Multiple payment card reader system

• US 9,576,159 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Templeton, Thomas, Lamfalusi, Michael C., Wade, Jeremy, McKelvey, James, Dorogusker, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, April
• Application Number:
  US14/512,104
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/435, 235/439, 235/440, 235/486, 235/492
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/087 flux-sensitive, e.g. magnetic, detectors G06K7/10336 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/353 Payments by cards read by M-devices
• 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

Approaches provide for a mobile point-of-sale system configured to facilitate the transfer of funds between entities (e.g., customers and merchants). A card reader can include two different types of slots configured for conducting a financial transaction between entities. A first slot can allow for a magnetic stripe element of a card to be swiped. A second slot can include contact elements which allow the card to be “dipped in”. In this way, the device can receive a swipe and/or a “dipping” of a card into a respective slot for conducting a financial transaction.

Claims

1. A card reader, comprising:

a housing including a first slot and a second slot for receiving a financial transaction card for initiating a financial transaction between a first entity and a second entity, wherein the first slot is configured to receive a magnetic stripe of the financial transaction card, and the second slot is configured to have a plurality of card reader contacts positioned to be contacted by at least a portion of a plurality of contacts of the financial transaction card, wherein a first planar interior of the first slot is parallel to a second planar interior of the second slot;

circuitry configured to communicate with the financial transaction card to read financial information stored on the financial transaction card and produce a signal indicative of the financial information;

circuitry including an encryption system for encrypting the signal indicative of the financial information to a mobile device as encrypted; and

an output jack adapted to be inserted into a microphone input associated with the mobile device for providing the encrypted signal indicative of the financial information stored on the financial transaction card to the mobile device.

2. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the circuitry to communicate with the financial transaction card is a read head in the housing for reading data stored on a magnetic stripe of the financial transaction card.

3. The card reader of claim 1, wherein the second slot includes an open side and a closed side, the closed side being closed by a sidewall, the second slot including a plurality of card reader contacts positioned to be contacted by the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts when the financial transaction card is inserted into the second slot, and wherein a distance between the sidewall and the plurality of card reader contacts establishes an appropriate position of the plurality of card reader contacts to read the portion of the plurality of contacts of the financial transaction card.

4. The card reader of claim 3, wherein the circuitry is further configured to communicate with an integrated circuit embedded in the financial transaction card through the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts.

5. The card reader of claim 3, wherein the card reader is configured to enable a financial transaction between the first entity and the second entity using one of the first slot or the second slot.

6. The card reader of claim 3, further configured to:

determine a subset of the plurality of card reader contacts that engage the portion of contacts of the financial transaction card; and

communicate with the financial transaction card through the subset of the plurality of card reader contacts.

7. The card reader of claim 6, further configured to:

provide power to a contact of the plurality of card reader contacts;

measure an amount of power drawn from the contact; and

select the subset of the plurality of card reader contacts based at least in part on the amount of power reaching a power threshold.

8. The card reader of claim 3, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of card reader contacts is positioned to couple with the portion of a plurality of contacts of the financial transaction card when the financial transaction card is inserted at least a threshold distance into the second slot.

9. The card reader of claim 3, wherein the financial transaction is conducted by one of swiping the magnetic portion of the financial transaction card through the first slot or inserting the at least the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts into the second slot.

10. The card reader of claim 3, wherein the plurality of card reader contacts is one of at least greater or equal than a number of a plurality of financial card reader contacts.

11. The card reader of claim 3, wherein the card reader is further configured to:

receive a swipe of the financial transaction card in the first slot to determine the signal indicative of the financial information; and

convert the signal into a processed digital signal that merchant software on the mobile device is configured to interpret.

12. The card reader of claim 3, wherein the card reader is further configured to:

receive an insertion of the financial transaction card in the second slot to determine the signal indicative of the financial information; and

convert the signal into a processed digital signal that merchant software on the mobile device is configured to interpret.

13. A card reader, comprising:

an output jack configured to couple to a microphone input associated with a computing device for providing a signal indicative of financial information stored on a financial transaction card;

a read head including;

a first slot configured to receive a magnetic stripe of the financial transaction card, and

a second slot configured to receive at least a portion of a plurality of financial transaction card contacts of the financial transaction card, wherein a first planar interior of the first slot is parallel to a second planar interior of the second slot;

wherein the read head is configured to read data stored on the financial transaction card and for producing a signal indicative of data stored on the financial transaction card; and

circuitry including an encryption system for encrypting a portion of the signal indicative of data stored on the financial transaction card,

wherein the card reader is configured to enable a financial transaction between a first entity and a second entity using one of the first slot or the second slot.

14. The card reader of claim 13, wherein the second slot includes an open side and a closed side, the closed side being closed by a sidewall, the second slot including a plurality of card reader contacts positioned to be contacted by the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts when the financial transaction card is inserted into the second slot, and wherein a distance between the sidewall and the plurality of card reader contacts establishes an appropriate position of the plurality of card reader contacts to read the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts.

15. The card reader of claim 13, further including circuitry configured to:

communicate with an integrated circuit embedded in the financial transaction card through the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts;

read financial information stored on the financial transaction card; and

produce the signal indicative of the financial information.

16. A financial transaction card reader device in communication with a payment system, comprising:

a housing having a first slot and a second slot for receiving at least a portion of a financial transaction card to complete a financial transaction between a buyer and seller, wherein a first planar interior of the first slot is parallel to a second planar interior of the second slot, wherein;

the first slot is configured to receive a magnetic stripe of the financial transaction card and including a magnetic stripe reader for reading the magnetic stripe of the financial transaction card and providing a signal of a financial information stored on the financial transaction card, and

the second slot includes a plurality of card reader contacts positioned to be contacted by at least a portion of a plurality of contacts of the financial transaction card, the plurality of card reader contacts for reading the plurality of contacts of the financial transaction card and providing the signal of the financial information stored on the financial transaction card; and

an output jack configured to be inserted into a port of a seller'"'"'s mobile device and to provide the signal indicative of the financial information stored on the financial transaction card to the mobile device; and

circuitry including an encryption system for encrypting and providing at least a portion of the signal indicative of the financial information stored on the financial transaction card to the mobile device as encrypted.

17. The financial transaction card reader device of claim 16, wherein the second slot includes an open side and a closed side, the closed side being closed by a sidewall, and wherein a distance between the sidewall and the plurality of card reader contacts establishes an appropriate position of the plurality of card reader contacts to read the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts.

18. The financial transaction card reader device of claim 16, wherein the circuitry is further configured to communicate with an integrated circuit embedded in the financial transaction card through the portion of the plurality of financial transaction card contacts.