An apparatus and method and electronic device, the apparatus comprising: a memory element configured to store information; a switching element coupled to the memory element; wherein the switching element is configured to be switched from a first state to a second state in response to an input signal provided by a capacitive touch screen and wherein when the switching element is in the second state the information can be read from the memory element by the capacitive touch screen.

The present disclosure describes writing information on substrate displays. In an example, a display on a substrate is interfaced. The interfacing includes constraining a first longitudinal side of the substrate via a first actuable slot. Further, a second longitudinal side of the substrate opposite to the first longitudinal side is constrained via a second actuable slot. Thereby the substrate is constrained between the first and second slot with the display positioned therebetween. Further, the display is operated to write information thereon via an imager while the substrate is constrained between the first and second slot.

A card that includes an electrically non-conductive substrate and a plurality of conductive points disposed on a bottom surface of the non-conductive substrate. The conductive points are connected with a coupling point disposed on a top surface of the substrate through vias that extend through the substrate. The conductive points form a pattern that represents an identification of the card and activate locations on a touchscreen of an electronic device. At least three of the conductive points form a predetermined shape such that the electronic device determines a location and an orientation of the card when the card is placed on the touchscreen of the electronic device.

A displacement sensor that includes a stationary printed circuit board which includes a first capacitor pad, an indicator, and a battery electrically communicating with the first capacitor pad and the indicator and a sliding card which includes a second capacitor pad, the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad being orientated to face each other and in an overlapping relation to each other. An overlap being defined by the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad, wherein the overlap of the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad generates a capacitance, the generated capacitance changes as the sliding card moves as a result of a change in the overlap of the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad. The indicator is activated when the generated capacitance change reaches a threshold value.

A displacement sensor that includes a stationary printed circuit board which includes a first capacitor pad, an indicator, and a battery electrically communicating with the first capacitor pad and the indicator and a sliding card which includes a second capacitor pad, the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad being orientated to face each other and in an overlapping relation to each other. An overlap being defined by the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad, wherein the overlap of the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad generates a capacitance, the generated capacitance changes as the sliding card moves as a result of a change in the overlap of the first capacitor pad and the second capacitor pad. The indicator is activated when the generated capacitance change reaches a threshold value.

A card detector configured to be communicatively coupled to a card reader comprises: a first comparator configured to output periodically a first comparison result by comparing a voltage for a device under test with a first reference; a second comparator outputs periodically a second comparison result by comparing a second reference voltage with the first reference voltage, wherein the second reference voltage is adjustable; a decision circuit communicatively coupled to both the first comparator and the second comparator, and decides whether a card is in proximity to the card detector by comparing the time delay relationship between the first comparison result and the second comparison result respectively at a first time point and a second time point different from the first time point, and further wakes up the card reader if the decision circuit decides that the card is in proximity to the card detector.

Methods and systems are described herein for locally deactivating transaction cards to prevent offline transactions. A processor affixed to the transaction card may be used to locally deactivate transaction cards. The processor may receive a signal from a transaction terminal requesting a connection with the transaction card and may establish a connection with the transaction terminal. The processor may receive an indication to deactivate the transaction card and in response to receiving the indication apply an electric current to a stripe deactivating element that deactivates at least a portion of one or more tracks of a stripe on the transaction card and cause, via a built-in circuit, a predetermined increase in the electric current to the processor that causes a pathway that enables power distribution to the processor to be destroyed.

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.

The present invention relates to a method comprising providing one or more information carrier(s) with a dielectric and/or conductive pattern and a detection device having a capacitive touch screen and inducing an interaction between the information carrier and the touch screen, wherein the interaction is based on a difference in the dielectric coefficient and/or the conductivity of the pattern and generates a touch signal and wherein the interaction is induced by relative motion between the information carrier and the touch screen. The invention further relates to a system comprising an information carrier comprising a dielectric and/or conductive pattern which encodes information and a detection device having a touch screen; the detection device is able to decode the information upon interaction between the information carrier and the touch screen, wherein the interaction is caused by a difference in the dielectric coefficient and/or the conductivity of the pattern.

A card that includes an electrically non-conductive substrate and a plurality of conductive points disposed on a bottom surface of the non-conductive substrate. The conductive points are connected with a coupling point disposed on a top surface of the substrate through vias that extend through the substrate. The conductive points form a pattern that represents an identification of the card and activate locations on a touchscreen of an electronic device. At least three of the conductive points form a predetermined shape such that the electronic device determines a location and an orientation of the card when the card is placed on the touchscreen of the electronic device.