Radio frequency identification (RFID) payment terminal with display-embedded RFID antenna

1. A radio frequency identification (RFID) transaction terminal comprising:

a display for graphically displaying transaction information to a user;

an RFID antenna embedded in a portion of the display used for displaying the transaction information to the user and for communicating, via a magnetic field, with an RFID device of the user to receive transaction information from the RFID device;

an RFID module coupled to the antenna for receiving the transaction information and for effecting a transaction using the transaction information; and

wherein the display includes a plurality of pixels and wherein the RFID antenna includes at least one conductor that extends between at least two of the pixels of the display.

2. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD).

3. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 2 wherein the at least one conductor is located on a surface of the LCD display.

4. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 the LCD display includes first and second glass plates located on opposite sides of a liquid crystal material, wherein the conductors are located on a surface of one of the first and second glass plates that faces the liquid crystal material.

5. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 4 wherein comprising a grounded conductive shield located between the first and second glass plates and following paths of the first and second traces to reduce electric field strength generated by the traces during operation.

6. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 the LCD display includes first and second glass plates located on opposite sides of a liquid crystal material, wherein the at least one conductor is located on an outer surface of one of the glass plates so as not to interfere with the liquid crystal material and in such a position that the traces not visible because the at least one conductor is interwoven between the display pixels.

7. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 the LCD display includes first and second glass plates located on opposite sides of a liquid crystal material, wherein the at least one conductor is located on an outer surface of one of the glass plates in such a way that the at least one conductor is not objectionable to a display user.

8. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 7 wherein the at least one conductor occludes at least some of the pixels of the display, wherein the display is adapted to turn the pixels occluded by the at least one conductor off during at least a portion of operation of the RFID payment terminal.

9. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor comprises wires located on the surface of the LCD display.

10. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor comprises traces of thin film deposited on the surface of the LCD display.

11. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the display includes:

first and second glass plates;

a liquid crystal material located between the glass plates; and

a film located on a surface of one of the glass plates, wherein the at least one conductor is located on a surface of the film.

12. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor extends between adjacent pixels of the LCD display.

13. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor comprises a plurality of conductors that form loops that extend parallel to each other.

14. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor comprises a metal oxide material.

15. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor is about 1/16 inches in width.

16. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 3 wherein the at least one conductor is no more than about 10.7 inches in length.

17. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a thin film transistor (TFT) display.

18. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein the display is at least about 5 inches when measured along a diagonal of the display.

19. The RFID transaction terminal of claim 1 wherein the transaction information includes tickets or coupons.