A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Gift cards may be inputted by a user into such a payment card or other device such that a user can combine gift cards. Similarly, a user be provided with a global payment account that can be utilized in multiple countries that have different standards for formatting data. A user may be provided with a default country (e.g., United States) but may have a way to select that the user is in a different country (e.g., Japan). Accordingly, a user may select that a Japanese data structure be transmitted through a magnetic stripe reader when the user is in Japan.

Disclosed are a magnetic bar code chip and a reading method thereof. The magnetic bar code chip comprises binary information bits formed by N rows and M columns of permanent magnet bars and/or null bits, and information identification bits that are peripheral to the binary information bits. The information identification bits are composed of permanent magnet bar identifiers and used for representing a position and a state of the magnetic bar code chip. The permanent magnet bars and the null bits represent 1 and 0 or 0 and 1 respectively. During reading, a strong magnetic field in a row direction of the binary information bits of the magnetic bar code chip is firstly used to set a magnetization direction of the permanent magnet bars, and then a magnetic bar code reader such as a multi-channel magnetic field gradient sensor, a magneto-optical microscope, a magnetic field monitor, a scanning magnetoresistivemicroscope and the like is used to convert magnetic field distribution information generated by the permanent magnet bars on the magnetic bar code chip into the binary information bits and information identification bits respectively, thus implementing reading on a reading result of the magnetic bar code chip. The present invention has characteristics of a small size and strong security.

An enclosure for an electronic device includes a device opening and a device window. The enclosure typically includes a door that may be rotated about an axis to provide access to the device opening while remaining connected to the enclosure. Exemplary enclosures include a slot for a magnetic card reading system that facilitates the alignment and insertion of a magnetic card.

An anti-skimming card reader device, and systems and methods for using the same, are provided. The card reading device can include a plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The device can also include a magnetic stripe reader disposed at the second surface. The magnetic stripe reader can include at least one sensor configured to acquire data from a magnetic stripe of a card disposed at the first surface and at least one proximity sensor configured to detect that the card is disposed at the first surface and to cause the at least one sensor to acquire the data from the magnetic stripe.

The present invention relates to a Card feed unit for transferring a data carrier for card information of a multi-services card, such as a bank card or credit card, to a reading ahead of a reading unit for at least reading out card information, the card feed unit comprising: —a card receipt position for receipt of the card, —a transfer assembly, preferably comprising a channel, in which: —the card feed unit is suitable for, during insertion of the card in the receipt position, receiving the card in the receipt position by means of an insertion operation with a direction of movement that, at least as seen in one direction, is substantially perpendicular to the readout direction of the card for preventing that the card is readable during the insertion operation. The card feed unit preferably comprises a kernel element and a separate cover element.

A card reader may include a card conveying mechanism; a guide; a magnetic head; a positioning member to position the card relative to the magnetic head; and a shutter. The positioning member may include a card abutting part to abut a third direction end of the card; and a card support part to contact a first direction side of the card. A distance between the card abutting part and a third direction end of the guide is shorter than a width in the short-side direction of the card. When the shutter has closed, a fourth direction end of the shutter is disposed on a first direction side of the guide. When the shutter has opened the opening, the shutter is disposed on the first direction side of the guide. The third direction end of the card may be guided to the card support part by the shutter.

The present disclosure concerns a magnetic reader (MR) sensor device for reading magnetic stripes, the MR sensor device comprising a substrate provided on a wafer, a back-end-of-line (BEOL) interconnect layer and a plurality of magneto-resistive sensor elements embedded within the BEOL interconnect layer; the MR sensor device comprising a protective layer having a Vickers hardness of at least 3 GPa. The present disclosure further concerns a method for manufacturing the MR sensor device. The MR sensor device can be brought close to the surface to the magnetic stripe so that the magnetic stripe can be read with an increased resolution.

Provided are a disturbing magnetic field generator and a card reader capable of suppressing the generation of noise caused by vibration of a core. A disturbing magnetic field generator that generates a disturbing magnetic field for disturbing unauthorized reading of magnetic data recorded on a card includes a coil to generate the disturbing magnetic field, a bobbin including a tubular body part in which the coil is wound on an outer peripheral side, and a core disposed inside the tubular body part. A first gap is provided between the tubular body part and the core.

A system for autonomously managing resupply of consumable resources for a mobile unit includes sensors that monitor a level of a consumable resource for each entity in the unit. A network of tags communicates via short-range magnetic communications links. A local node provides a long-range RF communication link to communicate with a global node. Together the network of tags, local node and global node initiate a local resupply of the consumable resource to one or more entities from other entities within the mobile unit and a global resupply of the mobile unit from the one or more depots. The network of sensors/tags automates the task of monitoring resource levels and managing resupply. The use of the magnetic portion of the EM spectrum for local communications within the mobile unit overcomes the issues associated with RF in harsh or hostile environments.

A card reader includes a front wall where a card insertion slot opens, a conveyance path extending from the insertion slot toward a back side, a conveyance mechanism configured to convey a card inserted into the insertion slot along the conveyance path, a magnetic head configured to read information from the card conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and a recess recessed from the front wall toward the back side and configured to expose inside both sides of a rear end of the card conveyed to the back side along the conveyance path.