HK1237952B - Device for a baseband nearfield magentic stripe data transmitter - Google Patents

Description

Equipment for baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitters

This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application "System and method for baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitter" with application number 201480004093.3 filed on January 10, 2014.

Cross-references to related co-pending applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/754,608, filed January 20, 2013, and entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NEARFIELD MAGENTIC STRIPE DATA TRANSMITTER, which is commonly assigned, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Serial No. 13,826,101, filed on March 14, 2013, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NEARFIELD MAGENTIC STRIPE DATA TRANSMITTER, to which this application claims the benefit, which is assigned herewith, and the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to systems and methods for baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitters, and more particularly to a magnetic stripe data transmitter for transmitting payment card data from a smartphone or other electronic device to a point-of-sale transaction terminal.

Background Art

Magnetic stripe payment cards carry a magnetic stripe containing payment card data. Magnetic stripe payment cards include credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, coupon cards, and more. Data is "written" into the magnetic stripe due to the alternating orientation of the magnetic particles embedded in the stripe. Card data is read from the magnetic stripe at the point of sale (POS) by swiping the card through a magnetic stripe reader. The reader includes a reader head and its associated decoding circuitry. As the card is swiped through the reader, the magnetic stripe moves in front of the reader head. The moving magnetic stripe (containing alternating polarity magnetic domains) generates a fluctuating magnetic field in the narrow sensing aperture of the reader head. The reader head converts this fluctuating magnetic field into an equivalent electrical signal. The decoding circuitry amplifies and digitizes this electrical signal, reproducing a data stream identical to the data stream originally written to the magnetic stripe. The encoding of magnetic stripes is described in international standards ISO 7811 and 7813.

With the increasing popularity of smart phones and the increasing performance of them, people increasingly wish to use them as mobile wallets and use them to pay at the point of sale. The main obstacle to implementation is the lack of data transmission channels between mobile phones and point of sale terminals. Many alternatives have been proposed. These measures include manually typing the data displayed on the screen of the mobile phone into the POS terminal, displaying a 2D barcode on the screen of the mobile phone and read by a 2D barcode reader, an RF ID tag attached to the mobile phone, and built-in near field communication (NFC) hardware driven by the application in the mobile phone. Among these methods, two-dimensional barcodes and NFC are the most promising. However, their large-scale application is hindered by lacking suitable reading devices at the point of sale and many smart phones lacking standardized NFC performance.

Therefore, there is a need for improved devices and methods for remotely transmitting payment card data from a smartphone or other electronic device or other information to a point-of-sale transaction terminal.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention describes systems and methods for a baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitter that remotely transmits payment card data from a smartphone or other electronic device to a point-of-sale transaction terminal through the terminal's magnetic stripe reader.

Generally speaking, one aspect of the present invention provides a system for a baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitter, comprising a mobile phone and a magnetic stripe transmitter (MST) device. The mobile phone includes a payment wallet application and is configured to transmit magnetic stripe data from a payment card. The magnetic stripe transmitter (MST) device includes a driver and an inductor. The MST device is configured to receive the magnetic stripe data from the mobile phone, process the received magnetic stripe data, and emit a high-energy magnetic pulse containing the magnetic stripe data.

Implementations of this aspect of the present invention include the following. The emitted high-energy magnetic pulses are configured to be remotely picked up by a magnetic read head, which converts the high-energy magnetic pulses into electrical pulses. The magnetic read head is included in a point-of-sale (POS) device, which also includes a central processing unit (CPU). The MST device also includes a magnetic stripe reader (MSR) head, which is configured to pick up magnetic stripe data. The emitted high-energy magnetic pulses are remotely picked up by the magnetic read head from a distance in the range of 1 to 2 inches. The MST driver includes a high-power drive circuit. The inductor includes one or more windings configured to generate magnetic flux lines distributed over an area large enough to include a sensing aperture of the magnetic read head. The inductor has an inductance value configured such that a properly timed current pulse reaches its maximum value, thereby resulting in a maximum induced voltage at the magnetic read head. The ratio of the inductance to the resistance of the one or more windings is in the range of between 10 μH/Ohm and 80 μH/Ohm. The one or more windings comprise enamel-insulated magnetic wire. The one or more windings comprise conductor traces arranged on a rigid or flexible printed circuit substrate. The one or more windings comprise rectangular-shaped windings. The emitted high-energy magnetic pulses are remotely picked up by a magnetic read head from a distance in the range of 1 to 2 inches. The MST device is configured to receive magnetic stripe data from the mobile phone via a wired connection connected to the mobile phone's audio interface. The MST device is configured to receive magnetic stripe data from the mobile phone via a wireless connection. The MST device is configured to receive magnetic stripe data from the mobile phone via a Bluetooth wireless connection. The mobile phone is further configured to transmit a separate secure wireless message, wherein the magnetic stripe data and the separate secure wireless message are combined for authorization purposes. The MST device also includes a secure microcontroller that provides secure local storage of payment card data and directly drives the actuator's sensor driver circuit. The MST device uses the secure microcontroller to partially or fully encrypt the payment card data. The MST device also includes volatile and non-volatile memory for secure storage of payment card data and other personal information. The emitted high-energy magnetic pulses include tokenized magnetic stripe data. The tokenized magnetic stripe data includes cryptographically generated tags formatted as track data. The emitted high-energy magnetic pulses include one or more track data. Data other than the magnetic stripe data is formatted similarly to the magnetic stripe data, and the formatted data is transmitted to a magnetic reading head of a POS device via an MST device. The MST device is further configured to transmit coupons and offers to the magnetic reading head of the POS device. The MST device is further configured to transmit a consumer's personal information to the magnetic reading head of the POS device.

