WO2019151943A1 - Electronic card - Google Patents

Electronic card Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2019151943A1
WO2019151943A1 PCT/SG2019/050046 SG2019050046W WO2019151943A1 WO 2019151943 A1 WO2019151943 A1 WO 2019151943A1 SG 2019050046 W SG2019050046 W SG 2019050046W WO 2019151943 A1 WO2019151943 A1 WO 2019151943A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
electronic card
processor
screen
beacons
electronic
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SG2019/050046
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Weiyan WU
Original Assignee
Ncode Consultant Pte Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ncode Consultant Pte Ltd filed Critical Ncode Consultant Pte Ltd
Publication of WO2019151943A1 publication Critical patent/WO2019151943A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
    • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
    • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
    • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
    • G06K19/077—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
    • G06K19/07701—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction
    • G06K19/07703—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction the interface being visual
    • G06K19/07707—Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier the record carrier comprising an interface suitable for human interaction the interface being visual the visual interface being a display, e.g. LCD or electronic ink
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
    • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
    • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
    • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
    • G06K19/0701—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management
    • G06K19/0702—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for power management the arrangement including a battery
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
    • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
    • G06K19/06—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
    • G06K19/067—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
    • G06K19/07—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips
    • G06K19/0723—Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components with integrated circuit chips the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
    • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
    • G06Q20/341—Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
    • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
    • G06Q20/356—Aspects of software for card payments
    • G06Q20/3563—Software being resident on card
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
    • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
    • G06Q20/357—Cards having a plurality of specified features
    • G06Q20/3574—Multiple applications on card
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
    • G06Q30/0201—Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
    • G06Q30/0203—Market surveys; Market polls
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
    • G06Q30/0207—Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/02—Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
    • G06Q30/0241—Advertisements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q50/00—Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism
    • G06Q50/10—Services
    • G06Q50/12—Hotels or restaurants
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
    • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
    • G07F7/0806—Details of the card
    • G07F7/0833—Card having specific functional components
    • G07F7/084—Additional components relating to data transfer and storing, e.g. error detection, self-diagnosis
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
    • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
    • G07F7/0806—Details of the card
    • G07F7/0846—On-card display means

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the field of electronic card systems and more particularly to an electronic card.
  • Electronic cards are widely used for various applications including as keycards, credit and debit cards and stored-value cards. Due to size constraints, a drawback of conventional electronic cards is that each serves only a single function. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an electronic card that can serve more than one function.
  • the present invention provides an electronic card.
  • the electronic card includes a processor configured to communicate with a plurality of beacons, a screen configured to display content based on an interaction between the processor and one of the beacons, a battery configured to power the processor and the screen, an induction coil configured to charge the battery, and a housing in which the processor, the screen, the battery and the induction coil are received.
  • FIG. 1 A is an enlarged schematic perspective view of an electronic card in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 B is a schematic exploded view of the electronic card of FIG. 1A.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic card system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments
  • the electronic card 10 includes a processor 12 configured to communicate with a plurality of beacons (not shown), a screen 14 configured to display content based on an interaction between the processor 12 and one of the beacons, a battery 16 configured to power the processor 12 and the screen 14, an induction coil 18 configured to charge the battery 16 and a housing 20 in which the processor 12, the screen 14, the battery 16 and the induction coil 18 are received.
  • the housing 20 includes a membrane 22 overlaying the screen 14.
  • a keypad 24 may be provided in the membrane 22.
  • An adhesive 26 may be employed to attach the screen 14 to the housing
  • the electronic card 10 may have an overall size of about 55 millimetres (mm) by about 95 mm by about 4.2 mm. In another embodiment, the electronic card 10 may have a thickness of about 3 mm.
  • the processor 12 is configured to communicate over an internet protocol network.
  • the processor 12 may be implemented as a processor chip on a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) coil, the processor chip having wireless communication capabilities such as, for example, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
  • Wi-Fi connectivity allows the electronic card 10 to connect to an internet server for data transfers to and from the electronic card 10, whilst Bluetooth connectivity may be used by the electronic card 10 to detect and interact with surrounding beacons.
  • Information for display on the screen 14 may be stored in the processor chip.
