System and apparatus for validating and verifying ownership of credit cards and the like

Abstract

Abstract A SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR VALIDATING, VERIFYING CREDIT CARD AND THE LIKE OWERNERSHIP, ALSO USABLE FOR END IN CONJUNCTION WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, DETERMINATION OF CREDIT STATUS OF THE OWNER, UTILIZING A KNOWN FORM OF CREDIT CARD HAVING THE USUAL VISUAL IDENTIFYING AND RECORDING MEANS THEREON. THE CARD FURTHER INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF APERATURES THERETHROUGH ARRANGED IN CORDED POSITIONS TO COOPERATE WITH SELECTIVE PLURAL LIGHT SOURCES, THE SYSTEM BEING OPERABLE TO ACTIVATE ONLY PRESELECTED ONES OF THE LIGHT SOURCES, AS SELECTED BY A CARD OWNER OR A CLERK REGISTERING AND RECORDING A SALE IN ACCORDANCE WITH A CODE NUMBER KNOWN ONLY TO THE OWNER. MEANS ARE PROVIDED FO RECEIVING EMITTED LIGHT FROM THE SO ACTIVATED LIGHT SOURCE PASSING THROUGH THE CODED APERTURES AND OPERABLE WHEN THE USER ACTIVATED LIGHT SOURCES CORRESPOND WITH THE CODED CARD APERTURES TO ACTIVATE, THROUGH LIGHT SENSORS, ONE OR MORE INTERCONNECTED ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS TO INDICATE VISUALLY VALIDITY OR CORRECT OWNERSHIP OF THE CARD. NONCORRESPONDENCE OF THE PRESELECTED LIGHT SOURCE OPERATION, CODED APERTURES, AND SENSORS, TOGETHER WITH THE CIRCUITS, SERVE TO INDICATE NOVERIFICATION OF CARD. THE SYSTEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH APPROPRIATE CIRCUITRY AND ADDITIONAL APPARATUS ALSO PERMITS ASCERTAINING CREDIT STANDING OR THE LIKE OF A CARD BEARER, OR CAN SERVE TO ACTIVATE EQUIPMENT EXTRANEOUS TO THE SYSTEM.

Inventors

• 👤 Ralph V Cook

Bibliographic Details