Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for creating an electronic payment transaction of a bill are described. The bill may be a paper bill and an image of the bill may be captured with a user device and sent to a server. The user device may also obtain and send location information to the server. One method includes the server receiving the image of the bill; analyzing the received image to determine at least a billed amount; determining a retailer associated with the billed amount; sending a request to the user to confirm at least the billed amount; and in response to receiving confirmation from the user of a confirmed payment amount, creating an electronic payment transaction.

Abstract: A smart meter can include a plurality of relays for providing power to corresponding power lines, each of the plurality of relays associated with a customer's account and a management system storing customer account information and controlling and tracking a power usage for each of the plurality of relays, and based on the power usage and the corresponding customer account information turning on or off power to the corresponding power line.

Abstract: A fine knitwear of circular knitting machines with air permeable holes is a single face fabric knitted via a circular knitting machine with knitting fineness ?24 needles/inch. Each air permeable hole includes: at least one yarn located above the air permeable hole and formed via interactive movements of a Dial sinker and a plurality of latch needles perpendicular to the Dial sinker, and a first support loop and a second support loop that are formed via interactive movements of the Dial sinker and the latch needles and symmetrical against the yarn on the left side and the right side to support and tie the transferred yarn. The fine knitwear can meet market and consumers' requirements of providing more comfortable cooling, and the width of the air permeable holes can be changed flexibly in response to different requirements in the industry.

Abstract: Systems and methods to provide and maintain secure financial transaction conducted with a credit card or other cashless payment mechanism at a vending machine or other potentially unattended vending or point of sale device. Encapsulated card readers providing end-to-end encryption capabilities encrypt transaction data for secure transmission to a transaction host or server. Pre-authorization transaction data checking maintains account numbers in a secure encrypted format further enhancing security. Protection mechanisms that guard against, and provide warnings of equipment tampering, while also providing a visual indication to customers regarding the security of the system.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards methods and apparatus for barcode reading and encoding. In accordance with an embodiment, a method of reading and encoding barcode information is provided. A one-dimensional barcode image is decoded using an electronic device to obtain data encoded by the one-dimensional barcode image. The data is encoded into a two-dimensional barcode image. The two-dimensional barcode image is displayed in a manner suitable for reading by a scanner configured for reading two-dimensional barcodes.

Abstract: An email payment gateway having electronic commerce (e-commerce) system may send advertisement emails to customers that are registered with the e-commerce system. The advertisement emails may include mailto hyperlinks. Each mailto hyperlink may be associated with a product that is being offered for sale, and each mailto hyperlink describes an email message that may be generated when that hyperlink is selected. When a mailto hyperlink is selected, the generated email message may include one or more parameters related to the product associated with the hyperlink, such as an identifier of the product. The generated email message may then be transmitted to the e-commerce system. The e-commerce system may receive the message and, based on the parameters in the received message, execute a transaction to purchase the identified product on behalf of the customer.

Abstract: A system and method of validating electronic encoded information from magnetic stripe card data transmitted as electronic stripe data includes a lump transmission stream. The lump transmission stream is read by at least two track channel readers each of which recognizes and reads only data corresponding to data to be read from a respective magnetic stripe represented in the lump transmission stream, which has data read from two tracks of magnetic card stripes. One track channel reader reads the first portion of the lump stream and discards the second portion of the stream, the second track channel reader reads the second portion of the stream and discards the first portion of the stream.

Abstract: A mobile checkout system and method for completing a purchase transaction to purchase items from an internet merchant. A user browses and selects items for purchase from the merchant through a shopping application or browser (mobile or PC). During the processing of the transaction, a checkout application installed on a mobile communication device is launched. The checkout application receives a checkout token created by a checkout server that identifies the purchase transaction. After user authentication, the system uses this token and communicates with the checkout server to cause the checkout server to complete the purchase transaction, in which payment data is securely transmitted and wherein a one-time-use cryptogram can be part of the payment information.

Abstract: A system and method for web-based checkout in an e-commerce system using a secret pin received via Short Message Service (SMS) and using an identifier are disclosed. The system and method include receiving a customer payment request and email address of a customer from a vendor, transmitting a pin to an SMS account of the customer, receiving the pin from the customer to confirm payment, authenticating the IP address and the pin and processing the payment. The system and method include receiving a payment request from a customer and a phone number of the customer, authenticating an IP address of the customer, looking up an account of the customer based on the received phone number, generating a link and token associated with the customer, transmitting the mailto link and token to the customer, receiving an email response from the customer, and processing the payment.

Abstract: A system for a baseband near field magnetic stripe data transmitter includes a mobile phone, a magnetic stripe transmission (MST) device and a payment button. The mobile phone includes a payment wallet application and is configured to transmit a stream of pulses including magnetic stripe data of a payment card. The MST device includes a driver and an inductor, and the MST device is configured to receive the stream of pulses from the mobile phone, to amplify and shape the received stream of pulses and to generate and emit high energy magnetic pulses including the magnetic stripe data of the payment card. The inductor is driven by a series of timed current pulses that result in a series of high energy magnetic pulses that resemble the fluctuating magnetic field created by a moving magnetic stripe.

Abstract: A dense and efficient output stage for a DC/DC converter includes center tapped secondary windings of a transformer having an offset core with respect to a PCB, two pairs of synchronous rectifiers configured to define two pairs of paralleled symmetrical AC loops respective to the secondary windings, and at least two bus bars disposed within a forced cooling airstream to act as heat sinks for the synchronous rectifiers, while further providing a filtering impedance between the transformer windings and an output capacitance. A split capacitance is disposed in close proximity with the synchronous rectifiers to filter out ripple current, in one embodiment characterized by first and second capacitors each respectively coupled between opposing ends of the first and second bus bars, wherein the bus bars are arranged about at least three sides of the transformer core.

