Systems and methods for communicating with a magnetic reader head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12112309-B2
Application number	US-202318222909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2023
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A device and method for waveform transmission of transaction card data to a merchant point-of-sale device are provided. The device includes a memory device for storing data, a processor, and a transmitter. The device is programmed to receive transaction card data that mimics data stored within a magnetic stripe associated with a transaction card, convert the transaction card data to a first data file for storage within the memory device, transmit the first data file to the transmitter, and transmit a first waveform from the transmitter to the POS device, wherein the first waveform includes changes in a magnetic field that represent the transaction card data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable computing device for transmitting transaction card data to a merchant point-of-sale (POS) device, said portable computing device comprising:
a memory device for storing data; a processor; and
a transmitter, said processor in communication with said memory device and said transmitter, said portable computing device programmed to:
receive the transaction card data that mimics data stored within a magnetic stripe associated with a transaction card;
convert the transaction card data to a first data file for storage within said memory device;
transmit the first data file to said transmitter; and
transmit a first waveform from said transmitter to the POS device, wherein the first waveform comprises changes in a magnetic field that represent the transaction card data.

2. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said portable computing device is further programmed to convert the first data file into a second waveform, wherein the second waveform is an audio signal.

3. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the second waveform uses at least one of amplitude and frequency changes to represent polarity shifts included within the transaction card data.

4. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first data file comprises binary coded decimal data.

5. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said portable computing device is further programmed to convert the binary coded decimal data into a second waveform comprising an audio signal, wherein the audio signal is outputted to said transmitter through at least one of an audio jack and a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

6. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said transmitter comprises an electromagnet, said transmitter configured to:
receive the audio signal;
convert the audio signal into the first waveform; and output the first waveform to the POS device.

7. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said transmitter comprises an electromagnet configured to output changes in a magnetic field that mimics polarity changes included within magstripe data of the transaction card.

8. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the POS device includes a magnetic reader head, and wherein said transmitter is configured to output the changes in the magnetic field to the magnetic reader head of the POS device when said transmitter is placed in close proximity to the POS device.

9. A portable computing device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said portable computing device is programmed to receive the transaction card data from at least one of a magnetic card reader coupled to said portable computing device, a remote computing device associated with an issuing bank that issued the transaction card, and an interchange network associated with processing transactions involving the transaction card.

10. A computer-implemented method of transmitting transaction card data from a portable computing device to a merchant POS device, wherein the portable computing device includes a memory device, a processor, and a transmitter, said method comprising:
receiving the transaction card data that mimics magnetic stripe data associated with a transaction card;
converting the transaction card data to a first data file for storage within the memory device, the conversion being performed by the processor;
communicating the first data file to the transmitter; and
using the transmitter to transmit a first waveform to the POS device, wherein the first waveform comprises changes in a magnetic field that represent the transaction card data.

11. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising converting, by the processor, the first data file into a second waveform, wherein the second waveform is an audio signal.

12. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the second waveform uses at least one of amplitude and frequency changes to represent polarity shifts included within the transaction card data.

13. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the first data file comprises binary coded decimal data.

14. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein converting the transaction card data further comprises:
converting the transaction card data into the first data file; and
converting the first data file into a second waveform being an audio signal, wherein the audio signal is outputted to the transmitter through at least one of an audio jack and a USB connector.

15. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein converting the first data file into the second waveform further comprises:
receiving the audio signal at the transmitter, the transmitter including an electromagnet;
converting the audio signal into the first waveform; and outputting the first waveform to the POS device.

16. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein using the transmitter to transmit the first waveform to the POS device further comprises outputting, by the transmitter, changes in a magnetic field that mimic polarity changes included within magstripe data of the transaction card, the transmitter including an electromagnet.

17. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein outputting changes in a magnetic field further comprises outputting the changes in the magnetic field by the transmitter positioned in close proximity to a magnetic reader head included in the POS device.

18. A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein receiving the transaction card data further comprises receiving the transaction card data from at least one of a magnetic card reader coupled to the portable computing device, a remote computing device associated with an issuing bank that issued the transaction card, and an interchange network associated with processing transactions involving the transaction card.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for causing transmission of transaction card data from a portable computing device to a merchant POS device, wherein the portable computing device includes a memory device, a processor, and a transmitter, wherein when executed by the processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:
receive the transaction card data that mimics data stored within a magnetic stripe associated with a transaction card;
convert the transaction card data to a first data file for storage within the memory device;
transmit the first data file to the transmitter; and
transmit a first waveform from the transmitter to the POS device, wherein the first waveform comprises changes in a magnetic field that represent the transaction card data.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to convert the first data file into a second waveform, wherein the second waveform is an audio signal that uses at least one of amplitude and frequency changes to represent polarity shifts included within the transaction card data.

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

• Brown David C
• Blythe Simon
• Kimberg Deborah M
• Sabet Mostafa Hussein

Classifications

• G06Q20/347

  Passive cards · CPC title

• G06Q20/20

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title

• G06Q20/322 Primary

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title