Radio frequency identification (RFID) payment terminal with display-embedded RFID antenna

• US 8,011,594 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ViVOtech Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, William S. Jr., Reisgies, Hans Bielefeld
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Seung H
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US12/062,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 349/152, 235/451
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

The subject matter described herein includes an RFID payment terminal with a display-embedded antenna. According to one aspect, an RFID payment terminal with a display-embedded antenna includes a display for graphically displaying payment information to a user. An RFID antenna is embedded in a portion of the display used for displaying the payment information to a user and for communicating with an RFID device of the user to receive transaction information form the RFID device. An RFID payment module is coupled to the antenna for receiving the transaction information and for effecting the payment transaction.

Claims

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) payment terminal comprising:

a display for graphically displaying payment information to a user;

an RFID antenna embedded in a portion of the display used for displaying the payment information to the user and for communicating, via a magnetic field, with an RFID device of the user to receive transaction information from the RFID device;

an RFID payment module coupled to the antenna for receiving the transaction information and for effecting the payment transaction; and

wherein the display includes a plurality of pixels and wherein the RFID antenna includes at least one conductor that extends between at least two of the pixels of the display.

2. The RFID payment terminal of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD).

3. The RFID payment terminal of claim 2 wherein the at least one conductor is located on a surface of the LCD display.

4. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 the LCD display includes first and second glass plates located on opposite sides of a liquid crystal material, wherein the conductors are located on a surface of one of the first and second glass plates that faces the liquid crystal material.

5. The RFID payment terminal of claim 4 wherein comprising a grounded conductive shield located between the first and second glass plates and following paths of the first and second traces to reduce electric field strength generated by the traces during operation.

6. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 the LCD display includes first and second glass plates located on opposite sides of a liquid crystal material, wherein the at least one conductor is located on an outer surface of one of the glass plates so as not to interfere with the liquid crystal material and in such a position that the traces not visible because the at least one conductor is interwoven between the display pixels.

7. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 the LCD display includes first and second glass plates located on opposite sides of a liquid crystal material, wherein the at least one conductor is located on an outer surface of one of the glass plates in such a way that the at least one conductor is not objectionable to a display user.

8. The RFID payment terminal of claim 7 wherein the at least one conductor occludes at least some of the pixels of the display, wherein the display is adapted to turn the pixels occluded by the at least one conductor off during at least a portion of operation of the RFID payment terminal.

9. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor comprises wires located on the surface of the LCD display.

10. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor comprises traces of thin film deposited on the surface of the LCD display.

11. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the display includes:

first and second glass plates;

a liquid crystal material located between the glass plates; and

a film located on a surface of one of the glass plates, wherein the at least one conductor is located on a surface of the film.

12. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor extends between adjacent pixels of the LCD display.

13. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conduct comprises a plurality of conductors that form loops that extend parallel to each other.

14. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor comprises a metal oxide material.

15. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor is about 1/16 inches in width.

16. The RFID payment terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor is no more than about 10.7 inches in length.

17. The RFID payment terminal of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a (thin film transistor) TFT display.

18. The RFID payment terminal of claim 1 wherein the display is at least about 5 inches when measured along a diagonal of the display.

19. A radio frequency identification (RFID) payment terminal comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels for displaying payment information to an RFID device user;

an RFID antenna embedded in the display, the RFID antenna comprising at least one conductor forming at least one loop for communicating with an RFID payment device via a magnetic field and obtaining transaction information from the RFID device;

an RFID payment module coupled to the RFID antenna for receiving the transaction information and for effecting a payment transaction; and

wherein the at least one conductor extends between at least two of the pixels of the display.

20. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the display comprises one a liquid crystal display (LCD).

21. The RFID payment terminal of claim 20 wherein the LCD display comprises a thin film transistor (TFT) material.

22. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the at least one conductor comprises a pair of conductors that extend in parallel with respect to each other to form two loops.

23. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the at least one conductor extends between adjacent pixels of the display.

24. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the at least one conductor occludes at least some of the pixels of the display, wherein the display is adapted to turn the pixels occluded by the antenna off during at least a portion of operation of the display.

25. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the at least one conductor comprises a wire.

26. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the at least one conductor comprises a conductive trace deposited on a surface of the display.

27. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the display includes first and second glass plates, wherein the at least one conductor is deposited on an outer surface of one of the glass plates.

28. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the display includes first and second glass plates, wherein the at least one conductor is deposited on an inner surface of one of the glass plates.

29. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the display comprises first and second glass plates and a film covering one of the first and second glass plates, wherein the conductor is located on a surface of the film.

30. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 comprising a grounded conductive shield that substantially covers the antenna for reducing electric field strength produced by the antenna.

31. The RFID payment terminal of claim 19 wherein the transaction information received by the payment module includes an account number and a card holder identifier.

32. A radio frequency ID (RFID) payment terminal comprising:

a display comprising first and second plates and a plurality of pixels located between the first and second plates for displaying payment information to an RFID device user;

an RFID antenna comprising first and second conductors located on one of the first and second plates, the first and second conductors extending in parallel with respect to each other and forming first and second concentric loops for communicating with an RFID payment device via a magnetic field and obtaining transaction information from the RFID device;

an RFID payment module coupled to the RFID antenna for receiving the transaction information and for effecting a payment transaction; and

wherein the first and second conductors extend between at least two of the pixels of the display.

33. The RFID payment terminal of claim 32 comprising an RFID transceiver for communicating wirelessly with RFID payment tags, a central processing unit (CPU) for controlling operations of the RFID payment terminal, wherein the CPU and the RFID transceiver are affixed to a glass surface of the display using chip on glass technology.