Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
  • H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
  • H04M1/026—Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
  • H04M1/0266—Details of the structure or mounting of specific components for a display module assembly
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
  • G06F21/30—Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
  • G06F21/31—User authentication
  • G06F21/32—User authentication using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
  • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
  • G06K19/06187—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code with magnetically detectable marking
  • G06K19/06196—Constructional details
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
  • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
  • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
  • G06Q20/341—Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
  • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
  • G06Q20/341—Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
  • G06Q20/3415—Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
  • H04L63/08—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for authentication of entities
  • H04L63/0861—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for authentication of entities using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
  • H04L63/08—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for authentication of entities
  • H04L63/0853—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for authentication of entities using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal

Definitions

• the technical field relates to electronic devices, and more specifically to portable electronic devices that can perform identification, secure transactions, and other user oriented services.
• Magnetic cards have many purposes. Examples include credit cards, debit cards, medical and insurance cards, drug payment cards, health care service cards, stored value cards, identification cards, access entry cards, and the like. Many of these cards have information stored in a magnetic stripe, for provision to a POS (point of sale) system.
• POS point of sale
• portable user devices such as smart mobile phones and wireless computers, offer a wide variety of information and communication capabilities to the user.
• Some portable user devices augment the use of magnetic cards by allowing, for example, the modification of information in the magnetic strip of the cards.
• mobile devices which interface to magnetic stripe readers through the use of a card slot.
• card readers that are completely internal to a secure facade, such as that which you typically find at an ATM (automated teller machine).
• a communication device in a first aspect of the disclosure, includes a major surface having a display and first mixed array including at least two different types of array units.
• the first mixed array occupies an area coinciding with, in plan view as viewed perpendicular to the first major surface, at least substantially the entire first major surface.
• a method of authentication uses a
• the method includes sensing, using the at least two different array units, at least two types of biometric characteristics from a single target adjacent the major surface to generate biometric data related to the two characteristic types, comparing the generated data to stored biometric data, and determining whether to authenticate based on the comparison.
• a method of performing a transaction uses a communication device that includes a major surface including a display and a mixed array including at least two different array units, each said mixed array occupying area of the respective communication device coinciding, in plan view perpendicular to the major surfaces, with at least substantially the entire major surface.
• the method includes scanning, using the at least one of the two different array units, at least one item to be purchased, creating a list including data identifying each scanned item, transmitting the list to a remote computer using the communication device, finalizing the transaction based on each item on the list, wherein the transaction amount is adjusted based on a search and retrieval for best value performed by the remote computer for each item on the list.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram of a communication system according to an exemplary embodiment.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram of a card system according to an exemplary embodiment.
• FIGS. 3A-3C respectively shows perspective, plan, and side views of a card according to an exemplary embodiment.
• FIGS. 4 A to 4D are diagrams showing exemplary pixel arrays and pixel elements.
• FIG. 5 is a cross section of the card shown in FIG. 3B taken along A-A.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a substrate of the card shown in FIG. 5 an according to an exemplary embodiment.
• FIGS. 7 A and 7B are diagrams of portions of an exemplary card.
• FIG. 7 A is a plan view of a portion of the card and
• FIG. 7B is a cross section view of a portion of the card taken along B-B of FIG. 7A.
• FIGS. 8 A and 8B are diagrams of portions of an exemplary card.
• FIG. 8 A is a plan view of a portion of the card and
• FIG. 8B is a cross section view of a portion of the card taken along B-B of FIG. 8A.
• FIGS. 9 A to 9C are diagrams illustrating an exemplary embodiment of cards including a configuration allowing one card to levitate over another card via magnetic elements.
• FIG. 9 A is a plan view of a card including embedded magnetic elements.
• FIG. 9B is a side view of first and second cards, where the second card is magnetically levitating over the first card.
• FIG. 9C is a side view of the first and second cards of FIG. 9B illustrating the first card controlling a position of the second card.
• FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams of exemplary embodiments of card holding brackets, where FIG. 10A holds plural horizontally oriented cards and FIG. 10B holds plural vertically oriented cards.
• FIG. 12 is a diagram of a conventional or legacy card reader.
• FIG. 13 is a diagram of a point of sale (POS) card reader according to an exemplary embodiment.
• FIGS. 14A to 14C are diagrams illustrating a card reader configured with a legacy card reader using exemplary conversion techniques.
• FIGS. 15A to 15E are diagrams of exemplary tethers.
• FIG. 15A is a diagram shows a tether connected to a communication device;
• FIG. 15B is a side view diagram showing details of the tether shown in FIG. 15 A;
• FIG. 15C is a front view diagram of the head of the tether shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B;
• FIG. 15D is a side view diagram of another exemplary tether;
• FIG. 15E is a front or rear view diagram of a tether head according to another exemplary embodiment.
• FIG. 17A is a diagram showing two cards with different pixel densities.
• FIG. 17B is a diagram illustrating and pixel assignment to maintain compatible communications backwards through iterations of card design.
• FIG. 17C is a diagram showing overlapping different sized cards according to an exemplary embodiment.
• FIG. 18 is a timing diagram showing issues that can arise in the transference of data between cards in a docked stack, or involving an external POS device. At least some data must be relayed through an intermediate card in some cases, and acknowledgement or other data may also pass in a direction at times opposite the direction of data transfer. Processor latencies are approximately illustrated for a system which may include multiple cards and/or an external processor.
• communication capabilities can be closely related to activities which also involve user devices, such as magnetic or smart cards.
• a system includes a seamless combination of card and mobile platform to provide a user with a network-connected secure, truly portable device that can provide information and interact with the market-place and its associated environment.
• the present disclosure provides a mobile computerized platform that can conduct secure transactions by emulating a standard credit card or bank card in a manner that can transact with the embedded legacy readers, such as those used at POS or inside physically secure machines, such as an ATM.
• legacy readers such as those used at POS or inside physically secure machines, such as an ATM.
• applications of a card according to the present disclosure can include legacy card readers and readers provided internally in an ATM machine, just as a bank card would be processed.
• a card according to the present disclosure can emit light, sense light, and collect information related to the sensed light across at least substantially the entire major planar surfaces of the card. That is, a substantial portion of the major surfaces throughout their entire extent. Sound can be provided as an energy source which can be emitted and/or collected across at least one surface of the card. In some embodiments, one or more entire major surfaces of a card can emit and sense an energy source, such as one or more of light, sound, tactile energy sources and feedback (e.g., haptic).
• an energy source such as one or more of light, sound, tactile energy sources and feedback (e.g., haptic).
• a card according to the present disclosure can scan and interact with the real world dynamically, and hence allow for a very broad set of new functionality and security for individual users, groups of users, institutions, and governments.
• a card as a user device can be incorporated with other electronic devices already carried by a user in the interest of reducing the total number of such devices, if a single smart card is to gain a foothold in all possible domains including but not limited to the domain of proof of identity and POS use. For instance, a user is much more likely to accept environmental and weight savings if one benefit is to leave, for example, a cell phone, portable computing device, vehicle smart key or PDA/tablet behind, so as to be efficient in carrying only one convenient and multifunctional item.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary system 1 in which the card 100 communicates with a server computer 200 including plural units and memory for performing the various functions of the system via a network 210, which can be a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, an ad hoc network, a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan network (MAN), a cellular network, a wireless wide area network (WW AN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), and a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a terrestrial wireless network or another network or combinations thereof.
• WAN wide area network
• LAN local area network
• MAN metropolitan network
• WW AN wireless wide area network
• WPAN wireless personal area network
• PSTN public switched telephone network
• communications device 216 can connect to network 210 and server 200 through a wireless connection 220 to an antenna 219 of a wireless network base station (e.g., Node B or eNodeB) communicating with network 210 via a wireless network base station (e.g., Node B or eNodeB) communicating with network 210 via a wireless network base station (e.g., Node B or eNodeB) communicating with network 210 via
• card 100 can connect server 200 through base station antenna 219 through wireless connection 224 without any intermediary communications device 216, or through one or more wireless repeaters. In an embodiment, card 100 can connect to server 200 via a wireless access point 222 utilizing Wi-Fi or other wireless protocol, communications connection 225, and network 210.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram of exemplary system elements of card 100.
• card 100 includes an address/data bus 108 through which system components communicate with processor or controller 110 (e.g., CPU) and are powered by power supply unit 112.
• System components of card 100 include memory 114, such as volatile and nonvolatile memory; an input/output (I/O) interface unit 116; a communications unit 118 and antenna 119; a video decoder 120 that decodes video data for display on a first light emitting unit 122
• a first light detection unit 126 and a second light detection unit 128 communicatively coupled to a video encoder 130 that encodes video data generated in the first and second light detection units 126, 128; a first magnetic-in unit 132 and a second magnetic-in unit 134 that detect magnetic fields at respective first and second major surfaces of card 100; a first magnetic-out unit 134 and a second magnetic-out unit 135 that generate magnetic fields at respective first major and second major surfaces of card 100; sound/voice/haptic encoder/decoder (codec) 136 that receives and encodes a signal including aural information generated by a first or second microphone/speaker (micro- speaker) pixel array 138, 140 and provides the encoded signal to bus 108, and decodes coded data received from bus 108 and generates a decoded signal including sound, voice or
• Processor 110 of card 100 can include one or more processors such as at least one microprocessor, micro-controller, a central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other devices designed to perform the functions described herein, and/or by a combination of any of the above.
• processors such as at least one microprocessor, micro-controller, a central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other devices designed to perform the functions described herein, and/or by a combination of any of the above.
• processors such as at least one microprocessor, micro-controller, a central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors
• elements of the hardware design would be provided in duplicity and cross interfaced such that the failure of any one of these elements will not result in the failure of the card 100.
• These elements can include and are not limited to; processors, memory, power, busses, pixels, etc.
• the user will not experience any interruption of service when a redundant element fails.
• the card will attempt to reboot its down element(s) and report the results of hardware fault recovery, resynchronize and then report the overall success or failure to the user and to the servers and operators of the overall system.
• each processor representing an independent survivable processor can be controlled with an additional element, such as a redundancy control processor, that exists to synchronize each processor to the next.
• Memory 114 a non-transitory machine-readable medium such as a storage medium or other storage(s) and stores instructions related to programs, routines, and other code executable by processor 110 and data structures such as encrypted user personal and financial information.
• Memory 114 can include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory), or any other tangible medium capable of storing information and combinations of the above. Memory can also include buffer memory that holds transmission data to be transmitted by the transmitter of communications unit 118 until the data is transmitted and/or data received by the receiver of the communications unit 118 until the received data can be processed.
• RAM random access memory
• ROM read-only memory
• EEPROM electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
• FIG. 2 shows memory 114 as separate or external to processor or controller 110, memory may be implemented within processor or controller 110 or another processing unit.
• Communications unit 118 includes a transmitter and receiver that can communicate in a wireless network element via transmitting and receiving radio waves via antenna 119.
• Communications unit 118 and antenna 119 are configured to modulate a data signal, up-convert the modulated data signal to an RF frequency, and transmit a signal containing data information received from bus 108 via processor 110 from the antenna 119 as a radio wave over a wireless network to a remote device.
• Communications unit 118 and an antenna 119 are also configured to receive a radio wave containing modulated signal information transmitted from a remote device over a wireless network, down-convert the received radio wave and demodulate the down- converted modulated signal and provide the output as reproduced data transmitted from the remote device to bus 108 and processor 110.
• Each of the first light emitting unit 122 and the second light emitting unit 124 of card 100 include plural light emitting devices, such as semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), monochrome LCDs (LCM), a multi-mode display capable of both monochrome and color display modes, or thin film transistor (TFT) controlled backlit or edge-lit liquid crystal display (LCD) devices which are arrayed across respective major surfaces of card 100 (see, FIGS. 3 A, 3C and 4C).
• LEDs semiconductor light emitting diodes
• OLEDs organic light emitting diodes
• LCDs monochrome LCDs
• TFT thin film transistor controlled backlit or edge-lit liquid crystal display
• Watermarks could be visible on at least one of the major surfaces of card 100, but infra-red and ultraviolet light can be used for greater security. Use of various visible light frequencies and not visible light frequencies for display also keeps the public enemy from a data transference connection, face-to-face card communication, or card in POS system connection because it is more difficult to capture signals when using many wavelengths.
• the expanded display provided by the first and second light emitting units 122, 124 in the familiar form factor of a credit card can conserve space because it can serve several functions, for example, a Social Security card, a license (e.g., driver's license), security/access card, EZ pass, credit debit and bank cards, keys, provide emergency medical condition information related to the user or user's immediate family, just to name a few. That is, while exemplary
• Light detection units 122, 124 can digitize an imaging signal output from the imaging device, can perform various kinds of correction processing, such as gamma correction, on the imaging signal, and output the result to video encoder 130 to perform encoding processing on the imaging signal and output the result to the processor or controller 110.
• correction processing such as gamma correction
• glass typically provides an index of about 1.5 whereas one may achieve an index of 2.42 by employing lenses of pure diamond.
• the refractive index is a ratio which relates the sine of incident light angle prior to lens to incident angle after the lens, (and which sines may be substituted by their respective actual angles if close to the optical axis, according to the well- known small-angle approximation) the length of the optical axis will always be some multiple of the lens thickness.
• card 100 uses an optical configuration different from typical optical assemblies.
• card 100 uses a combination of micro-lensing, pinhole lens techniques and image processing software or simple collection of light by CMOS or CCD, hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to in this document simply as "CCD" pixels, in sufficient density to form a functional image.
• card 100 since card 100 has no analog optics (such as a traditional lens) and since further, it may be required to display detailed and at times secure images on the major faces of the card, the total amount of display and capture area can be a significant factor for proper functioning according to some embodiments.
• analog optics such as a traditional lens
• the total amount of display and capture area can be a significant factor for proper functioning according to some embodiments.
• it is possible to emulate an analog lens by varying the substrate supporting the light receiving pixels in order to position the pin hole apertures on the surface of a repeating convex or concave substrate pattern for example, as one would view a golf ball surface or the complex lens of an eye of an insect, such as a dragon fly.
• the sensing elements e.g., CCD and magnetic read
• the output elements such as magnetic- out and display
• the LEDs can emit light, which can include infra-red or ultraviolet, and the CCD can detect it.
