Patents by Inventor Anna C. Stockel

Anna C. Stockel 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).

  • External adapter for magnetic stripe card reader
    Patent number: 7357319
    Abstract: An adaptor in accordance with the present invention allows a conventional magnetic stripe card POS reader to receive information from contact-based or wireless sources while maintaining the concurrent ability of the reader to interact with a magnetic stripe card. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the adaptor includes an inductor capable of generating a magnetic field of sufficient power to couple with a head of a magnetic stripe card reader through the housing of the reader device. In this manner, the adaptor can be positioned external to the reader device, leaving the slot of the reader accessible for conventional interactions with magnetic stripe cards. Selective inductive communication with individual heads of the reader device may exploit their differing sensitivity to external magnetic fields generated by the adaptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: VIVOtech, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Liu, Mohammad A. Khan, Jorge M. Fernandes, Ahmer Ali Khan, Anna C. Stockel
  • External adaptor for magnetic stripe card reader
    Patent number: 7114652
    Abstract: An adaptor in accordance with the present invention allows a conventional magnetic stripe card POS reader to receive information from contact-based or wireless sources while maintaining the concurrent ability of the reader to interact with a magnetic stripe card. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the adaptor includes an inductor capable of generating a magnetic field of sufficient power to couple with a head of a magnetic stripe card reader through the housing of the reader device. In this manner, the adaptor can be positioned external to the reader device, leaving the slot of the reader accessible for conventional interactions with magnetic stripe cards. Selective inductive communication with individual heads of the reader device may exploit their differing sensitivity to external magnetic fields generated by the adaptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: VIVOtech, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Lyle Moullette, Mohammad A. Khan, Jorge M. Fernandes, Ahmer Ali Khan, Anna C. Stockel