Patent ID: 8181874

Claim:
A computer implemented method for processing data stored on a magnetic stripe of a user provided medium performed by a hand-held computer system programmed to perform the method comprising: displaying, with a processor disposed within the computer system, a first alignment graphical user interface on a display of the computer system, wherein the first alignment graphical user interface includes a first visual alignment mark, wherein the first alignment mark is positioned on the display relative to a position of a MEMS magnetic field sensor disposed within the computer system at a first offset, wherein when a user aligns the user provided medium to the first alignment mark on the display, a portion of a first track of the magnetic stripe is disposed above the MEMS magnetic field sensor; sensing, by the MEMS magnetic field sensor, a plurality of magnetic data stored on the first track of the magnetic stripe, in response to the user aligning the user provided medium to the first alignment mark, and moving the user provided medium along the first alignment mark; and determining, with the processor, a plurality of user data stored on the first track of the magnetic stripe in response to the plurality of magnetic data stored on the first track.