Payment card having light-emitting diode indicators coordinated with stored payment applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230255-B1
Application number	US-201414461055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2014
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

In an IC (integrated circuit) card, a selection signal is received from a user-actuatable switch to select between two different payment card accounts, each represented by a respective account indicator number stored in the IC component of the card. In response to the selection signal, a light-emitting diode indicator on the IC card is illuminated to indicate selection of a corresponding one of the payment card accounts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a body;
a first indicia printed on the body and representing a first payment card account;
a first light-emitting diode (LED) mounted on the body in proximity to said first indicia;
a second indicia printed on the body and representing a second payment card account different from the first payment card account;
a second LED mounted on the body in proximity to said second indicia;
a user-actuatable switch mounted on the body; and
an integrated circuit (IC) supported by the body and operatively coupled to the first LED, the second LED and the user-actuatable switch;
the IC storing a first account indicator number that corresponds to said first payment card account, and a second account indicator number that corresponds to said second payment card account;
the IC programmed to allow a user to toggle between the first payment card account and the second payment card account by actuating the user-actuatable switch;
the IC programmed to cause the first LED to be illuminated in response to the user selecting the first payment card account; and
the IC programmed to cause the second LED to be illuminated in response to the user selecting the second payment card account;
wherein no other user-actuatable switch is supported on said body apart from said switch for toggling between the first payment card account and the second payment card account.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the IC is programmed to transmit the first account indicator number to a card reader device at times when the first LED is illuminated; and
the IC is programmed to transmit the second account indicator number to the card reader device at times when the second LED is illuminated.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first indicia indicates that the first payment card account is a credit card account; and
the second indicia indicates that the second payment card account is a debit card account.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the IC stores a first payment application program and a second payment application program, the first account indicator number associated with the first payment application program, the second account indicator number associated with the second payment indicator number.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of electrically conductive contacts formed on the body, the contacts coupled to the IC, the contacts for interfacing the IC to a card reader device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a loop antenna at least partially embedded in the body, the antenna coupled to the IC, the antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals to and from a card reader device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein both of said first and second account indicator numbers are visible in human-readable form on said body.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the IC is operative to provide signaling that the apparatus is in a malfunctioning condition, said signaling comprising simultaneous illumination of both the first LED and the second LED.

9. A method comprising:
receiving a selection signal in an integrated circuit (IC) that is part of an IC card, the selection signal for selecting between at least two payment card accounts, each of said accounts represented by a respective account indicator number stored in the IC; and
in response to the selection signal, illuminating one of a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on said IC card, the illuminated LED corresponding to a one of said accounts, said one of said accounts selected by said received selection signal; and
generating said selection signal by actuation of a user-actuatable switch on said IC card

wherein:
a single actuation of said user-actuatable switch causes one of said plurality of LEDs to be turned off by the IC and causes another one of said plurality of LEDs to be turned on by the IC;
the IC card stores no more than two account indicator numbers; and
actuation of said user-actuatable switch toggles between the two payment card accounts represented by said two stored account indicator numbers.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
interfacing the IC card to a contact card reader device after actuating the user-actuatable switch to select said one of said payment card accounts.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
bringing the IC card into proximity to a contactless card reader device after actuating the user-actuatable switch to select said one of said payment card accounts.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting, from the IC to a card reader device, a one of said account indicator numbers, said transmitted one of said account indicator numbers representing said one of said accounts selected by said received selection signal.

13. A method comprising:
interfacing an integrated circuit (IC) card to a card personalization device; the IC card including an IC, a user-actuatable switch, a first light-emitting diode (LED), and a second LED; the first and second LEDs controllable by the IC;
storing a first payment application program in the IC;
storing a second payment application program in the IC;
programming the IC such that actuation of the user-actuatable switch toggles between the first payment application program and the second payment application program;
further programming the IC to associate the first payment application program with the first LED such that the IC causes the first LED to be illuminated at times when actuation of the user-actuatable switch results in selection of the first payment application program;
further programming the IC to associate the second payment application program with the second LED such that the IC causes the second LED to be illuminated at times when actuation of the user-actuatable switch results in selection of the first payment application program;
further programming the IC such that the IC does not cause both the first LED and the second LED to be simultaneously illuminated;
using the card personalization device to store a first payment card account number in the IC in association with the first payment application program;
using the card personalization device to store a second payment card account number in the IC in association with the second payment application program; and
further programming the IC such that during a payment transaction the IC transmits the first payment card account number to a card reader device if and only if the first LED is illuminated and the IC transmits the second payment card account number to the card reader device if and only if the second LED is illuminated.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
providing a first indicia on the IC card adjacent the first LED; and
providing a second indicia on the IC card adjacent the second LED;
wherein the first indicia indicates a first payment card account represented by said first payment card account number, and the second indicia indicates a second payment card account represented by said second payment card account number.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
printing at least one of said payment card account numbers on the IC card.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein both of said payment card account numbers are printed on the IC card.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
embossing or laser printing one of the payment card account numbers on the IC card.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein only one payment card account number is

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

• Hanmer Matthew

Classifications

• G06K19/0719 Primary

  at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons (application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10) · CPC title

• G06Q20/3572 Primary

  Multiple accounts on card · CPC title

• G06K19/07705

  the visual interface being a single light or small number of lights capable of being switched on or off, e.g. a series of LEDs · CPC title

• G06K19/0716

  at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising a sensor or an interface to a sensor · CPC title

• G06K19/07769

  the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface · CPC title