In general, in another aspect, the present invention provides a magnetic stripe transport (MST) device comprising a driver, an inductor, and a first magnetic read head. The MST device is configured to receive magnetic stripe data including payment card data, process the received magnetic stripe data, and emit high-energy magnetic pulses comprising the processed magnetic stripe data. The emitted high-energy magnetic pulses are configured to be remotely picked up by a second magnetic read head included in a point-of-sale (POS) device. The first magnetic read head of the MST device is configured to read the magnetic stripe payment card data for storage in a secure memory or mobile wallet of the MST device.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a device comprising: a driver configured to receive a pulse stream and generate a series of timed current pulses, the pulse stream being associated with magnetic stripe data of a payment card; and an inductor having one or more windings, the inductor configured to emit magnetic pulses based on the series of timed current pulses, wherein the one or more windings of the inductor are configured to produce an inductance value configured such that appropriately timed current pulses reach their maximum value and generate magnetic pulses that can be contactlessly identified by a magnetic reader head.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a device comprising: a memory for storing a wallet application and information related to a plurality of payment cards; a controller configured to execute the wallet application, thereby selecting one of the plurality of payment cards based on user input and transmitting a pulse stream associated with magnetic stripe data of the selected payment card; a driver configured to receive the pulse stream associated with the magnetic stripe data of the selected payment card and generate a series of timed current pulses; and an inductor having a winding formed on a substrate layer, configured to emit magnetic pulses based on the series of timed current pulses and generate an inductance value configured to cause the appropriately timed current pulses to reach their maximum value, wherein the series of timed current pulses is used to drive the inductor to generate magnetic pulses that can be contactlessly identified by a magnetic reader head.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a device comprising: a driver configured to receive a stream of pulses associated with magnetic stripe data of a payment card; and an inductor coupled to the driver and having an inductance value, wherein when the inductor is driven by the driver, a series of timed current pulses flow through the inductor, the inductance value being configured such that the appropriately timed current pulses reach their maximum value, wherein the magnetic pulses will be contactlessly picked up and recognized by an infrastructure present in a magnetic reader head, the magnetic reader head being placed within a point-of-sale (POS) card payment terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views:

FIG1 is an overview of a baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitter system according to the present invention;

FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a typical inductor used to generate the required magnetic field;

3 is an overview of another embodiment of a baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitter system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention describes systems and methods for a baseband near-field magnetic stripe data transmitter that transmits payment card data from a smartphone or other electronic device to a point-of-sale transaction terminal.

The subject of this invention, "Baseband Near-Field Magnetic Stripe Transport (MST)," uses a pulsed, modulated magnetic field to transmit data over long distances from a smartphone to a POS terminal. The system is capable of transmitting card data to a POS terminal reader without contact with the reader's head, or within close proximity (less than 1 mm) to the reader's head without requiring insertion into a card reader slot. Furthermore, the system eliminates the need for magnetic stripe cards or the swiping motion required by prior art magnetic stripe emulation or electronic magnetic stripes (such as those described by Narenda et al. in US Pat. No. 7,954,716).

The magnetic field is generated by a specially designed inductor driven by a high-power driver circuit. The unique structure of the inductor results in a complex omnidirectional magnetic field that can penetrate the magnetic stripe reader head located at the POS terminal from a distance.

Referring to FIG2 , inductor 124 comprises one or more rectangular wire bundles 125 having outer dimensions of approximately 40 x 30 mm, with a bundle thickness of 3 mm. The inductance of inductor 124 is such that properly timed current pulses reach their maximum value at the end of each pulse. Furthermore, the ratio of the inductance to the winding resistance is crucial for shaping the current from the driver circuit to achieve a magnetic field that closely resembles the magnetic signal seen by the magnetic stripe reader head when a card is swiped in front of the reader head. In one example, the ratio of inductance to winding resistance is 80 μH/Ohm.

