Methods and means for recording and reading magnetic imprints

Claim 2

A magnetic imprint reader comprising: a plurality of individual, discreet Hall effect elements arranged in rows and columns and lying flat in a common plane and each includiNg a flowpath for charge carriers in one direction and a pair of output terminals at opposite sides of said flowpath; a conductor extending between adjacent sides of successive pairs of the elements of a row whereby the elements of the row are connected in series; means for subjecting said Hall effect elements to magnetic flux, said means comprising a memory element having selectively magnetizable surface areas and means for positioning said element such that its magnetizable surface areas overlie respectively associated ones of said Hall effect elements; and means for detecting voltage changes at each pair of output terminals comprising circuit runs each run associated with one of said rows and having an electrical connection to the corresponding side of each of the Hall effect element of the row, and means associated with each Hall effect element for making electrical connection thereto at the side opposite said circuit run including means for conducting currents therefrom to a point removed from said common plane.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1, which further comprises means for magnetically imprinting said memory element including means for magnetizing the surface areas of said memory element overlying respectively associated ones of said Hall effect elements.

Claim 4

A magnetic imprint reader comprising: a plurality of individual discreet Hall effect elements each including a flowpath for charge carriers in one direction and a pair of output terminals at opposite side of said flowpath, said Hall effect elements being arranged in a row; a plurality of conductors each extending between the adjacent sides of a respectively associated pair of successively arranged elements whereby the elements of the row are connected in series by said plurality of conductors; means for detecting voltage changes at the pairs of output terminals including a circuit run extending alongside the row of Hall effect elements and having connection to a corresponding side of each of them and a plurality of conductors, one or each Hall effect element of the row, connected to one of said Hall effect elements; means for subjecting said Hall effect elements to magnetic flux, said means comprising a memory element having selectively magnetizable surface areas and means for positioning said element such that its magnetizable surface areas overlie respectively associated ones of said Hall effect elements; and means for magnetically imprinting said memory element including means for magnetizing the surface areas of said memory element overlying respectively associated ones of said Hall effect elements; said memory element being disposed between said means for magnetically imprinting said imprint reader and further comprising means for precluding relative motion between said means for magnetically imprinting said memory element.

Claim 5

A magnetic imprint reader comprising: a plurality of individual discreet Hall effect elements each including a flowpath for charge carriers in one direction and a pair of output terminals at opposite side of said flowpath, said Hall effect elements being arranged in a row; a plurality of conductors each extending between the adjacent sides of a respectively associated pair of successively arranged elements whereby the elements of the row are connected in series by said plurality of conductors; means for detecting voltage changes at the pairs of output terminals including a circuit run extending alongside the row of Hall effect elements and having connection to a corresponding side of each of them and a plurality of conductors, one or each Hall effect element of the row, connected to one of said Hall effect elements; means for subjecting said Hall effect elements to magnetic flux, said means comprising a memory element having selectively magnetizable surface areas and means for positioning said element such that its magnetizable surface areas overlie respectively associated ones of said Hall effect elements; and means for magnetically imprinting said memory element including means for magnetizing the surface areas of said memory element overlying respectively associated ones of said Hall effect elements; said memory element being disposed between said means for magnetically imprinting said imprint reader and further comprising means for precluding relative motion between said means for magnetically imprinting said memory element.

Claim 6

A magnetic imprint reader comprising: a plurality of individual discreet Hall effect elements each including a flowpath for charge carriers in one direction comprising a body of semi-conductor material and a pair of output terminals at opposite sides of said flowpath, said Hall effect elements being arranged in a row; and means for detecting voltage changes at the pairs of output terminals including a circuit run extending alongside the row and having electrical connection to each Hall effect element of the row and a plurality of conductors, one associated with each of said Hall effect elements and each having electrical connection to the other side of its respectively associated Hall effect element; a plurality of conductors each interconnecting a respectively associated pair of successively arranged Hall effect elements whereby said elements are connected in series; each of said conductors having a single connection to one, and two spaced connections to the other, of the two Hall effect elements it innerconnects.

Claim 7

A magnetic imprint reader comprising: a plurality of individual discreet Hall effect elements each including a flowpath for charge carriers in one direction comprising a body of semi-conductor material and a pair of output terminals at opposite sides of said flowpath, said Hall effect elements being arranged in a row; and means for detecting voltage changes at the pairs of output terminals including a circuit run extending alongside the row and having electrical connection to each Hall effect element of the row and a plurality of conductors, one associated with each of said Hall effect elements and each having electrical connection to the other side of its respectively associated Hall effect element; a plurality of conductors each interconnecting a respectively associated pair of successively arranged Hall effect elements whereby said elements are connected in series; each of said conductors having a single connection to one, and two spaced connections to the other, of the two Hall effect elements it innerconnects.

Claim 8

The invention defined in cLaim 4, in which said three spaced terminals and said output terminals lie substantially in a common plane.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 5, in which said flow path for charge carriers extends from the third one of said three terminals in each of said Hall effect elements.