Square, Inc.

Ross Glashan

David Terra

Nicholas Hebner

A first device and a second device may establish wireless pairing, and based on that wireless pairing, establish wireless bonding. During the wireless bonding, the two devices may have multiple connections during which information is exchanged. One of the devices may also attempt to pair with a third device. The wireless bond between the first device and the second device may be broken, and a wireless bond may then be formed with the third device.

Exclusive bonding of wireless devices

A payment reader and a merchant device may communicate over a wireless connection. Reliable and unreliable packets may be transmitted over a single messaging path. Each of a plurality of unreliable packet may include a data payload and a packet identifier. The unreliable packets and a reliable packet may be transmitted over the single messaging path during a first connection event. A response to the reliable packet may be received during the second event and may include a received packet listing. If the received packet listing indicates that any of the unreliable packets were not received, any unreliable packet that was not received may be retransmitted.

Combined reliable and unreliable data transmission

A payment terminal such as a payment reader may receive and form electrical connections with an electronic transaction card such as an EMV chip card. The payment terminal may provide a clock signal at a rate that exceeds a specified rate for the EMV chip card. The payment terminal may transmit messages to the EMV chip card and monitor receive messages at a data connection. The payment terminal may determine that the clock rate is excessive based on a timeout of a receive message, an error rate of a receive message, or a receive message indicating that one of the transmit messages was not received by the EMV card. The payment terminal may reduce the clock rate to a rate that is below the specified rate for the EMV chip card.

Systems and methods for determining clock rates for communicating with processing devices

A device such as a payment terminal may connect to an externally-driven processing device such as an EMV chip of an EMV chip card, providing signals such as a clock signal to the EMV chip. The payment terminal may obtain information about the EMV chip card or a transaction, and based on that information, modify the clock rate of the clock signal that is provided to the EMV chip. The payment terminal may monitor the operation of the EMV chip at the modified clock rate, in order to determine whether the modified clock rate causes errors in the processing of the EMV chip.

Identification of desired clock rate for an externally-driven processing device

Communication protocol speedup and step-down

A payment reader and a merchant device may communicate over a wireless connection. The payment reader may establish a wireless bond with a first merchant device and exchange payment information. After the payment information is exchanged, the payment reader and merchant device may disconnect while remaining bonded. The payment reader may send a request message and bond to a second merchant device, while breaking the bond with the first merchant device if a bond with the second merchant device is established. The payment reader may then exchange payment information with the second merchant device.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Ross Glashan