A card reader may include a card passage; a shutter member to close the card passage; a magnetic head on a rear side of the shutter member reads or records data in a magnetic strip of a card; an electrostatic capacitance sensor on the rear side or the shutter member; a first guide member which structures at least a part of a face on a first direction side of the card passage when one side in a thickness direction of the card passing the card passage is referred to as a first direction; and a second guide member which structures at least a part of a face on a second direction side of the card passage. The first guide member may include insulating material and the second guide member may include conductive material. The electrostatic capacitance sensor may be attached to the first guide member.

Aspects of the technology provide a card reader for facilitating a financial transaction between a buyer and a merchant. In some implementations, the card reader includes an audio plug configured to provide a communicative coupling between the card reader and a smartphone device, and a read head communicatively coupled to the audio plug, the read head being configured to read financial information from a payment card for processing a transfer of funds from the buyer to the merchant. In certain implementations, the card reader further includes a switch coupled to the audio plug, wherein the switch is configured to close in response to the presence of the payment card to enable communication between the card reader and the smartphone via the audio plug.

An automated, dynamic digital financial management tool is described herein. The financial management tool enables a user to access all forms of payments, debt and transactions to be deducted automatically depending on which form of payment is chosen. The financial management tool documents every item/service purchased. The documentation enables a company/manufacturer/store to provide marketing and recall information to the user. The financial management tool is able to include any and/or all financial aspects of a user's life. The financial management tool is able to be implemented using a universal card. The financial management tool is able to include a pay station to receive payments. The financial management tool is able to include automated services.

This patent specification describes a barcode-reading enhancement accessory for a mobile device having a barcode-reading capability. The accessory may include an outer case and an inner carriage. A mobile device is encased in the inner carriage, and the combination of the inner carriage and the mobile device may be accommodated in the outer case. The inner carriage is configured to accommodate a mobile device of a particular size such that a mobile device of a different size may be accommodated in the outer case using a different inner carriage. The accessory may also include an optic system to fold an optical path of a field of illumination of a light source of the mobile device and/or a field of view of a camera of the mobile device.

The invention relates to a capacitive, planar information carrier with a first, second and third electrically conductive area wherein the first electrically conductive area is overprinted with a first dielectric layer having a first relative permittivity ∈1 and wherein the third electrically conductive area is overprinted with a second dielectric layer having a second relative permittivity ∈2. In another aspect, the invention relates to an information carrier formed from an electrically conductive surface of an object or an electrically conductive object. In other aspects, the invention relates to methods for the manufacture of information carriers, methods for detecting information carriers and to the use of an information carrier.

The invention relates to a capacitive, planar information carrier with a first, second and third electrically conductive area wherein the first electrically conductive area is overprinted with a first dielectric layer having a first relative permittivity ∈1 and wherein the third electrically conductive area is overprinted with a second dielectric layer having a second relative permittivity ∈2. In another aspect, the invention relates to an information carrier formed from an electrically conductive surface of an object or an electrically conductive object. In other aspects, the invention relates to methods for the manufacture of information carriers, methods for detecting information carriers and to the use of an information carrier.

An optical scanner device includes at least one image capture device and a transmitter of at least one aimer beam. The scanner device determines ranging to a subject using the at least one aimer beam projected to reflect off of a surface of the subject, and detects a position of the aimer-beam reflection within an image frame captured by the image-capture device, the position being a primary indicator of a distance to the subject from the optical scanner device. A secondary indicator of the distance to the subject within the image frame in combination with the first indicator is used to help detect the aimer beam reflection against noise and detect an occurrence of an optical misalignment with possible self-correction of calibration after such misalignment.

The present technology pertains to storing transaction information for transactions with merchants in association with an identifier of a buyer, and transmitting an electronic receipt, including the transaction information to the buyer. The present technology includes a system and methods for associating a transaction card number with the user identifier of the buyer, such that the transaction information can be associated with the user identifier of the buyer even when the merchant does not receive the transaction card number or the user identifier of the buyer.

An electronic device for making a payment is provided. The electronic device includes a display configured to receive a user command, a transceiver configured to communicate with an external device, and a processor configured to request a token associated with a financial service from a payment server when a user requests the financial service and to generate data for providing the financial service by using the token and service information when the token and the service information associated with the financial service is received from the payment server.

An electronic device for making a payment is provided. The electronic device includes a display configured to receive a user command, a transceiver configured to communicate with an external device, and a processor configured to request a token associated with a financial service from a payment server when a user requests the financial service and to generate data for providing the financial service by using the token and service information when the token and the service information associated with the financial service is received from the payment server.