The physical shape of the inductor ensures that the magnetic flux lines are distributed over an area large enough to include the sensing aperture of the reader head. The inductor windings can be enamel-insulated magnet wire, or alternatively, the inductor can be implemented as a spiral inductor formed by conductor traces arranged on a rigid or flexible printed circuit substrate.

While the inductor is stationary, it is driven by a series of timed current pulses that result in a series of magnetic pulses similar to the fluctuating magnetic field generated by a moving magnetic stripe. The modulation of the field follows standard magnetic stripe encoding, which in turn results in a stream of electrical pulses at the reader's output that is identical to what would be obtained from a magnetic stripe.

A key advantage of MST is its compatibility with the existing infrastructure of point-of-sale card payment terminals. Unlike NFC or 2D barcodes, there is no need to install external readers or new terminals.

1 , in one embodiment 100 of the present invention, a suitable driver 122 and inductor 124 are housed in a small capsule 120, which is connected to an audio interface 112 of a smartphone 110. Smartphone 110 is loaded with a wallet software application 102. Mobile phone 110 is connected to a magnetic stripe transport 120 via audio interface 112. To make a payment at a point-of-sale location equipped with a universal card payment terminal 140 capable of reading standard ISO/ABA magnetic stripe cards, a consumer selects wallet application 102 on their smartphone 110 and chooses the preloaded payment card (i.e., VISA, MasterCard, American Express) they wish to use for payment. The consumer holds their smartphone close (1 to 2 inches) to the point-of-sale terminal 140 and presses the payment icon/key 104 on their smartphone 110. Wallet application 102 on mobile phone 110 transmits a pulse stream containing the magnetic stripe data of the selected card to MST 120 via audio interface 112. The MST 120 amplifies, shapes, and transmits the pulses in the form of appropriately modulated high-energy magnetic pulses 130. These pulses are picked up by a magnetic stripe reader head 142 located in a point-of-sale payment terminal 140 and converted into electrical pulses. The resulting electrical pulses are decoded by a decoder 144 and processed by its central processing unit (CPU) 146, just as it would a standard magnetic stripe card swiped through its reader slot. The merchant enters the payment amount, and the transaction is transmitted by the POS terminal 140 via the network 150 to the payment transaction processor 160. The payment transaction processor 160 returns the transaction authorization, and the POS terminal 140 prints a receipt. With the exception of the card entry method, the entire transaction is completed in the same manner as with a standard magnetic stripe card.

In another embodiment of the MST 120, the smartphone supplements the transaction transmitted through the payment terminal with separate wireless network information transmitted to the processor (wherein the two transactions are combined for authorization) to enhance security.

3 , in another embodiment, the MST 120 is integrated with a magnetic stripe reader (MSR) head 142a, thereby creating a single device capable of simultaneously reading and transmitting magnetic stripe information. The combination of the MST and MSR in conjunction with the electronic wallet 102 provides a convenient and secure means of loading payment cards into the electronic wallet and then transmitting the payment card data to the POS system 140. Furthermore, this embodiment allows person-to-person payments using credit or debit cards, wherein each person equipped with an MST can transmit their card information to another person's mobile phone (using the card reader included in the other person's MST).

In another embodiment, magnetic stripe transmission is used to transmit tokenized card data to the point-of-sale terminal. In this embodiment, the actual payment card number is replaced by a cryptographically generated token formatted as track data, including track data formatted similar to a standard primary account number (PAN). The PAN may include a valid bank identification number (BIN). This token is downloaded from the card issuer (another online source) or generated locally. MST transmission of the token replaces transmitting a valid card number with a cryptographically generated token (valid only for a single transaction), eliminating the security risks inherent in standard magnetic stripe transmission, all without requiring changes to existing point-of-sale hardware. In other embodiments, more than one track of data is transmitted to increase compatibility with existing point-of-sale hardware and software. In these embodiments, the transmission of track 1 may be followed by the transmission of track 2, or vice versa.

In yet another embodiment, the MST 120 further includes a secure microcontroller 126 that provides secure local storage of card data and directly drives the sensor driver circuit 122. This embodiment allows the MST to operate independently of the mobile phone in store and transfer mode. In some embodiments, the MST also includes volatile and non-volatile memory for secure storage of card data and other personal information.

In yet another possible embodiment, Bluetooth ^™ is used between the mobile phone 110 and the MST 120, wherein two-way communication is used to enhance security and flexibility, including the retrieval by the phone of card data stored in a secure element formed by the secure microcontroller 126 of the MST.

In another possible implementation, the MST 120 uses its built-in secure microcontroller 126 to partially or fully encrypt the card data and transmit the card data to the point-of-sale reader via a magnetic field.

In another possible embodiment, the payment card data includes dynamically changing card verification value (CVV) data. In this case, the security of the transaction is improved due to the dynamic change of the CVV data.

Several embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.