FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates in general to the field of mobile earth stations, and more particularly to the position detection and tracking of an asset and the improved techniques for acquisition of position information. The present invention is particularly useful in the detection, tracking and control of identification and financial transaction cards to reduce the potential of card misuse.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It should be noted that reference to the prior art herein is not to be taken as an acknowledgement that such prior art constitutes common general knowledge in the art.

It is extremely useful to be able to automatically and continually identify the location of an object or a person, particularly if this can be done unobtrusively and without undue effect to the object or person. One of the critical barriers is the position sensor indicating the location of the object or person. Global positioning systems (GPSs) are now used for many applications requiring determination of the observer's location anywhere on the Earth's surface. Current receiver/processors for GPS signals to be used in the field are small enough to be hand held but are too large to carry in an observer's pocket or other small receptacle. For purposes of GPS time navigation, and position determination, GPS signals are received by an antenna or other signal input means from one or more GPS satellites and the processed signals are provided through another signal output means for display or other purposes.

Typically these devices are battery operated and not typically designed to be able to monitor position over a long duration of time. They also require frequent radio-frequency communications, computational processing and information display, they consume large amounts of power and thus their battery life is limited. As a result, conventional position determining devices are not suitable for use in many applications due to their power consumption. The continued growth of communications technologies has given rise to a significant demand for mobility and for broadband data communications services. Satellites are playing an important role in this growth by providing cost effective long-distance connections and expanding the capacity and geographical coverage of terrestrial access technologies. In order to communicate with the satellites an earth station or mobile earth station is required to send and receive communication transmissions. Earth stations can be at a fixed location or transportable or portable (such as hand-held satellite telephones) and can operate anywhere. Typically standard earth stations used for fixed and mobile satellite services generally transmit and receive.

An example of an object which the location and tracking of is important is the financial transaction card or identification card. In recent years, payments using a credit or debit card instead of cash payments have become widespread, thus avoiding the dangers of carrying large amounts of money in the form of cash. The financial transaction card can take many forms such as a credit card, debit card, loyalty card or other instrument for effecting financial transactions. They are mostly made of a plastics material to a standard shape and size. They are characteristically small and thin so that they can be carried by a bearer with minimal difficulty. Originally, all the data associated with the card was carried on a magnetic strip. More recently 'chip and PIN' technology has led to the magnetic strip being supplemented by microchip and memory storage in the same dimensions of the original financial transaction card standard. The 'chip' and/or the magnetic strip constitute means for storing financial transaction information for using the card.

There is a great demand for retail electronic commerce such as the buying and selling of goods and services, or the transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network, primarily the Internet. The development of the credit card allows the cardholder to pay for goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for them. The issuer of the card (usually a bank) creates a revolving account and grants a line of credit to the cardholder, from which the cardholder can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance. Likewise, a debit card is a payment card that provides the cardholder electronic access to their bank account(s) at a financial institution. The single greatest deterrent to the expansion of retail electronic commerce is the potential for credit card fraud. This potential for fraud has been a major concern for the card companies and financial institutions as well as the customers and the providers of the goods and services. Credit card fraud is a wide-ranging term for theft and fraud committed using or involving a payment card, such as a credit card or debit card, as a fraudulent source of funds in a transaction.

The purpose may be to obtain goods without paying, or to obtain unauthorized funds from an account. Credit card fraud is also an adjunct to identity theft. Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name. The consumers or customers are equally concerned about fraud being well aware that ultimately the user must pay for the fraud. However, there are particular personal concerns for the consumer in that the fraudulent use of the credit card by misuse of the credit card number by a third party may not become apparent for some time.

The current approaches to the limiting of credit and debit card fraud are dependent on the theft of a card being reported and elaborate verification systems whereby altered patterns of use initiate some inquiry from the card company. Many users of cards have no doubt received telephone calls, when their use of the card has been exceptional, or otherwise unusual in the eyes of the organization providing the verification services. Other solutions include limited withdrawals, time limits for availability of cards, duplicate encryption, and identification of card owners, to name a few. Identification is performed by means of PIN codes, fingerprints, one-time passwords, and so on. Still against the increasing of card related crime, these traditional security solutions are insufficient and none have proven to be effective all of the time. Also, the problem with these verification methods is they are not fool proof in preventing fraud in the case where someone has physically stolen the card.

There have been many developments in an effort to overcome this fundamental problem of fraud. One of the developments is the provision of smart cards which are credit card devices containing embedded electronic circuitry that can either store information or perform computations. Generally speaking they contribute to credit card security systems by using some encryption system. Likewise, there have been developments in transaction protocols which is particularly related to electronic transmission of credit card details and in particular via the Internet. It provides a detailed protocol for encryption of credit card details and verification of participants in an electronic transaction. Another method that is particularly directed to the Internet uses an access message that comprises a product identifier and an access message authenticator based on a cryptographic key.

Another type of card which has become popular in particular with the younger generations is the identification card or proof of age card. An identity card or ID card is any document which may be used to identify a person or verify aspects of a person's personal identity. Typically the ID card is produced in the form of a small, standard credit card. Some countries issue formal identity documents, while others may require identity verification using informal documents. When the identity document incorporates a person's photograph, it may be called photo ID. Likewise, a proof of age card is for young people over the age of 18. It can be used for accessing licensed premises and for general identification. As described above identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name, and perhaps to the other person's disadvantage or loss. The person whose identity has been assumed may suffer adverse consequences if they are held responsible for the perpetrator's actions. Identity theft occurs when someone uses another's personally identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

One of the problems with all these systems is that there are many competing technologies and therefore there is a multiplicity of incompatible formats which will be a deterrent to both traders and consumers. Similarly, many of these systems require modifications of the technology used at the point of sale, which will require considerable investment and further limit the uptake of the systems. Also simply due to the nature of most dishonest human beings cards will be stolen and misused.

Another type of card or smart card in this case is one associated with a digital currency such as cryptocurrency. By way of example only, bitcoin is a type of digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank. A blockchain is a public ledger of all bitcoin transactions that have ever been executed. It is constantly growing as 'completed' blocks are added to it with a new set of recordings. The blocks are added to the blockchain in a linear, chronological order. Each node (computer connected to the bitcoin network using a client that performs the task of validating and relaying transactions) gets a copy of the blockchain, which gets downloaded automatically upon joining the bitcoin network. The blockchain has complete information about the addresses and their balances right from the genesis block to the most recently completed block.

Basically there are three ways to go about selling bitcoin online. The first way involves a direct trade with another person, an intermediary facilitating the connection for selling bitcoin. The second way is through an online exchange, where your trade is with the exchange rather than another individual. The third way is peer-to-peer trading marketplaces that allow bitcoin owners to obtain discounted goods with their bitcoin via others that want to obtain the cryptocurrency with credit and/or debit cards. The two groups are brought together to solve both problems in a kind of peer-to-peer exchange. However a number of problems exist with the current system of bitcoin and in particular the transaction delay time is becoming very problematic. The continued delay in processing bitcoin transactions coupled with the increased cost has led to record levels of complaints.

Clearly it would be advantageous if an asset tracking device could be devised that helped to at least ameliorate some of the shortcomings described above. In particular, it would be beneficial to provide a position-sensing device that is suitable for many applications and has a small form factor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Development of a credit card size mobile earth station is an attractive proposition, especially in view of the continuing development of "smart" credit cards that can store information therein and interact in a limited manner with a card user. The present invention has been developed to create a fully communicating satellite capable wireless module card enabling communication between satellite technology and terrestrial short range devices. In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention provides a mobile earth station comprising: a wireless communication module with an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals; a satellite communication module with an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals; a controller operatively connected to the wireless communication module and the satellite communication module, wherein the controller is configured (i) to control two- way satellite communication, (ii) to control acquisition of position data from the satellite communication module, (iii) to cause the wireless communication module to wirelessly transmit information and position data to a device, and a power supply module for providing power to said wireless communication module, said satellite communication module, and said controller.

Preferably, the mobile earth station may be adapted to allow communication between other fixed and mobile earth stations and/or a short range device(s). Preferably, the wireless communication module may be a wireless local area network transceiver for receiving wireless communication signals using a corresponding wireless communication protocol. The wireless local area network transceiver is a Wi-Fi transceiver. Alternatively, the wireless communication module may be an optical wireless communication technology in which unguided visible, infrared (IR), or ultraviolet (UV) light is used to carry the communication signals using a corresponding optical communication protocol. The optical wireless communication technology may be a Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) bidirectional, high speed and fully networked wireless communication technology. Preferably, the wireless communication module may further comprise a single-board transceiver with at least one device interface. The at least one device interface may be a serial data port. Preferably, the single- board transceiver may further comprise a read-only memory for storing programmed firmware. The serial data port may be utilised to enable firmware updates for the wireless communications module.

