Methods and Apparatus for Enabling Secure Network-Based Transactions

Abstract

A card reader has an input interface for accepting output from an output interface of transaction card, and a tip-ring pin as an integral part of the card reader, adapted to plug into a microphone port of a cellular telephone. The input interface accepts data from the transaction card, and provides that data to the tip-ring pin as an analog, variable-voltage signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A card reader, comprising:
 an input interface for accepting output from an output interface of transaction card; and   a tip-ring pin as an integral part of the card reader, adapted to plug into a microphone port of a cellular telephone;   wherein the input interface accepts data from the transaction card, and provides said data to the tip-ring pin as an analog, variable-voltage signal.   
     
     
         2 . The card reader of  claim 1  wherein the input interface conforms to an International Standards Organization (ISO) 7816 standard. 
     
     
         3 . A method for providing data from a transaction card to a cellular telephone, comprising:
 inserting a tip-ring as an integral part of a card reader having an input interface enabled to accept data from the transaction card, into a microphone port of the cellular telephone;   accepting the data from the transaction card at the input interface of the card reader; and   passing the data to the cellular telephone via the tip-ring through the microphone port, as an analog, variable-voltage signal.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the data as an analog variable-voltage signal is transformed in the cellular telephone into digital data by software executing on a processor of the cellular telephone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the transformed digital data in the cellular telephone is conveyed to a network-connected server, and used to facilitate transactions for an owner of the transaction card.