Patents by Inventor Jeffrey D. Mullen

Jeffrey D. Mullen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10325199
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other card or device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. User interfaces are provided in a number of different configurations in order to achieve a number of different functionalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Bruce Cloutier
  • Patent number: 10255545
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable of communicating information to a magnetic stripe reader. Information used in validating a financial transaction is encrypted based on time such that a validating server requires receipt of the appropriate encrypted information for a period of time to validate a transaction for that period of time. Such dynamic information may be communicated using such an emulator such that a card may be swiped through a magnetic stripe reader—yet communicate different information based on time. An emulator may receive information as well as communicate information to a variety of receivers (e.g., an RFID receiver).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, David N. Lambeth, Bruce Cloutier
  • Patent number: 10223631
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable of communicating information to a magnetic stripe reader. Information used in validating a financial transaction is encrypted based on time such that a validating server requires receipt of the appropriate encrypted information for a period of time to validate a transaction for that period of time. Such dynamic information may be communicated using such an emulator such that a card may be swiped through a magnetic stripe reader—yet communicate different information based on time. An emulator may receive information as well as communicate information to a variety of receivers (e.g., an RFID receiver).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, David N. Lambeth, Bruce Cloutier
  • Publication number: 20190065928
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable of communicating information to a magnetic stripe reader. Information used in validating a financial transaction is encrypted based on time such that a validating server requires receipt of the appropriate encrypted information for a period of time to validate a transaction for that period of time. Such dynamic information may be communicated using such an emulator such that a card may be swiped through a magnetic stripe reader—yet communicate different information based on time. An emulator may receive information as well as communicate information to a variety of receivers (e.g., an RFID receiver).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, David Lambeth, Bruce Cloutier
  • Patent number: 10198687
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable of communicating information to a magnetic stripe reader. Information used in validating a financial transaction is encrypted based on time such that a validating server requires receipt of the appropriate encrypted information for a period of time to validate a transaction for that period of time. Such dynamic information may be communicated using such an emulator such that a card may be swiped through a magnetic stripe reader—yet communicate different information based on time. An emulator may receive information as well as communicate information to a variety of receivers (e.g., an RFID receiver).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, David Lambeth, Bruce Cloutier
  • Patent number: 10181097
    Abstract: Advanced payment applications are provided to improve the functionality of cards and devices. For example, a user interface may be placed on a card (e.g., a physical button) or a telephonic device (e.g., a virtual button on a capacitive touch screen). Manual input provided to this user interface may, for example, cause an item purchased on credit to be paid via one or more user accounts (e.g., bank accounts) as soon as the next credit statement posts or becomes due. A user may decide to pay for an item when the next statement becomes due at a point-of-sale magnetic stripe reader by using an interface on a card to cause information to be communicated through the infrastructure indicative of a user's desire to pay the for an item when the next statement becomes due.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip W. Yen
  • Patent number: 10176423
    Abstract: A card, such as a payment card, or other device may include an electronics package. The electronics package may include electronic components mounted on a flexible, printed circuit board. The electronics package may be laminated (e.g., via a hot, cold, or molding lamination process) between layers of transparent polymer. A hologram may be fixed to one side of the electronics package such that the hologram may be viewed from the exterior of the laminated card having transparent polymer layers. As such, the hologram may not be removed without breaching the integrity of a transparent polymer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Eric R. Nicklaus
  • Patent number: 10095974
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other card or device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. User interfaces are provided in a number of different configurations in order to achieve a number of different functionalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Bruce Cloutier
  • Patent number: 10095970
    Abstract: A card, such as a payment card, or other device may include an electronics package. The electronics package may include an RFID antenna. The RFID may not be utilized to access data on the card, or other device, until the appropriate manual input is received into the card or other device. Such manual input may take the form of a manual press of a physical button or the manual activation of a virtual button on a touch-screen device (e.g., a touch-screen mobile phone or card).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Patent number: 10055614
    Abstract: A detection activity of a card may be sensitive to capacitance changes in adjacent and non-adjacent pads on the card. Accordingly, the detection activity may remain sensitive to faster-moving devices and/or reduced detection sampling rates. A second detection activity may follow a first detection activity, which may increase a probability of a successful communication sequence subsequent to the first detection activity. A card may, therefore, immediately transition to a low-power mode of operation after verification to reduce power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Publication number: 20180224929
