Method for facilitating payment with a reprogrammable payment card

Abstract

One variation of a method for facilitating payment with a payment card includes: in response to an input on the surface of the payment card exceeding a first input threshold magnitude, transitioning from the off state into a primary payment mode; in the primary payment mode, activating a first timer of a first duration; in response to expiration of the first timer prior to a magnetic read head proximal the payment card, transitioning from the primary payment mode into a sleep state; in response to an input on the surface of the payment card exceeding a second input threshold in the sleep state, transitioning into a secondary payment mode; in the secondary payment mode, activating a second timer of a second duration less than the first duration; and driving a magnetic stripe emulator within the payment card according to a magnetic sequence command corresponding to a magnetic stripe card.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for facilitating payment with a payment card comprising:
 at the payment card, in response to detecting an input on a surface of the payment card exceeding a first input threshold magnitude, transitioning from an off state into a primary payment mode;   in the primary payment mode, activating a first timer of a first duration;   following detecting a magnetic read head proximal the payment card prior to expiration of the first timer, transitioning from the primary payment mode into the off state;   in response to expiration of the first timer prior to detecting a magnetic read head proximal the payment card, transitioning from the primary payment mode into a sleep state;   in response to detecting an input on the surface of the payment card exceeding a second input threshold magnitude less than the first input threshold magnitude in the sleep state, transitioning from the sleep state into a secondary payment mode;   in response to entering the secondary payment mode, activating a second timer of a second duration less than the first duration;   following detecting a magnetic read head proximal the payment card prior to expiration of the second timer, transitioning from the secondary payment mode into the off state;   in response to expiration of the second timer prior to detecting a magnetic read head proximal the payment card, transitioning from the secondary payment mode into the sleep state; and   in the primary payment mode and in the secondary payment mode, in response to detecting a magnetic read head proximal the payment card, driving a magnetic stripe emulator within the payment card according to a magnetic sequence command stored on the payment card and corresponding to a magnetic stripe card.