Preferably, the antenna for receiving and transmitting signals may be any one of an embedded antenna, a microstrip antenna or a printed antenna, and the antenna is respectively connected to the wireless communication module via a surface mount connector or the like. Preferably, the wireless communication module may be a short-range wireless transceiver for receiving short-range wireless communication signals using a short-range wireless communication protocol.

Preferably, the satellite communication module may comprise a radio transceiver module that enables the connection of the mobile earth station to a global satellite network. The global satellite network may comprise any fixed or mobile satellite network orbiting in any one of (i) geosynchronous orbit, (ii) medium earth orbit, or (iii) low earth orbit. Preferably, the satellite communication module may further comprise a single-board transceiver with at least one device interface, the satellite communication module is adapted to provide duplex data connectivity and permit two-way communications. The two-way communications may be via short burst data. Preferably, the satellite communication module antenna may be any one of an embedded antenna, a microstrip antenna or a printed antenna, and the antenna is respectively connected to the satellite communication module via a surface mount connector or the like.

Preferably, the at least one device interface may consist of a serial data interface, a power input, a network available output and a power on/off control line. Preferably, the single-board transceiver may further comprise a read-only memory for storing programmed firmware. The serial data port may be utilised to enable firmware updates for the satellite communication module.

Preferably, the controller may comprise a central processing unit, a memory, and programmable input/output peripherals, wherein the controller can be programmed to operatively connect to the wireless communication module and the satellite communication module. Alternatively, the controller may comprise a microcontroller on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, a memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Preferably, the controller may be programmable to provide additional end-user field application functions such as, a GPS, a microprocessor-based logic control, and a digital and an analog input and output. The controller may have firmware installed in the memory to provide control, monitoring and data manipulation of the wireless communication module, the satellite communication module and the power module and systems. The firmware may be modified or updated by a download facility using the serial data port of the wireless communication module or the satellite communication module.

Preferably, the mobile earth station may further comprise a global positioning system (GPS) that provides a location and time information for the mobile earth station.

Preferably, the power supply module may comprise a battery and a linear regulator, wherein the linear regulator provides at least one regulated DC voltage. The battery may be selected from the group of: a thin film printed battery, a lithium-ion battery, a polymer based battery, a thin film battery, or any other battery which can be designed to convert stored energy into electrical energy while keeping the battery size to a minimum. Alternatively, the battery may be a lithium-ion battery with graphene electrodes, a graphene battery or graphene based supercapacitor. Preferably, the power module, the battery and the linear regulator may comprise a heat sink or heat sinks to safely dissipate heat from each device. Alternatively, the battery may be a rechargeable battery and the mobile earth station further comprises a battery charging port.

Preferably, the wireless communication module may be enabled to provide (i) a wireless network access point to send and receive as a network resource, (ii) Internet access to devices within the range of the wireless communication module, (iii) a short message service (SMS) or a text messaging service, and (iv) electronic mail. The wireless communication module may use a IEEE 802.1 1 standard set of media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) specifications for implementing wireless local area network (WLAN) communication. The wireless communication module may further comprise encryption and security profiles to provide secure wireless communication.

Preferably, the mobile or fixed earth stations may comprise any one or more of (i) a short range device such as other Wi-Fi devices and Bluetooth devices, (ii) a computer, (iii) a tablet computer, (iv) a mobile or landline phone, (v) a digital radio point, or (vi) a Li-Fi device.

Preferably, the optical wireless communication technology may be via visible light communication or infra-red and near ultraviolet spectrum. The optical wireless communication protocols may be similar to those used in RF communications such as the IEEE 802.1 1 standard or the communication protocol is an IEEE 802.15 standard for wireless personal area network (WPAN) standards. When the optical wireless communication technology uses the infrared light spectrum the communication protocol may be an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) set of protocols for wireless infrared communications.

Preferably, the mobile earth station may be designed and sized to fit on or within an asset to be tracked. The asset to be tracked may be a smart card. The smart card may be enabled to be used for any one or more of the following: a financial transaction card, an identification card, a secure information repository, a health care card, or an identification verification and access control card. Preferably, the smart card may be an ultra-thin energy-saving electronic smart card. Alternatively, the smart card may be a digital or electronic wallet that allows an individual to make an electronic transaction. The digital or electronic wallet may allow access to electronic money, the electronic money can either be centralised, where there is a central point of control over the money supply, or decentralised, where the control over the money supply can come from a plurality of sources. Preferably, the decentralised electronic money may be a digital currency and further comprises a distributed database that keeps a record of all transactions that take place across a peer-to-peer network. The distributed database may be a blockchain database.

Preferably, the electronic wallet may contain at least one public key and at least one private key to enable a blockchain transaction. Preferably, the digital currency may further comprise a cryptocurrency based on a cryptographic algorithm and uses an encryption technique to control the creation of a monetary unit and to verify a transfer of funds. The cryptocurrency may be selected from the group consisting of: a bitcoin, a litecoin, a peercoin, a namecoin, a ripple, a mastercoin, or an altcoin. The transactions may be selected from the group consisting of: a financial transaction, a smart contract transaction, an escrow transaction, a DNA transaction, a medical record transaction, a precious jewel transaction, an academic achievement transaction, a patent transaction or a herbal medicine transaction.

Preferably, the smart card may be manufactured from a plastics material such as a polyvinyl chloride, a polyethylene terephthalate based polyesters, an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a polycarbonate, a graphene carbon material, a borophene material, or a Teslin polyester material. The smart card may be manufactured using an additive manufacturing process such as a 3D printing process. Preferably, the smart card may further comprise and one or more of the following security devices: (i) a chip and pin technology; (ii) a security hologram; (iii) a hologram magnetic strip; (iv) a signature panel which may include micro text; (v) a security number printed in reverse italics; (vi) a specialised security print; (vii) an RFID chip; (viii) a liquid crystal display technology; or (ix) a holographic laminate.

Preferably, the smart card may further comprise a magnetic shield or RFID blocking device to protect the card from a skimming device. The smart card may further comprise an electromagnetic shield between or around the satellite communications module, the satellite communications module antenna, the wireless communications module, and the wireless communications module antenna to avoid interference between either antennas or transceivers in the respective communications modules. Preferably, the wireless communication module and antenna, the satellite communication module and antenna, the controller, and the power supply module may be all embedded within the smart card during the 3D printing process. Alternatively, the mobile earth station, the wireless communication module and antenna, the satellite communication module and antenna, the controller, and the power supply module may be all manufactured using an additive manufacturing process such as a 3D printing process.

Preferably, the mobile earth station may further comprise an isolator module, wherein if the smart card is stolen or lost, (i) the location of the smart card is determined using data provided by the satellite communication module or by the GPS, (ii) the location information is transmitted to a remote server, and (iii) the isolator module remotely activates or de-activates the card to prevent further use of the smart card. Preferably, the isolator module may be operatively connected to the controller and programmed to remotely activate or deactivate the power supply module. Alternatively, the mobile earth station may further comprise an actuator operatively connected to the power supply module to isolate power from the mobile earth station. The actuator may comprise a software enabled switch programmed as part of the controller to isolate power from the mobile earth station. The isolator may be remotely activated using a communication signal from the satellite communication module or the wireless communication module. Alternatively, the isolator may be a software initiated isolation program stored on the controller memory and activated remotely.

In accordance with a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of implementing a mobile earth station for controlling and tracking an asset, the method comprising the steps of: providing a mobile earth station comprising, a wireless communication module with an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals, a satellite communication module with an antenna for receiving and transmitting signals, a controller with a memory module, the controller being operatively connected to the wireless communication module and the satellite communication module, a power supply module for providing power to said wireless communication module, said satellite communication module, and said controller and an isolator module operatively connected to the power supply module, wherein the mobile earth station is attached to or formed within the asset to be controlled and tracked; determining the location of the mobile earth station using the satellite communication module; saving the location information in the controller memory module; determining if the asset is located in a correct position: if in the correct positioning the location information is updated and saved in the controller memory module; if in an incorrect position the isolator module is remotely activated or de-activated to isolate the power supply module; and reporting and updating the location to a remote server.