• the CCD can also judge day from night and adjust for lighting conditions.
• Each of the first magnetic-in unit 132 and the second magnetic-in unit 133 can detect a magnetic field local to the corresponding major face of card 100.
• Magnetic-in detection can be provided with micro-miniature layer deposit techniques. For example, a stressed material adjacent to a non-stressed material laid out in an array, where the stressed material will change its electrical value when the non-stressed material is subjected to a magnetic field.
• magnetically sensitive piezoelectric crystals can be etched or deposited to the surface of card 100 in an array, capable of varying the resistance or current in the presence or absence of a magnetic field. Digital processing of the signal obtained from an array of magnetic detectors will provide more specific information about the magnetic field received, including any data embedded in the magnetic field.
• first magnetic-out unit 134 and second magnetic-out unit 135 can occupy an area coinciding in plan view with at least substantially an entire major surface of card 100
• stripe positions can be pre-programmed or created as needed based on sensed activity. For example, a magnetic stripe can be increased to extend across substantially the entire major surface of card 100, front and back, and still remain invisible.
• card 100 can adapt and communicate the stripe, which can be auto-located at any position and orientation to be read by the reader.
• the reader can be a legacy POS card reader or another card 100 functioning as a POS system.
• Card 100 can include a sound/voice/hap tic codec 136 configured to receive a sound or voice signal from either first micro- speaker pixel array 138 or second micro- speaker array 140 (e.g., piezoelectric arrays), encode the signal, and provide the encoded voice/sound signal to processor 110 via bus 108.
• Sound/voice/hap tic codec 136 receives coded sound, voice, or haptic data from processor 110 via bus 108, decodes the data, and generates a signal to micro-speaker pixel array 138 or micro- speaker pixel array 140.
• micro-speaker pixel arrays 138, 140 can provide, at least to some minimal extent, functions of a microphone, a speaker, or haptic feedback device.
• Authentication unit 142 of card 100 gathers identification information about the card and the user, which in an embodiment can be transmitted to card/user authentication unit 230 of server 200 for authentication of the card 100 and/or the card user.
• the card can store biometric data for login authentication to the extent permissible by a security scheme, card processing power, and/or card memory capacity.
• biometric data for login authentication to the extent permissible by a security scheme, card processing power, and/or card memory capacity.
• plural physical characteristics such as fingerprints, capillary patterns, pulse and micro- pulse patterns, voice prints, and retinal or iris prints etc. can be used for identification purposes, for example, at login or during a transaction.
• an account number, expiration date, PIN number, password and other card information and indicia can be transmitted in encrypted form from authentication unit 142 of card 100 to card/user authentication unit 230 of server 200 for authenticating card 100.
• Location unit 144 is a location determining unit, such as a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Location information determined by location unit 144 is transmitted to the server 200, where it can be utilized by one or more system applications, such as value analyzing unit 232 and tracking unit 236, which are described in detail later in this disclosure.
• GPS global positioning system
• location of card 100 can be derived in other ways, such as by using multilateration of radio signals as in cellular networks, manual entry by user, or through integration to other electronic devices that know their respective location and can share the location data.
• Power supply 112 delivers power to system elements of card 100 shown in FIG. 2.
• the power supply 112 can supply power from any of a number of sources.
• movable inductors pass power to fixed inductors provided within the card, power transfer via capacitive coupling etc.
• the card can also be equipped with its own battery as a battery "layer,” for example, a thin film or ultrathin film rechargeable lithium ion or lithium polymer battery will fit within the proposed form factor or any larger form factor.
• Power supply 112 of card 100 can include a power management unit to manage, generate, and conserve power, although a power management unit can be included as a unit separate from and communicatively connected to power supply 112.
• a power management unit can be included as a unit separate from and communicatively connected to power supply 112.
• an embodiment can include a power saving mode in which the display is monochrome images.
• An embodiment can include elements for determining whether to turn off one, both, or portions of the first or second light emitting units 122, 124 (i.e., the dual display units).
• an embodiment of card 100 can include a tilt sensor, such as a MEMS accelerometer, and/or recognition software that can identify features or level of luminance in an image sensed by the first and second light detection units 126, 128, and control power provided according to the detected orientation, recognized features, or detected luminance.
• card 100 can include an application that auto- orients any display or to run an application in a specific orientation, and can be developed from tilt and/or accelerometer data. Applications for orientation can also be sensitive to what the card 100 determines it is recognizing from its light collecting input (e.g., light detection at a CCD of the light detection units 126 and/or 128).
• magnetic stripes are provided in the card.
• magnetic stripes are positioned between major surfaces of card 100, such that the magnetic stripes are "buried" and not visible on the card major surfaces.
• One or more magnetic stripes positioned on card 100 can be programmed, for example, according to ISO/IEC 7811, ISO/IEC 7813, and ISO/IEC 4909 standards or otherwise described herein, to include information such as account information, identifying information (e.g., driver's license, credit card, identification card, secure access card), monetary value (e.g., fare cards, gift cards), etc. that can be
• the magnetic stripes can be generated in four positions (see FIGS. 3B and 5) to allow haphazard insertion of the card into a swipe or slot type reader in any card orientation relative to the reader (e.g., the slot of a reader), and getting a single action to "take” every time regardless of the orientation of the card while swiping or insertion into the reader.
• Card 100 can be backwards compatible to the older technology of magnetic swipe such that anything “magnetic swipe” or slot insertion type is instantly compatible.
• Behind the magnetic stripe material can be micro-miniaturized magnetic write heads which will erase and re- write the data found on the stripe under the control of system 1.
• FIGS. 3A to 3C are diagrams of an exemplary embodiment of card 100.
• FIG. 3A is a perspective view
• FIG. 3B is a plan view
• FIG. 3c is a side view of card 100.
• the card 100 includes a first major surface 101, a second major surface 102, a first physical port 103a, a second physical port 103b, and plural magnetic stripes 104.
• a first cover structure 174a and a second structure 174b are provided so as to cover and seal against respective major surfaces 171a and 171b to provide a water-free and dust-free environment for the first and second intermixed array portions 172a and 172b.
• cover structures 174a and 174b are each a bezel-less molded single film covering and sealing the respective first and second intermixed array portions 172a, 172b, although a card cover structure can be a bezel type covering structure and/or include additional supporting elements, for example, at the card edges, and may include alignment/supporting structures to assist in aligning and supporting cover structures.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of substrate 170, which includes plural electronic devices used to operate card 100 and can serve to provide strength and an acceptable amount of stiffness to the card.
• substrate 170 includes a processor 110; a power supply 112 including a battery 180, such as a thin/ultrathin film lithium ion or lithium polymer battery, and power management device 182; memory 114; and other devices such as a tilt sensor, an accelerometer (not shown), and/or other electronic elements.
• substrate 170 can include at least one serial interface or physical port (see, FIG. 3A and 3C) (e.g., USB, IEEE 1394 etc.), although embodiments of card 100 may forgo inclusion of any physical ports.
• substrate 170 can be embedded in substrate 170, included in recessed areas, or surface mounted on substrate 170.
• Substrate 170 can include wire traces, multi-layered wiring, and through holes to interconnect electronic devices with substrate 170 and adjacent first and second intermixed array portions 172a, 172b.
• Multilayer stack S I includes, starting from the layer closest to substrate 170, a light detecting layer 186a, a magnetic-out layer 190a, a magnetic-in layer 192a, a piezoelectric-in layer 194a, a piezoelectric-out layer 196a, and a light emitting layer 198a.
• Multilayer stack S2 includes, starting from the layer closest to substrate 170, a light detecting layer 186b, a magnetic- out layer 190b, a magnetic-in layer 192b, a piezoelectric-in layer 194b, a piezoelectric-out layer 196b, and a light emitting layer 198b. It is to be understood that the substrate 170 and various layers of stacks S 1 and S2 are not drawn to scale for the sake of explaining the layered structure.
• Light detecting layer 186b of multilayer stack S2 includes arrayed light receiving/detecting pixels of light sensitive material and is part of the second light detecting unit 128 described above.
• the first and second light detecting layers 186a and 186b are CCDs, although another light array technology such as CMOS (complimentary metal oxide semiconductor) chips, photodiode array (PDA) etc. can be used as a light detecting layer.
• the light receiving/detecting pixels are arrayed on each of the surfaces of light detecting layer 186a, 186b facing away from substrate 170 in correspondence with respective light transmitting passages 187a and 187b. With reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, each light transmitting passage 187a extends between a light receiving/detecting pixel of the light detecting layer 186a and a hole 188a at the upper surface of the multilayer stack.
• first light detection unit 186a and second light detection unit 186b For each pixel of first light detection unit 186a and second light detection unit 186b, no material is provided in holes 188a, 188b and corresponding light transmitting passages 187a, 187b, although other transmission media between first cover structure 174a and first light detection unit 186a and between second cover structure 174b and second light detection unit 186b can be used.
• Magnetic-out layer 190a and magnetic-out layer 190b respectively form parts of the first magnetic-in unit 132 and the second magnetic-in unit 133, and are magnetic field generators that include addressable pixel arrays that can be used to form magnetic fields in patterns, such as those found on a card magnetic stripe, or to form part of a magnetic transmitter that can communicate with a reading device, such as a card reader or another card.
• the pixels of the first magnetic-out unit 134 and second magnetic-out unit 135 can occupy an area coinciding in plan view with at least substantially the entire respective major surface 101 and 102, and can be programmable from which virtual stripes can be derived.
• virtual stripes can be programmed (activated) "just in time” when the user is present at a POS reader and deprogrammed and deactivated “just after use.”
• virtual stripes can be created based on gestural or other information associated with movement of the card. For example, when swiping the card through a POS or other reader, the user can be holding card 100 in such a way that it is at an angle unreadable by the reader. Card 100 can learn and determine patterns associated with swiping and determine the orientation of the card when swiping is initiated. Card 100 can be configured to use preferences to match the magnetic stripe data to the virtual card displayed.
• card 100 can create, "just in time,” a stripe at a location across the portion of the card surface that is readable by the reader, and then deprogram the strip (or reposition to the standard location), "just after use.” In this way, the reader will encounter less unsuccessful card swipes and the user less complications with card use.
• Piezoelectric-in layer 194a and piezoelectric-out layer 196a form parts of first micro- speaker pixel array 138
• piezoelectric-in layer 194b and piezoelectric-out layer 196b form parts of second micro- speaker pixel array 140.
• the speaker and microphone can be biased differently and operated in full duplex mode (simultaneously) using digital signal processing techniques such as echo and noise cancellation.
• algorithms for the pixel arrays of piezoelectric-in layers 194a, 194b allow for virtual microphones that can steer individual lobes of the microphone's virtual polar patterns towards a particular source, for example, a source location identified via the light
• the card can act as a microphone and as a speaker throughout one or both surfaces of the card. This specific capability can provide a variety of sound emission and collection
• the sound emitted and collected can include many sounds, emissions and collections which are Trojan communications, safely guarding the one or few which are real communications.
• "Trojan” means false and not used at the receiving end.
• This dynamic forms another data transfer method which, while relatively slow, can emulate the old modem function and add a dynamic for communications between two cards, a plurality of cards, or one card communicating with another machine equipped with the card 100 or elements of the card as an integrated element of the machine.
• the peizo- electric pixel elements can be controlled as an array, such as a phase array allowing for directivity.
• the pixels of piezoelectric-in layer 194a and piezoelectric-in layer 194b also can be configured to sense biometric data, such pressure fluctuations indicative of a pulse (heart rate) from a finger touching a major surface of the card 100.
• Light emitting layer 198a and light emitting layer 198b respectively form parts of first light emitting unit 122 and second light emitting unit 124 and include light addressable emitting elements (e.g., LED, OLED, LCD etc.). While not shown, first light emitting unit 122 and second light emitting unit 124 can include one or more controllers, image processors, and driver modules that process decoded video data from video decoder 120 and display the decoded and processed data on the first and/or second major surfaces of card 100.
• first light emitting unit 122 and second light emitting unit 124 can include one or more controllers, image processors, and driver modules that process decoded video data from video decoder 120 and display the decoded and processed data on the first and/or second major surfaces of card 100.
• piezoelectric-out layer 196a, piezoelectric-out layer 196b, light emitting layer 198a, and light emitting layer 198b includes electrode pairs, each electrode connected to row and column electrodes that can individually address a particular pixel for sensing and emission.
• the electrodes at the outermost layer of the stacks can be transparent, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO) or thin layers of metals such as silver to allow light transmission therethrough.
• ITO indium tin oxide
• FIGS 8 A and 8B are diagrams of an embodiment of a card 100A.
• FIG. 8 A shows a plan view of a portion of first major surface 101 and
• FIG. 8B shows a sectional view taken along B-B of FIG. 8 A.
• Differences between card 100A and card 100 shown include increased length light transmitting passages 387a and 387b provided by way of perforations or holes formed into an array in the substrate 370.
• first light detecting layer 386a is formed at a level in the stack S2' closer to the second cover structurel74b and on a side of second light detection unit 386b facing substrate 370
• second light detecting layer 386b is formed at a level in the stack S I' closer to the first cover structurel74a and on a side of second light detection unit 386a facing substrate 370
• the density of the light receiving/detecting pixel on each face of substrate 370 is less than the embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B.
• the positions or arrangements of holes 388a and 388b respectively formed in light emitting layers 398a and 398b are different from the hole positions/arrangements of light emitting layer 198a, and light emitting layer 198b of the display shown in FIGS. 7 A and 7B.
• the light transmitting passages 387a, 387b through substrate 370 require distributing the plural electronic components and devices used to operate card 100A in a manner so as to accommodate the array of perforations 350. Some or all elements can be distributed between the perforations and/or the various electronic devices can be designed to include the passages.
• each stack S I, S2, S I', and S2' can be different than what is depicted in FIGS. 7A to 8B, although light emitting layers 198a and 198b are preferably situated as the outermost layer of stacks S I and S2, respectively.
• embodiments according to the present disclosure may include more or less layers on each side of the substrates 170, 370 than what is depicted, but at least include a light receiving/detecting layers and light emitting layer on each side of the substrate.
