NFC base station and passive transmitter device

A near field communication (NFC) enabled payment device that can be operated in a reader mode or in a transmission mode, the NFC enabled payment device comprising:

• a NFC antenna;
• a driving circuit;
• a switch, the switch coupled at a first pole to the NFC antenna, the switch coupled at a second pole to the driving circuit, wherein the NFC antenna is driven by the driving circuit and the NFC enabled payment device operates in the reader mode while the switch is closed, and wherein the NFC antenna is not driven by the driving circuit and operates in the transmission mode while the switch is open, wherein the NFC enabled payment device while in the reader mode reads first payment data from a first payment object and transmits the first payment data to a merchant device, wherein the NFC enabled payment device while in the transmission mode reads second payment data from a second payment object via contact between the second payment object and a reader interface of the NFC enabled payment device, wherein the NFC enabled payment device while in the transmission mode transmits the second payment data wirelessly via the NFC antenna from the NFC enabled payment device to a payment object reader;
• a microcontroller;
• and
• a load modulator that is configured to modulate an inductive load via the NFC antenna to communicate payment object data from the NFC enabled payment device.

A payment device having a first mode of operation where the payment device acts as a receiver and reads first payment data from a first payment object, the payment device also having a second mode of operation where the payment device acts as a transmitter and transmits second payment data from a second payment object to a payment object reader, the payment device comprising:

• an antenna;
• a driving circuit configured to drive the antenna while a switch is closed;
• the switch wherein a first pole of the switch is coupled to the antenna and a second pole of the switch is coupled to the driving circuit;
• and
• a microcontroller in communication with the driving circuit, the microcontroller configured to:
• read the first payment data from the first payment object while the payment device is in the first mode of operation,
• transmit the first payment data to a merchant device having a merchant application running thereon while the payment device is in the first mode of operation,
• open the switch while the payment device is in the second mode of operation,
• read the second payment data from the second payment object via electrical contact between the second payment object and a reader interface of the payment device while the payment device is in the second mode of operation, and
• transmit the second payment data from the antenna of the payment device to the payment object reader while the payment device is in the second mode of operation.

A method of receiving and transmitting payment data using a payment device, the payment device having a first mode of operation where the payment device acts as a receiver and reads first payment data from a first payment object, and a second mode of operation where the payment device acts as a transmitter and transmits second payment data from a second payment object to a payment object reader, the method comprising:

• reading the first payment data from the first payment object while the payment device is in the first mode of operation;
• transmitting the first payment data to a merchant device having a merchant application running thereon while the payment device is in the first mode of operation;
• opening a switch while the payment device is in the second mode of operation, wherein a first pole of the switch is coupled to an antenna and a second pole of the switch is coupled to a driving circuit;
• reading the second payment data from the second payment object via contact between the second payment object and a reader interface of the payment device while the payment device is in the second mode of operation;
• and
• transmitting the second payment data wirelessly via the antenna from the payment device to the payment object reader while the payment device is in the second mode of operation.