Preferably, based on the information related to the location data, a notification regarding a location may be provided to a user. The notification may be sent to the user as an SMS message, an electronic mail, or to a link on a designated website.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description given hereinafter and from the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which, however, should not be taken to be limitative to the invention, but are for explanation and understanding only. Fig. 1 illustrates an overview of some of the connections available for a mobile earth station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates front and top plan views of a credit card incorporating the mobile earth station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 shows a circuit schematic view of the components of the mobile earth station;

Fig. 4 illustrates an example of satellite footprints showing the ground area coverage in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 shows one square kilometre section of the satellite footprint of Fig. 4 and the available mobile earth stations;

Fig. 6 shows a typical footprint of the mobile earth station and the available short range devices;

Fig. 7 shows a typical satellite orbit around the earth and the area of intersection between corresponding satellites;

Fig. 8 illustrates the relationship between the mobile earth station, a short range device and the orbiting satellites;

Fig. 9 illustrates an exemplary use of the present invention in the prevention of credit card fraud or misuse and the ability of the credit card issuing authority to de-activate the credit card;

Fig. 10 illustrates the different communication links available in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 1 1 shows a block diagram of a mobile earth station in communication with a satellite and short range device;

Fig. 12 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile earth station showing serial data transfer between the satellite module and the wireless module;

Fig. 13 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile earth station showing parallel data transfer between the satellite module and the wireless module;

Fig. 14 shows a block diagram of a mobile earth station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 15 shows a block diagram of the RF front end of the mobile earth station of Fig. 14; Fig. 16 illustrates an exemplary use of the mobile earth station as a conduit for a mobile weather station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 17 illustrates another exemplary use of the mobile earth station as a conduit for a global voting application in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 18 illustrates another exemplary use of the mobile earth station as a conduit for a musical instrument application in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 19 shows a flow chart of the operation the mobile earth station as a credit card fraud or misuse application of Fig. 9;

Fig. 20 shows a flow chart of the operation of the mobile earth station as the mobile weather station of Fig. 16;

Fig. 21 shows a flow chart of another exemplary use of the mobile earth station for downloading movies in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 22 shows a flow chart of the operation of the mobile earth station as a conduit for a global voting application of Fig. 17;

Fig. 23 illustrates front and top plan views of a credit card incorporating a mobile earth station in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 24 shows a block diagram of a mobile earth station with the satellite module removed for clarity in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 25 illustrates the credit card of Fig. 23 in use;

Fig. 26 shows a mobile earth station incorporated into a beach umbrella in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 27 shows a mobile earth station incorporating a smart card in the form of an electronic wallet for blockchain cryptocurrency transactions; and

Fig. 28 illustrates the combination of public and private keys and how they are combined to both track and verify the cryptocurrency transaction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description, given by way of example only, is described in order to provide a more precise understanding of the subject matter of a preferred embodiment or embodiments.

The present invention provides a mobile device or mobile earth station 10 which is a satellite communication Wi-Fi module card which enables communication between both satellite technologies 1 1 , terrestrial short range devices (SRD's) 16, other mobile earth stations 10 as well as fixed earth stations 12. This will allow all short range devices which are within the mobile earth stations range to be able to communicate via satellite. The present invention also allows computers 15 (mobile or fixed), tablet computers 14, telephones 13 (fixed or mobile) and fixed earth stations 12 to communicate with the mobile earth station 10 and satellites 1 1 . By way of example only, other devices 12, 13, 14, 15 such as any device which has a computer or microprocessor installed with wireless capabilities could be used without departing from the present invention. Such other devices may include electronic cash registers, cash machines such as electronic payment systems involving electronic funds transfers based on the use of payment cards, such as debit or credit cards, at payment terminals located at points of sale, digital cameras, and musical instruments and other devices.

A satellite 1 1 is any artificial object which has been intentionally placed into orbit and is sometimes referred to as artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as Earth's Moon. Satellites 1 1 are used for a large number of purposes, and may include military and civilian Earth observation satellites, communications satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites. Satellite orbits vary greatly, depending on the purpose of the satellite, and are classified in a number of ways. Well-known (overlapping) classes include low Earth orbit, polar orbit, and geostationary orbit.

While the present invention is not limited to any particular type or orbit of satellite 1 1 , the mobile earth station 10 of the present invention will mainly be described with reference to both the low Earth orbiting satellites and the geostationary orbiting satellites. A satellite 1 1 placed in orbit at a distance of 36,000 Km from the Earth has an angular velocity approximately equal to the Earth's own orbital velocity. The satellite 1 1 would remain directly overhead of the same point on the earth's surface at all times. The term geostationary applies to satellites in such an orbit. Kepler's law proves that as the orbit increases in radius, the angular velocity reduces, until it is coincident with the Earth's at a radius of 36,000 Km. Three correctly placed geostationary satellites can provide complete coverage of the Earth's surface, therefore providing a global coverage. Examples of geostationary satellites 1 1 are Optus, North Star, Inmarsat and Telstar.

In comparison low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites orbit the earth in high speed, low altitude orbits with an orbital time of typically 70 to 100 minutes with an altitude of 640 to 1 120 kms. Since the satellites are not geostationary, they move with respect to the ground. At least one satellite must have line-of-sight to every coverage area at all times to guarantee coverage. Depending on the positions of both the satellite 1 1 and mobile earth station 10, a usable pass of an individual LEO satellite will typically last 4 to 15 minutes on average. Thus, a constellation of satellites 1 1 is required to maintain coverage. Examples of LEO orbiting satellites are Iridium and Globalstar.

A fixed ground station 12 is a terrestrial radio station designed for extra planetary telecommunication with satellites or spacecraft, or reception of radio waves from an astronomical radio source. Fixed ground stations are typically located on the surface of the Earth. Earth stations communicate with satellites by transmitting and receiving radio waves in the super high frequency or extremely high frequency bands (e.g., microwaves). When a ground station successfully transmits radio waves to a satellite (or vice versa), it establishes a telecommunications link. When a satellite 1 1 is within a ground station's line of sight, the station 12 is said to have a view of the satellite 1 1 . It is possible for a satellite 1 1 to communicate with more than one ground station 12 at a time. A pair of ground stations 12 are said to have a satellite 1 1 in mutual view when the stations 12 share simultaneous, unobstructed, line-of-sight contact with the satellite 1 1 .

As illustrated in Fig. 1 the present invention provides a mobile earth station 10 which is capable of communication with satellites 1 1 and communicating with short range devices 16, computers 15, IPad or tablet computers 14, mobile or fixed phones 13 as well as fixed earth stations 12. The present invention also provides these devices with the ability to communicate with a satellite 1 1 . As shown by the arrows drawn in Fig. 1 , each device has the ability to communicate with the mobile earth station 10 and to the satellites 1 1 . A short range device 16 describes a radio frequency transmitter device used in telecommunication for the transmission of information, which have low capability of causing harmful interference to other radio equipment. Short-range devices are low-power transmitters typically limited to 25-100 mW effective radiated power (ERP) or less, depending on the frequency band, which limits their useful range to few hundred meters, and do not require a license from its user. Applications for short-range wireless devices include power meters, radar level gauges and other remote instrumentation, RFID applications, radio-controlled models, fire, security and social alarms, vehicle radars, wireless microphones and earphones, traffic signs and signals (including control signals), remote garage door openers and car keys, barcode readers, motion detection, tele-approach and tele-command technologies, Pervasive Ultra-wideband Low Spectral Energy Radio Systems (PULSERS) and many others.

Other examples of SRD devices which are included, but by no way limited to by the present invention and include mobile weather stations communicating with the mobile earth stations 10 (described in further detail below), Doppler applications, medical equipped surgical devices communicating with the mobile earth stations, medicine remote diagnosis and advice and radio local area networks (RLAN's).

Figs. 2 and 3 shows an exemplary use of the mobile earth station 10 utilised on a card 20 in this case a financial transaction card 20. As described above a financial transaction card 20 can take many forms such as a credit card, debit card, loyalty card or other instrument for effecting financial transactions. They are mostly made of a plastics material to a standard shape and size. They are characteristically small and thin so that they can be carried by a bearer with minimal difficulty. Originally, all the data associated with the card was carried on a magnetic strip. Also known as the magnetic stripe card which is a type of card capable of storing data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material on the card. The magnetic stripe, sometimes called swipe card or magstripe, is read by swiping past a magnetic reading head. More recently the magnetic strips have been replaced with hologram magnetic strips. A holographic image is embossed on a clear polyester carrier which is then coated with ferrous oxide to form a magnetic strip with an optically viewable holographic image thereon. The magnetic strip is then mounted on a plastic substrate or card 20, and the carrier discarded.

In recent times 'chip and PIN' technology has led to the magnetic strip being supplemented by microchip and memory storage in the same dimensions of the original financial transaction card standard. The 'chip' and/or the magnetic strip constitute means for storing financial transaction information for using the card.

The microchip technology provides us with the smart card 20 also known as a chip card, an electronic wallet, or integrated circuit card (ICC) or any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. Smart cards 20 can be either contact or contactless smart card. The cards 20 can provide personal identification, authentication, data storage, and application processing. This is a standard feature on all credit cards 20 and even most debit cards. The first part of this line of protection is the embedded chip found on the front of the smart card 20. This holds your card details on it more securely than the magnetic strip on the back, so it's more difficult for someone to copy your details. The smart card 20 contains a tamper-resistant security system (for example a secure cryptoprocessor and a secure file system) and provides security services (e.g., protects in-memory information). The smart cards 20 have been designed to communicate with external services via card-reading devices, such as ticket readers, ATMs, etc. The cards 20 also include a number of other security devices which will be discussed in more detail below.