• the light emitting and light receiving/detecting units can be positioned on a same layer or level in each stack S I, S2, S I', and S2', but in such an embodiment it is preferable to multiplex the light emitting and detection functions to reduce noise/interference among the light detecting elements.
• FIGS. 7 A to 8B show exemplary diagrams indicating only the order of elements, not necessarily the sizing or shape and not intending to be limiting as to that which one of skill in laying out and designing, for example, in very very large scale integration (VVLSI), could permutate in accordance with the features and other descriptions of the present disclosure.
• VVLSI very very large scale integration
• use of the thickness of the card for development of depth for light collecting elements, allowing for pin hole lens effects limits light to that which approaches the card at a near perfect right angle, limiting detected light to that which is directly in front of the hole and is reflected (possibly sourced to the LED output of the card, providing self-illumination of an object).
• the magnetic elements do not need line of sight access to the surface and can be buried by components and nonmagnetic layers. Other components can be added in, which emit energy or collect energy, such that the surface design becomes more and more dynamic over time. Some energy must have line of sight for reliable reception, and other energy can be buried in the sub structure.
• any and all electronics that are layered at present can include, but is not limited to power distribution, data distribution, signal lines, ground, battery, processing, memory, adaptors such as network adaptors, essentially any and all electronics which can be cognizably embedded into a credit card form factor.
• adaptors such as network adaptors
• Embodiments of the card 100 according to the present disclosure allow for sharing or swapping of data by way of stacking cards in a holder or stacking the cards directly on top of one another (e.g., during a swap mode function of the cards).
• any data a "master" card 100 i.e., the card sending data
• Plural cards can thus be loaded with data, such as instructions, plans, social net contents, entertainment items or essentially any data the master card 100 in a given transaction wishes to share.
• Applications development for data sharing in this mode will very likely make the process of data movement more secure and less time consuming.
• the card can transfer data more rapidly from its surfaces than through its network connections. For example, card-to-card data transfer configurations can transfer in the 1,000 GBPS speed, or 10 -100 times greater than this, while networks cannot, at present, transfer at this massive rate of speed.
• the dual-side function of the card allows stacking cards in any manner because the cards can be configured to recognize which major face of the stacked cards are facing one another, handshake, and begin inter-card communication.
• a dual-side function of the card can include a mode for performing data transfer among plural stacked cards. For example, one or more cards in a card stack could translate data, and thus assure compatible data is received by all cards in a stack data transfer.
• the cards could each share a portion of data, wherein, only when the right cards are stacked (even limited to the right moment in time) will they combine their data contents and yield a functional data set, representing the decrypted data intended to be transferred.
• card 100 can include magnetic elements that levitate and position a first card stacked over a second card. These cards operate independently of a physical dock. For instance, passive fixed magnets can be embedded in the core area of the card 100, for example, in the substrate 170 or 370 described above, at positions that will stably levitate the two cards and not interfere with a card reader's ability to read stripe data.
• At least one pixel of one of first or second light emitting units 122, 124 on a major surface 101 or 102 of the first card are aligned with facing pixels of one of the first and second light detection units 126, 128 on a major surface 101 or 102 of the second card, and at least one pixel of one of the first and second light detection units 126, 128 on the major surface 101 or 102 of the first card are aligned with facing pixels of one of the first and second light emitting units 122, 124 on the major surface 101 or 102 of the second card.
• the alignment of the above- described facing light receiving/detecting pixels and light emitting pixels can be carried out in a predetermined and secure way.
• card 100 can include plural current controlled electromagnets and the levitation/positioning controller unit, or Mag Lev unit 147 configured to set current for each of electromagnets to allow other similarly equipped cards to levitate over one another.
• FIGS. 9 A show an example of a card 100c including the levitation function, and which can otherwise have any of the card structure disclosed herein.
• card 100c has plural individual electromagnets 910-926 embedded in a central area of card 100c, for example, embedded in substrate 170 or 370 described above.
• Each of the electromagnets 910-926 includes a coil in which current can be controlled to emit a magnetic field strength corresponding to the controlled current value.
• Some or all of the electromagnets 910-926 can be reversible-pole electromagnets such that a polarity of the electromagnet changes according to whether a positive or negative current is applied to the coil of the electromagnet.
• Each of electromagnets 910-926 is electrically connected to a levitation control circuit (not shown), which can be part of data exchange unit 146 shown in FIG. 2, and which can be integrated into card processor 110.
• FIGS. 9B shows card 100c and another similarly equipped card lOOd magnetically levitating in the depicted z-axis direction above card 100c.
• electromagnets 910-926 in card lOOd for example, electromagnets 916 and 920 of card lOOd are polarized to attract to electromagnets 916 and 920 of card 100c, and a feedback loop can be utilized by the levitation control circuit (e.g., a PID controller) to continuously adjust one or more electromagnets to maintain relative position between the cards 100c and lOOd.
• the levitation control circuit e.g., a PID controller
• each card 100c and lOOd can include electromagnets provided at predetermined angles to provide precise control of magnetic fields that can move card lOOd and hold it precisely in any of the three depicted dimensions, for example, translating card in the x- axis, y- axis and/or z-axis directions and/or rotate card about the x- axis, y- axis and/or z-axis with high accuracy using electromagnetic variability.
• card 100c can assume master status and overlying card lOOd can assume slave status, such that the master card 100c controls the positioning of card lOOd.
• the distances between various points of cards 100c and lOOd can be determined via one or more pixels of first or second light emitting unit 122, 124 and one or more pixels of first or second light detection units of card 100c (or card lOOd) at different localized positions on the face of the card via emission of specific light wavelengths and patterns from specific portions of the major surface of card 100c (or card lOOd).
• the distance between cards could be determined, for example, by emitting a known visual image or magnetic image of known size on one card and allowing the other card to view the image of known size use parallax to determine distance between cards.
• FIG. 9C shows a result of the levitation control circuit levitating card lOOd by card 100c such that card lOOd pivots about an axis in the y-axis direction though electromagnets 914, 920, and 926 to move the negative x-axis side of card lOOd through an angle ⁇ in the negative z-axis direction.
• cards 100c and lOOd can include one or more light emitters and complementary light receiving/detecting elements (not shown) that align to produce a detected signal, for example, above a predetermined power/duration threshold level, only if aligned when the cards are positioned relative to one another in a predetermined way at least for the initial handshake.
• FIG. 9B and 9C shows a dotted line 928 representing a direction in which a light receiving pixel in card 100c can receive and detect light, and a solid line 930 representing a direction in which a light emitting pixel of card lOOd can emit light.
• the light receiving pixel of card 100c does not receive and detect a photon stream emitted from the light emitting pixel of card lOOd
• FIG. 9C shows the directions 928 and 930 align in three dimensions after the adjustment via magnetic levitation control.
• FIGS. 9B and 9C illustrate one pair of light emitting and receiving pixels, plural light receiving and light emitting pixel pairs can be set at various relative positions to one other than
• communication between the cards can include a form of encryption where the relative position of the cards 100c and lOOd changes periodically in some prescribed way such that communication correspondingly switches between different subsets of light emitting and light receiving/detecting pixels. In this way, cards 100c and lOOd can optically communicate with one another very securely.
• 9A-9C can pertain to a situation in which one belongs to a buyer and the other belongs to a seller, the buyer displays credit card image, the seller displays barcode in which both parties may be required to provide biometric ID and both parties also use the same platform for usual browsing, shopping, and so on.
• FIG. 10A is a diagram of a bracket, or mechanical dock 1002 that can be used to provide a measured space between plural cards lOOe and lOOf configured according to the present disclosure. While dock 1002 is configured for horizontally oriented cards, FIG. 10B shows an embodiment of a vertical dock 1020 in which vertically oriented cards lOOe and lOOf can be inserted into slots 1022 and 1024.
• Physical docks can be used for any card-to-card data transfer, such as long duration data transfers between cards, although short transfers can be accomplished briefly holding two cards together. For more secure data transfer, the above magnetic levitation techniques can be used for data transfer of short or long content.
• the docks 1002 and 1020 also can include a charging function provided by spring loaded or flexible detents that engage charging electrodes of the cards lOOe and lOOf, such as the charging electrodes 184 shown in FIG. 6. Additionally, while the height of the docks can be set to cover the cards, the
• FIGS. 10A and 10B allow for use of exposed portions of the cards, for example, user input and control to the major surfaces of the cards, display of an image while charging or transferring data, to alert the user when transfer is complete or when a problem is encountered, or provide other information to the user.
• the number of slots can be of any practical size. Further, only one slot can be provided for a charging and or communication dock that can connect to another device via a serial communication and charging line, such as a USB cable.
• Two or more cards 100 can be placed in a holder (not shown) which aligns the cards very accurately therein, and the holder can provide external magnetism or physical forces within tolerance so as not to damage the cards, while serving to align the cards with no appreciable air space between cards.
• pins and guides could be provided as surface features, or, slight notches or grooves on the edges which have no effect on the expected functions of the card 100, but serve to align the card with another, or one card to a device fully integrated to the same technology (e.g., a display on a PC having a portion fashioned as the card is fashioned, and fully integrated to the PC so as to enable all functions using the PC's processor, software and network attachments).
• FIGS 1 lA-11C are diagrams of exemplary swipe brackets that can be used as portable POS card readers, for example, to perform transactions at professional offices, conferences, flea markets, festivals, fairs, swap meets, food trucks, between individuals etc., as well as at traditional retail and wholesale environments.
• These brackets can be used as a docking lock and swipe bracket, and can be adjustable for two different dimensional docking, horizontal or vertical.
• FIG. 11A is a side view of a portable swipe bracket 1102a according to an embodiment, which the card user can insert card lOOg and then swipe another card lOOh either horizontally or vertically such that the card lOOg can read the virtual or physical magnetic strip on card lOOh.
• At least card lOOg is an embodiment of a card according to the present disclosure, and card lOOh can be a card according to the present disclosure or a "legacy" type card including a physical magnetic stripe.
• Swipe bracket 1102A includes slots 1104 and 1106 between which is section 1106, which respectively accommodate cards lOOg and lOOh.
• Section 1106 has a thickness allowing magnetic field lines from the magnetic strip to penetrate and be detected by a magnetic - in layer of card lOOg, such as magnetic-in layer 192a, 192b described above. While not shown, card lOOg can be securely provided in slot 1104 by frictional engagement, enclosed in a variation of slot 104 that is part of an enclosure (not shown), or simply held in place while completing a transaction. In an embodiment, slot 1104 and/or slot 1106 can extend to overlap card lOOg and/or card lOOh to a further or lesser extent than depicted in FIG. 11A. In an embodiment, swipe bracket 1102A can be hand-held or attached to another object, for example, by an adhesive or a clamping structure.
• FIG. 1 IB is a sectional diagram of an embodiment of a swipe bracket 1102B that can be used as a table-top or counter type swiping apparatus.
• Swipe bracket 1102B includes a first slot 1108 that forms part of an enclosure housing card lOOg, and a second slot 1110A that accommodates a card lOOh to be swiped.
• Swipe bracket 1102B includes a base 1103 that provides support and stability for the upper bracket portion including slots 1108 A and 1110A and section 1106, and can be provided as a portion integral with the upper bracket portion or as an attachable piece to the upper bracket portion. In another embodiment, base 1103 is not provided and the bracket portion can be hand-held or placed in on a surface.
• the upper bracket portion can be oriented and any orientation, for example, an orientation in which the slots 1108 A and 1108B are parallel with the base upper surface 1111.
• FIG. l lC shows a sectional view of a swipe bracket 1102C, which is a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 IB that allows for increased operational features when swiping legacy cards or cards in accordance with the present disclosure.
• an opening or window 1112 is provided between slot 1108B and slot 1110B to allow card lOOg to optically communicate with a card swiped through slot 1110B; and an opening or window 1114 is provided between slot 1108B and the outer portion of bracket 1102C to allow viewing and/or user input to the card lOOg.
• at least one of the openings/windows 1112, 1114 includes side portions to support the portion of the bracket forming the upper portion of slot 1108.
• swipe bracket 1102C can also function as a data transfer bracket to transfer data between cards lOOg and lOOh.
• an embodiment of a portable swipe bracket can include a power supply to operate card lOOg and/or card lOOh, charge card lOOg, and/or allow for extended use of card lOOg while in the swipe bracket.
• the brackets can be communicatively coupled or docked to another device, such as a cell phone, laptop computer via serial bus or BluetoothTM, electronic tablet, or a Wi-Fi access node.
• any embodiment of a swipe bracket can include one or more openings or windows of optically transparent material allowing for optical communication between cards and/or to allow for user input to a major surface of the card lOOg and/or card lOOh.
• an embodiment of the swipe bracket can include operational elements (not shown), such as hard keys on the bracket portion or the base, to allow for one or both card users to interface with cards lOOg and/or lOOh and the extended card system (see, FIG. 1).
• FIG. 12 is a diagram of a conventional, or legacy magnetic swipe POS reader 1200, which includes a slot 1202 for swiping a card adjacent to a magnetic head, a display 1204 such as an LCD touch panel display, and a set of operational hard keys 1206, although some readers do not include operational hard keys.
• Reader 1200 also includes a power feed line 1208 that supplies power to the reader 1200 and a data feed line 1210 that allows reader 1200 to communicate with a remote verification server (not shown).
• the power feed line 1208 connects to a connector 1209 at the back side of the housing of reader 1200 and the data feed line 1210 connects to a connector 1211 at the back of the housing of reader 1200.
• FIG. 13 shows an exemplary POS card reader 1300 according to the present disclosure. Unlike the legacy card reader 1200, card reader 1300 does not include a slot for swiping a card and instead reads and writes in a flatbed manner. As shown in FIG. 13, reader 1300 also includes an auxiliary display 1302 and operational hard keys 1303, although another
• a power feed line 1308 supplies power to the reader 1300 and a data feed line 1310 allows reader 1300 to communicate with a remote server.
• the power feed line 1308 connects to a connector 1309 at the back side of the housing of reader 1300 and the data feed line 1310 connects to a connector 1311 at the back of the housing of reader 1300.
• Frame 1306 around the display 1304 can be configured to hold the card square to the surface.
• an embodiment of reader 1300 can include two adjacent sides of frame 1306 raised above the outer surface of the display 1304 and including a corner to assist a user in placing the card on the display and allow the user to slide the card off in a direction away from the raised sides.
