure processor solely with energy received through said near-field antenna while said RFID stored value card is coupled to said RFID reader;

executing a cryptographic challenge in said secure processor in response to said coupling of said card to said reader to mutually authenticate said card and said reader;

retrieving with said secure processor a remaining monetary value from said memory while said RFID stored value card is coupled to said RFID reader;

calculating a new remaining monetary value with said secure processor based upon a transaction, wherein said calculating is performed only while said RFID stored value card is coupled to said RFID reader;

storing said new remaining monetary value in said memory, wherein said storing is performed only while said RFID stored value card is coupled to said RFID reader; and

changing said multi-digit bi-state display to display said new remaining monetary value using solely energy received through said near-field antenna and only while said RFID stored value card is coupled to said RFID reader;

wherein the step of changing alphanumeric information displayed on said multi-digit bi-state display comprises changing displayed alphanumeric information multiple times to produce a scrolling or multiline message on said display; and

wherein a remaining monetary value is stored in memory on said card and said displayed alpha-numeric information comprises a remaining monetary value and wherein a remaining monetary value is stored in memory on said card and said displayed alpha-numeric information comprises a remaining monetary value.

11. A method for displaying a remaining monetary value on an RFID stored value card according to claim 10, wherein said transaction comprises adding a specified amount to said stored remaining monetary value.

12. A method for displaying a remaining monetary value on an RFID stored value card according to claim 10, wherein said transaction comprises subtracting a specified amount to said stored remaining monetary value.

13. A method for displaying alphanumeric information on an RFID card having a secure processor, a memory, a multi-digit bi-state display and a near-field antenna, comprising the steps of:

coupling said RFID card to an RFID reader through said near-field antenna;

powering said secure processor exclusively with energy received through said near-field antenna and only powering said processor while said RFID card is coupled to said RFID reader through said near-field antenna;

conducting a secure transaction using said card only while said RFID card is coupled to said RFID reader through said near-field antenna;

changing alpha-numeric information displayed on said multi-digit bi-state display exclusively using energy received through said near-field antenna and only while said RFID card is coupled to said RFID reader to display information reflecting a status of said secured transaction; and

maintaining alpha-numeric information displayed on said bi-state display after said RFID card is decoupled from said RFID reader;

wherein the step of changing alphanumeric information displayed on said multi-digit bi-state display comprises changing displayed alphanumeric information multiple times to produce a scrolling or multiline message on said display; and

wherein a remaining monetary value is stored in memory on said card and said displayed alpha-numeric information comprises a remaining monetary value.

14. A method for displaying alphanumeric information on an RFID card according to claim 13, wherein said step of changing alphanumeric information displayed on said display comprises displaying a status of at least one of the following:

a payment process, an authentication process, a cryptographic process, a mutual authentication process, a challenged response process, a coupon redemption process or an awards process.

15. A method for displaying alphanumeric information on an RFID card according to claim 13, wherein said step of changing alphanumeric information displayed on said display comprises displaying an entertainment message.