  • the processor chip may be an ESP32 processor chip.
  • the screen 14 may be an electronic paper display to reduce energy consumption.
  • An active display area of the screen 14 may be about 45.5 mm by about 75.9 mm and the screen 14 may have a resolution of 600 pixels by 360 pixels.
  • the induction coil 18 serves to wirelessly charge the battery 16 and may be compatible with an industry wireless charging standard such as, for example, Qi so that the electronic card 10 can be re-charged wirelessly with standard wireless chargers.
  • an industry wireless charging standard such as, for example, Qi
  • FIG. 1 A components of the electronic card 10 are enclosed in the housing 20.
  • the housing 20 includes a bottom plastic frame and a top membrane.
  • the keypad 24 in the present embodiment includes a plurality of buttons.
  • the buttons facilitate interaction between a user of the electronic card 10 and the installed software. Inputs by the user via the keypad 24 are communicated to the processor 12.
  • four (4) buttons are illustrated in the present embodiment, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is not limited by the number of buttons provided. Fewer or more buttons may be provided in alternative embodiments.
  • the electronic card system 100 includes a plurality of beacons 102 and a server 104.
  • the electronic card 10 is a keycard for use in a hotel and may be issued to a hotel guest on arrival at the hotel. In this manner, all hotel guests may be provided with one of the electronic cards 10.
  • the electronic card 10 may contain a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for access to a hotel room.
  • RFID tag and the battery 16 may be placed side-by-side with the PCB components and electronics circuit in order to achieve thinness.
  • the electronic card 10 may include a memory having a plurality of partitions with the processor 12 being configured to download an application program into one of the partitions and boot the application program from the one of the partitions.
  • the memory may include a flash memory and a random access memory (RAM).
  • the flash memory may be divided into three (3) partitions for the application program.
  • a default application may be installed into a first partition. When the default application is first booted, a wireless update is triggered to download a main application program into a second partition, following which the electronic card 10 is restarted and boots up the main application program.
  • a current running application program may trigger further wireless updates to download a new application program into an available partition and then boot the new application program from that partition.
  • the main application program may replace images via a separate wireless update by downloading an image bundle and writing the image bundle into the flash memory for read-only access.
  • the flash memory may have a storage capacity of 16 megabytes (MB) and the RAM may have a storage capacity of 520 kilobytes (KB).
  • the electronic card 10 may support wireless updates for firmware upgrades or changes through a Wi-Fi interface. The user may press one or more buttons of the keypad 24 of the electronic card 10 to interact with the application program, for example, to do a survey or to navigate a menu page.
  • the beacons 102 powered by an internal battery or an external alternate current (AC) or direct current (DC) adaptor, may be located at places of interest within the hotel such as, for example, restaurants, beauty parlours, commercial shops and the like.
  • Data may be broadcasted in small quantities by the beacons 102 via Bluetooth to the electronic cards 10 within range.
  • each broadcast from one of the beacons 102 to the electronic card 10 may contain between about 3 bytes and about 31 bytes of data.
  • specific information may be displayed on the screen 14 of the electronic card 10 depending on the application program running on the electronic card 10.
  • the Wi-Fi connectivity of the electronic card 10 may be activated when a user requests for more information and a request for more information may then be transmitted via a Wi-Fi network of the hotel to the server 104.
  • the server 104 in response to the request for more information then pushes content through the Wi-Fi network to the electronic card 10.
  • the beacons 102 may also be provided with Wi-Fi connectivity. This facilitates remote monitoring and control of the beacons 102 by the server 104 via the Wi-Fi network of the hotel. In this manner, information provided by the beacons 102 to the electronic cards 10 may be updated and the server 104 may also be alerted if a battery of one of the beacons 102 is low and requires replacement.
  • the processor 12 of the electronic card 10 may be configured to communicate location information with the beacons 102. More particularly, the Bluetooth connectivity may be used by the electronic card 10 to detect and interact with the surrounding beacons 102, allowing a location of the electronic card 10 to be detected.
  • a secure transmission protocol is used for all wireless transmissions between the electronic cards 10, the beacons 102 and the server 104.
