A novel magnetic stripe card reader unit can be attached to and communicating with a handheld PDA or smartphone using only the electrical power available as supplied by the device.
Semtek Innovative Solutions Corporation has been issued a patent for a magnetic stripe card reader (MSR) unit capable of attaching to and communicating with a handheld PDA or smartphone using only the electrical power available as supplied by the device. The technology enables mobile merchants and service personnel to accept credit card payments or input information from a magnetic stripe card into a handheld while effectively managing power usage. ‘Any PDA-based application designed for extended use will present power problems as most devices have limited battery life or need to be recharged frequently’, said Clay von Mueller, Semtek’s Chief Technology Officer.

‘Those equipped with standard magnetic stripe readers can greatly reduce battery longevity because of the power drain caused by the MSR device’.

‘Semtek’s patented card reading technology enables better power management and infinitely expands the power supply to the MSR by both conserving the power requirements of the device and offering the ability to tap into the power supplied by the PDA data lines’.

Semtek’s card readers connect through wireless handheld devices, such as PDAs and smartphones, and support industries requiring mobile commerce applications, on-site lead retrieval, and immediate identity verification.

Mobile Swipe card readers are designed to work with top branded devices from such companies as Symbol, Samsung, Intermec, Hand-Held Products, palmOne, Hewlett Packard, and Motorola/Nextel.

Semtek’s solutions are designed and priced to enable organisations of all sizes to be equipped with a cost-effective, secure means of accepting payments from remote locations.

Competing products in the industry often require substantial investments in equipment, eliminating opportunities for small remote business operators.

Common industry applications of Semtek’s mobile magnetic stripe card readers include field technicians, such as plumbers who can accept payment at time of service, law enforcement personnel swiping drivers licenses to collect information for a citation, mobile merchants getting wireless authorisation for POS transactions, and exposition workers collecting sales leads by swiping the badges of conference attendees who visit the vendor’s booth.