• the entire frame is raised above the outer surface of display 1304 and ejectors (not shown) having, for example, a plastic (soft) bottom on left and right side, cock the card up so the user can get it back without difficulty.
• the magnetic levitation function of the card can also be present in a more modern version of the terminal-based point of sale system that allows the point of sale system to levitate the card, which eliminates touch or contact. This feature can prevent the spread of disease and protect the card from wear and tear.
• Display 1304 can include elements of the card of the present disclosure and at least include light emitters and light receivers/detectors, such as those described above with respect to the first/second light emitting units 122, 124 and first/second light detection units 126, 128, and a magnetic stripe reader/writer along at least areas 1312a and 1312b.
• reader 1300 can optically communicate with a card according to the present disclosure and can read magnetic stripes of both legacy cards and cards configured according to the present disclosure.
• legacy readers can be replaced with a reader according to the present disclosure, such as reader 1300 described above, there may be a need to communicate through a legacy type card reader (i.e., swiper box) because the POS system will not run if it does not see its old swiper box.
• the old swiper box can be emulated using a fast and easy configuration that converts a legacy magnetic swipe POS assembly to a form more suited to advantageous use of the card features disclosed herein, particularly the optical ones including flatbed read and write, without removing the old unit. As shown in FIG.
• a vendor may simply affix an optical display/reader emulating the card of this disclosure to the old assembly (or a new display/reader much like the card of this disclosure), simplified attaching mechanism, such as industrial 2 sided tape and a cover designed with rubberized gaskets so as to dock solidly with the legacy reader. It may also be necessary to load software into the POS system of the kind which is known in the art or readily configurable to manage proper operation of the elements described herein.
• FIG. 14A is a front view diagram of the legacy card reader 1200 and a reader 1300A, which is conversion modification of the above reader 1300.
• the reader 1300A includes a member 1422 insertable into the slot 1202 and sidewalls 1426, which are shown in phantom behind the front panel 1424 and guide the reader 1300A to cover the legacy reader 1200, although another embodiment may not include extension 1422 and/or sidewalls 1426.
• An adhesive 1428 is provided on the legacy reader 1200 (and/or the reader 1300A) and the reader 1300A is slid over the legacy reader, as shown by the arrows.
• FIG. 14B is a front view diagram showing the installed reader 1300A.
• 14C is a rear view diagram of the installed reader 1300A showing a wiring configuration for connecting power and data lines between the legacy reader 1200 and reader 1300A.
• Lines 1430 and 1432 correspond to the old data and power lines 1208 and 1210, respectively, and are now connected to the incoming power connector 1309 and data connections of the reader 1300A.
• Line 1434 connects between a power-out connector 1438 of reader 1300 and power-in connector 1209 of legacy reader 1200 to provide a power tie- in between the readers 1200 and 1300A
• line 1436 connects between the a data-out connector 1430 and the data-in connector 1211 to provide a data tie-in between the readers 1200 and 1300A.
• FIG. 15A is a diagram of a tethered version of user card 100 according to an exemplary embodiment, although embodiments of card 100 can be configured as tethered or non-tethered versions.
• a tether or patch cord device 1510 can connect to another device 1502, which includes a head end 1514 that interfaces with card 1500 and a tail end 1516 that connects to device 1502 through an interface such as a serial port of device 1502, and a cord 1518 including wiring and/or optical fiber and attaching head end 1514 and tail end 1516.
• Tether device 1510 communicates with at least one port of card 100 that is accessed with optics and/or magnetics.
• Tether device 1510 can be used to gather data from card 100 and pass it to another device, such as device 1502, and pass data and/or power to card 100 from the other device 1502.
• the tether can also be used to configure and/or reset the card.
• Device 1502 can be, for example, a cell phone, a smart phone, an electronic tablet, a laptop computer, a transformer device providing transformed power, a vehicle having a compatible or adaptable interface.
• Contemporary versions of these devices generally have a port, such as Fire WireTM, USB, HDMI, lOOfaseT, or some other type of serial or parallel port, which would serve as the interface for tail end 1516 of tether device 1510.
• a port such as Fire WireTM, USB, HDMI, lOOfaseT, or some other type of serial or parallel port, which would serve as the interface for tail end 1516 of tether device 1510.
• FIG. 15A shows an embodiment in which tether device 1510 is magnetically attached to a major surface 101
• tether device 1510 can be provided adjacent a major surface 101 or 102 of card 100 in a number of ways, including providing a suction cup type attachment on the tether head end 1514 to attach to the card surface, including or utilizing a physical bracket or clamp holding a surface of the tether to the surface of card 100, including or utilizing a clip that holds plural surfaces of a tether to each side of card 100 at the same time, or some other mechanism that maintains relative positioning between card and tether 1510.
• tether 1510 can be hand held against the card surface.
• tether device 1510 can be part of a dual sided tether allowing for redundancy or higher data transfer speeds, and a clip, clamp, or bracket can hold the plural surfaces of such a tether to each side of card 100 at the same time.
• a clip could attach and become immobilized through magnetics to allow for rapid and simplified disconnect from card 100.
• FIG. 15B shows a side view diagram of an exemplary embodiment of tether 1510.
• Tether device 1510 can have an angled configuration (e.g., right angled) where head 1514 meets cord 1518 or no angle at all such as an in-line configuration.
• the tether shown FIG. 15B is a inline tether 1514 including portion 1520 including a magnetic element, which can be a permanent magnet or electromagnet, or ferromagnetic material that is attracted to a complementary ferromagnetic material, or permanent magnet or electromagnet provided in card 100.
• a magnetic element which can be a permanent magnet or electromagnet, or ferromagnetic material that is attracted to a complementary ferromagnetic material, or permanent magnet or electromagnet provided in card 100.
• light receiving detecting units 126 or 128 working with processor 110 can recognize the approaching tether using either image recognition or optical communication between card major surface and tether head surface and accordingly illuminate or otherwise indicate on the approached major surface 101 of card 100 an area of card 100 including the magnetic device to which to attach tether head 1514.
• the tethered version of card 100 can draw power from the host device 1502 to allow card 100 to operate power intensive elements, such as display-related elements.
• the tether head 1514 can house a wireless power delivery mechanism, such as a moving solenoid in the tip of the tether that interacts with a coil (not shown) embedded in card 100 to provide a charging current.
• the tether can be modular.
• server 200 can determine whether or not card 100 is in proximity to a designated cell-phone or mobile device, for example, it is more likely to be legitimately used by the proper user if one or both the two designated devices are in proximity and can be disabled if not.
• FIG. 15C is a front view diagram of tether 1510 showing a surface 1522A of head 1514.
• head surface 1522A can include optical elements and/or magnetic elements, such as intermixed arrays of light emitting pixels, light receiving/detection pixels, magnetic-in pixels and magnetic-out pixels similar to magnetic and optical elements present below major surfaces 101 and 102 of card 100.
• Tether head 1514 includes conversion circuitry (e.g., microelectronics) that can convert a serial or parallel data stream from serial port in tail 1516 to data transmitted over optical and/or magnetic based channels established between the card 100 and tether 1518, and convert received optical and/or magnetic data and convert the received data to serial or parallel data stream to be transmitted to the interface at tail end 1516 of tether 1510.
• conversion circuitry e.g., microelectronics
• card 100 and tether 1510 When attached to major surface 101 or major surface 102, card 100 and tether 1510 perform magnetic and/or optical handshake in which tether 1510 passes it identification information and optically and magnetically communicates with the connected device 1502.
• tether 1510 can deliver industry standard communications formats at the tail end 1516 through conversion electronics powered in and housed in the tether, for example, in head 1514.
• the head surface 1522 may include any subset of intermixed pixel arrays, for example, only light emitting pixels and light receiving/detection pixels.
• Tail ends of tethers, such as tail end 1516 shown in FIG. 15B, can include such common devices as ear buds, headsets, speakers, etc., for example, instead of a serial or parallel interface.
• FIG. 15D is a side view diagram of a tether 1510a that includes heads 1514a and 1514b at respective ends thereof.
• each of the heads 1514a and 1514b are substantially identical and can be the same or similar to head 1514 described above.
• the present embodiment can be used to provide optical connection between card 100 and one end 1514a of tether 1510a, and optical connection between the other end 1514b of tether 1510a and another optical and/or magnetic interface.
• tether 1510a can be used to transfer optically transmitted data from card 100 to a cell phone or a computer display including an intermixed array similar to the card 100.
• each head 1514a includes conversion circuitry (e.g. microelectronics) at both tether ends 1514a and 1514b.
• one or more CCD pixels provided at one tether end 1514a can receive one or more photon streams received from card 100 and convert the received photon stream to an electrical signal, which in turn is converted back to a photon stream by conversion circuitry at the other tether end 1514b.
• a similar conversion can be made in the opposite direction from tether end 1514b to tether end 1514a.
• tether 1510a can include optical channels through the entire length of cord 1518a such that the conversion circuitry described above is not needed.
• FIG. 15E is a front or rear side view of a head 1514c, where surface 1522b of head 1514c includes optical fiber 1524. While FIG. 15E shows a bundle of 7 individual optical fibers, head 1514c can include more or less fibers.
• card 100 and system 1 allow for cloning cards.
• Card-to-card cloning can be appreciated by considering the cards shown in FIGS. 9B-9C, for example, in which one card lOOd is the card to be cloned, or "original" card, and the other card 100c is a destination card in accordance with the present disclosure.
• FIGS. 16A and 16B are a diagram of an exemplary legacy card that can be cloned using card 100. As shown in FIG.
• a first major surface 1601 of legacy card 1600 includes an indication that it is a driver's license, an image of the licensee 1602, an image of the licensee's fingerprint 1604, a smaller image of the licensee 1606, a retinal scan 1608, and other information and images such as identification information, an expiration date, and a watermark and/or hologram (not shown).
• FIG. 16B is a diagram of a second major surface 1610 of legacy card 1600, which can include a magnetic stripe 1612, a bar code (not shown) and other information typically found on the reverse side of a license.
• FIGS. 16A and 16B show but one type of a seemingly endless variety of cards that can be cloned using card 100 and system 1 according to the present disclosure.
• the captured images of the major faces 1601, 1610 of card 1600 can be displayed with mirror- image correction and can be displayed simultaneously with the mirror-image correction so that the result is a digital clone of the analog legacy card. It is to be understood that some legacy cards may require capture of only one a single- side of the card. In this situation, an embodiment of card 100 can be configured to display the captured card single-side image on only one major surface 101 or 102 of card 100, or both major surfaces 101, 102 of card 100 can display the same single-side captured image.
• a card pertaining to medical insurance or other medical products services can be emulated or cloned using card 100 and system 1.
• the medical card may well not have any stripe, but instead includes a bar or Qr code or the like in the place where a stripe may be, perhaps on the back of the card. It is possible that an emulation of such a card will not be properly displayed, especially if both sides are required to be imaged.
• Such cards are read by medical support personnel who may be in a hospital environment or small office where magnetic stripe equipment may not be available, but optical capture of essential images may nevertheless take place.
• Such medical-related cards are further often required to be cloned.
• health insurance is often linked to employment so that in any given household, though one person may primarily be the owner of the card, many others may be required to carry them.
• Benefits to secure transactions in the case of medical cards may not only include verifying that the card user is authorized, but also in the case of avoiding medical mistakes.
• a certain procedure or diagnosis may be securely associated with a certain person, even if the person is unconscious or unresponsive, as in the case of an anaesthetized person scheduled for surgery or an accident victim who has a known condition.
• the person's biometrics can easily be made still available, for example, a fingerprint.
• the same card may still continue to contain all of the information pertaining to diagnosis, provision of secondary medical treatment such as physiotherapy, allergies, prescriptions and so on.
• a person thus securely tracked could potentially even be moved last-minute to a different facility without fear of losing track of information.
• the same virtual card, complete with other stored cards could also be used by an enterprising user to negotiate treatment rates and other details while still in a medical waiting room or simply arrange to pay wirelessly for continued parking while the procedure is ongoing, or make appropriate purchases.
• the device can, as mentioned elsewhere, serve purposes of value to a hospital, an incentive exists for the same hospital to allow patients to use the device in such a way not to overly interfere in the way known to cell phones in such environments.
• the hospital may further have power to restrict use of the device, if desired or necessary.
• the card will have more pixel density (light emitting, light receiving, magnetic-out, and/or magnetic-in) per unit of measure (e.g., square inch).
• pixel density light emitting, light receiving, magnetic-out, and/or magnetic-in
• unit of measure e.g., square inch
• the newer cards can always input data from older ones.
• Compatibility for basic card-to-card communications i.e., face-to-face
• FIG. 17 the pixel densities of the two cards is unequal. As shown in FIG.
• Server 200 includes a processor 228, plural functional units, and a database 250 for carrying our various functions of the system 1.
• the functional units include a card/user authentication unit 230, a value analyzing unit 232, a transaction/ID/access card management unit 234, a tracking unit 236 that track card usage, patterns and other historical information related to card 100 and user, a docking unit 238 that manages docking of card 100 with various devices, and a data exchange unit 240 that manages data exchange function not handled by card 100, although embodiments of server 200 can include additional or fewer functional units.
• the card/user authentication unit 230 handles processes related to identification, login, logout and related security features.
• the card/user authentication unit 230 can require a "hard login" by the user that includes taking a series of biometric readings from the card user via authentication unit 142 of the card, which can be as numerous and performed in a given sequence, to uniquely identify the user with essentially perfect certainty and log the identified user into the card and the services supporting the card.
• a minimum contingent biometric login i.e., a "soft login” as compared to a hard login, so as to add to the security aspect.
• the card may partially or fully log out and go into a fully secure mode requiring the maximum amount of login steps to recover the card's functionality
• the card 100 login can migrate into computer and electronic device screens where, once the user has hard logged into the card 100, logging into machines during the hard log period (e.g., one day thereafter) may be accomplished with a swipe or holding the card to the other computer or other electronic device's screen, when and where designated (e.g., the larger screen of a computer or other device can tell you where to place your card for logging or other data transfer).
• the assurance from the card and the assurance from the service supporting the card that the user is identified passes in a simple step rather than a complex and time consuming series of steps.
