Patent Application
20080006688
The present invention provides a system and method for automatically delivering electronic messages to render-capable transaction cards from a server using a transaction activated network connection. A render-capable transaction card has the ability to display text of an electronic message to a user. The render-capable transaction card may also communicate a message to a user by alternative means, such as, displaying colors, or emitting sounds. For example, devices which could be made render-capable include, badges for scanning into buildings, calling cards for making phone calls, credit cards/debit cards for making purchases, or public transportation access cards for accessing, for example, subways, railroads, trolleys, or other similar processes using card-like devices. The electronic messaging system of the present invention may also comprise transactions from, or identifications of, a large amount of render-capable transaction cards, a plurality of transaction card readers connected through a network, and/or an electronic messaging server through which electronic messages are delivered to multiple transaction cards when connected.
The transaction card reader 16 channel 14 shown in
It is envisioned that the transaction card reader 16 shown in
In another embodiment according to the invention, for user specific information, it is envisioned that the transaction card is loaded in a transaction card reader (not shown) which holds the card for several seconds to read and write a user specific message to the card, and then presents the card to the user. In this case, the user may be entering a secure building site or building complex. The transaction card 12 is fed into a card reader (not shown) which reads and sends a corresponding user specific message to the card, and then presents the card to the user.
In one embodiment of the invention, the render-capable transaction card 12 includes an electronic message rendering component 22 such as render-capable electronic paper 23, as shown in
In a further embodiment according to the invention, the transaction card 12 may receive a local message generated from the transaction card reader when communicating with the transaction card. The transaction card reader would read and write the message to the transaction card locally when the transaction card is either swiped or fed into the transaction card reader. The transaction card would thereby display the message via the rendering component.
Referring to
The communications component 28 further includes circuitry coupled to the processing component to communicate information therebetween such as a user's identification (ID) to be transmitted to a server 30, or a message received from the server transmitted to the communications component 24. Additionally, contact-less proximity scanning between a card reader and the card 12 may transmit information to a wireless receptor of the communications component 28 having circuitry to receive and forward the data to the processing component 24 of the transaction card 12. A paper-thin power supply component 20 provides the power for the components 28, 24, and 26, and speakers 25, light 27, and rendering component 22.
Referring to
A component of electronic ink is a plethora of tiny microcapsules, about the diameter of a human hair. As an example, each microcapsule may contain positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in a clear fluid. When a negative electric field is applied, the white particles move to the top of the microcapsule where they become visible to the user as white. At the same time, an opposite electric field pulls the black particles to the bottom of the microcapsules where they are hidden. When the process is reversed, the black particles appear at the top of the capsule such that the surface appears dark at that spot. The microcapsules are suspended in a liquid carrier medium allowing them to be printed using existing screen-printing processes onto virtually any surface, including glass, plastic, fabric and even paper.
Generally, writing data to a card's magnetic stripe requires the use of an encoder. A card reader can understand the information on the magnetic stripe. A reader detects the changes in its magnetic field caused by the flux reversals on the card's magnetic stripe. Typically, card readers use a swipe reader, where the card is swiped through a long narrow slot that is open at each end, or an insert reader, where the card is inserted into a small receptacle that is just large enough to accommodate the card, or a proximity reader, where the card is held in front of the blank face of the reader. All of which readers are envisioned as embodiments for reading and writing to the magnetic stripe 28 of the transaction card 12 according to the present invention. It is also envisioned that a card reader according to the present invention may include circuitry which communicates information to the storage component in the transaction card.
The communications component 28 via the magnetic stripe 29 establishes a connection between the processing component 24 and the card reader 16 and ultimately the remote electronic messaging server 30. The connection between the processing component 24 and the server 30 is established using the network 18 to accommodate communication between the card reader 16 and the processing component 24. The circuitries on the render-capable transaction card 12 are powered by the power component 20, such as a battery. The processing component 24 in the transaction card 12 receives electronic messages from the communication link 14 of the transaction card reader 16 and processes the messages to determine how the electronic messages should be rendered or stored. The rendering component 22 displays a text message. However, other communication formats are supported such as sounds, or indicating colors having a predetermined meaning to the user.
For example, the transaction card 12 can be used as a badge for ID scanning entry to buildings, a credit card/debit card for making purchases, or a calling card for making a phone call. Electronic “day timer” messages such as calendar, reminder, and e-mail are rendered on the render-capable transaction cards upon login or call acceptance.