Abstract: A sinker equipped with lubrication oil channeling and separating structure is an element of a knitting machine which includes at least a dial, a sinker disc, an oil ejection nozzle to sprinkle lubrication oil and a yarn feeder. The dial includes a plurality of needle troughs to hold respectively a knitting needle. The sinker disc includes a plurality of sinker troughs to hold the sinker. The sinker includes a base located in the sinker troughs, a driving nub located above the base, a knitting portion located at a front end of the base, an oil sprinkling zone interposed between the base and the knitting portion, and a lubrication oil channeling and separating structure interposed between the knitting portion and the oil sprinkling zone. The lubrication oil channeling and separating structure includes a separating slot, a flow channeling portion and an oil blocking portion that are around the separating slot.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods and systems for automatically securing and validating multi-server electronic communications over a plurality of networks, without requiring additional physical or programmatic infrastructure on the intermediary servers. A processor-executable component can be transmitted from a first server to a compute device, where it generates a pair of asymmetric cryptographic parameters. The first server uses one of those parameters to verify subsequent communications from the component and respond with tagged privacy communication strings, which the component can provide to a second server as part of a secure communication exchange. The first server can then receive secure communication exchange approval request from a third server, and analyzes the request to determine a validity metric.

Abstract: A mobile checkout system and method for completing a purchase transaction to purchase items from an internet merchant. A user browses and selects items for purchase from the merchant through a shopping application or browser (mobile or PC). During the processing of the transaction, a checkout application installed on a mobile communication device is launched. The checkout application receives a checkout token created by a checkout server that identifies the purchase transaction. After user authentication, the system uses this token and communicates with the checkout server to cause the checkout server to complete the purchase transaction, in which payment data is securely transmitted and wherein a one-time-use cryptogram can be part of the payment information.

Abstract: An AC-DC power converter is provided with two pairs of self-driven synchronous rectifier switches in addition to, or in place of, diode bridge rectifiers for boosting efficiency and reducing cost. An AC sensing circuit is coupled to AC input terminals, and a DC level shifting circuit applies a DC offset to an AC input signal received via the sensing circuit. A comparator circuit determines positive and negative half waves of the AC input signal relative to the DC offset value. Gate drive signals are provided for driving a first set of parallel rectifier switches during a positive half cycle of the AC input signal, and for driving a second and opposing pair of parallel rectifier switches during a negative half cycle of the AC input signal. In an embodiment, high side gate drive signals may be electrically isolated from the active rectifier control circuitry.

Abstract: A system for a baseband near field magnetic stripe data transmitter includes a mobile phone, a magnetic stripe transmission (MST) device and a payment button. The mobile phone includes a payment wallet application and is configured to transmit a stream of pulses including magnetic stripe data of a payment card. The MST device includes a driver and an inductor, and the MST device is configured to receive the stream of pulses from the mobile phone, to amplify and shape the received stream of pulses and to generate and emit high energy magnetic pulses including the magnetic stripe data of the payment card. The inductor is driven by a series of timed current pulses that result in a series of high energy magnetic pulses that resemble the fluctuating magnetic field created by a moving magnetic stripe.

Abstract: A resonant DC/DC power converter is provided with isolated primary and secondary circuits. The primary circuit includes at least four switches as first and second pairs in a bridge configuration, an isolation transformer having at least one primary and at least one secondary winding, and a resonant tank including a resonant capacitor and a split resonant inductor having two separate windings. In one embodiment, the split resonant inductor windings are substantially identical. Synchronous switching of diagonally opposed switch pairs in the bridge configuration thereby produces a center point voltage of the primary transformer winding is substantially free of stepwise voltage changes.

Abstract: A method for leveraging email to complete an online transaction from a third party vendor, the method comprising: storing customer information, the customer information including a customer name, customer email address, customer shipping address, and customer billing information. The method further comprises receiving an authorization request from an application programming interface associated with a third party vendor requesting access to a portion of the customer information and receiving confirmation from a customer to allow the third party vendor to access the portion of the customer information. The method further comprising transmitting an access code to the third party vendor and receiving a request message from the third party vendor, wherein the request message comprises the access code, and wherein the request message requests an authorization token. The method may further comprise confirming the received access code and transmitting an authorization token to the third party vendor.

Abstract: A yarn clipping and cutting structure for a striping apparatus of a circular knitting machine, including two yarn clipping and cutting drive blades that abut each other and can be driven synchronously. A first yarn clipping and cutting drive blade is bordered by a yarn feeding blade. The first yarn clipping and cutting drive blade and the yarn feeding blade are interposed by a yarn clipping blade. The first yarn clipping and cutting drive blade has a first end edge formed a first yarn picking portion which has a directing section. A second yarn clipping and cutting drive blade has another side opposing the yarn clipping blade with a yarn cutting blade. The second yarn clipping and cutting drive blade has a second end edge formed a second yarn picking portion. The second yarn picking portion has a spaced section to form an elevation difference against the directing section.

Abstract: A mobile checkout system and method for completing a purchase transaction to purchase items from an internet merchant. A user browses and selects items for purchase from the merchant through a shopping application or browser. During the processing of the transaction, a checkout application installed on a mobile communication device is launched. The checkout application receives a checkout token created by a checkout server that identifies the purchase transaction. The checkout application uses this token and communicates with the checkout server to cause the checkout server to complete the purchase transaction, in which payment data is securely transmitted using a cryptogram.