• the user takes the complex logging steps perhaps once each day, and sets how long these complex logging steps hold until again required, or for what size or type transaction the user wishes the card and service to demand the complex logging steps, versus, a shorter form of logging (less biometric verification). Thereafter, logging to services through a machine, such as that presented as one traverses a network, can be accomplished with the hard and soft logging functions of the card, even to the extent of satisfying and replacing login tests such as the CAPCHATM (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart), as obsolete.
• CAPCHATM Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart
• card/user authentication unit 230 can have the card take at least one, and preferably two or more forms of biometric readings from users via authentication unit 142 of the card as the card is used for any transaction, essentially in near real time or real time, and can shut the card down and halt a transaction if the affirmed (confirmed) biometric data is not present within a preset minimum of time, such as within a few seconds of the card read or write, to guard the user from identity theft or any other form of fraud.
• the level or hierarchy of biometrics required for a transaction can be set by the system 1 and/or as a preference of the card user, or a combination of both the system 1 and card user. For example, a user can set a hierarchy requiring at least one more biometric type reading than a hierarchy of biometric reading(s) set by the system 1.
• the card and system disclosed herein allow highly secure use of card 100 and all of its capabilities through the heavy login procedure performed less frequently and the lighter login procedure performed more frequently, for example, as frequently as with each transaction.
• the heavy login procedure although time consuming, thereafter, leverages the fact that the device will not fully log off from system 1 unless the user does not again use the card with the lighter login procedure within a given amount of time, or unless proximity alarms or any other alarm (such as a tamper alarm) are tripped, forcing the heavy login procedure to be undertaken again.
• kirlian examination of an object can be added to the biometric login function handled by authentication unit 142 of the card and/or car/user authentication unit 230 of server 200.
• card 100 can provide charged coupled device (CCD) or light reading elements and magnetic read elements, which together with authentication unit 142 and/or card/user authentication unit 230, can closely examine the spectrum of an object, such as a finger, to the extent of mapping with a video and with still images, the kirlian field of an object, or the magnetic field of an object, or both.
• CCD charged coupled device
• authentication unit 142 or card/user authentication unit 230 can draw conclusions about that object.
• the login function can take this combination of data and process it to decide if the threshold for pass (or fail/deny), has been met.
• the value analyzing unit 232 can carry out tasks normally associated with the user, such as having to cut, carry, or even scan in or purchase and then carry coupons and other discount codes, determine whether offers are locally available. In an embodiment, for example, in nearby stores, when the user is in a given location, value analyzing unit 232 can utilize location information generated by location unit 144 of card 100 and search network 210 to determine local deals or other offers and generate and communicate a message to card 100 to alert the user to such other opportunities pertinent to the transaction at hand or a transaction the user has indicated as being one in which he/she is about to undertake. Accordingly, the user can be kept aware of details relating to any deals that are available in the surrounding area while the user is in the process of shopping and purchasing goods and services. In an embodiment, value analyzing unit 232 can notify the user of offers or opportunities related to a transaction in the process of being made, but not yet finalized, which are not necessarily local to the user's geographic location or in a bricks and mortar venue.
• value analyzing unit 232 or alternatively, a service within card 100 can provide numerous filters or prerequisites or preferences that a user can set to indicate willingness to accept certain information provided by sellers or brokers while filtering out a wide variety of what would be considered unwanted advertisement(s) as part of the service supporting the card.
• the disclosed card and system allow for simple and wide-ranging agreements that personalize the content of user-desired information. For example, when a card user creates a want list, or hears from the system 1 that an item on the list is more than 80 percent off, the user can be warned via card 100 that an object which meets with his/her criteria is available and within reasonable proximity, proximity being yet another factor the user can set as a filter which may be distance to the item in question.
• the transaction/ID/access card management unit 234 of server 200 carries out credit card functions (e.g., management of credit card functions) for the card 100.
• card 100 can have an overall conformation that is compatible with credit card and other legacy embedded card swipe or read mechanisms. Card 100 can thus access older technology of magnetic swipe such that anything “magnetic swipe” or any legacy slot type insert magnetic reader is instantly compatible. Because there is a display, a lot of boundaries become
• the tabulation can occur with no perceived delay for the user, or other patrons waiting in a cue (e.g., in a line behind the user).
• card 100 is used to scan an item, identifies the item and communicated with server 200.
• the value analyzing unit 232 of server can: (1) alert the user that an online venue has a better price or other better value for the item compared with the current venue and can facilitate a purchase at the online venue; (2) alert the user that the item is available at a lower price at another location, for example, a location near the user's location using location information from location unit 144; or (3) item price acceptable price, as determined by value analyzing unit 232, and the user decides to keep the item or to put back on shelf (a second scan or other action on the card can update the "put back" status).
• the POS system can handle some or all the functions carried out by server 200.
• card 100 can present images to the user of bar codes for coupons or similar items that the user can redeem at the POS system.
• value analyzing unit 232 or transaction/ID/access card management unit 234 can automatically select a payment method card, the user can select via display gesture recognition, and thereafter the card display the card, or the last used card can be displayed (for example, according to preferences), and card 100 also displays magnetic out data related to the selected payment method.
• the user can close, or complete the transaction card by swiping card 100 having the selected and displayed payment method and providing a signature.
• Post-transaction, value analyzing unit 232 can have selected, for, example,
• a general purpose computer for example, a general purpose computer, a personal computer (PC), a special purpose computer, a workstation, a personal communications system (PCS), a mobile (cellular) telephone, a mobile telephone with data processing capability, an RFID receiver, a gaming console, an electronic notepad, a laptop computer, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, or other programmable data processing apparatus.
• PC personal computer
• PCS personal communications system
• mobile (cellular) telephone a mobile telephone with data processing capability
• an RFID receiver for example, a mobile telephone with data processing capability
• gaming console for example, a gaming console, an electronic notepad, a laptop computer, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, or other programmable data processing apparatus.
• GPS global positioning system
• processors e.g., one or more microprocessor, micro-controllers, a central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other devices designed to perform the functions described herein, and/or by a combination of any of the above.
• processors e.g., one or more microprocessor, micro-controllers, a central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other devices designed to perform the functions described herein, and/or by a combination of any of the above.
• processors e.g., one or more microprocessor, micro-controllers, a central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),
• a code segment may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements.
• a code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.
• a TDMA network may implement GSM, Digital Advanced Phone System (D-AMPS), or some other RAT.
• GSM and W-CDMA are described in documents from a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project” (3GPP).
• CDMA2000 is described in documents from a consortium named "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2).
• a WLAN may be an IEEE 802.1 lx network
• WPAN may be a Bluetooth network
• IEEE 802.15x or some other type of network
• the CDMA may be implemented as a radio technology such as universal terrestrial radio access (UTRA) or
• UTRA universal terrestrial radio access
• the TDMA may be implemented as a radio technology such as a GSM/general packet radio service (GPRS)/enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE).
• the OFDMA may be implemented by a radio technology such as institute of electrical and electronics engineers (IEEE) 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, E-UTRA (evolved UTRA), and the like.
• IEEE institute of electrical and electronics engineers
• Wi-Fi Wi-Fi
• WiMAX IEEE 802.16
• IEEE 802.20 E-UTRA (evolved UTRA)
• the techniques may also be used for any combination of WWAN, WLAN and/or WPAN.
• the techniques may be implemented for use with a Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) network, a High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) network, a CDMA2000 IX network, GSM, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and/or the like.
• UMB Ultra Mobile Broadband
• HRPD High Rate Packet
• QED Quantum Entanglement Device
• QED Quantum Entanglement Device
• system 1 and card 100 can be introduced to intermix quantum computing and quantum communications within system 1 and card 100, which adds to the security of system 1 and card 100.
• point of sale systems incorporate QED capabilities and when a public quantum entanglement network is established, all of the various methods and capabilities of system 1 and card 100 will be enhanced to the extent that communications will become utterly secure.
• memory refers to any type of non-transitory machine-readable medium, whether long term, short term, volatile, nonvolatile, or other memory and is not to be limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories, or type of media upon which memory is stored.
• Memory described herein, such as system memory 114 and database 250, can additionally be considered to be embodied within any tangible form of computer readable carrier, such as solid-state memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk containing an appropriate set of computer instructions, such as program modules, and data structures that would cause a processor to carry out the processes described herein.
• a computer-readable medium may include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, magnetic disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape or other magnetic and optical storage devices (e.g., compact disc (CD), laser disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-rayTM disc), a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory), or any other tangible medium capable of storing information and combinations of the above.
• Memory can also include buffer memory that holds transmission data to be transmitted by the transmitter of communications unit 118 until the data is transmitted and/or data received by the receiver of the communications unit 118 until the received data can be processed.
• FIG. 2 shows memory 114 as separate or external to processor or controller 110, memory may be implemented within processor or controller 110 or another processing unit.
• card 100 has a credit card form factor, size, shape and thickness of a standard swipe card and processor 110 is preferably a microprocessor or microcontroller chip that manages files stored in the memory 114 assigned to the card applications via a card operating system (COS), and memory for carrying out these functions is preferably a combination of nonvolatile (e.g., EEPROM or flash) and volatile (e.g., ROM) solid state devices.
• COS card operating system
• the type of COS used in card 100 is a dynamic application card operating system that enables developers to build, test and deploy different on card applications securely.
• Card memory also includes at least one programmable magnetic stripe that stores information magnetically.
• the bidirectional display of the card 100 with optionally full PC functionality and having invisible magnetic layer which can be instantly programmed to function as stripes thus allows for the greatest resolution display, for example, to view an otherwise unseen water mark or hologram, while at the same time providing versatile credit-card form factor functionality either in legacy magnetic stripe readers or in an equally secure optical financial transaction.
• the present disclosure is not to be limited to two cards or card to device communication, but is applicable to any device with this technology fully integrated, communicating with another device with this technology, fully integrated.
• always, with a super computer there are odds and calculation which provides for how long it takes to interpret and decrypt a signal.
• the public enemy must crack billions of possible pathways to then know what to process.
• the inventor believes it would be impossible to crack the communications pathway and clandestinely access the data.
• dark processing and dark memory in the card can add yet another level of protection.
• the concepts of dark processing and dark memory mean VVLSI circuitry from which query functions have been removed.
• the circuitry can take in data, process, run software and output data but has had its troubleshooting and inquiry functions removed at the factory and will not allow new programs to be entered into the array, or, new programs can be entered but only through a complete re-burn cycle which can be detected).
• the public enemy gains nothing through dissection of a given one of a card according to this disclosure.
• a user interface and apparatus that determines other features of objects for identification of the object can be used with the system, along with image processing to recognize or measure. This works with virtual touchscreen and fingerprinting with a general machine vision approach.
• the whole surface being a light receiving/detection device takes away from the complexity of "scanning a finger print” and brings in the new complexity of "scanning more of the finger, perhaps the whole finger in 3-D (meaning, all sides).
• the card of the present disclosure scans a finger, (or thumb, throughout this specification included in the word "finger") it may scan the whole finger for more certain ID, by requiring the finder to be rotated during scanning. It could be, card 100 may supplant a driver's license and States adopt the idea to save money. The States get to charge the same at DMV, take your picture, but after that, you get the full license via electronic communications. The States could even have similar technology at their POS terminals requiring your in-person capture of your license.
• the present disclosure provides a device that, while keeping all the POS and internet marketing capabilities, gives the user an incentive to adopt this specific form factor with maximal two-way display in place of other solutions.
• the card may emulate a touch screen without actual touch, by virtue of being able to detect through the imaging pixels and process internally, using advanced image processing techniques (e.g., DSP (Digital Signal Processing)).
• DSP Digital Signal Processing
• the card user can navigate through screens and make selections of display icons and files as though using a touch screen.
• Some embodiments may provide a lens, or microlens arrangement along the surface, gathering light to a patch of CCD or CMOS pixels to form a net sum image based on the (possible multiple and/or non-visible) frequencies of light being detected.
• Card 100 encompasses a credit card surface area capable of detailed up close images, such as retinal scan, finger print or a plastic credit card pressed up against the card. Images captured in this manner may aid in emulating the old card, thereby acquiring the look of the old card and its magnetic data. A user may then store the old card in a safe place and never need carry it again.
• This smarter card provides many new uses as a tool for vendors. For example, in the case that a vendor or vendor's representative may wish to display an image of merchandise not readily available for viewing, a corresponding bar code can be provided on the representative's smart card, enabling a sale to take place without further arrangement. In such a case both POS and buyer cards must dialog securely using optical media since availability of a card- swipe reader is not guaranteed.
• the card is bidirectional. It can send and receive data simultaneously. In the face to face mode, with almost no air gap, the card could routinely use its infra-red and ultra violet as well as visible outputs and inputs to detect any membrane put in to intrude. Thus data can pass from card to POS, for example, and POS to card. When card is docked, or, if it has a wireless adaptor, the card can also send and receive data through that connection. By combining handshake and data transfer across optical, magnetic and aural pathways, such as connection is impregnable to any third party interference, sent as it is from screen to screen data is passed between numerous pixels or banks of pixels.
• Some embodiments may include forcing the data passage and decryption to go in stages, so there is time for the card to gather in the perks and apply them.
• the card can take on the "personality” intended, corresponding to the card chosen as “active” and can indicate it with its display.
• the display can also serve as a communications tool.
• the card can, for example, pass a facial image and ID info to the POS operator.
• the card is the ID, doubling as the credit card or debit card.
• the picture is encrypted in and can carry the state logo and driver's license info, which certifies that the card, the VISA account and the image of the user, are all one in the same, e.g., the card cannot be stolen if the image on it of the user is very clearly identifiable, and carries the state encrypted water mark assuring that the user's identity is passed with the transaction in order to minimize impact to the economy from fraud.
• the POS system if improved, could blow up the picture of the user, thus enforcing the idea that the person needs to match. Further, the POS system could incorporate its own CCTV camera and compare the person's real, face-to-face image with that just passed from card 100. Therein, automatic alerts could be tripped to protect the venue and the real user and owner of card 100.
• card 100 being endowed by emission and collection capabilities on both sides, and with a possibility of a plurality of emission and collection technologies, uses at least one of magnetic and optical, for an embodiment now, which reaches back to incorporate legacy readers, and may add more read and write technologic functions to evolve to the future point of sale systems.
