Patent ID: 7083094
Filing Date: 2006-08-01
Classification: G06K,G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A universal credit card apparatus for providing and receiving access to a plurality of accounts including a plurality of account services and account information to and from a host system comprising: a carrier having a planar surface said carrier supporting the components of the apparatus; at least one memory device, chosen from the group consisting of volatile memory and nonvolatile memory, carried by said carrier, for storing account data including account identifying information for more then one account; an emitter device, chosen from the group consisting of infrared LEDs, coils, antenna and transducers, carried by said carrier, user programmable responsive to a user command with a plurality of sets of account identifying information for transmitting said account identifying information to said host system; a receiver device, chosen from the group consisting of phototransistors and antenna, carried by said carrier, for receiving account data including account information from said host system; a display device, carried by said carrier, for selectively displaying account information; a control circuit, carried by said carrier, coupled to said memory, to said display device and to said receiver device and which is operable to store account data including account information received by said receiver device from the host system into said memory and to cause said account information stored in said memory to appear on said display device; a power source, carried by said carrier, and coupled to at least one of said memory, said receiver device, said display device and said control circuit; wherein the emitter device is configured to identify a user selected account to the host system and comprises means for providing programmable patterns to the host system.