  • transmission security may be based on a symmetric key system such as, for example, AES128.
  • an application program may be provided for configuration of the electronic cards 10 and the beacons 102.
  • a dashboard may be presented to a hotel representative providing access to various features of the application.
  • a screen page content management system may be provided for configuration of the various features.
  • a real-time feedback module may be provided to configure the beacons 102 for proximity surveys such that when the electronic cards 10 are in close proximity to the beacons 102, surveys pre-programmed by the real-time feedback module appear on the screens 14 of the electronic cards 10 to elicit a response.
  • the hotel is able to configure survey questions to be asked and the surveys may be configured to be triggered to the electronic cards 10 at specific timings and locations.
  • the processor 12 of the electronic card 10 may be configured to collect and communicate user feedback. Hotel guests may respond to the surveys via the electronic cards 10.
  • a hotel information module may be provided to configure information to be shown on the screens 14 of the electronic cards 10 such as, for example, hotel facilities, opening and closing timings, attractions near the hotel, promotional information, service requests and order requests, for example, for in-room dining.
  • promotional information and/or reminders may be configured to be pushed to the electronic cards 10 based on timing and/or location of the electronic cards 10.
  • a notification that cocktails are available from 18:00 - 20:00 may be pushed to the electronic cards 10 just before the start of the cocktail period.
  • An advertisement module may be provided to configure the screens 14 of the electronic cards 10 to run one or more advertisements when the electronic cards 10 are not in use.
  • a business intelligence module may be provided to perform data analytics, for example, to track usage of the electronic cards 10.
  • the application program may be interoperable with existing hotel systems allowing, for example, service requests and in-room dining requests to be integrated with existing hotel workflow systems or hotel facilities data to be extracted from existing hotel system databases.
  • a preprocessor program may be provided with the server 104 to convert an instruction package into a lightweight executable application program prior to transmission to the electronic card 10.
  • the instruction package may contain complex dynamic logic for running the electronic card system 100 and may include business logic, images, fonts and configurations and may be put together by an end user via a user interface.
  • the preprocessor program processes the instruction package into compilable source code files and image bundle files and then builds the source code files into a final binary executable file.
  • the binary file may then be installed into the electronic card 10 via a wireless update.
  • the image bundle file may also be replaced via a wireless update as well.
  • the electronic card system 100 employing the electronic cards 10 unlocks and exploits this potential of hotel room keycards. Furthermore, as keycards are already being distributed to every hotel guest, there is no resistance to adoption. The electronic cards 10 therefore have an extremely high customer penetration and exposure rate.
  • the electronic cards 10 may advantageously be used to conduct surveys, elicit customer feedback and receive customer requests.
  • the electronic cards 10 may thus be used to provide an alternative channel for immediate feedback on an experience and this tends to be more accurate.
  • service levels may be improved.
  • the electronic cards 10 may also be used to communicate hotel information to guests in order to encourage customer spending from proximity marketing and promotions. Through the use of the beacons 102, advertisements and promotional information may be pushed to the electronic cards 10 as the guests move around the hotel.
  • the electronic cards 10 facilitate monetization of the keycards by providing an additional advertising avenue for interested parties, thereby bringing in additional advertising revenue for the hotel.
  • an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in respect of use within the hospitality industry, it should be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be readily implemented in any other industry where a relationship between a user and a location may be managed. Accordingly, the electronic cards 10 may be deployed in any premise to allow interaction between users on, within or proximate to the premise with the premise or features located therein.
  • the present invention provides an electronic card that can serve more than one function
  • the electronic card of the present invention may be used to request services, receive information, provide feedback and for advertising.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
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Abstract

An electronic card (10) is provided. The electronic card (10) includes a processor (12) configured to communicate with a plurality of beacons, a screen 5 (14) configured to display content based on an interaction between the processor (12) and one of the beacons, a battery (16) configured to power the processor (12) and the screen (14), an induction coil (18) configured to charge the battery (16), and a housing (20) in which the processor (12), the screen (14), the battery (16) and the induction coil (18) are received.

Description

ELECTRONIC CARD
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic card systems and more particularly to an electronic card. Background of the Invention
Electronic cards are widely used for various applications including as keycards, credit and debit cards and stored-value cards. Due to size constraints, a drawback of conventional electronic cards is that each serves only a single function. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an electronic card that can serve more than one function.
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides an electronic card. The electronic card includes a processor configured to communicate with a plurality of beacons, a screen configured to display content based on an interaction between the processor and one of the beacons, a battery configured to power the processor and the screen, an induction coil configured to charge the battery, and a housing in which the processor, the screen, the battery and the induction coil are received.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention. Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 A is an enlarged schematic perspective view of an electronic card in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1 B is a schematic exploded view of the electronic card of FIG. 1A; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic card system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions may be accomplished by different embodiments that are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 A and 1 B, an electronic card 10 is shown. The electronic card 10 includes a processor 12 configured to communicate with a plurality of beacons (not shown), a screen 14 configured to display content based on an interaction between the processor 12 and one of the beacons, a battery 16 configured to power the processor 12 and the screen 14, an induction coil 18 configured to charge the battery 16 and a housing 20 in which the processor 12, the screen 14, the battery 16 and the induction coil 18 are received. In the embodiment shown, the housing 20 includes a membrane 22 overlaying the screen 14. A keypad 24 may be provided in the membrane 22.
An adhesive 26 may be employed to attach the screen 14 to the housing
20. In one embodiment, the electronic card 10 may have an overall size of about 55 millimetres (mm) by about 95 mm by about 4.2 mm. In another embodiment, the electronic card 10 may have a thickness of about 3 mm.
In the present embodiment, the processor 12 is configured to communicate over an internet protocol network. The processor 12 may be implemented as a processor chip on a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) coil, the processor chip having wireless communication capabilities such as, for example, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Wi-Fi connectivity allows the electronic card 10 to connect to an internet server for data transfers to and from the electronic card 10, whilst Bluetooth connectivity may be used by the electronic card 10 to detect and interact with surrounding beacons. Information for display on the screen 14 may be stored in the processor chip. In one embodiment, the processor chip may be an ESP32 processor chip.
The screen 14 may be an electronic paper display to reduce energy consumption. An active display area of the screen 14 may be about 45.5 mm by about 75.9 mm and the screen 14 may have a resolution of 600 pixels by 360 pixels.
The induction coil 18 serves to wirelessly charge the battery 16 and may be compatible with an industry wireless charging standard such as, for example, Qi so that the electronic card 10 can be re-charged wirelessly with standard wireless chargers. As can be seen from FIG. 1 A, components of the electronic card 10 are enclosed in the housing 20. In the embodiment shown, the housing 20 includes a bottom plastic frame and a top membrane.
The keypad 24 in the present embodiment includes a plurality of buttons. The buttons facilitate interaction between a user of the electronic card 10 and the installed software. Inputs by the user via the keypad 24 are communicated to the processor 12. Although four (4) buttons are illustrated in the present embodiment, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is not limited by the number of buttons provided. Fewer or more buttons may be provided in alternative embodiments.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an electronic card system 100 employing a plurality of electronic cards 10 is shown. The electronic card system 100 includes a plurality of beacons 102 and a server 104.
In the present embodiment, the electronic card 10 is a keycard for use in a hotel and may be issued to a hotel guest on arrival at the hotel. In this manner, all hotel guests may be provided with one of the electronic cards 10. The electronic card 10 may contain a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for access to a hotel room. The RFID tag and the battery 16 may be placed side-by-side with the PCB components and electronics circuit in order to achieve thinness.
The electronic card 10 may include a memory having a plurality of partitions with the processor 12 being configured to download an application program into one of the partitions and boot the application program from the one of the partitions. The memory may include a flash memory and a random access memory (RAM). In the present embodiment, the flash memory may be divided into three (3) partitions for the application program. During manufacture of the electronic card 10, a default application may be installed into a first partition. When the default application is first booted, a wireless update is triggered to download a main application program into a second partition, following which the electronic card 10 is restarted and boots up the main application program. To update the main application program, a current running application program may trigger further wireless updates to download a new application program into an available partition and then boot the new application program from that partition. The main application program may replace images via a separate wireless update by downloading an image bundle and writing the image bundle into the flash memory for read-only access. For sufficient memory capacity to store images and commands sent dynamically from the server 104 for an interactive user interface program, the flash memory may have a storage capacity of 16 megabytes (MB) and the RAM may have a storage capacity of 520 kilobytes (KB). The electronic card 10 may support wireless updates for firmware upgrades or changes through a Wi-Fi interface. The user may press one or more buttons of the keypad 24 of the electronic card 10 to interact with the application program, for example, to do a survey or to navigate a menu page.
