# US 2025/0165733 A1 · Systems and methods for non-time smearing detection mechanisms for magnetic cards and devices

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- Number: US 2025/0165733 A1
- Document ID: US20250165733A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/032,078
- Filed: 2025-01-19
- Published: 2025-05-22
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-20
- Assignees: Dynamics Inc.
- Applicants: Dynamics Inc.
- Inventors: Allen D. Bowers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250165733A1

## CPC

- G06K 7/082: {using inductive or magnetic sensors}
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

A detection activity of a card may be sensitive to capacitance changes in one or more pads on the card, where a capacitance change detected in a pad during a first time period does not affect a capacitance change detected in the pad during subsequent time period(s). Accordingly, the detection activity may remain sensitive to a faster-moving device with greater accuracy in a determination of position, velocity and/or acceleration of the faster-moving device in relation to the card. A second detection activity may follow a first detection activity, which may increase a probability of a successful communication sequence subsequent to the first detection activity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A payment card comprising:
a magnetic stripe communications device operable to communicate magnetic stripe payment information to a magnetic stripe read-head;
a plurality of conductive pads; and
a controller operable to receive information associated with relative capacitance magnitude variations for each pad of said plurality of pads over time, said controller operable to process said information using a non-time smearing gain algorithm to determine a position of an external object relative to said payment card.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The payment card of claim 1, wherein:
said controller is also operable to detect a first presence of a housing that houses said read-head using a detected capacitance change in a first pad during a first time period.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The payment card of claim 2, wherein:
said controller is also operable to detect a second presence of a read-head housing of a magnetic stripe reader using a detected capacitance change in said first pad during a second time period, wherein said first detected capacitance change during said first time period does not affect said second detected capacitance change during said second time period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The payment card of claim 3, wherein:
said controller activates a communication sequence with said magnetic stripe reader in response to at least one of said first and second detections.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The payment card of claim 4, wherein:
said communications sequence transmits at least magnetic stripe payment information to said read-head.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The payment card of claim 1, wherein:
said capacitance magnitude variations for each pad of said plurality of pads are evaluated independent of each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The payment card of claim 6, wherein:
said independent evaluation of said capacitance magnitude variations increases a likelihood of successfully detecting a presence of said read-head housing.