Wireless card reader with one or more card interfaces

1. A card reader that communicates wirelessly, comprising:

a frame, where the frame includes a first surface that defines a first plane, a second surface that is substantially parallel to the first plane, a third surface that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane, and a fourth surface that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane and is located on an opposite side of the frame from the third surface, the third surface including a groove configured to receive a swipe of a magnetic stripe card that includes card data, the fourth surface including a slot configured to receive an insertion of a chip card that includes card data;

a wake-up circuit;

a microcontroller housed in the frame, wherein the wake-up circuit is configured to activate the microcontroller upon a card interaction at a magnetic stripe reader interface or a chip card reader interface, and wherein, once the microcontroller is activated, the microcontroller is configured to power down the wake-up circuit;

the magnetic stripe reader interface including magnetic read heads positioned in the groove to read the card data from a stripe of the magnetic stripe card as it is swiped through the groove, wherein the microcontroller is configured to power down the chip card reader interface while the magnetic stripe reader interface reads the card data from the stripe of the magnetic stripe card;

the chip card reader interface including electrical contacts positioned in the slot to contact contacts of the chip card and to read the card data from the contacts when the chip card is inserted into the slot, wherein the microcontroller is configured to power down the magnetic stripe reader interface while the chip card reader interface reads the card data from the contacts of the chip;

circuitry configured to direct signals including the card data from the magnetic stripe reader interface and the chip card reader interface to the microcontroller; and

circuitry configured to communicate wirelessly between the card reader and a computing device and to wirelessly send the card data from the magnetic stripe reader interface and the chip card reader interface to the computing device, wherein the microcontroller is configured to power up the circuitry for communicating wirelessly only after receipt of card data from the magnetic stripe reader interface or the chip card reader interface, and wherein, upon powering up the circuitry for communicating wirelessly, the microcontroller is configured to power down both the magnetic stripe reader interface and the chip card reader interface.

2. The reader of claim 1 , where the card data includes a signature, an authentication notification for a transaction, a card number, an expiry date, or a name.

3. The reader of claim 1 , where the magnetic stripe reader interface is coupled to an accelerometer, where the accelerometer triggers or functions as the wake-up circuit.

4. The reader of claim 1 , where the microcontroller is configured to activate only one of the chip card reader interface or the magnetic stripe reader interface.

5. The reader of claim 1 , where the card interaction is a card swipe or a card insertion.

6. The reader of claim 1 , further comprising a power source, where the power source powers one or more of the following: the magnetic stripe reader interface, the chip card reader interface, the circuitry configured to direct signals, and the circuitry configured to communicate wirelessly.

7. The reader of claim 6 , where the power source includes a direct current convertor, where the direct current convertor converts current from the power source to usable power for the microcontroller, and where the microcontroller is powered by the usable power.

8. The reader of claim 6 , where the power source includes a lithium ion battery.

9. The reader of claim 6 , where the power source includes a rechargeable battery, where the rechargeable battery is recharged using an external adapter or a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

10. The reader of claim 9 , where the external adapter provides power through unused electrical contacts of the chip card reader interface.

11. The reader of claim 9 , where the external adapter is a connector that engages with electrical contacts of one of the card interfaces.

12. The reader of claim 1 , where the magnetic stripe reader interface and the chip card reader interface are integrated as a combined interface.

13. The reader of claim 12 , where the combined interface includes a spring loaded gate, where if a card is inserted at the combined interface, electrical contacts of the spring loaded gate are engaged with the card, and where if the card is swiped at the combined interface, the electrical contacts are recessed from the card.

14. The reader of claim 1 , where the chip card reader interface implements the Europay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV) protocol.

15. The reader of claim 1 , where the circuitry configured to communicate wireless includes an antenna.

16. The reader of claim 15 , where the antenna is a WiFi adapter and communicates through a WiFi network.

17. The reader of claim 15 , where the antenna is a Bluetooth adapter and communicates using a Bluetooth protocol.

18. The reader of claim 1 , further comprising a contactless card reader interface, where the microcontroller is configured to operate with the contactless card reader interface.