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).

  • Advanced loyalty applications for powered cards and devices
    Patent number: 9852368
    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: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Philip W. Yen, Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Systems and methods for information exchange mechanisms for powered cards and devices
    Patent number: 9818125
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip W. Yen
  • Systems and methods for programmable payment cards and devices with loyalty-based payment applications
    Patent number: 9805297
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Data may include the type of reward that a user would like to earn as a result of making a purchase or the type of reward that a user would like to utilize to at least partially pay for a purchase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip Yen
  • PAYMENT CARDS AND DEVICES WITH DISPLAYS, CHIPS, RFIDS, MAGNETIC EMULATORS, MAGNETIC ENCODERS, AND OTHER COMPONENTS
    Publication number: 20170300796
    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: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Bruce Cloutier
  • CARDS AND DEVICES WITH MAGNETIC EMULATORS WITH ZONING CONTROL AND ADVANCED INTERIORS
    Publication number: 20170286817
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to act as a magnetic stripe read-head detector and a data transmitter. A multiple layer flexible PCB may be fabricated to include multiple magnetic emulators. An emulator may include a coil that includes magnetic, ferromagnetic, or ferromagnetic, material in the coil's interior. Coils may be associated with zones. As a read-head is detected to move from zone-to-zone, coils may be activated to transmit information in those zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, David Lambeth, Bruce Cloutier
  • Cards, devices, systems, and methods for advanced payment game of skill and game of chance functionality
    Patent number: 9734669
    Abstract: A user is provided with a GUI that may allow the user to change functionality associated with a non-battery-powered card, a battery-powered card, a payment sticker, or another device (e.g., a mobile telephonic device). The GUI may be provided by a website so that a user views the GUI from a web-browser. At any time, for example, a user may change additional functionality performed at a point-of-sale purchase. A user may change the additional functionality for a card or a button of a card. A user may switch to associate a game of chance or skill to the purchase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Jonathan L. Beaver
  • Credit, security, debit cards and the like with buttons
    Patent number: 9727813
    Abstract: A card is provided, such as a credit card or security card, that may transmit information to a magnetic stripe reader via a magnetic emulator. The emulator may transmit the information in order to reduce the amount of circuitry needed to emulate a particular block of information. Additionally, for example, one or more buttons may be included on the card. Buttons may be includes, for example, to provide a control interface to navigate through various options of the card. Additionally, coding schemes may be selected via buttons. Furthermore, a card may be locked until a private number is entered into a card or a number may only be generated (e.g., displayed and/or emulated) once a particular private number is entered into a card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Will Reutzel
  • Cards and devices with embedded holograms
    Patent number: 9721201
    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: December 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Eric R. Nicklaus
  • Cards and devices with multifunction magnetic emulators and methods for using same
    Patent number: 9704088
    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: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, David Lambeth, Bruce Cloutier
  • Systems and methods for programmable payment cards and devices with loyalty-based payment applications
    Patent number: 9704089
    Abstract: A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Data may include the type of reward that a user would like to earn as a result of making a purchase or the type of reward that a user would like to utilize to at least partially pay for a purchase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip Yen
  • Payment cards and devices with displays, chips, RFIDs, magnetic emulators, magnetic encoders, and other components
    Patent number: 9697454
    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 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Bruce Cloutier
  • Payment cards and devices with displays, chips, RFIDs, magnetic emulators, magnetic decoders, and other components
    Patent number: 9684861
    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: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Bruce Cloutier
  • Systems and methods for location based games and employment of the same on location enabled devices
    Patent number: 9662582
    Abstract: A location-based game system is provided. Such a system may take the form of any device (e.g., a wireless telephone) that includes a locating device (e.g., a GPS system). One such location-based game may operate such that the actual, physical location of a user on a physical playfield corresponds to the location of a virtual character on a virtual playfield. Such location based games are referred to herein as actuality games. In one multiplayer actuality embodiment, two game devices may communicate location, and other, information to a remote database such that the two user's may interact on different physical playfields, but play on the same virtual playfield. A number of wireless communications protocols, self-configuration, and auto-download software applications are also provided to optimize integration with, for example, a wireless telephone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Games, prizes, and entertainment for powered cards and devices
    Patent number: 9652436
    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 a purchase to be paid by credit and points may be earned for the purchase. A different manual input may, for example, cause a purchase to be paid by credit and points not be earned for the purchase in exchange for one or more chances to win a prize in a random lottery. An instant winner functionality may be provided on a card. For example, a card may randomly become an instant winner based on, for example, time and/or use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Philip W. Yen, Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Locking features for powered cards and devices
    Patent number: 9646240
    Abstract: Cards may be provided with locked modes of operation. A card may, for example, monitor a particular sequence of one or more manual inputs while the card transitions from a low-power mode of operation to a locked mode of operation. The card may store the particular sequence of the one or more manual inputs as a locking code. The card may ignore subsequent manual inputs during the locked mode of operation until the locking code is reentered into the card. Once the locking code is reentered into the card, the card may again become reactive to manual inputs received by the card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Michael T. Wallace
  • Systems and methods for locating cellular phones and security measures for the same
    Patent number: 9635540
    Abstract: Systems and methods for locating a cellular phone are provided. More particularly, systems and methods are provided that allow the location of a requested user's cellular phone to be provided to a requesting user's device (e.g., a second cellular phone) based on access rights defined by the requested user. Location descriptions may be provided at a multitude of levels. For example, if a cellular phone, or an identity associated to (e.g., logged into) a cellular phone, has been given access rights to a cell phone's exact location for an indefinite amount of time, that cell phone can receive, on command, the exact location of the approved cell phone. Other levels of location information that can be granted include, for example, proximities, states, and countries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Inventor: Jeffrey D. Mullen
  • Interactive electronic card with buttons
    Patent number: D777252
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Eric R. Nicklaus, Jeffrey D. Mullen
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    Patent number: D792511
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip W. Yen, Bruce S. Cloutier, L. Casimir Mostowy, Jr.
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    Patent number: D792512
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip W. Yen, Bruce S. Cloutier, L. Casimir Mostowy, Jr.
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    Patent number: D792513
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Mullen, Philip W. Yen, Bruce S. Cloutier, L. Casimir Mostowy, Jr.