The beacons 102, powered by an internal battery or an external alternate current (AC) or direct current (DC) adaptor, may be located at places of interest within the hotel such as, for example, restaurants, beauty parlours, commercial shops and the like. Data may be broadcasted in small quantities by the beacons 102 via Bluetooth to the electronic cards 10 within range. For example, each broadcast from one of the beacons 102 to the electronic card 10 may contain between about 3 bytes and about 31 bytes of data. On receiving data from one of the beacons 102 via a Bluetooth interface of the electronic card 10, specific information may be displayed on the screen 14 of the electronic card 10 depending on the application program running on the electronic card 10. As only small bits of data are pushed from the beacons 102 to the electronic card 10, the Wi-Fi connectivity of the electronic card 10 may be activated when a user requests for more information and a request for more information may then be transmitted via a Wi-Fi network of the hotel to the server 104. The server 104 in response to the request for more information then pushes content through the Wi-Fi network to the electronic card 10. Apart from Bluetooth connectivity, the beacons 102 may also be provided with Wi-Fi connectivity. This facilitates remote monitoring and control of the beacons 102 by the server 104 via the Wi-Fi network of the hotel. In this manner, information provided by the beacons 102 to the electronic cards 10 may be updated and the server 104 may also be alerted if a battery of one of the beacons 102 is low and requires replacement.
The processor 12 of the electronic card 10 may be configured to communicate location information with the beacons 102. More particularly, the Bluetooth connectivity may be used by the electronic card 10 to detect and interact with the surrounding beacons 102, allowing a location of the electronic card 10 to be detected.
For transmission security, a secure transmission protocol is used for all wireless transmissions between the electronic cards 10, the beacons 102 and the server 104. In one embodiment, transmission security may be based on a symmetric key system such as, for example, AES128. At the hotel side, an application program may be provided for configuration of the electronic cards 10 and the beacons 102. A dashboard may be presented to a hotel representative providing access to various features of the application. A screen page content management system may be provided for configuration of the various features. A real-time feedback module may be provided to configure the beacons 102 for proximity surveys such that when the electronic cards 10 are in close proximity to the beacons 102, surveys pre-programmed by the real-time feedback module appear on the screens 14 of the electronic cards 10 to elicit a response. With the real-time feedback module provided, the hotel is able to configure survey questions to be asked and the surveys may be configured to be triggered to the electronic cards 10 at specific timings and locations. Correspondingly, the processor 12 of the electronic card 10 may be configured to collect and communicate user feedback. Hotel guests may respond to the surveys via the electronic cards 10. A hotel information module may be provided to configure information to be shown on the screens 14 of the electronic cards 10 such as, for example, hotel facilities, opening and closing timings, attractions near the hotel, promotional information, service requests and order requests, for example, for in-room dining. Using the hotel information module, promotional information and/or reminders may be configured to be pushed to the electronic cards 10 based on timing and/or location of the electronic cards 10. For example, a notification that cocktails are available from 18:00 - 20:00 may be pushed to the electronic cards 10 just before the start of the cocktail period. An advertisement module may be provided to configure the screens 14 of the electronic cards 10 to run one or more advertisements when the electronic cards 10 are not in use. A business intelligence module may be provided to perform data analytics, for example, to track usage of the electronic cards 10. The application program may be interoperable with existing hotel systems allowing, for example, service requests and in-room dining requests to be integrated with existing hotel workflow systems or hotel facilities data to be extracted from existing hotel system databases.