Typically the financial transaction card 20 is manufactured from a plastic material such as a polyvinyl chloride, a polyvinyl chloride composite, polyethylene terephthalate based polyesters, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, graphene, borophene, Teslin or polycarbonate. Graphene is an allotrope of carbon in the form of a two-dimensional, atomic-scale, hexagonal lattices in which one atom form each vertex. Graphene has been found to be particularly useful as a graphene-infused printer powder or 3D-printer material. Borophene is a crystalline allotrope of boron and is analogous to graphene in that it is produced in the form of extended sheets. Borophene is a strong, flexible material with good electrical conductivity. Teslin is a waterproof synthetic printing medium manufactured in a single-layer, uncoated film, and extremely strong. The strength of the lamination peel of a Teslin sheet is 2-4 times stronger than other coated synthetic and coated papers.

In order to accommodate all of the components of the mobile earth station 10 on a financial transaction card or smart card 20 it is envisaged that the card 20 will be manufactured using an additive manufacturing process such as a 3D printing process. Likewise in order to keep component size to a minimum most components will be also manufactured using the 3D printing process or similar, or be designed using ultra-thin technology. Additive manufacturing (AM) also known as 3D printing refers to various processes used to synthesize a three-dimensional object. In 3D printing, successive layers of material are created under computer control. These objects can be of almost any shape or geometry, and are produced from a 3D model or other electronic data source. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the entire object is created. Each of these layers can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the eventual object. Not all 3D printers use the same technology. There are several ways to print, however all those available use an additive process. The main differences in 3D printers is in the way layers are built to create the final object. Some methods use melting or softening material to produce the layers. Selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modelling (FDM) are the most common technologies using this way of printing. Another method of printing is when we talk about curing a photo-reactive resin with a UV laser or another similar power source one layer at a time. The most common technology using this method is called stereolithography (SLA).

Ultra-thin technology or bendable chips are being developed to provide new techniques in fabricating very thin wafers or chips, in applying them to device integration processes and in assembly and packaging. The demand to miniaturize products especially for mobile applications and autonomous systems is continuing to drive the evolution of electronic products and manufacturing methods. This includes the integration of functions on miniaturized subsystems, i.e. System-in-Package (SiP), in contrast to full silicon integration (System-on-Chip, SoC). The use of recent manufacturing methods allows the merge of the SiP approach with a volumetric integration. Bendable chips are a key component of future smart systems such ultra-thin chips can be embedded into PCBs, enabling system miniaturization.

It should be understood that while the above methods of producing a component size that provides a minimum footprint has been discussed the present invention is not limited to only these processes. It is envisaged that other technologies could be used to develop the miniaturised products required for the present invention.

The financial transaction card or smart card 20 comprises a satellite module 30 and satellite antenna 31 , a wireless module 40 and antenna 41 , a microcontroller 60 and a power supply module 50. The power supply module 50 consists of a printed battery 51 and voltage regulator 52. The voltage regulator 52 provides at least one regulated voltage supply, but preferably two regulated voltage supplies of 3.5V and 5.0V. The battery 51 is a lithium-ion 3D printed battery or similar technology. It is envisaged that other batteries could also be used provided the battery 51 is designed to convert stored energy into electrical energy while keeping the battery size to a minimum in order to fit in with the other miniaturised components. For example the battery 51 could be a lithium-ion battery, a polymer based battery, a thin film battery or a thin film printed battery. It is also envisaged that new technologies such as a graphene battery, graphene electrode battery or graphene based supercapacitor could be used in place of the battery 51 and with the linear regulator 52. Alternatively, the card 20 may have a rechargeable battery 51 and as such a battery charging port (not shown).

By way of example only, graphene can be used for the electrodes of batteries and also as the active material itself. Graphene can be used to produce an ultrathin flexible battery which charges in less than a minute and is integrated into the card 20. Likewise, due to the low resistivity at room temperature of graphene a number of the electronic components of the mobile earth station 10 could be developed from graphene - devices made of pure graphene can conduct electricity more efficiently than any other material (at room temperature). As a consequence, very little energy is wasted and the components of the mobile earth station 10 are extremely energy efficient. This basically means that electronic components currently using silicon circuitry could be replaced.

The satellite communication module 30 uses an Iridium 9603 which is ideal for space-constrained applications. It should be understood by the skilled addressee that any satellite communication transceiver could be used in the present invention to provide satellite communication. For example, the Inmarsat OG2-M and OG2-GPS could be used which combines global coverage using the Inmarsat geostationary telecommunications satellites. The Iridium 9603 combines the global coverage of the Iridium satellite constellation with the low latency of the Iridium short burst data service to provide highly reliable satellite communications from pole to pole. The Iridium 9603 is a single-board core transceiver. All device interfaces are provided through a single, multi-pin interface connector and an antenna connector. The interface includes at least one serial data port which can be utilised for updating or modifying the firmware installed within the read-only memory on the satellite communication module 30.

The Iridium 9603 uses short burst data messages which are converted to be delivered in email format or over HTTP to a preconfigured address. The mobile unit does not include a destination address when sending a SBD message. For example, short burst data is used for sending and receiving short data bursts, less than 2 kilobytes at a time. This service is often used for asset tracking and remote monitoring. Typically an SBD message takes from 6 to 22 seconds to send or receive. Typically the satellite module 30 and the antenna 31 are designed to operate at microwave frequencies, for example the K, Ku or Ka bands which range from 12GHz-40GHz. Dependent upon the satellite module 30 required will determine the required transmit and receive frequencies of operation.

The satellite antenna 31 is 3D printed antenna or embedded antenna which allows the satellite module 30 to transmit and receive signals from the satellite 1 1 . Typically the embedded antenna 31 is an internal PCB antenna which is either ground plane independent or ground plane dependent design. When a ground plane independent antenna 31 is used it should be mounted with sufficient clearance from any metal components or surfaces to enable the antenna to radiate effectively. If a ground plane dependent antenna 31 is used a base needs to be in contact with a metallic surface (Ground Plane). The design of the antenna 31 is important to provide the required bandwidth in a small-volume and cost-effective form factor, and minimizing performance roll-off at band edges for wideband applications.

The satellite communication module 30 may also incorporate an electromagnetic shield (not shown) between or around the satellite communications module 30 and the satellite communications module antenna 31 . The electromagnetic shield reduces the electromagnetic field in a space by blocking the field with barriers made of conductive or magnetic materials. The shielding is designed to reduce the coupling of radio waves, electromagnetic fields and electrostatic fields from the wireless communication module 40, the controller 60 and power supply module 50. Likewise, the electromagnetic shield is used to reduce the coupling of radio waves, electromagnetic fields and electrostatic fields from the wireless communications module 40 and the wireless communications module antenna 41 to avoid interference between either antennas or transceivers in the communications modules 30, 40.

By way of example only, a material used for this type of electromagnetic shielding, especially with electronic devices housed in plastic enclosures or plastic cards 20, is to coat an internal layer of the card 20 or the inside of the enclosure with a metallic ink or similar material. The ink consists of a carrier material loaded with a suitable metal, typically copper or nickel, in the form of very small particulates. It can be sprayed as a layer or is sprayed on to the enclosure and, once dry, produces a continuous conductive layer of metal, which can be electrically connected to the chassis ground of the equipment, thus providing effective shielding. This method can also be particularly useful in a 3D printing or additive manufacturing process.

The wireless communication module 40 of the mobile earth station 10 is designed to provide wireless communication signals to enable short range devices 16 to communicate with satellite technology. The transmission of wireless communication signals involves the transmission of information over a distance without help of wires, cables or any other forms of electrical conductors. Wireless communication as applied to the present invention can be broken into two areas. Firstly, wireless communication using radio waves and secondly, optical wireless communications (OWC) using unguided visible, infrared (IR), or ultraviolet (UV) light to carry a signal.

The embodiment of the smart card 20, in this case the financial transaction card 20 has been designed so that the wireless communications module 40 can operate with wireless communication using radio waves, optical wireless communication, or both. When used over radio waves, a wireless local area network (WLAN) is used to provide a wireless network that links two or more devices using a wireless distribution method (often spread-spectrum or OFDM radio) within an area such as a home, school, office building or remotely using portable devices. The WLANs are based on IEEE 802.1 1 standards, and an example of such a WLAN is Wi-Fi. The IEEE 802.1 1 has two basic modes of operation: infrastructure and ad hoc mode. In ad hoc mode, mobile units transmit directly peer-to-peer. In infrastructure mode, mobile units communicate through an access point that serves as a bridge to other networks such as the Internet or a local area network (LAN). Due to the more open nature of wireless communication and Wi-Fi, the 802.1 1 standard includes encryption mechanisms to secure wireless networks.

When used over radio waves the wireless communication module 40 consists of an ESP8266 integrated chip or similar and is designed to provide a self-contained Wi-Fi networking solution. Like all other components the wireless communication module 40 must be adapted to fit in as small a footprint as possible. The ESP8266 is one device which fits this requirement. However any similar integrated chip could be substituted to provide the operations of the wireless communications module 40. The wireless communication module 40 consists of an ESP8266 integrated chip which is basically a single-board transceiver with at least one device interface and a read-only memory for storing programmed firmware. The interface device is a serial data port utilised to enable firmware updates for the wireless communications module 40. The ESP8266 firmware updates can only occur when the chip is in programming mode i.e. when GPIO0 is connected to ground. During normal operation GPIO0 is held at 3.3V. To achieve this a simple switch is utilised between the rails to achieve the connection to ground. Alternatively, this could also be carried out by a software enabled program either stored within the read-only memory of the ESP8266 or within the microprocessor of the controller 60. Like the satellite communications module 30, the antenna for the wireless communications module 40 for receiving and transmitting signals is any one of an embedded antenna, a microstrip antenna or a printed antenna. The antenna is connected to the wireless communication module 40 via a surface mount connector or the like. Wi-Fi (or WiFi) is a local area wireless computer networking technology that allows electronic devices to network, mainly using the 2.4 gigahertz UHF and 5 gigahertz SHF ISM radio bands. Typically Wi-Fi is defined as any "wireless local area network" (WLAN) product based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.1 1 standards. The WiFi Module 40 is a self-contained system on chip (SOC) with integrated TCP/IP protocol stack that can give any microcontroller access to your WiFi network. The SOC is an integrated circuit (IC) that integrates all components of a computer or other electronic system into a single chip, in this case a Wi-Fi module 40. It contains digital, analog, mixed-signal, and radio- frequency functions, all on a single chip substrate. Likewise the antenna 41 is also integrated into the design or embedded into the substrate to provide a smaller form factor.

The Wi-Fi module 40 is capable of either hosting an application or offloading all Wi-Fi networking functions from another application processor. The wireless module 40 is pre-programmed with an AT command set firmware. The wireless module 40 also provides on-board processing and storage capability that allows it to be integrated with any sensors and other application specific devices through its general-purpose input/output (GPIO) with minimal development up-front and minimal loading during runtime. The wireless module 40 with its on-chip integration allows for minimal external circuitry, including the front-end module and is designed to occupy minimal PCB area. The wireless module 40 supports asynchronous power save delivery (APSD) for VoIP applications and Bluetooth co-existance interfaces. The design of the wireless module 40 allows for a self-calibrated RF allowing the wireless module 40 to work under all operating conditions without requiring any external RF parts.

When used over unguided visible, infrared (IR), or ultraviolet (UV) light an optical wireless communication module 400, 410 is illustrated in Figs. 23 and 24 described in detail below. Optical wireless communication systems which operate in the visible band (390-750 nm) are commonly referred to as visible light communication (VLC). VLC systems take advantage of light emitting diodes (LEDs) which can be pulsed at very high speeds without noticeable effect on the lighting output and human eye. Optical wireless communication and VLC can be used in a wide range of applications including wireless local area networks, wireless personal area networks and vehicular networks.

By way of example only an exemplary optical wireless communications module 400, 410 operating in the visible band is the light fidelity (Li-Fi) system. Li-Fi is a bidirectional, high speed and fully networked wireless communication technology. The Li-Fi communication protocols are similar to those used in RF communications such as the IEEE 802.1 1 standard. Alternatively the communication protocol may be an IEEE 802.15 standard for wireless personal area network (WPAN) standards. When using the infrared light spectrum the optical wireless communication technology uses the communication protocol known as Infrared Data Association (IrDA) set of protocols for wireless infrared communications. Although Li-Fi LEDs are required to have continuous operation in order to transmit data, they are dimmed to below human visibility while still emitting enough light to carry data. While Li-Fi and light waves do not have the ability to penetrate walls they can be reflected off walls and therefore do not require line of sight for operation.

The controller 60 like all other components of the mobile earth station 10 when utilised on a financial transaction card 20 has been designed for a minimal footprint utilising miniaturized products. The controller 60 is a small computer designed to control the operation and facilitate the transfer of satellite communications, wireless communications and power to all components. The controller or microcontroller 60 is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Program memory in the form of ferroelectric RAM, NOR flash or OTP ROM is included on the single integrated chip, as well as a typically small amount of RAM. The microcontroller 60 is designed for embedded applications and is particularly useful for automatically controlled products and devices, such as automobile engine control systems, implantable medical devices, remote controls, office machines, appliances, power tools, toys and other embedded systems. The microcontroller 60 may use four-bit words and operate at clock rate frequencies as low as 4 kHz, for low power consumption. The microcontroller 60 in accordance with the present invention also has the ability to retain functionality while waiting for an event such as a button press or other interrupt; power consumption while sleeping (CPU clock and most peripherals off), making it well suited for long lasting battery applications. The microcontroller 60 is configured to control two-way satellite communication, control acquisition of position data from the satellite communication module, and to cause the wireless communication module to wirelessly transmit information and position data to a device. The device may include any one or more of a short range device 16, computer 15, IPad or tablet computer 14, mobile or fixed phones 13 as well as other mobile earth stations 10 and fixed earth stations 12. The controller or microcontroller 60 has also been adapted to have firmware installed in the memory to provide control, monitoring and data manipulation of the wireless communication module 40, the satellite communication module 30 and the power module 50 and associated systems. The firmware can be modified or updated by download using the wireless communication module 40 or the satellite communication module 30. The firmware is held in the memory of the controller 60 and preferably in a non-volatile memory device such as ROM, EPROM, or flash memory. The firmware can also be modified or updated by a download facility using the serial data port of the wireless communication module or the satellite communication module.

As discussed above and when the mobile earth station 10 is used on cards 20 and in particular financial transaction smart cards 20, certain security measures are required by financial institutions to be incorporated into the mobile earth station 10. This can include, but is not limited to any one or more of the following security devices a chip and pin technology as already discussed, security holograms, hologram magnetic strips, a signature panel with micro text printed into the security panel, the security number printed in reverse italics, a specialised security print, an RFID chip, a liquid crystal display, or a holographic laminate material.

By way of example only, security holograms have been incorporated into most debit and credit cards to overcome the problem of realistic looking counterfeit cards which can easily be created by criminals utilising simple desktop printers. Holograms are part of the optically variable devices (OVDs) family of security devices and known as a photographic recording of a light field. A printed hologram is an industry term used to describe visual security features that are obvious to the naked eye and reveal an array of different visual effects as the device is moved with respect to the observer. For example, kinetic effects (movement) and colour-changing are typical examples of such features. A key feature of a hologram is that they cannot be copied by colour copiers or scanners. Likewise the signature panel on some credit cards can have the financial institutions name repeatedly printed in multiple colours that appear at a 45 ° angle. This makes the signature panel tamper evident.

Another of the security devices mentioned above is the modern use of liquid crystal technology or optical imaging using liquid crystals. An application of liquid crystals is optical imaging and recording. In this technology, a liquid crystal cell is placed between two layers of photoconductor. Light is applied to the photoconductor, which increases the material's conductivity. This causes an electric field to develop in the liquid crystal corresponding to the intensity of the light. The electric pattern can be transmitted by an electrode, which enables the image to be recorded. The thin profile and minimal energy requirements of these devices make them particularly useful for the present invention of the mobile earth station 10 as a security measure on credit cards 20.

Figs. 4 to 7 illustrate a number of views of satellite footprints showing the typical ground area coverage of the satellites 1 1 . Fig. 4 shows a first satellite 1 1 producing a first footprint 81 on the earth 70. The second satellite 1 1 shows only a partial footprint 82 on the earth 70. The footprints 81 , 82 of the communication satellites 1 1 are the ground area that its transponders offer coverage. The first satellite 1 1 is shown with beams 85, 87 which will typically provide a 15,000 km coverage as indicated by the line 86. Due to the nature of the satellite orbit there will be an amount of overlap or intersection between satellites 1 1 as indicated by reference 83. Within the footprint 81 , a one square kilometre section shown at reference 80 is shown and will be further described in Figs. 5 and 6 below. Fig. 5 shows the one square kilometre section 80 of the satellite footprint 81 and the available mobile earth stations 10 operating within that one square kilometre range. The circles 90 represent the range of each mobile earth station 10 and the intersecting ranges 91 between closely located mobile earth stations 10. Fig. 6 shows a mobile earth station 10 with a number of short range devices 95 located within the range circle 90 of the mobile earth station 10. Fig. 7 shows another view of a number satellites 1 1 orbiting around the earth 70. For each satellite 1 1 has reference lines 85, 87 and 84, 88 which indicate the beam from the respective satellite 1 1 . The reference lines also show the intersecting path 83 between adjacent satellites 1 1 . The intersecting portion 83 ensures the continuous coverage of the satellites 1 1 .

