Test card for automated retail financial transaction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10521622-B2
Application number	US-201816198289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Nov 22, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to a test card for use in automated testing of a POS terminal. In some embodiments, the test card comprises a substrate including at least one track, wherein the substrate is configured to interact with a magnetic card reader, an electrical contact configured to receive magnetic stripe data from a database, and an electrical trace, wherein the electrical trace is programmable with respect to the received magnetic stripe data, wherein the electrical trace forms a continuous conductive pathway, wherein the electrical trace forms a stair step configuration comprising a plurality of linear segments including a first set of linear segments and a second set of linear segments, wherein the second set of linear segments includes at least one segment, and wherein the at least one segment connects ones of the first set of linear segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A test card for use in automated testing of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, the test card comprising:
a substrate, wherein the substrate includes at least one track, and wherein the substrate is configured to interact with a magnetic card reader;
an electrical contact, wherein the electrical contact is configured to receive magnetic stripe data from a database; and
an electrical trace, wherein the electrical trace is programmable with respect to the received magnetic stripe data, wherein the electrical trace is positioned within the at least one track and forms a continuous conductive pathway, wherein the electrical trace forms a stair step configuration comprising a plurality of linear segments, wherein the plurality of linear segments include a first set of linear segments and a second set of linear segments, wherein the second set of linear segments includes at least one segment, and wherein the at least one segment connects ones of the first set of linear segments.

2. The test card of claim 1 , wherein the first set of linear segments are parallel with respect to an edge of the test card and wherein the second set of linear segments are normal to the edge of the test card.

3. The test card of claim 2 , wherein the at least one track is twelve millimeters wide, and wherein each segment of the second set of linear segments is at least 0.5 millimeters long.

4. The test card of claim 2 , wherein the at least one track is two millimeters wide, wherein the trace includes at least four segments in the second set of linear segments, and wherein the at least four segments in the second set of linear segments is at least 0.4 millimeters long.

5. The test card of claim 1 , wherein the test card is configured to be attached to an automated testing system, wherein the automated testing system interacts with the magnetic card reader via the test card.

6. The test card of claim 5 , wherein the automated testing system is configured to test retail financial transactions.

7. The test card of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic stripe data is for one of a credit card, a debit card, and a gift card.

8. The test card of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB).

9. The test card of claim 1 , the test card further comprising:
a resistor electrically coupled to the electrical trace, wherein the resistor limits current flow through the electrical trace.

10. The test card of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is substantially similar in size to a standard credit card.

11. A system for automated testing of retail financial transactions, the system comprising:
a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, wherein the POS terminal comprises:
an input device, wherein the input device is configured to receive product information for the POS terminal; and
a magnetic card reader, wherein the magnetic card reader is configured to receive payment data for the POS terminal via a test card;

an automated testing device, wherein the automated testing device is configured to interact with the magnetic card reader via the test card; and
the test card, wherein the test card is configured to receive magnetic stripe data from the system, and wherein the test card comprises:
an electrical trace, wherein the electrical trace is programmable with respect to the received magnetic stripe data, wherein the electrical trace is positioned within the at least one track, and wherein the electrical trace forms a stair step configuration comprising horizontal and vertical portions.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the horizontal and vertical portions comprise at least two horizontal portions and at least one vertical portion, and wherein the at least one vertical portion connects the at least two horizontal portions.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one track is twelve millimeters wide, and wherein the vertical portions are at least 0.5 millimeters long.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one track is two millimeters wide, wherein the trace includes at least four vertical portions, and wherein the at least four vertical portions are at least 0.4 millimeters long.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the magnetic stripe data is for one of a credit card, a debit card, and a gift card.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the test card further comprises:
a resistor electrically coupled to the electrical trace, wherein the resistor limits current flow though the electrical trace.

17. A method for using a test card with an automated testing system to test a retail financial transaction for a point-of-sale terminal, the method comprising:
receiving, at the test card from the automated testing device, magnetic stripe data;
programming, with respect to the magnetic stripe data, an electrical trace of the test card, wherein the electrical trace forms a stair step configuration comprising horizontal and vertical portions;
transmitting, via the electrical trace of the test card, the magnetic stripe data to a magnetic card reader of the POS terminal; and
completing a transaction at the POS terminal with the magnetic stripe data.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the horizontal and vertical portions comprise at least two horizontal portions and at least one vertical portion, and wherein the at least one vertical portion connects the at least two horizontal portions.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one track is two millimeters wide, and wherein the vertical portions are at least 0.4 millimeters long.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one track is two millimeters wide, wherein the trace includes at least four vertical portions, and wherein the at least four vertical portions are at least 0.4 millimeters long.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Christopher D
• Ryan Michael A

Classifications

• G06K7/10

  by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation · CPC title

• G07F7/0806

  Details of the card (record carriers per se G06K) · CPC title

• G06Q20/204

  comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit · CPC title

• G06K7/0095 Primary

  Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly (testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28) · CPC title

• G06Q20/34

  using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards · CPC title