Universal credit card integrated with cellular telephone

Abstract

A universal credit card with a cellular telephone that has inside of an outer housing and adjacent to a side thereof a magnetic reader/writer capable of reading data from a magnetic strip of a credit card. Along a side of the outer housing adjacent the magnetic reader/writer is a wide and deep enough slit to swipe the credit card. When a template credit card is swiped through the slit, a magnetic strip of the template credit card reads or writes data from at least one credit card that the user selected on the telephone's keypad from a plurality of credit cards whose data had been entered into memory. A controller and software operate the magnetic reader/writer the user's keypad selection. Alternatively, there is a slot in the outer housing rather than a slit, and insertion and/or removal of a credit card in the slot constitutes swiping the credit card.

1. A credit card and cellular telephone assembly for use with a cellular telephone of the kind having a keypad, an outer housing, and a computer system, said computer system including a central processing unit, a data bus, an electronic memory storage and software, the assembly handheld apparatus comprising:
 thea cellular telephone, said cellular telephone also including a magnetic reader/writer capable of reading data from a magnetic strip of a standard-width credit card, 
 thewherein an outer housing havingof the cellular telephone includes a slit running along a side of saidthe outer housing, the slit having a width at least equal to a standard width of a credit card, the slit also having a sufficient depth so that the credit card can be inserted into the slit in a manner that places thea magnetic strip of saida credit card beyond a vertical border of an inside wall at the side of the outer housing, the magnetic reader/writer positioned adjacent a slit wall of the slit, 
 a template credit card having a magnetic strip, the magnetic strip of said template credit card capable of storing and deleting data from at least one credit card selected from a plurality of credit cards when the template credit card is swiped through the slit, 
 a keypad, coupled to the outer housing, 
 a computer system including a central processing unit, a data bus, and electronic memory storage,  
 a controller of the magnetic reader/writer connected to the magnetic reader/writer, said the controller for processing and storing electrical signals from the magnetic reader/writer and for instructing the magnetic reader/writer, said the controller connected to the computer system of the cellular telephone including through a the data bus to the central processing unit of the cellular telephone, and 
 first software, stored in the electronic memory storage, for operating the controller to process a keypad selection of a credit card whose data is to be written by the magnetic reader/writer on to the template credit card from among a plurality of credit cards whose data has been read by the magnetic/reader/writer and stored in the electronic memory storage, and to write data associated with the selected card by the magnetic reader/writer onto a template credit card. 
 
     
     
       2. The assembly apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       3. The assembly apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the slit runs along a left side façade of the outer housing or a right side façade of the outer housing. 
     
     
       4. The assembly apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first software is also for operating the controller to process a keypad selection of a “clear” function that is followed by an insertion of the template credit card into the slit to erase data on the template credit card. 
     
     
       5. A method of operating an all in one credit card through a cellular telephone, comprising:
 (i) providing a credit card and cellular telephone assembly that uses a cellular telephone of the kind having a keypad, an outer housing, and a computer system, said computer system including a central processing unit, a data bus, an electronic memory storage and software, the assembly including: 
 the cellular telephone, said cellular telephone also including a magnetic reader/writer capable of reading data from a magnetic strip of a standard-width credit card, 
 the outer housing having a slit running along a side of said outer housing, the slit having a width at least equal to a standard width of a credit card, the slit also having a sufficient depth so that the credit card can be inserted into the slit in a manner that places the magnetic strip of said credit card beyond a vertical border of an inside wall at the side of the outer housing, 
 the magnetic reader/writer positioned adjacent to a slit wall of the slit, 
 a template credit card having a magnetic strip, the magnetic strip of said template credit card capable of storing and deleting data from at least one credit card selected from a plurality of credit cards when the template credit card is swiped through the slit, 
 a controller of the magnetic reader/writer connected to the magnetic reader/writer, said controller for processing and storing electrical signals from the magnetic reader/writer and for instructing the magnetic reader/writer, said controller connected to the computer system of the cellular telephone including through a data bus to the central processing unit of the cellular telephone, and 
 first software for operating the controller to process a keypad selection of a credit card whose data is to be written by the magnetic reader/writer on to the template credit card from among a plurality of credit cards whose data has been read by the magnetic/reader/writer 
 (ii) successively swipingreceiving swipes of each credit card of the plurality of credit cards in the slit, via a magnetic reader/writer disposed in a hand-held apparatus comprising a cellular telephone, and storing credit card data read from each credit card on the hand-held apparatus; 
 (iii) using the keypad to select data fromreceiving a selection via the hand-held apparatus of a credit card from among the plurality of credit cards,for which corresponding data is to be written to a template card; and 
 (iv) swiping the template credit card in the slit to write the selected data on to the template credit card.in response to the template card being swiped across the magnetic read/writer, writing data corresponding to the selected credit card to a magnetic strip of the template card. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein providing the assembly means providing such an assembly in which the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein providing the assembly means such an assembly in which the the apparatus includes an outer housing and the credit card reader/writer includes a slit that runs along a left side façade of the outer housing or a right side façade of the outer housing. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  5  28, wherein further comprising receiving identification information entered via the keypad to verify a user's identity prior to using the keypad to select data from a enabling the credit card from among the plurality of credit cards, a user first uses the keypad to enter identifying information to verify said user's identity. to be selected. 
     
     
       9. The method  claim 5 , including the steps of using the keypad to select a “clear” function and then inserting the template credit card in the slot to erase selected data from the template credit card. 
     
