US2014076964A1PendingUtilityA1

Card Reader Device Using a Microphone Input of a Headset Jack of a Means for Communicating with a Host System

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Assignee: MORLEY JR ROBERT EPriority: Jun 10, 2009Filed: Nov 18, 2013Published: Mar 20, 2014
Est. expiryJun 10, 2029(~2.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Robert E. Morley, Jr.
G06K 7/083G06K 7/082G06Q 20/325G06Q 20/347H04M 2250/14G06Q 20/34
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Claims

Abstract

In one embodiment, a card reader device includes: a read head configured to produce a signal indicative of data stored on a magnetic stripe of a card in response to the magnetic stripe being passed by the read head; means for passively attenuating configured to attenuate the signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe resulting in an attenuated output signal indicative of said data stored on the magnetic stripe; and a tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug adapted to be inserted into a standard headset jack associated with means for communicating with a host system and configured to provide the attenuated output signal indicative of said data stored on the magnetic stripe to the communicating means via a microphone input of the standard headset jack. The means for communicating with a host system and/or host system perform processing based on the attenuated output signal.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A card reader device, comprising:
 a read head configured to produce a signal indicative of data stored on a magnetic stripe of a card in response to the magnetic stripe being passed by the read head;   means for passively attenuating configured to attenuate the signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe resulting in an attenuated output signal indicative of said data stored on the magnetic stripe; and   a tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug adapted to be inserted into a standard headset jack associated with means for communicating with a host system and configured to provide the attenuated output signal indicative of said data stored on the magnetic stripe to the communicating means via a microphone input of the standard headset jack.   
     
     
         2 . The card reader device of  claim 1 , wherein the tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug comprises a 3.5 mm plug. 
     
     
         3 . The card reader device of  claim 1 , wherein the tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug comprises a 2.5 mm plug. 
     
     
         4 . The card reader device of  claim 1 , wherein said means for passively attenuating consists of a single resistor. 
     
     
         5 . The card reader device of  claim 1 , wherein the read head and said means for passively attenuating are contained within a housing. 
     
     
         6 . The card reader device of  claim 5 , wherein the tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug extends out of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The card reader device of  claim 6 , wherein the housing comprises a slot into which the card having the magnetic stripe may be inserted and swiped. 
     
     
         8 . The card reader device of  claim 1 , wherein the attenuated output signal is an attenuated analog signal produced by the read head. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 providing a card reader device, including: a read head configured to read magnetically recorded information stored on a magnetic stripe of a swiped card and to produce a signal indicative of said read magnetically recorded information, means for passively attenuating configured to attenuate the signal indicative of said read magnetically recorded information resulting in an attenuated output signal indicative of said read magnetically recorded information, and a tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug adapted to be inserted into a standard headset jack associated with associated with means for communicating with a host system configured to provide to the communicating means the attenuated output signal indicative of said read magnetically recorded information via a microphone input of the standard headset jack; and   providing to the communicating means for further processing by circuitry contained in the communicating means a particular attenuated output signal indicative of said read magnetically recorded information stored on a particular magnetic stripe of a particular card swiped by the read head.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug comprises a 3.5 mm plug. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said means for passively attenuating consists of a single resistor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the read head and said means for passively attenuating are contained within a housing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug extends out of the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the attenuated output signal is an attenuated analog signal produced by the read head. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a host system via a communicating means, data from which an account number can be determined, with the account number having been acquired from information read from a magnetic stripe of a card by a card reader device; wherein the card reader device comprises: a read head configured to read information, including a representation of an account number, stored on a magnetic stripe of a card, and to produce a signal indicative of said read information; means for passively attenuating configured to attenuate the signal indicative of said read information resulting in an attenuated output signal indicative of said read information, and a tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug adapted to be inserted into a standard headset jack associated with associated with the communicating means and configured to provide to the communicating means the attenuated output signal indicative of said read information via a microphone input of the standard headset jack; and   providing authorization, by the host system to the communicating means, for a particular transaction corresponding to the account number.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug comprises a 3.5 mm plug. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said means for passively attenuating consists of a single resistor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the read head and said means for passively attenuating are contained within a housing. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the tip, ring(s), sleeve output plug extends out of the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the attenuated output signal is an attenuated analog signal produced by the read head.

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