Card reader having discriminator contact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016335461-A1
Application number	US-201615220262-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2016
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A card reader for a point-of-sale system that is configured to accept both magnetic strip-type and integrated circuit (IC) chip-type payment cards. The card reader is a component of a point-of-sale system including a portable computing device in communication with the card reader that is configured to present a first graphical user interface (GUI) when a magnetic stripe-type card is detected and a second GUI when an IC chip-type card is detected in the card reader. The card reader comprises a slot configured to receive the payment card, a magnetic reading device and an IC chip reading device. The card reader also includes a discriminator contact disposed within the slot that is configured to conduct across a surface of a metal pad of the IC chip-type card prior to the CI chip reading device making contact with the IC chip.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A card reader that is a component of a point-of-sale system that includes a portable computing device in communication with the card reader the card reader comprising:
a slot to receive a plurality of transaction card types; a magnetic stripe reader positioned at least partially along an interior of the slot, the magnetic stripe reader to read card data from a magnetic stripe of a magnetic-stripe-type transaction card, the magnetic-stripe-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction card types; an integrated circuit (IC) chip reader positioned at least partially along the interior of the slot, the IC chip reader to read card data from an IC chip of an IC-chip-type transaction card before the IC-chip-type transaction card is fully inserted into the slot, the IC-chip-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction card types.

2 . The card reader of claim 1 , further comprising a controller to send the transaction data to the portable computing device.

3 . The card reader of claim 1 , further comprising a contactless antenna, the contactless antenna to receive the card data from via near-field-communication (NFC) from an NFC-type transaction card, the NFC-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction card types.

4 . The card reader of claim 1 , further comprising a discriminator to detect that a transaction card received by the slot is the IC-chip-type transaction card.

5 . The card reader of claim 4 , further comprising a controller to send a discriminator signal to the portable computing device identifying that the slot has received the IC-chip-type transaction card, causing the portable computing device to present a graphical user interface.

6 . The card reader of claim 4 , further comprising a movable stopper and a controller, wherein detection of the IC-chip-type transaction card by the discriminator causes the controller to move the movable stopper to a blocking position that prevents the transaction card from being fully inserted into the slot.

7 . The card reader of claim 1 , further comprising one of a connection interface connecting the card reader to the portable computing device, wherein the connection interface is one of a wireless connection interface or a wired connection interface.

8 . The card reader of claim 1 , further comprising a controller to identify that the IC chip of the IC-chip-type transaction card is malfunctioning.

9 . A payment terminal, the payment terminal including a portable computing device, the payment terminal comprising:
a card reader configured to receive a plurality of transaction card types; an integrated circuit (IC) chip reading device included in the card reader, the IC chip reading device to read transaction data from an IC chip of an IC-chip-type transaction card when the IC chip-type card is not fully inserted into the card reader, the IC-chip-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction card types; a magnetic read head device included in the card reader, the magnetic read head device to read the transaction data from a magnetic stripe of a magnetic-stripe-type transaction card, the magnetic-stripe-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction cards types; and a controller to send the transaction data to the portable computing device.

10 . The payment terminal of claim 9 , further comprising a contactless antenna, the contactless antenna to receive the card data from via near-field-communication (NFC) from an NFC-type transaction card, the NFC-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction card types.

11 . The payment terminal of claim 9 , further comprising a slot within the card reader, the slot having an end, wherein the IC chip-type card is not fully inserted into the card reader when no part of the IC chip-type card is touching the end of the slot.

12 . The payment terminal of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further to identify that the IC chip of the IC-chip-type transaction card is malfunctioning and to treat the IC-chip-type transaction card as a magnetic-stripe-type card.

13 . The payment terminal of claim 9 , further comprising a discriminator to detect that a transaction card received by the card reader is the IC-chip-type transaction card.

14 . The payment terminal of claim 13 , further comprising a movable stopper, wherein detection of the IC-chip-type transaction card by the discriminator causes the controller to move the movable stopper to a blocking position that prevents the transaction card from being fully inserted into the card reader.

15 . The payment terminal of claim 9 , wherein the controller send the transaction data to the portable computing device wirelessly.

16 . A card reader, the card reader comprising:
a card slot having an end, the card slot to receive a plurality of transaction card types; a magnetic stripe reader positioned at least partially along an interior of the slot, the magnetic stripe reader to read card data from a magnetic stripe of a magnetic-stripe-type transaction card, the magnetic-stripe-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction cards types; an integrated circuit (IC) chip reader positioned at least partially along an interior of the slot, the IC chip reader to read the card data from an IC chip of an IC-chip-type transaction card before any part of the IC-chip-type transaction card reaches the end of the slot, the IC-chip-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction cards types.

17 . The card reader of claim 16 , further comprising a contactless antenna, the contactless antenna to receive the card data from via near-field-communication (NFC) from an NFC-type transaction card, the NFC-type transaction card being one of the plurality of transaction card types.

18 . The card reader of claim 16 , wherein the interior of the slot includes a first interior surface that is parallel to a second interior surface, wherein the magnetic stripe reader is positioned along the first interior surface while the IC chip reader is positioned along the second interior surface.

19 . The card reader of claim 16 , further comprising a discriminator to detect that a transaction card received by the slot is the IC-chip-type transaction card.

20 . The card reader of claim 19 , further comprising a movable stopper and a controller, wherein detection of the IC-chip-type transaction card by the discriminator causes the controller to move the movable stopper to a blocking position that prevents the transaction card from reaching the end of the card slot.

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Lamfalusi Michael C
• Lamba Kartik

Classifications

• G06K7/084

  sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state · CPC title

• G06Q20/20

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

• G06K7/0026

  the galvanic contacts of the connector adapted for landing on the contacts of the card upon card insertion · CPC title

• G07F7/088

  the card reader being part of the point of sale [POS] terminal or electronic cash register [ECR] itself · CPC title

• G06K13/0875

  the arrangement comprising a shutter for blocking at least part of the card insertion slot · CPC title