Mobile phone with magnetic card emulation
An electronic transaction card communicates with an add-on slot of an intelligent electronic device. The add-on slot may be a memory card slot. The intelligent electronic device may be a mobile phone or other device with or without network connectivity. The electronic transaction card may have magnetic field producing circuitry compatible with magnetic card readers, smartcard circuitry, other point-of-sale interfaces, or any combination thereof.
1. A mobile phone comprising:
a memory to hold transaction data for use in a plurality of transactions;
a current carrying conductor capable of producing a time-varying magnetic field that represents the transaction data in the plurality of transactions;
a network interface for connecting the mobile phone to a network, wherein one or more parts of the transaction data are downloadable to the mobile phone via the network;
a driver to excite the current carrying conductor; and
a processor coupled to control the driver.
2. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents a point-of-sale transaction.
3. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents an access transaction.
4. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents a credit card transaction.
5. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein the time-varying magnetic field emulates a swipe of a magnetic card.
6. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein the driver comprises a current driver.
7. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein the network is one of a cellular network or a wireless local area network.
8. The mobile phone of claim 1 wherein downloaded transaction data is valid for a limited number of transactions and the one or more parts of the transaction data is downloaded periodically.
9. The mobile phone of claim 1 , wherein the transaction data includes a transaction number used for each transaction of the plurality of transactions.
10. A mobile phone comprising:
a memory to hold transaction data for use in a plurality of transactions;
a conductor that when excited by a reversing polarity current produces a time-varying magnetic field that represents the transaction data in the plurality of transactions;
a network interface for connecting the mobile phone to a network, wherein one or more parts of the transaction data are downloadable to the mobile phone via the network;
a driver to excite the conductor; and
a processor coupled to control the driver.
11. The mobile phone of claim 10 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents a point-of-sale transaction.
12. The mobile phone of claim 10 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents an access transaction.
13. The mobile phone of claim 10 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents a credit card transaction.
14. The mobile phone of claim 10 wherein the time-varying magnetic field emulates a swipe of a magnetic card.
15. The mobile phone of claim 10 wherein the driver comprises a current driver.
16. The mobile phone of claim 10 wherein the network is one of a cellular network or a wireless local area network.
17. The mobile phone of claim 10 wherein downloaded transaction data is valid for a limited number of transactions and the one or more parts of the transaction data is downloaded periodically.
18. The mobile phone of claim 10 , wherein the transaction data includes a transaction number used for each transaction of the plurality of transactions.
19. A mobile phone comprising:
a memory to hold transaction data for use in a plurality of transactions;
a conductor that when excited by a reversing polarity current that varies in amplitude produces a time-varying magnetic field that represents the transaction data in the plurality of transactions;
a network interface for connecting the mobile phone to a network, wherein one or more parts of the transaction data are downloadable to the mobile phone via the network;
a driver to excite the conductor; and
a processor coupled to control the driver.
20. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents a point-of-sale transaction.
21. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents an access transaction.
22. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein the time-varying magnetic field represents a credit card transaction.
23. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein the time-varying magnetic field emulates a swipe of a magnetic card.
24. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein the driver comprises a current driver.
25. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein the network is one of a cellular network or a wireless local area network.
26. The mobile phone of claim 19 wherein downloaded transaction data is valid for a limited number of transactions and the one or more parts of the transaction data is downloaded periodically.
27. The mobile phone of claim 19 , wherein the transaction data includes a transaction number used for each transaction of the plurality of transactions.