US3688088A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Credit card validation system using an opaque card having translucent coded areas
Assignee: Texaco Inc
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Filing: 1970-09-18
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Granted: 1972-08-29
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Expires: 1990-09-18
Abstract
Abstract Methodology and apparatus for optically reading, or recognizing, numbers in coded form, on such articles as credit cards and the like. The article is made of an opaque substance with prepositioned, coded, translucent areas forming a pattern corresponding to a coded form of the card number.
Inventors
- 👤 William F Brown
- 👤 Ronald J Goetchius
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 03:11
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/08; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/40; G06Q20/403; G06Q20/4033
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A credit card comprising in combination a metallic plate, a translucent outer covering of plastic enveloping said plate, an identification number embossed on the front face of said card and supported by said metallic plate to reduce the amount of wear on said embossed numbers; a group of four binary coded perforations in said plate representing each decimal digit of said number; said groups of perforations are invisible to the naked eye, and each said group of perforations is located in line with a corresponding one of said decimal digits.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
A credit card comprising in combination a metallic plate, a translucent outer covering of plastic enveloping said plate, an identification number embossed on the front face of said card and supported by said metallic plate to reduce the amount of wear on said embossed numbers; a group of four binary coded perforations in said plate representing each decimal digit of said number; said groups of perforations are invisible to the naked eye, and each said group of perforations is located in line with a corresponding one of said decimal digits.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said perforation groups comprises four quadrant locations with the perforations representing the binary number corresponding to the corresponding decimal digit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The combination according to claim 2, further including an additional perforation located adjacent to each of said groups for assisting in the process of reading said individual code groups.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-29 | 1976-02-28 | 1976-08-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-29 | 1980-02-28 | 1980-08-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-29 | 1984-02-28 | 1984-08-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |