Configurable Amplifier Card Reader for USB-C and Lightning Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile devices are not equipped with USB-C plugs and/or Apple® Lightning® plugs, which are essential for card readers, and there is a need for card readers with USB-C plugs and Apple® Lightning® plugs to be plugged into mobile devices, and USB-C ports, as modern mobile devices are increasingly manufactured with fewer ports and smaller sizes, necessitating the development of card readers compatible with these connectors.
Innovation Solution
The development of card readers with USB-C and Apple® Lightning® plugs that include a digital connector interface, an integrated circuit (IC), and a microcontroller, which convert analog transaction information into digital signals compatible with mobile devices, and optionally include NFC capabilities, allowing for wireless communication with NFC-capable transaction objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If card reader devices use traditional connectors, then compatibility with older devices is maintained, but compatibility with modern mobile devices is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal connector interface that supports multiple communication protocols (audio, USB, Lightning) through a single physical connector. The connector is designed to accommodate different signal types and transmission standards, enabling the card reader to work with various mobile device types without requiring separate hardware variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector interface dynamically adapts its communication mode based on the detected mobile device type. The system automatically switches between audio-based communication, USB-based communication, or Lightning-based communication protocols, allowing the same physical connector to optimize performance for different device configurations.
2Volume of moving object
If a single port is used in mobile devices, then device size is reduced, but the number of available connection options is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The card reader connector is designed as a multi-functional interface that can operate in multiple communication modes (audio input, USB data transfer, Lightning protocol) through a single physical connection. This allows mobile devices with limited ports to maintain versatility in card reading capabilities without requiring additional physical ports.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector serves as an intermediary that translates between different communication protocols and the mobile device's single available port. By implementing protocol detection and adaptive communication, the connector mediates between the card reader's needs and the mobile device's port constraints, enabling seamless integration.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for reading from a transaction instrument are disclosed. In some examples, a system receives a signal from a reader interface in response to an interaction between the reader interface and the transaction instrument. The system amplifies the signal using an amplifier and based on a gain of the amplifier to generate an amplified signal. In some examples, the system converts the amplified signal. The system decodes data from the amplified signal. The system adjusts the gain of the amplifier based on the data. The system outputs the data, in some cases in an encrypted form.