Fig. 8 further shows a user 100 with a mobile earth station 10 which can communicate with a satellite 1 1 indicated by the communication beam 17. The present invention also allows the mobile earth station 10 to communicate with a fixed earth station 12 or radio earth station 12. The communication beam is indicated by reference 18.

Fig. 9 shows an exemplary use of a mobile earth station 10 utilised within a smart card 20 as described above with relation to Fig. 2. Any issuing authority 1 10 of a smart card 20 has the ability to access a terrestrial uplink 12 via an uplink beam 19 to take control of the smart card 20 via a satellite constellation comprising any number of satellites 1 1 with a downlink beam 17. The issuing authority 1 10 may require access to activate or de-activate the smart card 20 if the smart card 20 has been stolen or lost or misuse of the smart card has been reported by the owner of the smart card 20. The activation or de-activation may be carried by a separate actuator located on the card 20 or by control of the microcontroller 60 to turn the device on or off. Another option available to the issuing authority 1 10 is to allow the microcontroller 60 to take control of the power module 50. As described above the smart card 20 has a mobile earth station 10 located on or within the smart card 20. This allows all the functionality of the mobile earth station 10 to be incorporated within a smart card 20. If the smart card 20 is stolen the issuing authority 1 10 has the ability to prevent any further use of the smart card 20 and gives the authorities the opportunity to apprehend the person or persons who have stolen the smart card 20. The issuing authority 1 10 also has the ability to cancel the credit available on the card to prevent the owner from losing any money or having their credit card run up due to misuse. The isolator is designed to be remotely activated using a communication signal to the satellite communication module 30 or the wireless communication module 40. The activation or de-activation is carried when the signal to activate or de-activate is sent to the card 20 and either the satellite communication module 30 or the wireless communication module 40 will provide a control signal to the microcontroller 60 to turn the device on or off. The isolator could also be a software initiated isolation program stored on the controller memory and activated remotely.

Fig. 10 illustrates the different communication links available for the mobile earth station 10. Firstly each satellite 1 1 has the ability to communicate with an adjacent satellite 1 1 using radio waves to send signals as indicated by arrow 122. A satellite 1 1 in orbit cannot pass along their information to the fixed or mobile ground stations 10, 12 on Earth if the satellite 1 1 does not have a clear view of the ground station 10, 12. Therefore a tracking and data relay satellite may also be utilised. Each satellite 1 1 may communicate with either a fixed earth station 12 or a mobile earth station 10. One satellite 1 1 has both up 19 and down 17 link communications with a fixed earth station 12 at a satellite frequency. One satellite 1 1 includes a communication footprint 81 which is in satellite communication with the mobile earth station 10 for communication at a relevant frequency. The mobile earth station 10 is also in wireless communication with the short range device 16. Another communication loop identified in Fig. 10 is shown by reference number 123 which is a wireless communication link between the short range device 1 6 and the mobile tower 120. Further the mobile tower 120 is in communication with the mobile telephone 13 via communication link 124. The mobile earth station 10 allows all short range devices which are within the mobile earth stations range to be able to communicate via satellite 1 1 . The present invention also allows computers 15 (mobile or fixed), tablet computers 14, telephones 13 (fixed or mobile) and fixed earth stations 12 to communicate with the mobile earth station 10 and satellites 1 1 . Importantly and as illustrated the mobile earth station 10 and the short range device 16 communicate with each other while excluding the link to the terrestrial ground or fixed earth station 12. The link between the mobile earth station 10 and the short range device 16 bypasses the fixed earth station 12. Fig. 1 1 shows a block diagram of the mobile earth station 10 in communication with a short range device 16 via the wireless communication module 40, with both uplink 130 and downlink 131 wireless transfer of data. The satellite communication module 30 allows the mobile earth station 10 and the short range device to communicate with the satellite 1 1 via uplink 19 and downlink 17.

Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate the transfer of data on board the mobile earth station 10. Fig. 12 shows the serial transfer 140 of data between the satellite module 30 and the wireless module 40. Fig. 13 shows a parallel link 150 for transfer of data between the satellite module 30 and the wireless module 40.

Figs. 14 and 15 show block diagrams of a further embodiment of the mobile earth station 10 of the present invention. Fig. 14 shows the connection between the main baseboard or controller 60, the power management module or linear regulator 52 and battery 51 , the wireless module 40 and wireless antenna 41 , and memory 170. The memory module 170 comprises both flash memory 171 and random-access memory (RAM) 172. The flash memory 171 is an electronic non-volatile computer storage medium that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. Random-access memory 172 is a form of computer data storage. A random-access memory device 172 allows data items to be accessed (read or written) in almost the same amount of time irrespective of the physical location of data inside the memory.

The power management module 52 also consists of a subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module (SIM) 160. The SIM 160 is an integrated circuit chip that is intended to securely store the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number and its related key, which are used to identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile telephony devices (such as mobile phones and computers). The SIM card 160 can also be used in satellite phones. The SIM circuit is part of the function of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) physical smart card, which is usually made of PVC with embedded contacts and semiconductors. A SIM card contains its unique serial number (ICCID), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number, security authentication and ciphering information, temporary information related to the local network, a list of the services the user has access to, and two passwords: a personal identification number (PIN) for ordinary use, and a personal unblocking code (PUK) for PIN unlocking.

Fig. 15 shows a block diagram of the remaining components of the mobile earth station 10 including the RF front end or satellite communication module 30 and antenna 31 and the connections to the main baseboard or controller 60 as noted as reference numeral 1 on both Figs 14 and 15. All required componentry is also included which will allow the mobile earth station 10 to reliable communicate via both satellite and wireless communication mediums. For example, filtering, low noise amplifiers, down converters, mixers and base-band analogue to digital converters to name but a few.

Both the smart card 20 described earlier and the mobile earth station 10 described in Figs. 14 and 15 can also include heatsinks (not shown) to safely dissipate heat from heat intensive devices. Heat generated by electronic devices and circuitry must be dissipated to improve reliability and prevent premature failure. In these applications the use of a thermal conductive tape can be enough of a heatsink to provide sufficient heat transfer away from the devices. By way of example only and by no way limited to the following, a heatsink is utilised to dissipate heat from the power module 50, the battery 51 , the power management module or linear regulator 52, and the transceivers used in each of the satellite communications module 30 and the wireless communications module 40. The heatsink can be manufacture from a high- conductivity material for electronic cooling and for enhancing the heat removal from small chips. Another alternative is a synthetic diamond cooling sinks. Synthetic diamond is an ideal material for a range of thermal management applications, and has a thermal conductivity four times higher than copper. In addition, the material is an electric insulator. A further alternative is the use of a heatsinks constructed of multiple materials with desirable characteristics, such as phase change materials, which can store a great deal of energy due to their heat of fusion. The heatsink can be attached to the components by utilising the thermal conductive tape mentioned above or using an epoxy. The epoxy provides a greater mechanical bond between the heatsink and component, as well as improved thermal conductivity.

Both the smart card 20 described earlier and the mobile earth station 10 described in Figs. 14 and 15 can also include some form of magnetic shield or RFID blocking device (not shown) to protect the card from a skimming device or similar fraudulent activity. The only way known to block signals between contactless cards 20 and other devices was to utilise a magnetic metal shield. Some contactless cards, which use radio frequency identification or an RFID chip, while convenient they are vulnerable to being skimmed without ever leaving your pocket. The radio frequency identification chips (RFID) used cards 20 typically replace the magnetic stripe. The magnetic shield may be in the form of another layer or coat of a metallic ink or similar material as described above with reference to the electromagnetic shielding. The ink consists of a carrier material loaded with a suitable metal, typically copper or nickel, in the form of very small particulates.

Figs. 16 to 18 show some exemplary uses which incorporate the mobile earth station 10 of the present invention. Fig. 16 shows the mobile earth station 10 used to sample short range device weather monitoring sensors 181 . For example, weather sensors 181 which can monitor and sense temperature, barometric pressure, dew point, heat index, humidity, rainfall, rain rate, wind chill, wind direction and wind speed. The sensors 181 connect wirelessly via the wireless module 40 to the mobile earth station 10. The sensors 181 can be located either remotely or can be associated with any short range device 16. The mobile earth station 10 using the on-board microcontroller 60 can process the data and then transmits the signal via the satellite module 30 to a satellite 1 1 . Alternatively, the unprocessed data may be packaged and sent directly via the satellite module 30 to the satellite 1 1 without being processed. The data provided by the satellite 1 1 is then accessible by a website 180 or for further processing by professional societies like the bureau of meteorology.

