Card reader communication method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9633350-B2
Application number	US-201615355709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A card reader includes a body, the body being configured for coupling with a device, the device including a device light sensor and a device light source; a reader light sensor that is configured to capture light being emitted from the device light source, wherein, when the body is coupled to the user device, the reader light sensor is positioned adjacent to the device light source; a reader light source that is configured to emit light to the device light sensor, wherein, when the body is coupled to the user device, the reader light source is positioned adjacent to the device light sensor; a reader interface positioned in the body and configured to read the card; and circuitry configured to communicate data between the card reader and the user device using the reader light sensor and the reader light source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A point of sale (POS) system, comprising:
a transaction software for facilitating a transaction, the transaction software executed by a computing device having a device sensor and a device emitter; and
a transaction object reader, the transaction object reader comprising:
a body of the transaction object reader, the body comprising an interior that includes at least a portion of a reader sensor and a reader emitter, the body also comprising a transaction object reading area for reading a transaction object,
a reader interface positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader, the reader interface for reading transaction data from the transaction object and for generating a reader interface signal based on the transaction data,
encoding circuitry positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader to encode the reader interface signal generated by the reader interface into an encoded signal and to send the encoded signal to the reader emitter for transmission to the device sensor of a computing device,
the reader emitter positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader, the reader emitter to transmit a calibration signal to the device sensor of the computing device to facilitate calibration of the device sensor, the reader emitter to transmit the encoded signal to the device sensor of the computing device following transmission of the calibration signal, and
the reader sensor positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader to receive device data from the device emitter of the computing device.

2. The point of sale (POS) system of claim 1 , wherein the reader interface of the transaction object reader includes at least one of a magnetic stripe reader interface configured to read the transaction data from a magnetic stripe of the payment object, a chip reader interface configured to read the transaction data from a chip of a payment object, or a near field reader interface configured to read the transaction data from a near field signal.

3. The point of sale (POS) system of claim 1 , wherein the transaction object is a transaction card.

4. The point of sale (POS) system of claim 3 , wherein the transaction object reading area of the body of the transaction object reader includes a card slot configured to receive the transaction card, and wherein the reader interface includes a card slot interface positioned at least partially along an interior surface of the card slot that is configured to read the transaction data from the transaction card in response to receipt of the transaction card by the card slot.

5. The point of sale (POS) system of claim 1 , wherein the calibration signal includes a plurality of distinct signal types, and wherein transmission of the calibration signal from the reader emitter to the device sensor of the computing device facilitates calibration of the device sensor by training the computing device to recognize the plurality of distinct signal types, wherein the reader emitted transmits the encoded signal to the device sensor via at least a subset of the plurality of distinct signal types.

6. The point of sale (POS) system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the calibration signal from the reader emitter to the device sensor of the computing device facilitates calibration of the device sensor by training the computing device to recognize a baud rate of the calibration signal, wherein the reader emitter is configured to transmit the encoded signal to the device sensor of the computing device via the baud rate following transmission of the calibration signal.

7. A transaction object reader, comprising:
a body of the transaction object reader, the body comprising an interior that includes at least a portion of a reader sensor and a reader emitter, the body also comprising a transaction object reading area for reading a transaction object;
a reader interface positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader, the reader interface for reading transaction data from the transaction object and for generating a reader interface signal based on the transaction data;
encoding circuitry positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader to encode the reader interface signal generated by the reader interface into an encoded signal and to send the encoded signal to the reader emitter for transmission to a device sensor of a computing device;
the reader emitter positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader, the reader emitter to transmit the encoded signal to the device sensor of the computing device; and
the reader sensor positioned at least partially in the interior of the body of the transaction object reader to receive device data from a device emitter of the computing device.

8. The transaction object reader of claim 7 , wherein the reader interface of the transaction object reader includes at least one of a magnetic stripe reader interface configured to read the transaction data from a magnetic stripe of the payment object or a chip reader interface configured to read the transaction data from a chip of a payment object.

9. The transaction object reader of claim 7 , wherein the reader interface of the transaction object reader includes a near field reader interface configured to read the transaction data from a near field signal.

10. The transaction object reader of claim 7 , wherein the transaction object is a transaction card.

11. The transaction object reader of claim 10 , wherein the body of the transaction object reader includes a card slot configured to receive the transaction card, and wherein the reader interface includes a card slot interface positioned at least partially along an interior surface of the card slot that is configured to read the transaction data from the transaction card in response to receipt of the transaction card by the card slot.

12. The transaction object reader of claim 7 , wherein the reader emitter is configured to transmit a calibration signal that includes a plurality of distinct signal types to the device sensor of the computing device to facilitate calibration of the device sensor by training the computing device to recognize the plurality of distinct signal types, wherein the reader emitter is configured to transmit the encoded signal to the device sensor of the computing device via at least a subset of the plurality of distinct signal types following transmission of the calibration signal.

13. The transaction object reader of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of distinct signal types vary based on at least one of amplitude or signal intensity.

14. The transaction object reader of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of distinct signal types vary based on signal frequency.

15. The transaction object reader of claim 7 , wherein the reader emitter is configured to transmit a calibration signal to the device sensor of the computing device to facilitate calibration of the device sensor by training the computing device to recognize a baud rate of the calibration signal, wherein the reader emitter is configured to transmit the encoded signal to the device sensor of the computing device via the baud rate following transmission of the calibration signal.

16. The transaction object reader of claim 7 , wherein the reader emitter transmits the encoded signal to the device sensor of the computing device using at least one of visible light or infrared

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Post Daniel Jeffrey
• Templeton Thomas

Classifications

• G06K7/084 Primary

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

• G06K7/01

  Details · CPC title

• G06K19/077

  Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier · CPC title

• G06K7/10366

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• G06Q20/341 Primary

  Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip · CPC title