Abstract: A decoding system includes a decoding engine running on a mobile device that decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card. The decoding engine accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of the first party's financial transaction card until the signals reach a steady state, detects the read once the incoming signals are in a steady state, identifies peaks in the incoming signals and digitizes the identified peaks in the incoming signals into bits. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. The transaction engine receives as its input decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine, and serves as an intermediary between the first party and a second party, so that the first party does not have to share his/her financial transaction card information with the second party.

Abstract: A decoding system with a decoding engine running on a mobile device decodes signals produced from a read of a buyer's financial transaction card, accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of a buyer's financial transaction card until the signals reach a steady state, detects the read of the buyer's financial transaction card once the incoming signals are in a steady state, identifies peaks in the incoming signals and digitizes the identified peaks in the incoming signals into bits. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. A payment system is in communication with the transaction engine and with a buyer's financial transaction card institution or a first party's financial account. The payment system includes identifying information of second parties qualified by the payment system to conduct business with the payment system.

Abstract: A decoding system has a decoding engine running on a mobile device. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card. The decoding engine accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of the first party's financial transaction card. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. The transaction engine receives as its input decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine. At least a portion of a first party's financial card information or information relative to a first party's financial account is used to create a mobile device payment application on the mobile device.

Abstract: A decoding system has a decoding engine running on a mobile device. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card. The decoding engine accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of the first party's financial transaction card. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. The transaction engine receives as its input decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine. A user interaction engine is configured to utilize a touch screen of the mobile device. A first party or second party can input at least one of numbers, characters, and signatures by touching the touch screen.

Abstract: A decoding system with a decoding engine running on a mobile device The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a buyer's financial transaction card, accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of a buyer's financial transaction card until the signals reach a steady state, detects the read of the buyer's financial transaction card once the incoming signals are in a steady stat, identifies peaks in the incoming signals and digitizes the identified peaks in the incoming signals into bits. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. A payment system is in communication with the transaction engine and with a buyer's financial transaction card institution or a first party's financial account. The payment system includes identifying information of second parties qualified by the payment system to conduct business with the payment system.

Abstract: A decoding system has a decoding engine running on a mobile device. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card, accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of a first party's financial transaction card. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. The transaction engine receives as its input decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine, and serves as an intermediary between the first party and a second party, so that the first party does not have to share his/her financial transaction card information with the second party. The decoding system is configured to be coupled and decoupled to a card reader with wake-up electronics.

Abstract: A decoding system, with a decoding engine, runs on a mobile device. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card. The decoding engine accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of the first party's financial transaction card until the signals reach a steady state, identifies peaks in the incoming signals and digitizes the identified peaks into bits. A transaction engine is coupled to the decoding engine. The transaction engine receives, as its input, decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine, and serves as an intermediary between the first party and a second party. The first party does not have to share his/her financial transaction card information with the second party. The transaction engine is configured to be coupled to a payment system and a first party's financial transaction card institution or a first party's financial account.

Abstract: A decoding system has a decoding engine running on a mobile device. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card, accepts and initializes incoming signals from a read of a first party's financial transaction card, and detects a read of the first party's financial transaction card. The transaction engine receives as its input decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine, and serves as an intermediary between the first party and a second party, so that the first party does not have to share his/her financial transaction card information with the second party. A social network is in communication with the transaction engine.

Abstract: A decoding system runs on a mobile device and is coupled to a payment system. The decoding engine decodes signals produced from a read of a first party's financial transaction card. A transaction engine runs on the mobile device and is coupled to the decoding engine. The transaction engine receives as its input decoded first party's financial transaction card information from the decoding engine. A payment system, in communication with the transaction engine, includes at least one of, a user database, a product database, and transaction database.

Abstract: A card reader is positioned in a housing that has length, height and width dimensions. The read head is configured to be coupled to a mobile device and has a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. The read head has length, height and width edge surfaces. An asymmetric spring is coupled to the read head. The asymmetric spring positions the read head to be offset in the housing with the housing length and height edges being non-symmetrical in respect to the length and height edges of the read head. An output jack is adapted to be inserted in a port of the mobile device and deliver an output jack signal to the mobile device.

