Transaction card supporting multiple transaction types

• US 7,503,504 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mitra, Twisampati
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Seung H
• Application Number:
  US11/300,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20070138299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/380, 235/493
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A transaction card comprises a memory operable to store a plurality of transaction profiles associated with a transaction card holder. A user interface on the transaction card is operable to receive input from the transaction card holder, and a communications interface is operable to convey one of the plurality of transaction profiles selected via the user interface to a transaction party other than the transaction card holder.

Claims

1. A transaction card, comprising:

a memory operable to store a plurality of transaction profiles associated with a transaction card holder;

a user interface to receive input from the transaction card holder; and

a communications interface to convey one of the plurality of transaction profiles selected via the user interface to a transaction party other than the transaction card holder, the communications interface comprising an electromagnetic element and configured to emulate a magnetic stripe by varying a signal applied to the electromagnetic element while the element remains stationary in a transaction party'"'"'s magnetic stripe reader such that the varying electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic element appears to the magnetic stripe reader to be a moving magnetic stripe.

2. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transaction profiles comprise transaction profiles from a plurality of transaction account issuers.

3. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises a wireless interface.

4. The transaction card of claim 1, further comprising an authenticator to authenticate the identity of the holder of the transaction card via at least one immutable physical characteristic.

5. A method of operating a transaction card, comprising:

storing a plurality of transaction profiles in the transaction card associated with a transaction card holder;

receiving input from the transaction card holder; and

conveying one of the plurality of transaction profiles selected via a user interface to a transaction party other than the transaction card holder via a communications interface comprising an electromagnetic element and configured to emulate a magnetic stripe by varying a signal applied to the electromagnetic element while the element remains stationary in a transaction party'"'"'s magnetic stripe reader such that the varying electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic element appears to the magnetic stripe reader to be a moving magnetic stripe.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of transaction profiles comprise transaction profiles from a plurality of transaction account issuers.

7. The transaction card of claim 5, further comprising authenticating the identity of the holder of the transaction card via at least one immutable physical characteristic.

8. A machine-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed operable to cause a computerized transaction card system to:

store a plurality of transaction profiles in the transaction card associated with a transaction card holder;

receive input via a transaction card user interface from the transaction card holder; and

convey one of the plurality of transaction profiles selected via a user interface to a transaction party other than the transaction card holder via a communications interface comprising an electromagnetic element and configured to emulate a magnetic stripe by varying a signal applied to the electromagnetic element while the element remains stationary in a transaction party'"'"'s magnetic stripe reader such that the varying electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic element appears to the magnetic stripe reader to be a moving magnetic stripe.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of transaction profiles comprise transaction profiles from a plurality of transaction account issuers.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, the instructions further operable when executed to authenticate the identity of the holder of the transaction card via at least one immutable physical characteristic.