To accommodate limited hardware resources of the electronic card 10, a preprocessor program may be provided with the server 104 to convert an instruction package into a lightweight executable application program prior to transmission to the electronic card 10. The instruction package may contain complex dynamic logic for running the electronic card system 100 and may include business logic, images, fonts and configurations and may be put together by an end user via a user interface. The preprocessor program processes the instruction package into compilable source code files and image bundle files and then builds the source code files into a final binary executable file. The binary file may then be installed into the electronic card 10 via a wireless update. The image bundle file may also be replaced via a wireless update as well.
As keycards have the highest touch point amongst guests within the hotel, the electronic card system 100 employing the electronic cards 10 unlocks and exploits this potential of hotel room keycards. Furthermore, as keycards are already being distributed to every hotel guest, there is no resistance to adoption. The electronic cards 10 therefore have an extremely high customer penetration and exposure rate.
In the present embodiment, the electronic cards 10 may advantageously be used to conduct surveys, elicit customer feedback and receive customer requests. The electronic cards 10 may thus be used to provide an alternative channel for immediate feedback on an experience and this tends to be more accurate. By providing an avenue for real-time feedback and information communication with customers, service levels may be improved.
The electronic cards 10 may also be used to communicate hotel information to guests in order to encourage customer spending from proximity marketing and promotions. Through the use of the beacons 102, advertisements and promotional information may be pushed to the electronic cards 10 as the guests move around the hotel.
Further advantageously, the electronic cards 10 facilitate monetization of the keycards by providing an additional advertising avenue for interested parties, thereby bringing in additional advertising revenue for the hotel. Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in respect of use within the hospitality industry, it should be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be readily implemented in any other industry where a relationship between a user and a location may be managed. Accordingly, the electronic cards 10 may be deployed in any premise to allow interaction between users on, within or proximate to the premise with the premise or features located therein.
As is evident from the foregoing discussion, the present invention provides an electronic card that can serve more than one function Advantageously, the electronic card of the present invention may be used to request services, receive information, provide feedback and for advertising.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the claims.
Further, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising" and the like are to be construed in an inclusive as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".

Claims

1. An electronic card, comprising:
a processor configured to communicate with a plurality of beacons;
a screen configured to display content based on an interaction between the processor and one of the beacons;
a battery configured to power the processor and the screen;
an induction coil configured to charge the battery; and
a housing in which the processor, the screen, the battery and the induction coil are received.
2. The electronic card of claim 1 , further comprising a memory having a plurality of partitions, wherein the processor is configured to download an application program into one of the partitions and boot the application program from the one of the partitions.
3. The electronic card of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises a membrane overlaying the screen.
4. The electronic card of claim 3, further comprising a keypad provided in the membrane.
5. The electronic card of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the screen comprises an electronic paper display.
6. The electronic card of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is configured to communicate over an internet protocol network.
7. The electronic card of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is configured to communicate location information with the beacons.
8. The electronic card of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processor is configured to collect and communicate user feedback.
9. The electronic card of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic card is a keycard.
PCT/SG2019/050046 2018-01-30 2019-01-30 Electronic card WO2019151943A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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SG10201800782X 2018-01-30

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2000357272A (en) * 1999-06-16 2000-12-26 Dainippon Printing Co Ltd Contactless ic card with display function and hotel service system using this ic card
JP2007134952A (en) * 2005-11-10 2007-05-31 Softbank Mobile Corp Mobile communication terminal
US20100191551A1 (en) * 2009-01-26 2010-07-29 Apple Inc. Systems and methods for accessing hotel services using a portable electronic device
EP2768165A1 (en) * 2013-02-19 2014-08-20 LG Electronics, Inc. Mobile Terminal

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2000357272A (en) * 1999-06-16 2000-12-26 Dainippon Printing Co Ltd Contactless ic card with display function and hotel service system using this ic card
JP2007134952A (en) * 2005-11-10 2007-05-31 Softbank Mobile Corp Mobile communication terminal
US20100191551A1 (en) * 2009-01-26 2010-07-29 Apple Inc. Systems and methods for accessing hotel services using a portable electronic device
EP2768165A1 (en) * 2013-02-19 2014-08-20 LG Electronics, Inc. Mobile Terminal

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