     
       10. A credit card and cellular telephone assembly for use with a cellular telephone of the kind having a keypad, an outer housing, and a computer system, said computer system including a central processing unit, a data bus, an electronic memory storage and software, the assembly A handheld apparatus comprising:
 thea cellular telephone, said cellular telephone also including a magnetic reader/writer capable of reading data from a magnetic strip of a standard-width credit card, 
 thean outer housing including multiple facades and having a slot substantially parallel to a plane of one facade of the multiple facades of saidthe outer housing, the slot having slot walls, the magnetic reader/writer positioned adjacent one of the slot walls and having a width at least equal to a standard width of a credit card, the slot also having a sufficient depth so that insertion and/or removal of said credit card moves the magnetic strip of said credit card across the magnetic reader/writer, 
 a template credit card having a magnetic strip, the magnetic strip of said template credit card capable of storing and deleting data from at least one credit card selected from a plurality of credit cards when the template credit card is inserted into and/or removed from the slot, 
 a computer system including a central processing unit, and data bus and electronic memory storage, housed in the outer housing; 
 a keypad coupled to the outer housing and operatively coupled to the computer system;  
 a controller of the magnetic reader/writer connected to the magnetic reader/writer, said the controller for processing and storing electrical signals from the magnetic reader/writer and for instructing the magnetic reader/writer, said the controller connected to the computer system of the cellular telephone including through a the data bus to the central processing unit of the cellular telephone,; and 
 first software, stored in the electronic memory storage, for operating the controller to process a keypad selection of a credit card whose data is to be written by the magnetic reader/writer on to the template credit card from among a plurality of credit cards whose data has been read by the magnetic/reader/writer has been previously read by the magnetic reader/writer and stored in the electronic memory storage, and to write data associated with the selected card by the magnetic reader/writer onto a template credit card. 
 
     
     
       11. The assembly apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the slot runs through a plane of the one façade. 
     
     
       12. The assembly apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the slot runs through a plane of the a rear façade or through a plane of the a front façade of the outer housing. 
     
     
       13. The assembly apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first software is also for operating the controller to process a keypad selection of a “clear” function that is followed by an, in response to a following insertion of the template credit card into the slit to erase slot, causes data on the template credit card to be erased. 
     
     
       14. The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       15. The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       16. The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       17. A method of operating an all in one credit card through a cellular telephone, comprising:
 (i) providing a credit card and cellular telephone assembly that uses a cellular telephone of the kind having a keypad, an outer housing, and a computer system, said computer system including a central processing unit, a data bus, an electronic memory storage and software, the assembly including:   the cellular telephone, said cellular telephone also including a magnetic reader/writer capable of reading data from a magnetic strip of a standard-width credit card,   the outer housing including multiple facades, the outer housing having a slot substantially parallel to a plane of one facade of the multiple facades of said outer housing, the slot having slot walls, the magnetic reader/writer positioned adjacent one of the slot walls and having a width at least equal to a standard width of a credit card, the slot also having a sufficient depth so that insertion and/or removal of said credit card moves the magnetic strip of said credit card across the magnetic reader/writer,   a template credit card having a magnetic strip, the magnetic strip of said template credit card capable of storing and deleting data from at least one credit card selected from a plurality of credit cards when the template credit card is inserted into and/or removed from the slot,   a controller of the magnetic reader/writer connected to the magnetic reader/writer, said controller for processing and storing electrical signals from the magnetic reader/writer and for instructing the magnetic reader/writer, said controller connected to the computer system of the cellular telephone including through a data bus to the central processing unit of the cellular telephone, and   first software for operating the controller to process a keypad selection of a credit card whose data is to be written by the magnetic reader/writer on to the template credit card from among a plurality of credit cards whose data has been read by the magnetic/reader/writer,   (ii) successively swiping each credit card of the plurality of credit cards in the slot,   (iii) using the keypad to select data from a credit card from among the plurality of credit cards, and   (iv) swiping the template credit card in the slot to write the selected data on to the template credit card.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim  17  5, wherein providing the assembly means providing such an assembly in which the the hand-held apparatus includes an outer housing including a slot that runs through a plane of the one a façade of the outer housing. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein providing the assembly means providing such an assembly in which the slot runs through a plane of the a rear façade or through a plane of the a front façade of the outer housing. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein providing the assembly means providing such an assembly in which the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein providing the assembly means providing such an assembly in which the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 19 , wherein providing the assembly means providing such an assembly in which the template credit card has a width of a standard credit card. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17 , wherein prior to using the keypad to select data from a credit card from among the plurality of credit cards, a user first uses the keypad to enter identifying information to verify said user's identity. 
     
     
       24. The method claim  17 , including the steps of 5, further comprising enabling a user to erase selected data from the template credit card by using the keypad to select a “Clear” function and then inserting, and in response to insertion of the template credit card in the slot to erase, erasing the selected data from the template credit card. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim  17  28, wherein successively swiping each storing data for a credit card of the plurality of credit cards in the slot is accomplished by is enabled by selecting on the keypad a “write data” function and then inserting and removing the credit card from the magnetic reader/writer. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim  17  28, wherein successively swiping each storing data for a credit card of the plurality of credit cards in the slot is accomplished by is enabled by selecting on the keypad a “write data” function and then inserting the credit card in the magnetic reader/writer. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a cellular phone. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 5, wherein selection of the credit card is made via a keypad of the apparatus. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises a cellular phone. 
     
     
       30. A method comprising:
 receiving data for a plurality of credit cards via a magnetic strip reader disposed in an outer housing of a handheld apparatus comprising a cellular telephone and storing the data on board the handheld apparatus;   receiving a credit card selection from among the plurality of credit cards; and   writing credit card data for the selected credit card to a magnetic strip of a template credit card.   
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving updated data associated with one of the plurality of credit cards, and storing the updated data onboard the handheld apparatus. 
     
     
       32. The method of claim 31, wherein the updated data comprises expiration date information.