• An example would be to use the mag, light and aural aspects in a flatbed type POS system, handshaking, passing data and emitting many Trojan signals, to absolutely lock out the public enemy.
• a business such as a restaurant, building material store, or courier can employ or subcontract to mobile employees to interface with customers.
• Card 100 can assist in this regard, in that it is a portable POS in its own right.
• food table-service personnel, floorwalkers, or delivery workers can be equipped with wire-free devices to provide help information from the store database, accept payment from customers, or to simply communicate on a casual basis.
• the restaurant may provide a mobile platform, such as that proposed in the present disclosure, for employee use. Further, savings to the employer can result if employees use their own device if care could be taken to create a barrier such as a login account between personal and work-related software running on the same platform. If an employee has card 100 already, that employee's card 100 can becomes automatically known to the restaurant network as a function of the card and its supportive services.
• a buyer may wish to inquire about related art work not on display.
• Seller may show, for example, a slide show of related art held in inventory, with barcodes
• the present disclosure provides for an improved decentralization of the POS, especially in that temporary staff may contribute to the smooth functioning of the business without requiring a large investment. Decentralizing the POS provides at least these benefits.
• Your POS could, if the item codes (e.g., bar, ocr, or qr code) are not unique, additionally the user may add his or her own to the box, or, ours displays one master OCR (bar code) or Qr and that one code points to a server file with all the items in it already.
• OCR bar code
• Qr Qr
• the intent is to give the venue's POS system all the data, either face to face, or through the internet or another network, before you arrive at the front.
• the latency and processing time for the POS is reduced, as may be appreciated by considering the timing diagram shown in FIG. 16 in which the external processor corresponds to a POS Bar Code reader and only one card is present.
• Further security may be provided by software methods. For example, as each card has 3 different elements on two sides, for a total of 6 total base elements: 2 displays, 2 magnetic stripe surface, and 2 CCD surfaces. Each one gets a unique ID so when you do any form of transaction, those unique ids are passed. Counterfeiter is surely not going to get in. The same application of unique identifiers assigned permanently to each element, applies to each side equipped with peizo, for the in and the out function.
• Card 100 may have a way, in addition to cell-dock software as else shown, to create handshake routines etc.
• the magnetic-out and magnetic-in could be formed as two layers in some embodiments.
• the same peizo or micro coil that sends magnetic data can also receive it, so we can salvage the dual functions from one layer.
• the density of magnetic "pixels" is not needed in concentration so much as it is for DISPLAY technology. Only enough magnetics in a given unit area to make a field of strength X (where X is a sufficient value to write to legacy readers), matters in terms of density and placement. The density only has to trick a stripe reader or existing magnetic reader into "seeing" the magnetic data pass by.
• some elements in the light emitting unit 122, 124 and/or light detection unit 126, 128 can be configured, for example, utilizing MEMS and NEMS technology, to move predictively or in a predetermined manner according to a voltage or field generated external or internal to the card, for example, according to a magnetic field generated.
• a voltage or field generated external or internal to the card for example, according to a magnetic field generated.
• the magnetic component can thus modulate the light signal.
• the light signal can also act as a carrier in the classic sense, carrying data at higher frequencies.
• array elements of other the intermixed arrays present on card 100 for example, elements of an array of the magnetic-out unit 134, 135 can be similarly configured to move according to a voltage, current or field etc. from an applied source.
• modulators for example, low frequency modulation of the light, can allow for a sophisticated way of performing a handshake negotiation.
• Deals for goods or services can be based on user agreement to share market data (e.g., while preserving their personal sensitive data) or through purchasing and presenting a "groupon" (or any coupon requiring money up front in exchange for the coupon) just as a purchase is made to get the better deal overall, or card 100 can generate an alert that there is a better deal within X proximity for a specific product or service for a given user.
• Interfacing and transmitting this type of information to older legacy POS systems can be accomplished in a number of ways, for example, card 100 can present bar codes for scanning readable by legacy POS systems. Further, retrofitting legacy POS systems to accommodate card 100 is shown in figures identified elsewhere in this specification.
• card 100 can operate as a portable POS system.
• venues can stop investing in their own POS systems and use the system 1 described herein.
• the vendor needs only determine that the person trying to remove "X" from the store, paid for X by transaction "Y" (proof of purchase).
• the ability to identify every object uniquely can improve the POS system and automate inventory maintenance function for venues and stores to every party's benefit.
• system 1 and its server 200 could integrate to the venue's inventory management system to decrement for purchased items and increment for returns.
• card 100 can log a user into a public transportation system. For example, logging can be performed at any time before a next stop (e.g., using a wireless communication between card 100 and a transportation system reader). This provides the user more time and less grouping of people at transportation system bottlenecks, such as at a reader when entering the train station. Government, municipalities and businesses also want more security, and the biometrics of the card will provide this enhanced level of security. For example, these biometrics may be synchronized and sent with the wireless communications described herein.
• a door or lock (not shown) can include, or otherwise be associated with a display system using a configuration similar to card 100 (e.g., including intermixed array surface technology of card 100 generally depicted in FIGS. 3-5, 7A-7B and 8A-8B) such that it is compatible with card.
• a user can provide card 100 in a holder such that it faces the display, does a handshake with the display system of door or lock along the lines of the previously described handshake, and determine that it knows the card using an identifier, such as card XXXYYYZZZ that is unique to a user.
• the holder with card 100 has to pass the second security measure before allowing entry through the door or unlocking the lock.
• card 100 can pass a code, finger print, or other data including biometric data.
• card 100 can be associated with controls for uses such that a biometric is associated with that use (that moment). In this way, a command issued by a user, the user's identity, or failure to issue a command can be tracked and the card locked when a predetermined condition is not met. For example, card 100 can generate a display: "TOUCH HERE WrfHIN 5 SECONDS TO CONTINUE," and if the user does not, or the biometric does not match that associated with the card, the card locks and the last known biometric to touch or command the card is noted and stored.
• a door can have the same display technology as card 100 so placing the card in the holder, which can be an insert into a slot, if allowed to stop moving for say 1/lOth of a second, the handshake and command passes with encryption.
• An embodiment can require plural cards 100 to gain access, such that the cards 100 are presented together in a holder (not shown), or, presented in a predetermined order.
• the card holder in the lock, door or other portal, container etc. in such an embodiment can hold two or more cards to allow the cards to pass data most efficiently. For higher security to gain access, one user can pass a card to a second, who puts the passed card in the holder and transfers personal info to the first and vice versa.
• the holder can be bypassed for small transfers, but for bigger ones it can result in higher speed (better alignment).
• Governments, institutions, business etc. may want card 100 to send some kind of indication for any data transfer between two people, to a master file which keeps track, with the promise is not to invade privacy, but to protect the citizens from anything nefarious, track bad people (criminal) etc.
• Card 100 can come with alignment holes (not shown) and pegs or corner delimiters (not shown) which could be present on a cell phone or other device intended to dock with the card to dock two or more cards, face to face, where each card straddles the pegs (or is held between delimiters). This can allow for aligning pixels to thousandths of an inch of tolerance or greater. Perfect alignment (i.e., where a maximal amount of transmitting and receiving pixels are aligned) implies maximum data transfer rates.
• alignment mechanisms can be presented as peripheral grooves (not shown) on the edges of card 100, which do not interfere with the function of the card and are too small to matter to human observers, for alignment needed between cards 100 and to assure pixel-to-pixel alignment is as near perfect as needed to provide a solid connection and handshake, and then permit data communications.
• Magnetic levitation between cards can be utilized to achieve highly sensitive alignment, as described herein.
• data can spread across the entire surface of the smallest of the bidirectional displays, i.e., the larger display automatically down-sizes operation of pixels for communication or display to meet the smaller bidirectional display up to pixel-for-pixel in a better aligned situation, or a less number of pixels present in the overlapping areas, by self-sizing and auto-sizing the larger bidirectional display to the smaller bidirectional display as illustrated in FIG. 17c.
• card 100 is placed in an overlapping manner against a larger surface lOOi including display technology similar to card 100.
• the transfer of data can use a maximum number of available communicative pixels based on the least common denominator of available communicative pixels, alignment etc.
• Card-to-card data transfer, card-to-system, or network data transfer can take advantage of the optical and magnetic communications aspects of card 100, while also leveraging biometric aspects of the card.
• card 100 acts as a portable memory with biometric verification at each stage of use, and provides a much more secure method of data transfer not found on legacy portable memories, for example, memory sticks.
• light emitting units 122, 124 and light detection units 126, 128 can use shared semiconductor circuitry for efficiency. For example, light emission and light collection could be performed by a single integrated junction. With this configuration, card 100 can pass data in both directions at the same time in the same action in a single pixel position. For example, two users may hold cards facing each other. Software can be written so that neither user nor card 100 gets a transfer acknowledge unless the "card-to-card" swap of data concludes successfully. Thus, transferring data, such as business info or personal info, becomes a simple process without the need for network connections to email or text, and is further enhanced in the manner described above to include emission and collection of data from the same pixel.
• data such as business info or personal info
• a bidirectional emission and scan of OCR, bar code, Qr code or another readable format can facilitate simultaneous emission and detection between two card(s) 100 or other similarly equipped devices.
• the unique structure of the surface allows scanning and emitting light at the same time in the same area. For reading and writing, for a small amount of data, such as the items the user is buying and the credit card the user is going to use, this information can pass with the user's card 100 emitting a coherent beam of information, in one bandwidth of light, and the receiving POS system can pick up the beam on any group of pixels and gather in this small amount of data.
• the display on card 100 can be usable as a remote display for another device, such as a cell phone (or other device, such as an electronic tablet).
• the display of the device and the display of card 100 can run in parallel, to show, for example, videos to friends with easier, better viewing angles or to have a second display that is independent, for info you may want to be able to see, such as while eating.
• the display of one or more cards can be combined to form one larger display.
• the card can be placed in a slot on a mobile device, while the mobile device lays flat.
• the card has its tether or a connection in the slot to the side of the card thus it may have 2 or even 3 displays (back side too). This allows multi person viewing for example at a table with guests.
• card 100 can have remote control over any host device, to provide convenient operation of the device, such as if it were an iPhone and the iPhone incurs a damaged internal display.
• the synthetic crystal used on watch crystals and how hard and scratch resistant they are, can be possibly modified for use here, as a final outer layer of card 100. Then, one could also apply simple peel off covers. A protective coating for card 100 can be peeled off to apply new ones, which stick well to the surface, so as not obstruct operation of any machine.
• electronic VVLSI can be provided, or deposited on mylar, similarly for durability.
• Other core components can include carbon fiber, silica and silica compounds, titanium and titanium alloy.
• Card 100 with its unique biometric assurance and network juxtaposition (can sit between two networks, such as a public network and a point of sale system, which is network based but private and encrypted), can report certain data of the user's personal data to a unique engine forming a service to which he or she gladly subscribes. This service can tell other users, the best deals based on outcome. The user may be able to put together a personalized best deal, using some network available discounts and coupons, but also, other deals such as the user may creatively find. Therein, the data, forming a "best way to purchase” method used at point of sale, is broadcast, archived and made “searchable” only through this unique method.
• networks such as a public network and a point of sale system, which is network based but private and encrypted
• the card docks and creates a bidirectional connection to complete the communications path. The dock for this is made of two displays, in parallel, programmed to ignore one another.
• each side of the card can negotiate a connection to its corresponding surface and then, if other conditions are met, data can flow through the card.
• the card can maintain a record of the data flow event and if we wish, the actual data which was allowed to flow. All events get unique identifiers assigned.
• the server which monitors card event reporting, performs an audit. This is a very tight security card to card exchange translates to a social net connection.
• the card can have its own wireless transmitter, receiver or transceiver and use it accordingly. It is also a device and runs dependently or independently as it is programed. Cloud attached, but also, able to emulate the cloud.
• the card can be capable of mesh networking.
• the dock for the card could evolve into a transceiver and battery so the card may function as a server in order to perform mesh networking. Thus lower power is needed to pass data to other such devices, because there are simply so many out there: each recycles and boosts the
• Stripes could just be internal, embedded underneath the display. Magnetic lines of flux passing through the display from behind need not bother the display at all. There will be no interference. LED and transistor junction technologies are not affected by magnetic flux. Also, because it is possible for the card to know when it is being swiped, it can conserve power by powering up the magnetic strips during swipe. Also, the magnetic energy could be boosted during swipe, because the card knows it is in motion by way of CCD data, so the one swipe usually works out, even in a weak reader.
• the card may generate its power with a coil embedded as in the RFID key ring FOB (electronic), however, with the display in the card, it would take massive power in contrast to a coil approach which receives power when close to the flat bed that you scan to pass data from the fob to the receiver.
• the key FOB can get method could apply here, or spinning magnets concealed in proximity, which allow the power transmission in the wireless context. So that is probably a better solution, long term, to pass extra power to the card when close to the POS dock.
• the card may further boost a signal along the magnetic rail which will be communicating the data, as the card is swiped, for example by using a machine vision-type wide-ranging image processing capability which provides touch screen emulation as well as bar-code or biometric scanning can also be used to recognize or measure and to anticipate significant events for efficient power management.
• a machine vision-type wide-ranging image processing capability which provides touch screen emulation as well as bar-code or biometric scanning can also be used to recognize or measure and to anticipate significant events for efficient power management.
• the genome is used interchangeably as one would use their name, social security number, driver's license, other ids, or finger print or retinal scan.
• the parallel data transfer capability makes it possible to just use your whole genome. Part of the image transferred is your base genome; the rest will be what makes you unique among the base applied. Base genome image (1 of a million) and your differences (about 1 billion) will still take under 1 tenth of one second, if there are a 100 million pixels involved all working in parallel, sending serial data.
• the card needs to sense it is going into a stripe reader or ATM (automated teller machine) slot, which it can do with the CCD, to then set the data on the magnetic and its direction.
• a stripe reader or ATM automated teller machine
• the direction can be preset and we need not detect the direction of swipe.
• an additional feature software may detect the swipe motion with the CCD and set the magnetic write to put out the data in the direction of the swipe.
• the card is otherwise programmed but dormant, so as not to interfere with other cards or memory storage in proximity.