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for portable or stationary virtual reality and augmented reality video game systems. A game system that is operable of providing visual information to numerous head mounted displays are provided. A game system that is operable to receive, and recharge, numerous rechargeable batteries is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Patent number: 10032100
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable of communicating information to a magnetic stripe reader. Information used in validating a financial transaction is encrypted based on time such that a validating server requires receipt of the appropriate encrypted information for a period of time to validate a transaction for that period of time. Such dynamic information may be communicated using such an emulator such that a card may be swiped through a magnetic stripe reader—yet communicate different information based on time. An emulator may receive information as well as communicate information to a variety of receivers (e.g., an RFID receiver).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, David Lambeth, Bruce Cloutier
  • Publication number: 20180151391
    Abstract: Die may be thinned using a thinning and/or a polishing process. Such thinned die may be flexible and may change operational characteristics when flexed. The flexible die may be applied to a mechanical carrier (e.g., a PCB) of a card or device. Detection circuitry may also be provided on the PCB and may be used to detect changed operational characteristics. Such detection circuitry may cause a reaction to the changed characteristics by controlling other components on the card or device based upon the flex-induced changed characteristics. The thinned die may be stacked, interconnected, and encapsulated between sheets of laminate material to form a flexible card or device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Norman E. O'Shea
  • Patent number: 9958934
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for portable or stationary virtual reality and augmented reality video game systems. A game system that is operable of providing visual information to numerous head mounted displays are provided. A game system that is operable to receive, and recharge, numerous rechargeable batteries is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Patent number: 9953255
    Abstract: Advanced loyalty applications are provided to improve the functionality of cards and devices. For example, a user interface may be placed on a card (e.g., a physical button) or a telephonic device (e.g., a virtual button on a capacitive touch screen). Manual input provided to this user interface may, for example, cause a non-merchant product (e.g., insurance) to be purchased with a merchant purchase. The product can be paid for with debit, credit, gift card balance, or points. A code indicative of a user's desire to purchase the product may be communicated to a payment card reader (e.g., to a magnetic stripe reader via a magnetic stripe communications device). A display may be provided next to a button to allow a user to scroll, or toggle by pressing the button repeatedly, through different products (which may be merchant or non-merchant products).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Philip W. Yen, Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Publication number: 20180079249
    Abstract: This application addressed a card comprising a memory operable to store a first card information and a second card information; a display operable to display user information; and a button operable to change a selected card from a first card to a second card and to change the user information from user information associated with the first card to user information associated with the second card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Kevin D. Bruner, Allen D. Bowers
  • Patent number: 9916992
    Abstract: Die may be thinned using a thinning and/or a polishing process. Such thinned die may be flexible and may change operational characteristics when flexed. The flexible die may be applied to a mechanical carrier (e.g., a PCB) of a card or device. Detection circuitry may also be provided on the PCB and may be used to detect changed operational characteristics. Such detection circuitry may cause a reaction to the changed characteristics by controlling other components on the card or device based upon the flex-induced changed characteristics. The thinned die may be stacked, interconnected, and encapsulated between sheets of laminate material to form a flexible card or device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Norman E. O'Shea
  • Publication number: 20180060881
    Abstract: A card, or other device (e.g., a mobile telephonic device), may provide transaction, feature information, and/or any other type of information to a merchant terminal based upon check-in options that may be selected by the user on the card. A routing server may receive transaction information, feature information, merchant related information, cardholder information and/or any other type of information and provide the information to networked entities. The networked entities (e.g., websites, social networks, and search engines) may access the information to track the purchasing habits of one or more cardholders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip W. Yen
  • Patent number: 9881245
    Abstract: A card exhibiting multiple linear arrays of sensors are provided to detect a presence and movement of an external object (e.g., a read-head of a magnetic stripe reader). Each sensor of each array of sensors may be independently connected to a dual port of a processor so that the processor may determine a direction in which the card is swiped through a magnetic stripe reader. A portion of sensors of each array of sensors may be shared by a portion of inputs and/or outputs of a single port of a processor. Sensors may be cross-coupled to a single processor port so that forward and reverse directions of a card swipe may nevertheless be detected by a single-port processor of a card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Randy L. Rhoades, James H. Workley, Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Patent number: D828870
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Eric R. Nicklaus