Credit card testing equipment

Claim 1

An apparatus for testing credit cards for use in association with retailing facilities or the like, each card having a particular code defined by a plurality of serially placed characters, each character defined by manifestations of a plurality of bivalued bits of information, stored on the card in machine readable form, there being plural tracks on the card accordingly, comprising: a card reader for reading the code on the card in serial by character, parallel by bit operation when pushed through the reader in either direction colinear with the direction of data tracks on the card, card reader including reading means, providing signals representative of the characters, the signals having bivalued format in representation of the bits; memory means connected to the card reader to receive the signals and storing them in individually, addressable storage locations, when the card is pushed through the reader in one direction; memory addressing counter means operated by an in synchronism with the passage of characters on a card past the reading means to access sequentially the individually addressable storage locations in the memory means; first means connected to the reader and to the memory means for comparing the signals as stored with the signals provided by the reader when reading the code subsequently in the reverse while the card is pulled from the reader in the opposite direction whereby the memory addressing means calls on the storage locations in inverse sequence for readout of the stored signals; second means connected to the first means to provide an indication representative of absence or presence of comparison; an exchangeable movable data storage strip storing a plurality of codes as serial characters, each character in parallel by bit format, there being as many data tracks as each character has bits, adjacent multicharacter codes being separated by a particular character, the data storage strip being disposed in physical association with the reader as part of the testing apparatus; third means coupled to the storage strip for reading the characters stored on the carrier when moved past the means for reading by operation of the reading means and providing signals representative thereof; fourth means coupled to the movable strip for reeling the strip past the third means for obtaining reading of the characters on the carrier; fifth means connected for deriving from the storage strip a sequence of clock pulses as the strip moves past the third means for reading; sixth means connected for receiving the clock pulses and operating the addressing counter means for sequentialLy and cyclically addressing the memory means for sequentially reading the signals stored therein, on a repetitive basis; seventh means connected to the memory means to receive the signals representing characters as sequentially read from the memory means and being further connected to the third means to be responsive to the signals provided by the third means and representing characters as sequentially read from the carrier, to serially compare the signals on a character for character basis and on a parallel by bit basis per respective two characters to be compared, the third through sixth means operating in dependence upon indication provided by the second means in representation of presence of the comparison as provided by the second means, and including eighth means for operation on a cyclic basis, to provide an indication whether all characters read from the memory compare with a like number of characters read concurrently from the carrier; ninth means connected to the third and to the eighth means to be responsive to the particular character for controlling the cyclic repetition of the sixth means; and means connected to provide an indication whether any of the codes on the strip compares with the code read from a card.

Claim 2

An apparatus for testing credit cards for use in association with retailing facilities or the like, each card having a particular code defined by a plurality of serially placed characters, each character defined by manifestations of a plurality of bivalued bits of information, stored on the card in machine readable form, there being plural tracks on the card accordingly, comprising: a card reader for reading the code on the card in serial by character, parallel by bit operation when pushed through the reader in either direction colinear with the direction of data tracks on the card, card reader including reading means, providing signals representative of the characters, the signals having bivalued format in representation of the bits; memory means connected to the card reader to receive the signals and storing them in individually, addressable storage locations, when the card is pushed through the reader in one direction; memory addressing counter means operated by an in synchronism with the passage of characters on a card past the reading means to access sequentially the individually addressable storage locations in the memory means; first means connected to the reader and to the memory means for comparing the signals as stored with the signals provided by the reader when reading the code subsequently in the reverse while the card is pulled from the reader in the opposite direction whereby the memory addressing means calls on the storage locations in inverse sequence for readout of the stored signals; second means connected to the first means to provide an indication representative of absence or presence of comparison; an exchangeable movable data storage strip storing a plurality of codes as serial characters, each character in parallel by bit format, there being as many data tracks as each character has bits, adjacent multicharacter codes being separated by a particular character, the data storage strip being disposed in physical association with the reader as part of the testing apparatus; third means coupled to the storage strip for reading the characters stored on the carrier when moved past the means for reading by operation of the reading means and providing signals representative thereof; fourth means coupled to the movable strip for reeling the strip past the third means for obtaining reading of the characters on the carrier; fifth means connected for deriving from the storage strip a sequence of clock pulses as the strip moves past the third means for reading; sixth means connected for receiving the clock pulses and operating the addressing counter means for sequentialLy and cyclically addressing the memory means for sequentially reading the signals stored therein, on a repetitive basis; seventh means connected to the memory means to receive the signals representing characters as sequentially read from the memory means and being further connected to the third means to be responsive to the signals provided by the third means and representing characters as sequentially read from the carrier, to serially compare the signals on a character for character basis and on a parallel by bit basis per respective two characters to be compared, the third through sixth means operating in dependence upon indication provided by the second means in representation of presence of the comparison as provided by the second means, and including eighth means for operation on a cyclic basis, to provide an indication whether all characters read from the memory compare with a like number of characters read concurrently from the carrier; ninth means connected to the third and to the eighth means to be responsive to the particular character for controlling the cyclic repetition of the sixth means; and means connected to provide an indication whether any of the codes on the strip compares with the code read from a card.

Claim 7

An apparatus for testing credit cards or other identification cards, each having a particular identifying code recorded thereon in machine readable form and in serial by character, parallel by bit format, the bits arranged in plural data tracks, comprising: first means for receiving a card for forward and backward motion in direction colinear with the data tracks on the card; second means coupled to the card when in the first means for reading the code therefrom in forward and again in reverse direction in relation to placement of the card in the first means, and providing signals representative thereof; third means connected to the second means for storing the signals when the code on the card is read in the forward direction; fourth means connected to the second and third means to compare the signals provided by the second means during reverse card reading with the signals stored in the third means, and providing an indication representative of absence or presence of comparison of the respective signals; fifth means including a data storage strip storing signals representative of a plurality of codes and also in serial by character, parallel by bit format; sixth means coupled to the storage strip for reading the stored signals and presenting them in said format; and seventh means connected to the second and sixth means for comparing the stored signals with the signals received from the storage carrier and providing an indication of absence or presence of the code read froM the card when in the first means among the codes on the storage carrier.

Claim 8

An apparatus for testing credit cards or other identification cards, each having a particular identifying code recorded thereon in machine readable form and in serial by character, parallel by bit format, the bits arranged in plural data tracks, comprising: first means for receiving a card for forward and backward motion in direction colinear with the data tracks on the card; second means coupled to the card when in the first means for reading the code therefrom in forward and again in reverse direction in relation to placement of the card in the first means, and providing signals representative thereof; third means connected to the second means for storing the signals when the code on the card is read in the forward direction; fourth means connected to the second and third means to compare the signals provided by the second means during reverse card reading with the signals stored in the third means, and providing an indication representative of absence or presence of comparison of the respective signals; fifth means including a data storage strip storing signals representative of a plurality of codes and also in serial by character, parallel by bit format; sixth means coupled to the storage strip for reading the stored signals and presenting them in said format; and seventh means connected to the second and sixth means for comparing the stored signals with the signals received from the storage carrier and providing an indication of absence or presence of the code read froM the card when in the first means among the codes on the storage carrier.