• the combination of CCD and LCD on the card allows the card to time when it is swiped, so as to cause electromagnetic elements in the stripe area to energize more strongly in sync with the swipe. This keeps EM noise down when the card is not being swiped.
• Another use of the combination of light receiving/detection (e.g. CCD) and light emission (e.g., LEDs) aspect of card 100 is to allow for a man machine interface to be built into card 100, e.g., touchless touch screen emulation with distance, trajectory, velocity detect capability as well as identification of unique objects.
• Card 100 also would be able to "see” when it is docked in its own docking station. It could “see” the user using the card to make a record of it. It could be used to scan a bar code, or display a bar code (Qr codes etc.). Many "apps" can be generated because card 100 would have these abilities. For example, one application is the development of a language for signing, which could be universal sign language, from which one could communicate with the card silently, with the hands or fingers. The language could also be proprietary. The more streamlined and efficient, the more transactional information the user can pass (instructions, inputs) to card 100.
• Card 100 could have all address books inside, for procurements intended to be shipped to others. The user can pass the data reliably as to whom he or she wishes to ship the item to, or, multiple items, all-in-one procurement, but with each item going to a different destination. So, during POS, one swipe not only completes the procurement, the addresses for each item are passed and the venue mails them out (e.g., remote to AMAZON).
• Another exemplary application is the office lunch, where people get together for a meal, each with their own cc arrangements and perks. At the end of the meal, all the cards go in a stack to split the meal evenly. The users need not carry cash to take advantage of this method.
• the card designated the master may have, by agreement with credit card companies and possibly other intermediaries, the ability to represent itself after all the dividing has been accomplished, as the sole card to be used in the transaction. Then it simply goes in the restaurant wallet and gets run through the legacy POS. All cards will be charged thereby as agreed in the dock or with the financial entities in separate sessions.
• software might arrange to allow the biometric scan to be performed on cards separately prior to placing them in the stack.
• the system would be (or could easily be engineered to be) very resistant to a huge solar flare causing any radiation, as well as electro Magnetic pulse and other anomalies such as dirty bomb.
• Embodiments of cords (tethers) are typically fiber, converting to copper internal to the cord.
• the elements of a network are all in the substrate so we shield the substrate and there is no vulnerable point other than the legacy equipment.
• a card according to the present disclosure can also incorporate all material necessary to encompass net positive buoyancy so the card will float in water, reliably.
• the card has no physical ports anywhere on its surface, assuring water tight function and operation without degradation of metallic connector surfaces and without allowing any ingress opportunity for moisture or dirt.
• Card 100 can further be able to shut the card down upon loss or biometric logging failure and go into a mode where the card can only be queried as to how to contact the true owner of the card, or, the card can provide minimal data, such as a low power, low resolution display to allow the individual who finds it to return it to its rightful owner using the US Mail or another carrier.
• the display might further operate by means of a motion- sensitive screen-saver or the like to maximize length of time the owner information is available.
• card 100 can carry prepaid postage or some arrangement with USPS for this purpose.
• a network or website allowing users who have used or surplus items for sale can get together with people who need these items. If a convenient match is found, either because of proximity or because of convenient scheduling in common, a meeting may be arranged and secure transactions takes place at a public location.
• a "vending" user may wish to display merchandise using the display of card 100 and the cards may transact secure personal information positively identifying each party to the other.
• an embodiment of card 100 can supply the necessary support to conduct such a transaction optically.
• the same consumer who wants these restaurant and shoe deals can be the consumer who wants to sell things.
• a secure exchange of ID might further take place in similar manner because the same consumer might work as night watchman, hardware store employee, waiter etc.
• An employer in such businesses may agree to let the employee use his or her own smart card for such work purposes, thus providing an incentive for the employer to allow the employee to remain connected while working, an arrangement which may benefit both.
• Card 100 can also encompass the incorporation of power distribution, battery, RFID, network adaptors, Wi-Fi, BluetoothTM, processing, memories, extreme angle LED and CCD pixels, and other magnetics intended for use as immobilizing means for stacking the cards in preparation for very high level, encrypted and hyper-secure data transfer.
• VVLSI and flexible (flexure without harm to the circuitry) electronic surface production these novelties will fit within the form factor and will improve as various improvements are incorporated into the VVLSI production techniques and equally, with improvements in miniaturization and manufacturing techniques used throughout the world.
• the inventor also anticipates possibilities such as incorporation of repeaters for networks, mesh networking and the device housing or comprising a server, rather than just being limited to a processor or a processing function.
• the card and system disclosed herein can provide a mechanism to access to needs of a user needs in a given day in an efficient and effective manner possible, while preserving the environment to the greatest extent possible.
• the user device and system disclosed herein supplants the prior art with a new design, in part, because the design lends itself to the development of seemingly infinite applications for the user to enjoy, much like the evolution of the cell phone. Accordingly, this new design provides platform development opportunities, much like that which has been seen and experienced in the personal computing, portable computing and cellular telephone arena. The opportunity to foster the development of endless "apps" for card 100 and system 1 is made available through the specific and highly advanced hardware and network connection provided by card 100 and system 1. As will become apparent from the present disclosure, the user device and system according to the present disclosure also offers many different directions in which the concept can pioneer new methods of communicating with security and certainty, protecting the investment from obsolescence.
• the user device and system disclosed herein take advantage of the full range of possibilities available with advancing technology, to create a credit card form factor-based usable smart system that substantially eliminates the need for the user to continue to carry at all times, a wide range of hard-copy items and portable devices.
• the portability of the card allows a user to perform a wide range of activities normally limited to non-portable devices, in connection with the user's mobile activities.
• a user can carry, easily pocket, or otherwise secure a card according to the present disclosure while performing any of numerous physical activities (e.g., jogging/running/walking, biking, touring etc.), and thus have at the ready all the functionality of the card without having to carry more bulky and damage-prone devices.
• the user device and system disclosed herein use the concept of personalizing and automating the purchase process to include up-to-the-minute information that may be available on a network, such as the internet or cell network, to indicate special offers that may be available to the user, which may depend on the user's GPS -determined (or network determined) location with respect to a wide range of retail outlets including restaurants and grocers, who have a greater need to distribute their wares in real time, while they are still fresh and acceptable to their clientele, which in this instance, arrives to the user through card 100.
• a network such as the internet or cell network
• an aspect of this specification is that the card and system are not necessarily limited to any use or function disclosed herein because the development of a smart card, which presides between users and their social and ecommerce activities, as well as personal, business, job and securities related activities and computing activities (such as secure storage, secure access and remote activities) is something believed new and untapped.
• the card and system disclosed herein can integrate the preemptive decision to buy, or the actual decision to buy, with all of the user's data, so as to automatically access the best possible deal(s) at point of sale, or preempting to ask through a network-based service for a better deal, per item to be purchased.
• card 100 and system 1 can evolve to incorporate and maintain compatibility with legacy systems of ecommerce based on bank cards, credit cards and the like, evolve into a POS system, or integrate with more preferred methods of POS integration and interface.
• An embodiment of card 100 and system 1 can combine some or all of the user's available payment methods, all discounts, coupons and other perks that the user's supporting network service can provide, shopping methods the user can access from the history of other users who take advantage of the services supporting the card and system, allowing the user to take on massively complex payment methodologies acceptable to the seller, apply the best coupons and discounts (and other perks like double coupon, triple coupon, frequent flyer miles, rebates, free extended warranties or low cost extended warranties, free gift cards, gasoline or fuel purchase credits and so forth) transactions with a single action (e.g., swipe).
• the service which supports a user device can automatically reward the professional shopper, who could work out schemes to save the most money by working hard locally on shopping "primers” and recording all the pertinent details to conditionally or unconditionally share with other users, which includes micro-instructions to the users on precisely where to go, what to do and then, how to check out to receive the maximum amount of discount while saving the maximum amount of time.
• Time is a very big element for all shoppers because time can have monetary or other value to the user, and also can translate to miles on the road (wasting fuel), which are at present very costly and taxing to the planet. For example, if shoppers were to become just 20% more efficient, money can be saved, energy conserved, pollution reduced, and user time increased at home or at work.
• the benefits in becoming more proficient in shopping and procurement patterns and payment methodology become significant when the maximum amount of automation is applied, as provided by a card and system according to the present disclosure.
• applications developers can be granted access to user's data, to the depth the user allows, in return for more discounts, better overall deals, easier to use solutions to the user's requirements and so, unlike any other user device and system known to this inventor, the system disclosed herein can finally pay the user for the user's willingness to pass their demographic data to a service provider, acting through the services which support card 100. It is to be understood, however, that nothing herein is intended to limit the services to exclusively supporting the user through card 100.
• Card 100 can be considered as "one card that does it all.” The extent of functionality of card 100, however, will correspond to services side of the equation, i.e., the services that can be delivered in a network connection to the card.
• the present disclosure provides a user device having a card form factor and surface hardware features that take advantage of magnetic, optical and aural energy output and input, so the user device can interact with a wide variety of real world situations and the information found on a real or virtual object, or interact with information deliberately deposited on real world items.
• the disclosed processes are secure and complete so as to be highly specific when the software identifies and acts upon a user action, while the use of card 100 to conduct legacy type transactions (inspect, buy, return, share, post etc.) becomes increasingly less complex for the user.
• This expansion of methodologies allows each and every item with which the user interacts to become uniquely identified. Such unique identification can come through markings indicating the same, or, transactional "history" recorded during a live transaction event.
• Embodiments of the card allow for development of tracking methodologies using unique identifiers embedded in card 100, representing the major components found on each side of the card and the card itself, to be combined with any unique identifier that can be associated with an object or line item in a transaction, or any unique identifier which can be associated with any other tangible or intangible item, including but not limited to a unit of currency, such that the use of said object, tangible item or intangible item is tracked and thus related to the user's specific transaction or action which first identified the unique identifier.
• a transaction involving any form of virtual currency could track the use of each unit of currency or unit groupings (a 1 unit, 2 unit, 5 unit, or 20 unit transaction being fundamentally equal to a us $1, $2, $5, or $20 note), wherein, a law enforcement agency could track the use of such units from transaction to transaction, with utter reliability.
• Another use is to track, for warranty purposes and fraud avoidance, the unique instance of an object by way of its unique identifier.
• unique identifier means an identification method, such as a number, text, or even a unique image or sound, or combination thereof, which in being unique, and in being associated with an object, such as appearing on the object, or, appearing in a data base as a unique entry which can be solely related to the object in question, allows a processing system and thus also a user to identify a unique object with certainty. Any of these identifiers can be combined with the system's ability to track the history of an object, a tangible good, an intangible good, a unit of currency, or any other tangible or intangible object to which a unique identifier can be assigned to build upon the confidence of a system.
• the provenance of the item in question is established through the history development and unique identifiers, allowing for a forensic examination of the object's true history, providing trust and certainty to any user who will become involved in any manner with the object.
• This also builds a more universal trust for many users, trusting a system, such as a monetary system, to be assured there is no cheating, no counterfeiting without reasonable means to audit and control such public enemy actions as counterfeiting.
• Any system such as equities transactions, purchase of anything of value from small to big ticket, and any item which will require proof of ownership for any purpose, with great certainty.
• a bar code or Qr code which is limited in its capacity, can lead to a correlated entry in a data base, providing the user and the tracking systems, with more information than the code provided initially.
• Exemplary embodiments provide for data synchronization of all devices a user owns and operates, through the card or the service supporting the card. In this manner, data sync, re-sync, restoration and conversation of data for all the devices the user operates, is made available through card 100 and the services supporting the card (or other iterations of the disclosed card and system, such as PC screen, cell phone screen, POS screen other device with the same technology, fully integrated).
• technologies for the emission, detection, recording and external writing to media can enhance the developmental aspects of the system and include any form of positioning systems (such as GPS), networking including wireless, automatic display adjustment including orientation based on user preferences and orientation detection components, rumble generator that does not draw from power as much as current generating device necessary to give tactile or haptic feedback, a regional rumble generation on the surface that users will be more able to detect with their fingertip (e.g. blind users), or a braille generating mechanism providing a complete language interface based upon tactile and also synchronized vocal driven information (e.g., the peizo speaks and the braille system provides tactile characters such that the blind individual can read from the card with ease, presuming they are trained in braille).
• positioning systems such as GPS
• networking such as wireless
• automatic display adjustment including orientation based on user preferences and orientation detection components
• rumble generator that does not draw from power as much as current generating device necessary to give tactile or haptic feedback
• a tether attached to card 100 can convert data to sound, such as a card interface that generate a headset interface the the card can detect and drive automatically, for example, for a blind individual, or, any individual who wants to have voice driven feedback from the card.
• card 100 provides a two way voice driven pathway, in which a microphone can associated with the headset and two way voice, where the card converts voice to text.
• the system 1 and card 100 can store and relate information about the card owner, their immediate family, and/or others who may be with them on a given outing, to the available local facilities and goods available.
• the medical condition and infirmities, allergies and the like for a card user are known to the card and the system can continuously or intermittently track mapping and information to the closest resources relating to the medical condition, infirmity or allergy.
• the card can include a mechanism through which law enforcement, paramedics and other professionals may access this information to speed the diagnosis of a given individual who merely has their card on their person, but is incapacitated. This aspect of the disclosure will, without any doubt, save lives.
• Embodiments of card 100 and system 1 make it possible for professional shoppers to forge ahead of the users and record their shopping steps, both geographically and
• Embodiments of card 100 and system 1 can organize a user's opportunities in commerce, which includes rain checks, items sought, discounts, coupons or rebates with time limits, any gift cards the user owns or, gift card associated discounts, so as to keep the user informed of these expirations.
• this same system can keep track of reservations and cancellation of reservations for the user.
• a user may be queued for a reservation at a restaurant and card 100, as well as its supporting network and services, can alert the user if the reservation has been confirmed. Wait times to venues could also be displayed, which can take the form of wait time to arrive for a confirmed reservation or, wait time before a reservation can be either confirmed or denied by a user to a goods or services provider.
• card 100 and system 1 can allow for a card user to associate his/her card with one or more cards of other card users, such as in a group membership relationship.
