Dual Purpose Card Reader for Compact POS Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional POS terminals are too large to be portable when designed to support both magnetic stripe and smart cards due to separate reader slots, making them impractical for hand-held use.
Innovation Solution
A dual-purpose card reader with co-located magnetic stripe and smart card readers allows for compact POS terminal design, enabling both card formats to be read in a single slot, with magnetic stripe cards swiped through and smart cards inserted at an angle through the same slot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate magnetic stripe reader slot and smart card reader slot are provided, then both card formats can be supported, but the POS terminal becomes too large for portable use
Solution Approach 1:
The card reader slot is designed to perform multiple functions by accepting both magnetic stripe cards (swiped horizontally) and smart cards (inserted vertically at a perpendicular angle). The same physical slot and reader head structure handles different card types through different insertion orientations, eliminating the need for separate dedicated slots for each card format.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution introduces a dimensional distinction in card insertion orientation rather than requiring separate spatial slots. Magnetic stripe cards are swiped in one plane (horizontal), while smart cards are inserted in a perpendicular direction (vertical), utilizing different dimensional approaches within the same slot to differentiate card types and enable multi-functionality without increasing terminal volume.
2Volume of moving object
If co-located dual purpose card reader is used, then terminal size is reduced for portability, but card insertion operation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The card reader slot incorporates asymmetric guiding structures and positioning features that provide tactile feedback and visual cues to guide users in the correct insertion orientation for each card type. The slot geometry itself is asymmetric, with different entry orientations for magnetic stripe versus smart cards, making the correct insertion method intuitive rather than requiring complex instructions or trial-and-error.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides for a compact, portable POS terminal through the co-location of a magnetic card slot and a smart card entry slot. In one embodiment, the smart card slot is positioned within a portion of the magnetic card slot. The POS terminal also accommodates contactless instrument readers and optionally includes features for electronic signature capture, user display interaction, multi-tasking capabilities, check reading and age and identity verification.