Abstract: A method of transmitting information to a mobile device uses a card reader that has an asymmetric spring. The card reader includes a housing with length, height and width dimensions, a read head with a slot, a microcontroller, an output jack and the asymmetric spring coupled to the read head. The asymmetrical spring positions the read head to be offset in the housing, with the housing length and height edges being non-symmetrical in respect to the length and height edges of the read head. A card is slid in the slot. Data is read from the magnetic stripe; A raw magnetic signal is produced indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. The raw magnetic head signal is converted into a processed digital signal that the microcontroller can interpret. An output jack signal is sent to the mobile device.

Abstract: A card reader is provided with a read head with a slot and is configured to be coupled to a mobile device and has a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a raw magnetic signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. A power supply is coupled to wake-up electronics and a microcontroller. An output jack is adapted to be inserted in a port of the mobile device and deliver an output jack signal to the mobile device. The wake-up electronics is powered by a microphone bias of a mobile device.

Abstract: A has a read head configured to be coupled to a mobile device. The read head has a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a raw magnetic signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. Device electronics are provided with an analog front-end and a microcontroller. The analog to digital front end is coupled to a processing element in the microcontroller. The analog to digital front end receives a raw magnetic head signal and converts it into a processed digital signal that the microcontroller can interpret. The microcontroller produces a signal. An output jack is adapted to be inserted in a port of the mobile device and deliver an output jack signal to the mobile device.

Abstract: A card reader has a housing, read head and device electronics that receive a raw signal from the read head and converts it into a processed digital signal that the microcontroller can interpret. A microcontroller with associated logic resources and code receives a digital signal from the device electronics and creates an encrypted and signed message based on the contents of the signal. An output jack is provided.

Abstract: A card reader has a read head positioned in the housing. The read head is configured to be coupled to a mobile device. The read head has a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a raw magnetic signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. Device electronics are provided that include a microcontroller. The device electronics receives a raw magnetic head signal and converts it into a processed digital signal that the microcontroller can interpret. The microcontroller produces a synchronous Manchester encoded stream that makes a greater number of 0 crossings. An output jack is adapted to be inserted in a port of the mobile device and deliver a Manchester encoded stream output jack signal to the mobile device.

Abstract: A method of reconstructing a packet that includes financial card information from a mobile device uses a card reader. The card reader has a read head, a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card and device electronics that includes a microcontroller with logic resources with code. The card reader has a unique identifier and associated cryptographic key. The same code is used to produce an encrypted and signed signal. The encrypted and signed signal, that includes the card reader identifier, is sent to the mobile device. The mobile device sends an encrypted and signed packet to a back end of a payment system. A cryptographic key is sued to decrypt and verify the contents of the packet at the back end. Non-encrypted financial card information is sent to a payment gateway.

Abstract: A method of transmitting information to a mobile device includes providing a read head with a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card, a power supply coupled to wake-up electronics and a microcontroller. The wake-up electronics are powered by a microphone bias of a mobile device.

Abstract: These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in a card reader with a read head positioned in a housing. The read head is configured to be coupled to a mobile device and has a slot for swiping a magnetic stripe of a card. The read head reads data on the magnetic stripe and produces a raw magnetic signal indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. A power supply is coupled to wake-up electronics and a microcontroller. An output jack is adapted to be inserted in a port of the mobile device and deliver an output jack signal to the mobile device.

Abstract: A method of transmitting encrypted information to a mobile device and a payment service uses a card reader. The card reader has device electronics that include a microcontroller with logic resources with code and an output jack. A raw magnetic head signal is received from a reading of the card in the slot. The raw magnetic head signal is converted into a processed digital signal that the microcontroller can interpret. The logic resources and the code create both an encryption and signed signal. An encrypted and signed output jack message is delivered to the mobile device through the output jack based on the contents of the signal, with at least a portion of the output jack signal being encrypted.

Abstract: A method of transmitting information to a mobile device uses a card reader inside of a housing. The read head is positioned offset from a center of a magnetic strip when the card is in the slot and is in contact with a bottom of the slot. A card is slid in the slot. Data is read from the magnetic stripe. A raw magnetic signal is produced indicative of data stored on the magnetic stripe. The raw magnetic head signal is converted into a processed digital signal that the microcontroller can interpret.