Wireless Payment Card Location via Mobile Device Antenna
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cardholders face difficulties in locating lost payment cards, as existing methods rely on retracing steps or contacting issuers, lacking a efficient tracking solution.
Innovation Solution
A system that enables wireless tracking of payment cards using mobile devices with embedded antennas and a card location server, allowing mobile devices to detect and report the location of lost cards to the server, which alerts the cardholder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If cardholders manually retrace their steps or contact the issuer to find a lost card, then the card can potentially be located, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives signals from multiple mobile devices and processes location information. When a card is reported lost, the server coordinates the search by collecting data from various mobile devices in the area, eliminating the need for the cardholder to manually retrace steps or directly contact the issuer, thus reducing time loss and improving ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing any mobile device to automatically detect and report the presence of a lost card through wireless signals. The cardholder simply reports the card as lost through the application, and the system autonomously performs the location search using nearby mobile devices, freeing the cardholder from manual searching efforts
2Productivity
If a wireless tracking system using mobile devices is implemented, then card location can be efficiently determined, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the universality of mobile devices, which already possess wireless communication capabilities and location services for other purposes. By repurposing these existing multi-functional devices for card tracking, the system achieves high productivity without requiring specialized tracking hardware, thus limiting the increase in system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as a centralized intermediary that manages the complexity of coordinating multiple mobile devices. It handles signal reception, data processing, and result delivery, allowing individual mobile devices to remain simple while achieving complex tracking functionality through the mediating server
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables cardholders to efficiently locate their lost payment cards by leveraging the proximity of mobile devices to the cards, reducing the need for manual searches and issuer contact.
Implementation Method 1
a mobile device antenna wirelessly polls for the presence of a payment card. An identifier associated with the payment card is received with the antenna
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and computer-readable storage medium configured to track the location of lost payment cards.