Systems and methods for optimizing short-range wireless read of contactless cards using video signal
The disclosed systems and methods are directed to optimizing short-range wireless read operation for performing a proximity-based reading of a contactless card by an NFC reading unit of a user device. An exemplary implementation utilizes a video signal from a camera unit of the user device which is automatically activated upon detection of an NFC tag within a communication field of the reading unit. Various aspects of the video signal may be analyzed and processed for determination of the final position of the card on the user device, prior to performing an NFC read, following a card tap action by the user. The exemplary implementation uses variations in signal attributes of the video feed to determine a trajectory of the card within the optical view field until the video signal goes dark or drops below a threshold.
1 . A device for optimizing near-field communication with a contactless card, the device comprising:
a processor;
a memory storing one or more applications, the one or more applications comprising a wireless intermediary application;
a plurality of sensors comprising one or more optical cameras; and
a communication interface configured to create a communication field;
wherein, upon entry of a contactless card within the communication field, the intermediary wireless application is configured to:
activate the one or more optical cameras;
process, a video signal from the one or more optical cameras to:
identify the contactless card based on detection of a rectangular form, at a first position, within a view field of the one or more optical cameras;
determine, based on a light sensor output associated with the device, a light intensity value associated with the view field comprising the contactless card;
compute a trajectory of the contactless card, based on one or more transitions in the light intensity value, as the contactless card moves within the view field of the one or more optical cameras; and
predict, upon detecting the light intensity value dropping below an intensity threshold, a second position of the contactless card based on the trajectory;
initiate, upon determining that the second position of the contactless card corresponds to an optimal wireless alignment with the device, a wireless scanning process; and
generate, upon determining that the second position of the contactless card does not correspond to an optimal wireless alignment, one or more user notifications with respect to the optimal wireless alignment.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the trajectory of the contactless card is computed using a relative size of the rectangular form within a viewing frame associated with the viewing field.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the trajectory of the contactless card is computed stereoscopically using at least two distinct optical sensors on the device.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprise one or more infrared cameras, and wherein the trajectory of the contactless card is computed using the one or more infrared cameras.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first position corresponds to a first instance of the detection of the rectangular form associated with the contactless card, in the view field of the one or more optical cameras.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the optimal wireless alignment corresponds to a positioning of the contactless card relative to the device for maximizing a possibility of a successful wireless read of the contactless card by the device.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the intensity threshold corresponds to a predetermined number for an average pixel value associated with the view field of the one or more optical cameras.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more transitions in the light intensity values are used to identify an out of focus attribute of an image of the contactless card as an indicator of proximity as the contactless card moves within the view field.
9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein a prediction of the second position for initiating the wireless scanning process, is initiated by a sequence corresponding to a detection of the rectangular form, followed by an identification of the out of focus attribute, followed by the light sensor output value dropping below the intensity threshold.
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user notifications corresponds to one or more auditory signals for providing alignment instructions.
11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a machine learning model is used to identify incorrect placement of the contactless card relative to the device, based on a predicted pattern in a user's card usage behavior.
12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the machine learning model is trained using historical training data corresponding to previous sequences of operations associated with previous contactless card transactions.
13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the machine learning model is used to determine the incorrect placement of the contactless card relative to the device, in absence of the detection of the contactless card by the one or more optical cameras.
14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a mobile communication device.
15 . A method of optimizing near-field communications with a contactless card, the method comprising:
activating one more optical cameras on a reader device upon detecting a contactless card within a near-field communication range of the reader device;
identifying the contactless card, by detecting a rectangular form, at a first position within a view field of the one or more optical cameras;
determining, based on a light sensor output associated with the reader device, a light intensity value associated with the view field comprising the contactless card;
computing a trajectory of the contactless card, based on one or more transitions in the light intensity value, as the contactless card moves within the view field of the one or more optical cameras;
predicting, upon detecting the light intensity value dropping below an intensity threshold value, a second position of the contactless card based on the trajectory;
initiating, upon determining that the second position of the contactless card corresponds to an optimal wireless alignment with the reader device, a wireless scanning process associated with the reader device; and
generating, upon determining that the second position of the contactless card does not correspond to an optimal wireless alignment, one or more user notifications with respect to the optimal wireless alignment.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the trajectory of the contactless card is computed using a relative size of the rectangular form within a viewing frame associated with the viewing field.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the trajectory of the contactless card is computed stereoscopically using two distinct optical sensors on the reader device.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first position corresponds to a first instance of detection of the rectangular form associated with the contactless card.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the optimal wireless alignment corresponds to a positioning of the contactless card relative to the reader device for maximizing a possibility of a successful wireless read of the contactless card by the reader device.
20 . A non-transitory computer-accessible medium comprising instructions for execution by a computer hardware arrangement, wherein, upon execution of the instructions the computer hardware arrangement performs procedures comprising:
activating one more optical cameras on a reader device upon detecting a contactless card within a near-field communication range of the reader device;
identifying the contactless card, by detecting a rectangular form, at a first position within a view field of the one or more optical cameras;
determining, based on a light sensor output associated with the reader device, a light intensity value associated with the view field comprising the contactless card;
computing a trajectory of the contactless card, based on one or more transitions in the light intensity value, as the contactless card moves within the view field of the one or more optical cameras;
predicting, upon detecting the light intensity value dropping below an intensity threshold value, a second position of the contactless card based on the trajectory;
initiating, upon determining that the second position of the contactless card corresponds to an optimal wireless alignment with the reader device, a wireless scanning process associated with the reader device; and
generating, upon determining that the second position of the contactless card does not correspond to an optimal wireless alignment, one or more user notifications with respect to the optimal wireless alignment.