Portable e-wallet and universal card

Abstract

Universal cards are used in place of all the other traditional cards which a person may want to carry. The universal card can include a short range communications transceiver to communicate with a mobile device. The mobile device can include a user interface and an e-wallet application so that the user can interface with the e-wallet application for programming the universal card via the short range communication link. Once programmed, the universal card emulates a function of a traditional card.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of sharing medical information, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a card comprising a secure element, medical information about a user of a mobile computing device;   storing the medical information in the secure element;   receiving, by the card, authorization information defining access to the medical information in the secure element;   establishing communication with a card reader;   receiving, from the card reader, identification information;   determining, by the card, whether the card reader is authorized to receive the medical information based on the identification information; and   passing the medical information to the card reader in response to determining that the card reader is authorized to receive the medical information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identification information comprises one or more of an identifier of the card reader, an identifier of medical personnel, an identifier of a medical provider, and a code associated with medical personnel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the medical information comprises receiving the medical information from one or more of the user of the mobile computing device, the mobile computing device, and a medical provider. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein passing the medical information to the card reader comprises passing the medical information to the card reader via one or more of a dynamic magnetic stripe, a dynamic radio frequency identification (RFID) transmitter, and a short range communication transmitter. 
     
     
         5 . A method of sharing medical information, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a card comprising a secure element, medical information about a user from a first computing device;   storing the medical information in the secure element, the stored medical information being in an encrypted format;   receiving, from a card reader, a first request to access the medical information;   passing the medical information in the encrypted format to the card reader in response to receiving the first request to access the medical information;   wherein the card reader is configured to decrypt the medical information in the encrypted format using a key.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein passing the medical information in the encrypted format to the card reader comprises passing the medical information to the card reader via one or more of a dynamic magnetic stripe, a dynamic radio frequency identification (RFID) transmitter, and a short range communication transmitter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the card reader is associated with at least one of a first responder or a medical provider. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the first computing device, a second request to access the medical information;   passing the medical information in the encrypted format to the first computing device in response to receiving the second request to access the medical information;   wherein the first computing device is configured to authenticate a user of the first computing device, and to decrypt the medical information in the encrypted format using a key after authenticating the user of the first computing device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a second computing device, a second request to access the medical information;   passing the medical information in the encrypted format to the second computing device in response to receiving the second request to access the medical information;   wherein the second computing device is configured to decrypt the medical information in the encrypted format using the key.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second computing device is associated with at least one of a first responder or a medical provider.