Fig. 17 shows another exemplary use of the mobile earth station 10 as a global voting application. Typical voting applications allow the use of social media applications for voting and polling on a number of different issues. Voting or polling can be carried out on any number of different categories such as politics, fashion, dating advice, fashion advice, sports, and technology. Any eligible short range device 16 can be used to submit a vote to a central tally room or application 190. A SIM card located in the eligible short range device 16 will identify the voter and verify that they are eligible to vote. The short range device 16 will connect wirelessly 132 to the mobile earth station 10 which will upload the vote to a satellite 1 1 via the satellite communication module 30. A global or central tally room 190 will then access the satellite data via either a central application or over an internet connection. The tally room 190 will then process all votes and provide a result based on the votes submitted.

Fig. 18 shows another exemplary use of the mobile earth station 10 as a global music application. In this example a guitar 200 is shown, however any instrument which is capable of uploading either on its own or via another medium music which can be utilised for pleasure of others. The guitar 200 has an inductive pickup (not shown) which can pick up and transmit the vibration of a guitar string to a short range device 16 in the wireless range of the mobile earth station 10. The mobile earth station 20 transmits the data via the satellite module 30 to a satellite 1 1 for transmission to anywhere around the globe.

Figs. 19 to 22 illustrate flow charts representative of the exemplary uses described above. Figure 19 is a flow chart which describes the prevention of credit card fraud or misuse and the ability of the credit card issuing authority to de-activate the credit card as shown in Fig. 9. The process is initiated at the start 300 where the first step is a decision which questions if a smart card or financial transaction card 20 is lost or stolen at item 301 . If no, the process ends and is terminated at item 302. If yes, then an issuing authority initiates a clear or switch off order at item 303. The order is sent or uplinked to a satellite 1 1 at item 304. The signal is routed to the satellite receiver 30 on the mobile earth station card 20 at item 305. This effectively either cancels or switches off the card 20 at item 306 by disabling the card by one of the methods described above. The process is then terminated at item 307.

Fig. 20 illustrates a flow chart of the mobile earth station 10 used to sample short range device weather monitoring sensors 181 as described in Fig. 16. The process is initiated at the start item 310 and proceeds at item 31 1 in which the mobile earth station 10 will receive via the satellite communication module 30 a signal to check for available short range devices 16 with weather enabled sensors 181 . At step 312 the sensors 181 are obtained and their data sampled by the mobile earth station 10 using the wireless module 40. At step 313 the data is processed and uploaded to the satellite 1 1 via the satellite communication module 30. This makes the data from the sensors 181 available to the internet or associated organisation like the Bureau of Meteorology for display or further processing at step 314. The process is completed and ends at step 315. Fig. 21 illustrates a flow chart for a further exemplary use of the mobile earth station 10 used for downloading movies via satellite 1 1 . The process begins at item 320 and the first step 321 is to download a list of available movies. The next step 322 is to determine if the movie you wish to view is located in the movie list. If no, you continue to download the movie list until you find the movie you wish to view. If the movie is in the list then the process proceed to step 323 in which you select the movie and a signal is sent via the satellite module 30 to a satellite 1 1 to download the movie. The next step 324 the loop continues to investigate and monitor the download until at step 325 the movie is downloaded and available either to view or store. At step 326 the decision is required to either view and the movie is streamed to a screen 329 or if store is selected the movie is stored at step 327 in a storage device. The process ends at step 328.

Fig. 22 illustrates another exemplary use of the mobile earth station 10 as a global voting application as described in Fig. 17. The process starts at step 330 and the first step 331 a global tally room sends a request to the mobile earth station 10 to search for any eligible short range devices 16 for voting. At step 332 if no eligible short range devices 16 are found the mobile earth station 10 will at step 333 transmit via satellite 1 1 and the satellite module 30 a no voters signal to the global tally room and the process ends at step 334. If eligible short range devices 16 are found then at step 335 the mobile earth station 10 send a vote request to the eligible short range devices 16 to cast a vote. At step 336 the voters will either respond or if not they are given a maximum of five loops to respond and if they still do not respond the process ends at step 337. If the voter responds the process continues to step 338 at which time the mobile earth station 10 submits the vote via the satellite module 30 to the satellite 1 1 for access of the global tally room. At step 339 the global tally room receives and processes the vote. The process is completed and terminates at step 340.

Fig. 23 shows a further embodiment of a credit card 210 incorporating a mobile earth station 10 but also including the further functionality of optical wireless communication over unguided visible, infrared (IR), or ultraviolet (UV) light. All other components remain unchanged and like reference numerals have been used. In order to accommodate the componentry of the optical wireless communication receiver 410 some of the original components have been moved. The card 210 includes the receiver 410 and photodetector 41 1 as well as the satellite module 30 and satellite antenna 31 , wireless module 40, and a power supply module 50.

Fig. 24 shows a block diagram of a mobile earth station 10 incorporating both radio wave and optical wave wireless modules. In this example the optical wireless module is an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) method of encoding digital data on multiple carrier frequencies. OFDM has been utilised due to the provision for wideband digital communication, used in applications such as audio broadcasting, DSL Internet access, wireless networks, powerline networks, and 4G mobile communications. Using OFDM a large number of closely spaced orthogonal sub-carrier signals are used to carry data on several parallel data streams or channels. Each sub-carrier is modulated with a conventional modulation scheme (such as quadrature amplitude modulation or phase-shift keying) at a low symbol rate, maintaining total data rates similar to conventional single-carrier modulation schemes in the same bandwidth. As illustrated the optical wireless communication transmitter 400 receives a bit stream 401 such as from the internet which is passed through an OFDM modulator 402 and digital to analog converter (DAC) 403 before being transmitted as visible light via a lamp driver and light emitting diode (LED) 404. When the OWC systems are operating in the visible band (390-750 nm) they are commonly referred to as visible light communication (VLC). VLC systems take advantage of LEDs 404 which can be pulsed at very high speeds without noticeable effect on the lighting output and human eye.

The optical channel 420 in this case is simply space, while light waves do not have the ability to penetrate walls they can be reflected off walls and therefore do not require line of sight for operation. The optical wireless communication receiver 410 consists of a photodetector 41 1 to receive the data, an analog to digital converter (ADC) 412 and an OFDM demodulator 413. The bit stream 414 is in this example fed into the microcontroller 60 for further processing, manipulation or transmission via either the wireless module 40 or the satellite module 30. The OWC system can be configured to provide wireless local area networks or wireless personal area networks. As has been previously described one exemplary OWC system operating in the visible band is the light fidelity (Li-Fi) system. Li-Fi is a bidirectional, high speed and fully networked wireless communication technology. As illustrated in Fig. 25 a typical Li-Fi system would include an optical wireless communications transmitter 400 which can be adapted to receive and transmit the internet via visible light through an associated lamp driver and light emitting diode (LED) 404. The optical channel 420 transmits the light signal to a card 210 which is enabled for both wireless radio and optical communication and satellite communication using the mobile earth station 10 in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated the card 210 is capable of communication with a satellite 1 1 via the satellite communications module and wireless radio or optical communication with a computer 15, short range devices 16, IPad or tablet computers 14 and mobile or fixed phones 13.

Like all other embodiments the present invention illustrated in Fig 25 has been developed to create a fully communicating satellite capable wireless module card enabling communication between satellite technology and terrestrial short range devices. Fig. 26 shows a mobile earth station 10 which is adapted to be incorporated into a beach umbrella 430 to create a fully communicating satellite capable wireless module card at remote locations such as the beach. The mobile earth station 10 could be incorporated into a beach umbrella or any other useful item which could enable the device to be used for satellite internet via the mobile earth station 10. Satellite Internet access is Internet access provided through communications satellites. Modern satellite Internet service is typically provided to users through geostationary satellites that can offer high data speeds, with newer satellites using Ka band to achieve downstream data speeds up to 50 Mbps. Any number of devices could be utilised in this process. For example, beach tents or portable shades or sun shelters, camping equipment, camper trailers and caravans, and agricultural machinery which is operated in remote or populated areas. This list is only as long as your imagination.

As described above the mobile earth station 10 can be used to track an asset such as a smart card 20. The smart card 20 can be used in a number of different applications. For example, the smart card 20 could be used as a financial transaction card, an identification card, a secure information repository, a health care card, or an identification verification and access control card.