• card 100 can allow for presenting data as is part of a social net, but not viewable by any participants within the social net, except on their card and only in the presence of the user, such as, during a face to face discussion. This "I will show you mine if you show me yours" concept allows users access to data that is not shared under any circumstance other than face-to- face or within some spatial range, and with the proper software function, not maintained in the receiving card as a permanent memory. Proximity related and conditional display of data is implied by this design feature.
• Embodiments of card 100 and system 1 can include artificially intelligent (AI) software that programs the hardware of the card, as needed, just in time.
• AI artificially intelligent
• the magnetic layer of card 100 can be programmed to function as a magnetic stripe output in synchronization with the user's motion and intent. In this manner, card 100 can be swiped in a slot type reader in any logical position whatsoever, even with card 100 at an angle or using a corner of the card.
• the "AI" can adjust because the card provides essentially a light
• the software can process the imaging and anticipate the user's intended function of card 100, based on a given motion and the environment immediately surrounding the card, programming the necessary elements "just in time” and conserving energy in so doing.
• An embodiment of a card and system of the present disclosure further leverage the presence of AI to shut the card down upon loss of the card or biometric logging failure and go into a mode where the card can only be queried as to how to contact the true owner of the card, or, the card can provide minimal data to allow the individual who finds it to return it to its rightful owner using the US Mail or another carrier.
• Card 100 can carry prepaid postage for this purpose.
• a new finder of the card may also allow a new finder of the card to hold the card up to their own, or to a display which is equipped as card 100 is equipped, which will contact the true owner of the card using such communications methods as a text, or tweet, email or other text type connection which then allows the new surrogate of the card to either meet up with the true owner, each providing identity information if they like (identities are guarded initially, as the card could just be dropped in the mail and arrive back to its true owner) or, providing proximity and timing data, manually, or automatically, so the two different users can locate one another.
• identity information if they like (identities are guarded initially, as the card could just be dropped in the mail and arrive back to its true owner) or, providing proximity and timing data, manually, or automatically, so the two different users can locate one another.
• the card and system can include provision of automatic bounty for the finder of a lost card, charged to the user, to encourage all users to protect their cards from accidental loss and to increase chance of return if the card is lost.
• a bar code displayed on the card could associate with a data entry in a server, such that legacy devices can scan the code (bar or Qr) and still be provided with ability to contact the owner of the card without divulging identity of the user/owner who lost the card.
• An embodiment of a card and system of the present disclosure can include a write function for the magnetic surface and/or the light emitting portion of the card surface to alter a magnetically sensitive or optically sensitive material outside of the card, respectively.
• the card is able to magnetically and optically read the altered surface reliably.
• An example would be to imprint a magnetic OCR or Qr code, or a proprietary code to a magnetically programmable surface.
• Another example would be to imprint a photo sensitive material using the light emitting portion of the card.
• the light emitting portion is intended to use light above, within and below the visible spectrum, as will the light receiving/detection (e.g., CCD) portion to detect light from above, within and below the visible spectrum.
• the object can be permanently or temporarily marked with both an optical image and a magnetic image, where the image is in actuality a set of recoverable (readable) data.
• the level of encryption can be left to the amount of "pixels" that can be printed and then recovered, either magnetically or optically.
• An erase function may either return the written data to original stasis, or if the target is not able to be returned to original stasis, the target could then be written over and altered enough to be illegible.
• This function has many uses, one of which is to pre-label items purchased inclusive of a unique identifier written on the item, where upon query by any third party, the user can present a bill of sale, purchase order, receipt, or any other needed document, proving ownership of the item in question.
• the writing function can deliberately overlap elements of the written construct, or write with no relationship between the magnetic imprint and the optical imprint. Both may be invisible to the naked eye.
• the unique identifiers associated with the optical write are retained in a data base, or shared with a remote data base, such that upon any new read of the written magnetic and optical data, the unique identifiers, once recovered, must match with the previously stored data.
• This can serve as a very unique and powerful method of managing items to be purchased, or inventoried, with reliability and trust.
• surfaces such as a box, housing new inventory (or used inventory) based on the dynamics of the material, space can be provided for multiple write and overwrite functions, if for example, the material cannot be returned to stasis and must be permanently marked out so as not to be recordable any longer.
• the card and system of the present disclosure allow for development of the card hardware to take advantage of the two sides and their hardware design, so as to allow
• any application from simple magnification of a target e.g., an image taken by a CCD on one side of the card is displayed in magnified form on the other side
• conversion of bar code to useful information e.g., translation of a language, conversion of a monetary figure
• identification of the identity of a unit of money, such as a paper note or coin and its value is made possible by the dual sided hardware of the card.
• the card could serve as an invaluable tool in identifying the object and immediately providing condition and value data, or, store the object you have scanned for future use or evaluation.
• the card and system of the present disclosure allow, per terms of service (TOS) between a user and a main service provider, and per TOS of any agreement between the user and applications developers who are approved by the main service provider, to then allow different application developers to have different access to the user's data based on filters and limitations the user sets or is permitted to set based on the TOS. Additionally, the applications developers can be given controlled access to the display of the card and other elements of the card, and the data stored on the main service provider's servers. The main service which supports the card is going to typically have the least restricted or non-restricted access to the user's data. Sharing any information or data with any entity, however, must follow the law, the terms of service with applications developers and the user's (TOS) agreement.
• TOS terms of service
• User's data is not limited to the card and its internal transactions, but extends to all services to which the user subscribes which can be accessed by the card. For example, this can mean at a minimum and without limitation, credit card, airline, bank, insurance, brokerage and other accounts, again, with limitations set by the user.
• applications developers can gain increased access to otherwise private user data because users would be more willing to agree to share their otherwise private data if they can see what they receive for that level of sharing.
• the user device and system according to the present disclosure can allow massive expansion of what a transaction may be, such as, opening of an electronic lock, locking an electronic lock, starting a piece of machinery, shutting down a piece of machinery, checking the status and diagnosing a piece of machinery, accessing video or snap shot information about a subject, the meeting of a person and the exchange of identity data for later viewing, updating a social network as to a user's activities, editing and deleting a user's social network activities.
• This disclosure recognizes the need for segmenting out social ecommerce as its own field of endeavor, focus on localized, regional and national (as well as international) aspects of commerce as it applies to card owners and develop applications which leverage this new industry.
• most social activities in a given period of time, such as a day involve much procurement of small ticket items such as food, energy, fuel, transportation and groceries. Allowing users to gain access to better methods of accessing frequently needed tangible and intangible goods and services, will help the user save money and be more efficient with their time and more "green” with their consumption habits.
• the card and system disclosed herein can foster the creation and expansion of the social network' s ecommerce share experience, wherein, as patterns emerge which appear to be of interest to users who are present on a social net, the information is shared according to algorithms developed by developers with the positive feedback of users guiding the
• An embodiment of the card and system allows by preference the suppression of all query of the user at moment of final checkout to protect the user's rights and preserve the user's time. Examples include no cash back, no donations, and no help needed versus, cash back, donations and help needed to load the user's items into their vehicle (or other help).
• the provision of preferences serves to pre-process these requests so the venue can better serve the user before and as they arrive at the final checkout station. Even such minor elements as having enough cash for the user can be covered by way of preprocessing and passing the data indicating that the user is now approaching checkout or is the next patron to be serviced.
• the teller is pre-emptively alerted so as to have enough cash, forms, rebate certificates, offers, someone to assist the user, any equipment needed to assist the user, just to name a few examples, all serving to make the shopping experience and venue's servicing efforts more efficient and thus, more enjoyable for employee of the venue and user, alike.
• Further automations allow for pre-processing or rapid automated real time processing at POS to include automated redemption of coupons, or automated purchase of applicable (purchasable) coupons with automatic application and just in time for the transaction, automated processing of rebates, requests for rain checks, extended warranties, automated selection of payment means per item, to capture maximum discount, perk, frequent flier miles or any other benefit. This also benefits all the other patrons at the venue and reduces the costs for the venue by keeping the line moving and the checkout process, wholly efficient.
• everyone i.e., all parties involved in a transaction, benefits.
• the disclosed concepts are not limited to a card, and that the disclosed design of the surface of the card can migrate to the surface of tablet, laptop and desktop computers, as well as any other computer based systems that may include control systems for vehicles, factories, military applications and other applicability.
• the novelty of a dual sided display which is implied by the card design, changes how people interact with a computer and invites interaction from both sides of the display, used now as both an output and input device.
• This design should not be confused with touch screen technology as it incorporates a different method of detection for objects approaching the screen and although the design can emulate touch screens, the user need not touch the screen to select and use a virtual object, tool or other virtual control.
• An embodiment of a card in accordance with the present disclosure can be made to be net sum positive buoyant, so the card will float if dropped in liquids, such as water.
• the card can be taken reliably into difficult conditions while still reliably allowing the user to use it without hesitation or risk to their connected device or transaction.
• a user for example, would refrain from taking their computer or cell phone in the rain, but embodiments of a water-proof card breaks from this convention.
• Card 100 and system 1 provide a platform that, aside from its myriad of features and support from a digital network and the users of that network, provides demographic data for the owner of a given unique card to enjoy.
• Card 100 and its supportive platform represents a fertile opportunity for applications developers to focus on the hardware functions of the card to develop more and more applications through the software and the network-based functions the card can easily and readily access.
• the data from all users can be maintained as fully secure, while patterns users exhibit, which can be shared without affecting the security or identity of a particular user through automated redaction or secure processing, may benefit all users and may be incorporated into primers (schemes) and applications provided to the user with a high degree of automation for the user to enjoy. It must be remembered at all times, the high degree of automation provided through the services, networks and the hardware of the card, is considered to be a key set of factors which will relate to the user' s acceptance, frequency of use, and enjoyment of the card.
• the card and system of the present disclosure makes it possible for other hardware and software functions to migrate into the convenient form factor provided herein, with its capabilities and common presence before users provides a platform opportunity for further functions and integrations to the fullest extent the hardware and software can host. Examples range from remote control of PCs and data bases to wireless control over appliances in the home or office, emulation of a compass with positioning and mapping, proximity related search functions, hazard warning capability and more.
• Card 100 and system 1 disclosed herein allows for incorporation of emerging technologies that serve to miniaturize the components of the card and increase density, such as a given CCD pixel density and/or LED pixel density, for example, to increase the memory storage capacity or processing power, to decrease the power consumption, to yield certain specific expectations for the evolution of the card.
• the card can host pixel densities which are far beyond the norm because users will no longer be seeking better photos, better videos or service to high definition media players and devices. Rather, such a high density of pixels allows for better and better encryption methods and more secure transfers of data as all pixels need not be involved in a data transfer and many, if not all, could send Trojan signals to further enhance security. Only one aligned pixel is needed to transfer most data and in very short time (under one second). Card to card communications, or, card to a device equipped with a similar surface as to the card, will allow the use of these higher and higher densities of magnetic pixels, light emitting pixels and light collecting pixels, even aural pixels, to increase the complexity of handshake, encryption and data transfer between these devices.
• Card-to-card data transfer or card-to-system or network data transfer (and system or network to card) can take advantage of the optical and magnetic communications aspects of the card, while also leveraging the biometric aspects of the card.
• the card becomes a portable memory stick with biometric verification at each stage of use, and a much more secure method of data transfer not found on traditional memory sticks. Since card 100 can be held between thumb and forefinger as well as index finger, and scanning can be performed from all of the card's major surfaces, we can image biometric data from more than one object, for example, from three fingers and a somewhat oblique view of the fingers, which is a very difficult view to falsify in terms of biometric falsification or emulation.
• a retinal scan can be added, which requires the user to hold card 100 in the same manner, but up to their eye for a brief second to gain the retinal scan, thus incorporating three fingers and the eye features, and in going further, require a scan of the both of the user's eyes, representing a super-high level of biometric logging, used if and when needed. This can discourage even the most arcane method of biometric falsification, reducing any likely fraud attempt to the extortion of the user, for which we could incorporate silent communications methods for the user to take advantage of.
• An embodiment of the card can incorporate all material necessary to encompass net positive buoyancy so the card will float in water, reliably. This can be done by assuring enough gas is trapped in the design of the card to offset its mass or weight, acting as a distributed swim bladder.
• the card has no physical ports anywhere on its surface, assuring water tight function and operation without degradation of metallic connector surfaces and without allowing any ingress opportunity for moisture or dirt.
• embodiments can include ports that are accessed with optics or magnetics, and a magnetic layer is leveraged to use as an anchor for a magnetic-attach tether.
• the light frequency emitted can be determined by an internal analysis of the ambient light, selecting light frequencies which are more able to be seen by humans.
• the card could also wait until night fall and use a frequency of light most likely to be seen by humans, such as in the yellow color spectrum.
• the proximity wireless electronic signal may be weak and limited in its range, but the light emission, being controlled, could be so band restricted that a searcher can use a device tuned to the frequency to "see" the card, even when human eyes cannot.
• the card 100, server 200 and value analyzing unit 232 work together to enable aspects of social commerce and ecommerce.
• Social commerce includes the sharing and using of information between users to make venue-based (brick and mortar) commerce more efficient and less costly.
• Social ecommerce is the same as social commerce, applicable to virtual transactions or transactions conducted exclusively over a network by a user.
• professional and semi-professional commerce experts may make a living by developing or finding and connecting users to coupons, discounts, groupons, and other forms of remuneration, sharing with users of card 100, these same individuals can further develop schemes for obtaining the items related to the coupons etc., with the most efficient possible action, based on a given user's location.
• server 200 and value analyzing unit 232 will continue to seek more coupons etc. and methods of payment to the limit of the policy and agreement. Therein, if a user forgets to look for coupons etc. and the server 200 and value analyzing unit 232 continue to seek these coupons etc. for a period of time permitted by the policy and agreement of the venue, these coupons etc. may be redeemed automatically and applied as credits, post point of sale. When an actual sale occurs, all items involved in the sale trigger server 200 and value analyzing unit 232 to start the search for coupons etc.
• the idea is to streamline shopping, maximize benefit to users of card 100 and minimize work effort for the venue while also making the shopping experience better for other clients of the venue (those waiting in line behind the user in question here).
• Social commerce and ecommerce methods such as these, as applied to users of card 100 and other shoppers who do not have card 100, as well as the venue in question, will find viral support because everyone obtains a benefit and no one is losing anything in the process.

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• 2013
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