Systems and methods for communicating with a magnetic reader head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016189130-A1
Application number	US-201615064429-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

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

1 .- 22 . (canceled)

23 . A portable device for communicating with a merchant point-of-sale (POS) device, the POS device including a magnetic reader head proximate a transaction card swipe path, said portable device comprising:
a transmitter configured to generate an electromagnetic field; a memory configured to store a first data file; and a processor coupled to said memory and said transmitter, said portable device configured to:
retrieve the first data file from said memory;
convert the first data file into changes in a magnetic field; and
transmit the changing magnetic field from said transmitter to the POS device, the changing magnetic field having sufficient strength to be received by the magnetic reader head of the POS device while said portable device is outside of the transaction card swipe path.

24 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said transmitter comprises an electromagnet.

25 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the first data file contains data associated with a payment account.

26 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the first data file is a binary data file.

27 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said processor is further configured to generate the changing magnetic field having at least one of amplitude and frequency shifts that represent data in the first data file.

28 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the changing magnetic field mimics polarity changes represented by data in the first data file.

29 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the first data file is a transaction card data file.

30 . A portable device in accordance with claim 29 , wherein the first data file represents data stored on a magnetic stripe of a payment card.

31 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said portable device further comprises a magnetic stripe reader in communication with said processor, said magnetic stripe reader configured to read magnetic stripe data of a transaction card when a magnetic stripe of the transaction card is passed through said magnetic stripe reader, and wherein said processor is further configured to store the magnetic stripe data of the transaction card in the first data file.

32 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said portable device is further configured to receive the first data file through at least one of manual input, email, text message, Internet, and a removable storage device for storage in said memory.

33 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein the first data file is a transaction card data file, said portable device is further configured to receive the transaction card data file from a financial institution for storage in said memory.

34 . A portable device in accordance with claim 23 , wherein said portable device is configured to convert the first data file into changing magnetic fields that emulate a swiping of a magnetic stripe having the first data file encoded thereon through the transaction card swipe path of the POS device.

35 . A method for communicating from a portable device to a merchant point-of-sale (POS) device, the POS device including a magnetic reader head proximate a transaction card swipe path, said method comprising:
converting, by the portable device, a first data file into changes in a magnetic field; transmitting, by a transmitter of the portable device, the changing magnetic field from the transmitter to the POS device, the changing magnetic field having sufficient strength to be received by the magnetic reader head of the POS device while the portable device is outside of the transaction card swipe path.

36 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , wherein transmitting the changing magnetic field comprises transmitting using an electromagnet.

37 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , wherein converting the first data file comprises converting data associated with a payment account.

38 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , wherein converting the first data file comprises converting a binary data file.

39 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , wherein transmitting the changing magnetic field comprises generating the changing magnetic field having at least one of amplitude and frequency shifts that represent data in the first data file.

40 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , wherein transmitting the changing magnetic field comprises generating the changing magnetic field that mimics polarity changes represented by data in the first data file.

41 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , wherein converting the first data file comprises converting a transaction card data file.

42 . A method in accordance with claim 41 , wherein converting the first data file comprises converting the first data file that represents data stored on a magnetic stripe of a payment card.

43 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , further comprising:
reading magnetic stripe data of a transaction card using a magnetic stripe reader in communication with the portable device; and storing the magnetic stripe data of the transaction card in the first data file.

44 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , further comprising receiving the first data file at the portable device through at least one of manual input, email, text message, Internet, and a removable storage device for storage in a memory of the portable device.

45 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , further comprising:
receiving a transaction card data file at the portable device from a financial institution; and storing the transaction card data file as the first data file in a memory of the portable device.

46 . A method in accordance with claim 35 , wherein transmitting the changing magnetic field comprises transmitting the changing magnetic field such that the changing magnetic field emulates a swiping of a magnetic stripe having the first data file encoded thereon through the transaction card swipe path of the POS device.

47 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for causing communication from a portable device to a merchant point-of-sale (POS) device, the POS device including a magnetic reader head proximate a transaction card swipe path, wherein when executed by a processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the portable device to:
retrieve a first data file from a memory of the portable device; convert the first data file into changes in a magnetic field; and transmit the changing magnetic field to the POS device, the changing magnetic field having sufficient strength to be received by the magnetic reader head of the POS device while the portable device is outside of the transaction card swipe path.

48 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 47 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the portable device to transmit the changing magnetic field using an electromagnet of the portable device.

49 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 47 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the portable device to retrieve the first data file that contains data associated with a payment account.

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G06Q20/322 Primary

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

• G06Q20/20

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

• G06Q20/347

  Passive cards · CPC title