Magnetic Stripe Card Encoding Multiple Account Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumers face inconvenience and inefficiency when carrying multiple cards for payments, leading to potential misuse of cards and difficulty in utilizing the best payment option for transactions, especially in situations requiring multiple cards like loyalty programs.

Innovation Solution

A magnetic stripe card that encodes data from multiple accounts, acting as a proxy card, allowing selection of the appropriate account based on criteria such as location, merchant acceptance, and transaction type, enabling a single swipe for multiple payment and loyalty transactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If consumers carry multiple cards for different payment and loyalty purposes, then they can access various payment options and loyalty programs, but it becomes inconvenient and burdensome to manage and locate the appropriate card during transactions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment optionsVSAvoidcard management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple card accounts (payment cards and loyalty cards) into a single magnetic stripe card. The card contains multiple account numbers encoded on its magnetic stripe, allowing consumers to carry one card instead of multiple cards while maintaining access to various payment options and loyalty programs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The magnetic stripe card is designed to serve multiple functions: it can be used as a payment card for transactions and simultaneously as a loyalty card for earning and redeeming points. The card contains multiple account numbers that enable it to interact with different payment networks and loyalty programs, making it a universal card that replaces multiple specialized cards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If consumers use the first payment card they find to make a purchase, then the transaction can be completed quickly, but they may not be using the best payment option available

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction speedVSAvoidpayment optimization

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically selecting the appropriate account number from the magnetic stripe card based on the transaction context before the consumer completes the purchase. The point-of-sale system or mobile device determines which account (payment or loyalty) should be used based on pre-set criteria or consumer preferences, eliminating the need for the consumer to manually choose during the transaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback mechanisms to determine the best payment option. The point-of-sale system communicates with the card's associated account to receive information about available accounts and their suitability for the current transaction. This feedback loop allows the system to select the optimal account based on factors such as transaction type, merchant category, and consumer preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If transactions involve multiple cards such as a credit card and loyalty card, then consumers can access both payment and loyalty benefits, but they need to find and use multiple cards which complicates the process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction capabilitiesVSAvoidcard usage process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple card functions into a single magnetic stripe card. The card contains multiple account numbers including both payment card numbers and loyalty card numbers encoded on the same magnetic stripe. This allows the consumer to present one card instead of multiple cards, simplifying the physical act of making a transaction while maintaining the capability to access both payment and loyalty benefits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The magnetic stripe card is designed as a universal card that can function as both a payment card and a loyalty card simultaneously. The card contains multiple account numbers that enable it to interact with different payment networks and loyalty programs, making it a multi-functional card that replaces the need for separate specialized cards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9224141B1Encoding a magnetic stripe of a card with data of multiple cards

Publication Date: 2015.12.29 BLOCK INC

AI summary

A method and apparatus for encoding a magnetic stripe area of a magnetic stripe card with account data from multiple cards are disclosed. The magnetic stripe card (“the card”) can be associated with account data from multiple cards, such as account data from a driver's license and from various payment cards, such as a credit card, a debit card, and a pre-paid gift card. Location information indicating the location of the card can be obtained, and account data for the multiple cards associated with the card can be selected based on a criterion, such as based on the location information. The card includes a magnetic stripe emulator, and the emulator is encoded with account data of the multiple cards, such that with a single swipe of the card through a card reader, the card reader can read the account data of the multiple cards from the magnetic stripe area.