A system for use in authentication processes is described comprising a physical unclonable function (PUF), a substrate, a plurality of magnetized particles randomly dispersed in the substrate, a PUF reader constructed using multiple discrete magnetometer chips that have magnetic field sensors, placed on a circuit card in an array with a sufficient center to center spacing between sensing elements of adjacent magnetometer chips, wherein the PUF reader measures the magnetic field data at multiple locations in close proximity to the magnetized particles. The measured magnetic field data may be compared to previously enrolled data to assess authenticity.

Devices and methods for detecting credit card skimmers are provided herein. A device can include a printed circuit board having a pattern of electrical traces on its surface, and a computer readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to direct an electrical voltage to a trace and detect an electrical current between two points of the trace. A gap can be disposed between the two points across which a voltage is applied in order to detect a magnetic reader. A count of the detected magnetic readers within a credit card reading device may be indicative of the presence of a credit card skimmer.

A Transition Smart Card (TSC) is disclosed herein. The TSC receives data card information from credit and debit cards via a mobile phone. The TSC is used to present the financial card information card readers, such as magnetic card readers, for performing financial transactions. The TSC may connect with the mobile phone wirelessly or through a nest coupled to the mobile phone to receive financial card information for presentation to a magnetic card reader. The TSC may include a data display screen, a biometric device to authenticate a user, a dynamic broadcasting module for transmitting magnetic data, an ON/OFF switch to activate the card for use, and a rechargeable battery configured to be charged by proximity to another device such as a smart phone. The nest may include solar cells and other energy harvesting devices to obtain and provide electricity to the TSC.

An intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium and a method of forming and reading the same are provided herein. Also provided is an identification card or tag, a key, an anti-counterfeiting measure, an anti-forging measure. The intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium includes a magnetically readable surface, wherein the magnetically readable surface contains one or more first magnetically readable regions of the intermetallic or iron aluminide surrounded by one or more second magnetically readable regions. Additionally, the intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium can be coated, encapsulated or concealed within a material.

A transaction instrument comprises a plastic and one or more metal inclusions embedded or encased in the plastic. The one or more metal inclusions are in a non-particle form and is selected from the group consisting of a bit, a piece, a strand, a strip, a mesh, a web, and a combination thereof. The metal inclusion is comprised of a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten, silver, zinc, bismuth, molybdenum, iron, steel, tin, copper, titanium, or a combination thereof.

A method is described for detecting a security thread in a value document, in which magnetic data are employed for sites on the value document, said magnetic data representing a magnetic property of the value document at the site, check sites on the value document are determined employing the sites, and from the check sites, a straight line is specified, along or on which at least some of the check sites lie and which represents a location of the security thread.

A sheet-shaped magnetic marker (1) to be laid on a road surface so as to be able to be detected by a magnetic sensor attached to a vehicle to achieve assist for driving operation of the vehicle by a driver or control on a vehicle side to achieve automatic driving independently from operation of the driver is divided into a plurality of regions in a matrix shape by a cut line (1C) cutting a magnet sheet (11) and a nonskid layer (181), with an adhesive layer being left. Thus, if peeling partially occurs, a region including the peeled part can be isolated, and expansion of peeling can be prevented.

Methods for manufacturing a magnetic stripe on a card element of a card-like data carrier. involve applying at least a portion of a magnetic stripe material layer onto a card element surface of the card element using different techniques. The application of the portion of the magnetic stripe material layer onto the card element surface generates a magnetic stripe on the card element surface such that the magnetic stripe has a stripe length that is less than a length of the card element surface and has a stripe width that is less than a width of the card element surface.

A contactless payment device and method transmits a sequence of magnetic-field pulses directly to two or three magnetic-stripe read heads of a point-of-sale terminal. The baud rate at which the data is transmitted is modulated so that track data for one read head channel will be ignored by another read head channel, based on the change to the baud rate and/or the rate of change in the baud rate to improve acceptance of the transmitted pulses received by the read heads of the point-of-sale terminal.

A magnetic secure transmission (MST) system includes a switching circuit, an inductor, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to control the switching circuit to adjust a level of current in the inductor. The inductor current may be adjusted by a first amount over a data transmission period such that the inductor emits a magnetic pulse including a first magnitude. The inductor current may be kept constant during a first sub-period of a data non-transmission period and may be changed by a second amount at a constant slope during a second sub-period of the data non-transmission period, such that the inductor emits a magnetic pulse including a second magnitude during the second sub-period of the data non-transmission period. The second amount is less than the first amount. The first magnitude is greater than a threshold value. The second magnitude is less than the threshold value.