Payment card and methods

Abstract

One variation of a payment card includes: a sheet comprising first and second icons; a transducer configured to output a voltage in response to an impulse on the sheet; a wireless communication module; a first input region adjacent the first icon; a second input region adjacent the second icon; a magnetic stripe emulator; and a processor configured to transition from a passive state to an active state in response a voltage output from the transducer, to receive a first magnetic sequence command associated with a first payment method and a second magnetic sequence command associated with a second payment method, to assign the first payment method to the first input region and the second payment method to the second input region, to receive a selection for the second payment method from the second input region, and to control the magnetic stripe emulator according to the second magnetic sequence command.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a payment card comprising a magnetic stripe emulator, the method comprising:
 at the payment card, wirelessly transmitting a first inquiry for a computing device affiliated with the payment card;   in response to receipt of a first wireless communication from the computing device following the first inquiry:
 initiating a first timer for a first duration of time, and 
 enabling a function of the magnetic stripe emulator to emulate a payment method based on a magnetic sequence command corresponding to the payment method and stored on the payment card; 
   in response to expiration of the first timer:
 initiating a second timer for a second duration of time, and 
 at the payment card, wirelessly transmitting a second inquiry for the computing device; 
   in response to expiration of the second timer prior to receipt of a second wireless communication from the computing device following the second inquiry, disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein wirelessly transmitting the first inquiry for the computing device comprises wirelessly transmitting the first inquiry in response to detecting an impact on a surface of the payment card, the impact exceeding a threshold magnitude. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator comprises transitioning into a first mode in response to receipt of the first wireless communication from the computing device; and wherein disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator comprises transitioning into a second mode in response to expiration of the second timer prior to receipt of a second wireless communication from the computing device following the second inquiry. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 in the second mode, wirelessly transmitting a third inquiry for the computing device; and   in response to receipt of a third wireless communication from the computing device following the third inquiry:   transitioning into the first mode,   initiating a fourth timer for the first duration of time, and   enabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator in response to expiration of the second timer comprises locking the payment card in the second mode; and wherein transitioning into the first mode in response to receipt of the third wireless communication following the third inquiry comprises unlocking the payment card in the first mode. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising, in the second mode:
 receiving a series of inputs through a set of input regions on a surface of the payment card;   authenticating the series of inputs as a passcode; and   in response to authenticating the series of inputs as the passcode, enabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator for a third duration of time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator comprises maintaining a coil within the magnetic stripe emulator in an unpowered setting. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a selection for a first input region in a set of input regions on a surface of the payment card, correlating the selection for the first input region with a first payment method corresponding to a first magnetic stripe sequence command stored on the payment card; wherein enabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator comprises powering a coil of the magnetic stripe emulator according to the first magnetic sequence command in response to detecting a card reader proximal the payment card. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising wirelessly receiving the first magnetic stripe sequence command from the computing device, wirelessly receiving a second magnetic stripe sequence command correspond to a second payment method from the computing device, and assigning the first payment method to the first input region and the second payment method to a second input region on the payment card according to a payment method rank received from the computing device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, in response to detecting a magnetic read head of a card reader adjacent the payment card prior to expiration of the first timer, driving a coil within the magnetic stripe emulator according to the magnetic sequence command based on a detected speed of the payment card relative to the magnetic read head. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising, in response to driving the coil within the magnetic stripe emulator according to the magnetic sequence command, disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, at the payment card, establishing a wireless connection with the computing device in response to receipt of the first wireless communication from the computing device; wherein wirelessly transmitting the second inquiry comprises wirelessly transmitting the second inquiry further in response to failure of the wireless connection. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the second timer comprises initiating the second timer for the second duration of time shorter than the first duration. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the first timer comprises initiating the first timer for the first duration of time corresponding to a location of the mobile computing device in wireless communication with the payment card. 
     
     
         15 . A method for controlling a payment card comprising a magnetic stripe emulator, the method comprising:
 at the payment card, wirelessly transmitting a first inquiry for a computing device affiliated with the payment card;   in response to receipt of a first wireless communication from the computing device following the first inquiry:
 initiating a first timer for a first duration of time, and 
 enabling a function of the magnetic stripe emulator to emulate a magnetic stripe card based on a magnetic sequence command corresponding to the magnetic stripe card and stored on the payment card; 
   in response to expiration of the first timer, wirelessly transmitting a second inquiry for the computing device;   in response to receipt of a second wireless communication from the computing device following the second inquiry:
 initiating a second timer for a second duration of time, and 
 preserving the function of the magnetic stripe emulator to emulate the magnetic stripe card; 
   at the payment card, wirelessly transmitting a third inquiry for the computing device in response to expiration of the second timer; and   in response to absence of a third wireless communication from the computing device responsive to the third inquiry, disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein wirelessly transmitting the first inquiry computing device comprises wirelessly transmitting the first inquiry for a unique wireless communication address associate with the computing device and stored in memory on the payment card. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising, in response to detecting a magnetic read head of a card reader adjacent the payment card prior to expiration of the first timer, driving a coil within the magnetic stripe emulator according to the magnetic sequence command based on a detected speed of the payment card relative to the magnetic read head. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising, in response to expiration of the second timer, initiating a third timer; wherein disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator comprises disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator in response to expiration of the third timer prior to receipt of a third wireless communication from the computing device; and further comprising:
 in response to expiration of the third timer, wirelessly transmitting a fourth inquiry for the computing device;   in response to receipt of a third wireless communication from the computing device responsive to the fourth inquiry:
 initiating a fourth timer for the first duration of time, and 
 enabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein initiating the third timer comprises initiating the third timer for the third duration of time shorter than the first duration. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein enabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator comprises arming a processor within the payment card to drive the magnetic stripe emulator according to the magnetic sequence command stored in memory on the payment card; and wherein disabling the function of the magnetic stripe emulator comprises maintaining a coil within the magnetic stripe emulator in an unpowered setting.