Anti-counterfeit program ticket and system therefor

Claim 2

A performance ticket having visible information printed thereon which indicates data such as the nature of the performance, the date of the performance, the time of the performance and the seating section, said ticket having a stub portion which is severable from said ticket, said ticket having on an area apart from said stub portion a first machine readable code which is visible to the patron and a second machine readable code which is invisible to the patron, said visible and invisible machine readable codes being oriented in the same direction, said visible machine readable code encoding at least portions of said information which are consistent for each ticket of the performance and said invisible machine readable code encoding additional information unique to the performance.

Claim 3

A performance ticket of claim 1, wherein said second machine readable code is printed on said ticket and masked with an overlying opaque covering.

Claim 4

A performance ticket of claim 2, wherein said second machine readable code is printed on said ticket in magnetic ink characters and covered with a non-magnetic ink of the same color to form a color patch on said ticket.

Claim 5

A performance ticket of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said first and second machine readable codes are in bar code format.

Claim 6

Apparatus for machine reading a performance ticket having machine readable information printed thereon, said machine readable information being in the form of a first machine readable code which is visible to the patron where the encoded information relates to data which is the same for each ticket of a performance such as the performance nature, date and time, and a second machine readable code which is invisible to the patron and encodes additional data unique to the performance, said apparatus comprising means for receiving a performance ticket, means for machine reading said first and second codes on the ticket, means for aligning said first and second machine readable codes with said code reader means, transport means for effecting relative movement between said ticket and said code reader means for machine reading said first and second codes, programmable memory means for storing the information of said first and second codes, means for comparing the machine read codes to the stored codes in said memory means, means for indicating a valid ticket by determining a match or an invalid ticket by determining a non-match of the machine read and stored codes and means for removing a stub portion from the ticket in response to said comparing means determining a valid ticket and returning the stub to the patron.

Claim 7

Apparatus for machine reading a performance ticket having machine readable information printed thereon, said machine readable information being in the form of a first machine readable code which is visible to the patron where the encoded information relates to data which is the same for each ticket of a performance such as the performance nature, date and time, and a second machine readable code which is invisible to the patron and encodes additional data unique to the performance, said apparatus comprising means for receiving a performance ticket, means for machine reading said first and second codes on the ticket, means for aligning said first and second machine readable codes with said code reader means, transport means for effecting relative movement between said ticket and said code reader means for machine reading said first and second codes, programmable memory means for storing the information of said first and second codes, means for comparing the machine read codes to the stored codes in said memory means, means for indicating a valid ticket by determining a match or an invalid ticket by determining a non-match of the machine read and stored codes and means for removing a stub portion from the ticket in response to said comparing means determining a valid ticket and returning the stub to the patron.

Claim 8

An apparatus of claim 5, further comprising means for controlling a normally locked turnstile through which a patron must pass to gain entry to the performance, said turnstile control means releasing said turnstile in response to said comparing means determining a valid ticket.

Claim 9

An apparatus of claim 5, wherein said indicator means comprises visual and audible alarms which are selectively actuated in response to said comparing means determining an invalid ticket.

Claim 10

An apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first code printed on said ticket encodes the performance nature, date and time.

Claim 11

An apparatus of claim 7, wherein said comparing means distinguishes a first circumstance of machine read visible code portion which does not match said stored code from a second circumstance of machine read invisible code which does not match said stored code or said code reader means fails to detect an invisible code, said indicator means actuating a visible signal in response to said comparing means distinguishing said first circumstance and said indicator means actuating an audible alarm in response to said comparing means distinguishing said second circumstance.

Claim 12

An apparatus of claim 9, wherein means for photographing the area about said apparatus is actuated in response to said comparing means distinguishing said second circumstance.

Claim 13

An apparatus of claim 5, wherein information relating to the seating particulars is encoded in said first machine readable code, said code reader means reading said encoded seat information.

Claim 14

An apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a handheld portable master programming unit which is connectible via an interface cable to said memory means, said programming device having a keyboard which permits the user to input the data of said first and second code into said memory means.

Claim 15

An apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first and second codes are in bar code format, said first code being a visible printed bar code and said second code being a visible bar code printed with magnetic ink, said second code being masked with a non-magnetic ink to provide a color patch on said ticket, said code reader means comprising a visible bar code reading device and a magnetic ink bar code reading device appropriately positioned to permit reading of said invisible and visible codes on said ticket when said reading devices are transported over the ticket.

Claim 16

An apparatus of claim 11, further comprising computational means continuously connected via an interface cable to said memory means during use of the apparatus, said memory means being programmable by said computational means to enter data corresponding to said first and second codes, means for transmitting to said computational means the machine read first and second codes in response to said comparing means detecting a match, said computational means having a back up memory for storing all machine read information including seating information and said computational means comparing machine read seat information to stored seat information, said computational means determining an invalid ticket upon detecting a match of the machine read and previously machine read seating information.

Claim 17

An apparatus of claim 5, wherein said ticket alignment means includes means for clamping said ticket when in register with said code reader means, said transport means moving said code reader means along said ticket to machine read at least said second code.

Claim 18

A process of printing a performance ticket comprising selecting a ticket media which has a surface of high reflectivity suitable for use with visible machine readable code format, printing on said ticket information which is readable by a patron and which defines the performance nature, date, time and seating, printing a first machine readable code which encodes at least portions of said information which is the same for each ticket of the performance and which is visible to the patron, printing with visible magnetic ink in the same direction as the first code a second machine readable code which encodes information unique to the performance and unrelated to the information encoded in said first code, masking said second code with a non-magnetic ink to provide a color patch on said ticket and thereby rendering said second code invisible to the patron.

Claim 19

A process of printing a performance ticket comprising selecting a ticket media which has a surface of high reflectivity suitable for use with visible machine readable code format, printing on said ticket information which is readable by a patron and which defines the performance nature, date, time and seating, printing a first machine readable code which encodes at least portions of said information which is the same for each ticket of the performance and which is visible to the patron, printing with visible magnetic ink in the same direction as the first code a second machine readable code which encodes information unique to the performance and unrelated to the information encoded in said first code, masking said second code with a non-magnetic ink to provide a color patch on said ticket and thereby rendering said second code invisible to the patron.

Claim 20

A process of claim 16, wherein a stub portion is printed on said ticket which is spaced from said first and second codes.

Claim 21

A process of claim 16, wherein said non-magnetic ink is of the same color as said magnetic ink.