Patent ID: 8248245

Claim:
A point of sale (POS) terminal comprising: a contactless transaction/identification card reader, at least part of said contactless transaction/identification card reader being operative to enable operation of said card reader in a transaction mode for contactless card reading and in a propinquity sensing mode for sensing propinquity with an external propinquity indication element; and a propinquity verifier operative in said propinquity sensing mode for verifying that said POS terminal has at least predetermined propinquity to said external propinquity indication element, said contactless transaction/identification card reader comprising a propinquity sensing module and an antenna, said propinquity sensing module being operative to control at least one of transmitted signal strength and received signal sensitivity, whereby said contactless transaction/identification card reader is enabled; in said transaction mode to communicate with conventional contactless cards over a range of a few inches by lowering the transmitted signal strength and employing a first communication protocol which is suitable for contactless card reading; and in said propinquity sensing mode to communicate with said external propinquity indication element by increasing at least one of the transmitted signal strength and received signal sensitivity and employing a second communication protocol which is suitable for communication with said external propinquity indication element.