In another preferred mode of the present invention, the transaction card can be used as a public transportation access card for accessing, for example, subways, busses, or trains. Electronic advertisement can be delivered and displayed on the public transportation access card upon successful connection. The electronic advertisement can further be tailored to each individual profile when the card has a personal ID encoded on the magnetic stripe 29 or stored in transaction card 12 storage component 26. When the transaction card 12 has a personal ID, the server can deliver a corresponding message to the card by using a correspondence table stored in the server 30 that maps a user ID with a particular message and accessible by the program 100 implementing the methodologies will be described in greater detail with respect to
The transaction card may also receive a hyper-link address. The user can then further pursue the hyperlink information from an internet capable location by inputting the hyper-link address a computer, hand held personal computer, or the like.
The first step 10 of the program 100 includes registering each transaction card reader 16 and select transaction cards 12 with the server 30 program 100. The transaction cards are either associated with the individual users of the electronic messaging system and thereby registered, or categorized as general public transaction cards that have no association with a specific user. The cards without association to a specific user receive generalized messages, while the cards associated with individual users can receive user-specific targeted electronic messages, as well as, generalized messages. The transaction card reader 16 may include an identification associated with a specific location and will be used for selecting corresponding electronic messages when a connected transaction card is categorized as a general public transaction card. Thereby, a generalized message will be sent to a card accessing such a reader.
In step 115, the correspondence between transaction card IDs or transaction card reader IDs and electronic messages for each user is managed by a correspondence table. That is, in an off-line process, the table is generated for the server to associate a message with a user, card or location etc.
Next, in step 120, the electronic messages for each user referenced by the corresponding table is updated as needed.
In step 125, the electronic messaging server continuously monitors the request from each transaction card.
In step 130, a transaction card ID and reader ID is received, the program 100 identifies the corresponding electronic messages based on either the transaction card 12 ID or reader 16 identification using its correspondence (look-up) table generated in step 115.
In step 140 the electronic messages are communicated to the transaction card for rendering. For example, the protocol for communication may include TCP/IP, HTTP, or secure sockets, serial data stream.
Lastly, in step 145, the activity for each electronic message delivery can also be logged for other purposes.
In operation, the electronic messaging server 30 is equipped with a transaction card interface capable of identifying the user using the transaction cards 12 as whether a user is a public user or a user having a specific ID. When a user has a specific ID, the server 30 includes a means to specify the electronic messages each individual user is entitled to receive. The identification of the user is accomplished by associating or categorizing in advance the individual users transaction card as use for general public devices, which have no association with any specific individual users, or specific users with corresponding transaction card readers (not shown) and transaction card IDs. The electronic messaging server 30 is equipped with a correspondence table storing means for storing a table of correspondence between transaction cards 12 IDs, the electronic messages for each user, and the user's location. The transaction card reader, upon successful interface with a transaction card 12, transmits the transaction card 12 ID via the network 18 to the electronic messaging server 30. The electronic messaging server 30 identifies the electronic messages corresponding to the user of the transaction card ID by referencing the correspondence table, and transmits the corresponding electronic messages to the user. Thereby, the electronic messages transmitted to the user are rendered and viewed on the rendering component of the render-capable transaction card 12.
An embodiment of the present invention includes providing the transaction card 12, the transaction card reader 16, and the server 30 capable of reading sending a message. In operation, the transaction card 12 is swiped through the channel 14 of the transaction card reader 16 in the preferred embodiment shown in
Another embodiment of the present invention, referring to
An advantage of the system of the present invention directed to delivering user specific messages is that it can be used to automatically deliver a calendar, a reminder, or an e-mail to a person in a building where, in a preferred embodiment, a scanned badge is required to enter the building. In the embodiment of the present invention directed to a public user, the system can also be used to deliver advertisements to a render-capable transaction card, for example, a calling card, a credit card, or a metro card. Another advantage of the system is that a user is more likely to see a message with newly changed information because it is more likely to grasp the user's attention.
In another embodiment according to the invention, a plurality of distributed electronic messaging servers can be used instead of a single electronic messaging server. Local individual servers may be tailored to generate electronic messages for the general public in a specific locality.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in forms and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. It is therefore intended that the present invention not be limited to the exact forms and details described and illustrated herein, but falls within the scope of the appended claims.