Fig. 27 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment the smart card 20 is in the form of an electronic wallet 450. Typically an electronic wallet or digital wallet 450 refers to an electronic device that allows an individual to make electronic transactions. The digital or electronic wallet 450 allows access to electronic money. The electronic money can either be centralised, where there is a central point of control over the money supply, or decentralised, where the control over the money supply can come from a plurality of sources. In this instance the decentralised electronic money is a digital currency and comprises a distributed database that keeps a record of all transactions that take place across a peer- to-peer network. This can include purchasing items on-line with a computer 15 or using a smartphone 13 to purchase something at a store. In the present invention the electronic wallet 450 includes the smart card 452 which comprises the satellite module 30 and satellite antenna 31 , wireless module 40 and antenna 41 , microcontroller 60 and power supply module 50. The electronic wallet 450 is used to link an individual's bank account as well as their driver's license, health care card, loyalty card(s) and other ID documents are stored on the smart transaction card 452. Therefore the electronic wallet 450 has both software and information modules. The software module provides security and encryption for the personal information and for the actual transaction. The information module is basically a database of user-input information. This information consists of your shipping address, billing address, payment methods (including credit card numbers, expiry dates, and security numbers), and other information.

The distributed database is a blockchain database which is basically a decentralised ledger of all transactions across a peer-to-peer network. Using blockchain technology a user can confirm transactions without the need for a central certifying authority The electronic wallet 450 contains at least one public key and at least one private key to enable a blockchain transaction. A blockchain consists of blocks that hold batches of valid transactions. Each block includes the hash of the prior block in the blockchain, linking the two. The linked blocks form a chain. In addition to a secure hash based history, any blockchain database has a specified algorithm for scoring different versions of the history so that one with a higher value can be selected over others. Peers supporting the database don't have exactly the same version of the history at all times, rather they keep the highest scoring version of the database that they currently know of. Whenever a peer receives a higher scoring version (usually the old version with a single new block added), they extend or overwrite their own database and retransmit the improvement to their peers. There is never an absolute guarantee that any particular entry will remain in the best version of the history forever. Blockchains are typically built to add the score of new blocks onto old blocks. There are incentives to only work on extending with new blocks rather than overwriting old blocks. The probability of an entry becoming superseded goes down as more blocks are built on top of it - eventually becoming very low. In this embodiment the electronic wallet or digital wallet 450 used to make electronic transactions of a digital currency. The digital wallet 450 is basically the Bitcoin equivalent of a bank account. It allows you to receive bitcoins, store them, and then send them to others. There are two main types of wallets, a software wallet and a web wallet. A software wallet is one that you install on your own computer or mobile device. You are in complete control over the security of your coins. A web wallet or hosted wallet is one that is hosted by a third party. They are often much easier to use, but you have to trust the provider to maintain high levels of security to protect your coins.

This digital currency can include a cryptocurrency based on a cryptographic algorithm which uses an encryption technique to control the creation of a monetary unit and to verify a transfer of funds. Cryptocurrency is both digital and virtual currency that is created based on some cryptographic algorithm (Sha-256, Script, etc.). No one "mints" this currency, they solve cryptographic algorithms using hardware and electricity to get the representation of one unit of value, typically called a "coin". Bitcoin, Litecoin, peercoin, namecoin, ripple, mastercoin, and altcoins are all cryptocurrencies. By way of example only, and in the context of bitcoin, the blockchain is a digital ledger that records every bitcoin transaction that has ever occurred.

In Fig. 27 the first step is to set-up the digital wallet 450 by downloading bitcoin client user software that facilitates private key generation and security, payment sending on behalf of a private key, and optionally provides useful information about the state of the network and transactions, information related to the private keys under its management, and syndication of network events to other peer clients. Basically the Bitcoin wallet 450 is a collection of public and private keys and the software used to manage those keys and to make transactions on the Bitcoin network. Or put more simply an electronic wallet 450 is a file that provides access to multiple Bitcoin addresses. The address is a string of a letters and numbers and each address has its own balance of bitcoins. As illustrated the client user software can be installed on any mobile or fixed device 13, 15, 16. The incorporation of the digital wallet 450 with the mobile earth station 452 allows the ability for a Bitcoin transaction and the blockchain technology to operate both over wireless or satellite communication technologies. The Bitcoin client or user software allows the management of bitcoin addresses and creates bitcoin transactions on behalf of the user. Blockchain offers a number of different clients which can be used to connect to the same bitcoin wallet. Some clients have different features and security characteristics. The electronic wallet 450 on the smart card 452 includes additional addresses. This provides enhanced security because it is possible to transact from a different address each time.

Like any financial transaction a buyer wants to purchase a product from a seller but in this case they want to use bitcoins. That is the seller will accept payment in bitcoins from the buyer. The seller must first create a new Bitcoin address to allow the buyer to transfer their payment. By creating the new address the seller is generating a cryptographic key pair composed of a private key and a public key. The seller's new Bitcoin address represents a unique public key, and the corresponding private key is stored in his wallet 450. The public key allows anyone to verify that a message signed with the private key is valid. The buyer initiates a request for a transaction at 451 by accessing their Bitcoin client on their mobile device 13 to transfer the purchase amount to the sellers address. The buyer's wallet 450 holds the private key on the smart card 452 for each of address located in their wallet 450. The Bitcoin client signs the buyer's transaction request 451 with the respective private key of the address from which the buyer is transferring the bitcoins from. The requested transaction 451 is broadcast to a peer-to-peer network consisting of computers known as nodes 453. This now allows anyone on the network of nodes 453 to use the public key to verify that the transaction request is actually coming from the legitimate account owner.

The network of nodes 453 is the Bitcoin miners which are basically a number of computers setup to calculate cryptographic hash functions. They firstly bundle any new transactions into a new transaction block and the cryptographic hash function transforms the collection of data into an alphanumeric string with a fixed length called a hash value. In order to create different hash values from the same data, Bitcoin uses nonces. A nonce is just a random number that is added to the data prior to hashing. Changing the nonce results in a wildly different hash value. The network of nodes or miners 453 validates the transaction and the user's status using hash functions. A verified transaction 454 is then combined with other transactions to create a new block of data for the ledger. The new block is then added to the existing blockchain 456 in a way that is permanent and unalterable. The transaction from the seller to the buyer is then complete at step 457. Fig. 28 illustrates the production of both private and public keys for transactions.

The use of the blockchain technology has a number of potential applications. For example, the transactions could be for financial transactions, smart contract transactions, escrow transactions, DNA transactions, healthcare or medical record transactions, precious jewel transactions, academic achievement transactions, intellectual property transactions, herbal medicine transactions, voting transactions, or any other like transaction.

The above described embodiment can be incorporated into any of the previously described embodiments. Likewise the production of the smart card 452 is the same as previously described.

By way of another example, a mobile earth station 1 0 could be devised that was powered by a vehicle power system to provide the fully communicating satellite capable wireless module card in any mobile vehicle. This means that rather than having a battery to supply electrical energy the vehicle could supply the power for the mobile earth station 10. Alternatively the mobile earth station 10 may include battery and the vehicle power system could be simply used to charge the battery in the mobile earth station 10. The mobile device could include but not be limited to cars, trucks, buses, trains, boats or any watercraft, motorbikes or any agricultural machinery. A vehicle could be any mobile machine that transports people or cargo.

ADVANTAGES

The present invention provides a link between short range devices, satellite communications and GPS technologies. Existing terrestrial systems by and large cover short range device data transfer. The present invention provides a mobile earth station which is capable of linking the short range device to a satellite to enable satellite communication.

The mobile earth station has been designed to provide a small self- contained and self-powered device. In order to incorporate the device into a range of existing devices, the design had to have a small footprint and take up as little room as possible on the existing device. In order to further accommodate the present invention new technologies such as graphene and 3D printing have been utilised to overcome problems associated with current techniques.

When used in card technologies the present invention provides a mobile earth station which allows the position detection and tracking of an asset or card and the improved techniques for acquisition of position information. The present invention is particularly useful in the detection, tracking and control of identification and financial transaction cards to reduce the potential of card misuse.

VARIATIONS

It will be realized that the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example only and that all other modifications and variations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

In this specification, adjectives such as first and second, left and right, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one element or action from another element or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order. Where the context permits, reference to an integer or a component or step (or the like) is not to be interpreted as being limited to only one of that integer, component, or step, but rather could be one or more of that integer, component, or step etc.

In the specification, the term card shall be understood to include any of a financial transaction card, credit or debit, any smart card, an identity or identification card, a proof of age card, an electronic ticket card, a charge card, any form of magnetic stripe card, a proximity card, or any loyalty card.

The above description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided for purposes of description to one of ordinary skill in the related art. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to a single disclosed embodiment. As mentioned above, numerous alternatives and variations to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the above teaching. Accordingly, while some alternative embodiments have been discussed specifically, other embodiments will be apparent or relatively easily developed by those of ordinary skill in the art. The invention is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications, and variations of the present invention that have been discussed herein, and other embodiments that fall within the scope of the above described invention.

In the specification the term "comprising" shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the term "comprising" such as "comprise" and "comprises".