Systems and methods for sensor mechanisms for magnetic cards and devices

• US 9,349,089 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dynamics Inc.
• Inventors: Rhoades, Randy L., Workley, James H., Mullen, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Application Number:
  US14/101,576
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/449, 235/493, 235/380
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06196 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06206 the magnetic marking being emulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0716 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state

Abstract

A card exhibiting multiple linear arrays of sensors are provided to detect a presence and movement of an external object (e.g., a read-head of a magnetic stripe reader). Each sensor of each array of sensors may be independently connected to a dual port of a processor so that the processor may determine a direction in which the card is swiped through a magnetic stripe reader. A portion of sensors of each array of sensors may be shared by a portion of inputs and/or outputs of a single port of a processor. Sensors may be cross-coupled to a single processor port so that forward and reverse directions of a card swipe may nevertheless be detected by a single-port processor of a card.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a first direction of movement of an object relative to a device based on a first sequence of signals at a port of a processor of the device, the first sequence of signals produced using at least a first sensor and a second sensor connected to a first pin of the port, and a third sensor and a fourth sensor connected to a second pin of the port, wherein the first sensor and the third sensor are closer to each other than to either of the second sensor and the fourth sensor;

detecting a second direction of movement of an object relative to the device based on a second sequence of signals at the port, the second sequence of signals produced using the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, and the fourth sensor; and

communicating payment data using a communications device based on one of the first sequence of signals and the second sequence of signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one communication parameter based on one of the first direction and the second direction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one communication parameter based on one of the first direction and the second direction,

wherein the communications device is a dynamitic magnetic stripe communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of an order of the payment data and a rate of the communicating payment data based on at least one of a position of the device, the first direction, and the second direction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of an order of the payment data and a rate of the communicating payment data based on at least one of a position of the device, the first direction, and the second direction,

wherein the communications device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

7. A method, comprising:

detecting a first direction of movement of an object relative to a device based on a first sequence of signals at a first port of a processor of the device, the first sequence of signals produced using at least a first sensor and a second sensor;

detecting a second direction of movement of an object relative to the device based on a second sequence of signals at a second port of the processor, the second sequence of signals produced using at least a third sensor and a fourth sensor, wherein the third sensor and the fourth sensor are closer to each other than to either of the first sensor and the second sensor; and

communicating payment data using a communications device based on one of the first sequence of signals and the second sequence of signals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communications device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining at least one communication parameter based on one of the first direction and the second direction.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining at least one communication parameter based on one of the first direction and the second direction,

wherein the communications device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining at least one of an order of the payment data and a rate of the communicating payment data based on at least one of a position of the device, the first direction, and the second direction.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining at least one of an order of the payment data and a rate of the communicating payment data based on at least one of a position of the device, the first direction, and the second direction,

wherein the communication device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

13. A method, comprising:

detecting a first direction of movement and a second direction of movement of an object relative to a device based on a first sequence of signals and a second sequence of signals, the first sequence of signals and the second sequence of signals produced by a first portion of a first plurality of sensors coupled to a first port of a processor of the device and a first portion of a second plurality of sensors coupled to a second port of the processor; and

communicating payment data using a communications device based on one of the first sequence of signals and the second sequence of signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communications device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining at least one communication parameter based on one of the first direction and the second direction.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining at least one communication parameter based on one of the first direction and the second direction,

wherein the communication device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining at least one of an order of the payment data and a rate of the communicating payment data based on at least one of a position of the device, the first direction, and the second direction.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining at least one of an order of the payment data and a rate of the communicating payment data based on at least one of a position of the device, the first direction, and the second direction,

wherein the communications device is a dynamic magnetic stripe communications device.

19. The card of claim 13, wherein a second portion of the first plurality of sensors is coupled to other circuitry and the first port.

20. The card of claim 13, wherein a second portion of the first plurality of sensors is coupled to an IR transceiver and the first port.