Payment Card Touch Interface for Featured App Selection at POS

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing payment systems lack the ability to seamlessly integrate additional services or features beyond traditional payment transactions, such as game actions, check-ins, or loyalty rewards, without requiring complex setup or additional devices.

Innovation Solution

A payment card or device equipped with buttons or capacitive sensors allows users to associate additional services via a GUI, enabling communication of user selections to a point-of-sale system, which authorizes transactions and interacts with remote facilities to execute third-party applications, providing features like game actions, check-ins, or loyalty rewards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional payment systems are used, then payment transactions can be completed, but additional services (game actions, check-ins, loyalty rewards) cannot be integrated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice integration capabilityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The payment card is enhanced with capacitive sensors that can detect multiple touch positions, enabling a single device to perform multiple functions including payment transactions, game actions, check-ins, and loyalty rewards programs. The card maintains its fundamental payment function while adding versatile service integration capabilities through the multi-position touch interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If additional services are integrated into payment systems, then functionality is enhanced, but setup complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadditional servicesVSAvoidsetup process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically processes service selections based on capacitive sensor inputs during the payment transaction. The user simply touches the card at different positions to select desired services, and the system autonomously communicates these selections to the point-of-sale system and relevant third-party services, eliminating complex manual setup procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple services are added to payment card, then user value is increased, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice varietyVSAvoidcard structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple service functions are merged into a single payment card by integrating capacitive sensors that can detect touch positions across the card surface. Different touch positions correspond to different service selections, allowing game actions, check-ins, loyalty rewards, and other services to be combined in one device without requiring separate gadgets or complex interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If capacitive sensors are added to card, then service selection capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice selectionVSAvoidcard production

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The capacitive sensor array uses a standardized grid pattern that can be manufactured using conventional card production techniques. The same sensor structure serves multiple purposes: detecting touch positions for service selection, providing haptic feedback, and maintaining card durability, thereby minimizing manufacturing complexity while maximizing operational capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250356341A1Cards, devices, systems, and methods for a featured application management system

Publication Date: 2025.11.20 DYNAMICS INC

AI summary

A user is provided with a GUI that may allow the user to change functionality associated with a non-powered card, a powered card or other device (e.g., a mobile telephonic device). The functionality associated with the device may be displayed by the GUI as a list of third-party applications that are currently featured third-party applications or as a list of third-party applications that have been previously featured applications.