Patent ID: 8534555
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a reconfigurable stripe reader comprising gain circuitry and a comparator, the reconfigurable stripe reader configured to receive read head signals corresponding to a track of a magnetic stripe, the reconfigurable stripe reader having a first configuration with a first routing of the read head signals configured to detect an initiation of a swipe of the magnetic stripe from the read head signals and having a second configuration with a second routing of the read head signals configured to read data stored on the track of the magnetic stripe from the read head signals during the swipe of the magnetic stripe, wherein the reconfigurable stripe reader is operable in the first configuration to detect the initiation of the swipe before transitioning to operation in the second configuration, wherein in the second configuration the gain circuitry is configured to boost the read head signals captured during the swipe of the magnetic stripe and the comparator is configured to read the data stored on the magnetic stripe based on the boosted read head signals, and wherein in the first configuration, the reconfigurable stripe reader is configured to bypass the gain circuitry and provide the read head signals to the comparator.