Portable electronic authorization system and method

Abstract

In one embodiment an apparatus includes a housing; a user authenticator, supported by the housing, that authenticates an identity of a user; at least one memory, supported by the housing, that stores transaction information for at least first and second media; and at least one output, supported by the housing, that releases at least a portion of the transaction information to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal after the user authenticator has authenticated the identity of the user. In another embodiment, a method involves steps of: storing transaction information for at least first and second media in a memory of a device; receiving as input a user's selection of one of the at least first and second media; displaying a visual indication to the user regarding which of the at least first and second media has been selected; and transferring at least a portion of the transaction information from the device to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal.

1 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing;    at least one memory, supported by the housing, that stores transaction information for at least one media;    a user authenticator, supported by the housing, that authenticates an identity of a user of the apparatus so as to enable release of an embedded identification code of the apparatus that is unique to the apparatus and that enables a device receiving the embedded identification code to authenticate the identity of the apparatus; and    at least one output, supported by the housing, that, after the user authenticator has authenticated the identity of the user, releases the embedded identification code of the apparatus from the housing.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one controller supported by the housing and coupled to each of the user authenticator, the at least one memory, and the at least one output, the at least one controller being configured such that, after the user authenticator has authenticated the identity of the user, the at least one controller causes the embedded identification code to be released from the housing via that at least one output.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction information comprises information that identifies at least one particular media issued by a particular media issuer.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction information comprises an account number that identifies the at least one media.  
     
     
         5 . A method, comprising steps of: 
 storing transaction information for at least one media in a memory of a first device;    using the first device to authenticate an identity of a user; and    after authenticating the identity of the user with the first device, releasing an embedded identification code from the first device that is unique to the first device and that enables a second device receiving the embedded identification code to authenticate the identity of the first device.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising steps of: 
 receiving the identification code with the second device; and    authorizing a transaction request by the first device based on the received identification code.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the transaction information comprises information that identifies at least one particular media issued by a particular media issuer.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the transaction information comprises an account number that identifies the at least one media.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing;    a user authenticator, supported by the housing, that authenticates an identity of a user;    at least one memory, supported by the housing, that stores secure information identifying at least one account issued by at least one media and non-secure information concerning the device's holder or issuer; and    at least one output, supported by the housing, that releases the secure information only after the user authenticator has authenticated the identity of the user, and that releases the non-secure information without requiring the user authenticator to have authenticated the identity of the user.    
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the user authenticator comprises means for authenticating the identity of the user by analyzing a bio-metric feature of the user.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one controller supported by the housing and coupled to each of the user authenticator, the at least one memory, and the at least one output, the at least one controller being configured to cause the secure information to be released via the at least one output only after the user authenticator has authenticated the identity of the user, and to cause the non-secure information to be released via the at least one output without requiring the user authenticator to have authenticated the identity of the user.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first transaction information comprises information that identifies the first media and the second transaction information comprises information that identifies the second media.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first transaction information comprises a first account number that identifies the first media and the second transaction information comprises a second account number that identifies the second media.  
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising steps of: 
 storing in at least one memory of a device secure information identifying at least one account issued by at least one media and non-secure information concerning the device's holder or issuer;    using the device to authenticate an identity of the user of the device;    releasing the secure information only after the identity of the user has been authenticated; and    releasing the non-secure information without requiring the identity of the user to be authenticated.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first transaction information comprises information that identifies the first media and the second transaction information comprises information that identifies the second media.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first transaction information comprises a first account number that identifies the first media and the second transaction information comprises a second account number that identifies the second media.  
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising: 
 a first device; and    a second device including a user-authenticator for authenticating an identity of a user and having the first device releasably attached thereto such that, when the first device is attached to the second device and after the user-authenticator has authenticated the identity of the user, the second device can cause the first device to embody a machine-readable code after the first device is detached from the second device, the second device including at least one controller configured so as to be capable, during only a predetermined, finite window of time, of causing the first device to embody the machine-readable code, the beginning and ending points of the finite window of time being determined without regard to when the first device is attached to the second device.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the machine-readable code is embodied on the first device so as to be readable by a magnetic stripe reader.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the machine-readable code is embodied as a bar code on the first device.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the first device to embody the machine-readable code for only a finite, predetermined period of time.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the beginning and ending points of the finite window of time are determined without regard to when the second device is powered on.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the beginning and ending points of the finite window of time are determined without regard to when the user-authenticator authenticates the identity of the user.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first device is configured to generate a simulated magnetic stripe representing the machine readable code.  
     
     
         24 . A method, comprising a step of: 
 configuring a first device such that the first device is capable, during only a predetermined, finite window of time, of causing a second device, which is separable from the first device, to generate a machine-readable code.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of configuring the first device comprises configuring the first device such that the first device is capable of causing the second device to generate the machine-readable code so as to be readable by a magnetic stripe reader.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the step of configuring the first device further comprises configuring the first device such that the first device is capable of causing the second device to generate a simulated magnetic stripe that represents the machine readable code.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising steps of: 
 using the first device to cause the second device to generate the machine-readable code; and    separating the second device, with the machine-readable code generated thereon, from the first device.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the step of using the first device to cause the second device to generate the machine-readable code comprises generating the machine-readable code on the second device so that the second device holds the machine-readable code for only a predetermined, finite period of time.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of configuring the first device comprises configuring the first device such that the first device is capable of causing the second device to generate the machine-readable code as a bar code on the second device.