US3697729A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dispensing system and security card for use therewith
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-09-01
•
Granted: 1972-10-10
•
Expires: 1990-09-01
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for dispensing items desired by the user in response to the introduction of a valid security card and additional predetermined information. The apparatus includes means for reading data from the security card, keyboard means for introducing additional information and electronic logic for determining the validity of the card and the validity of the predetermined information. A security card is provided including a first area to record the number of uses of said card and a second area to record the date of the last use. The apparatus includes logic to prevent dispensing and to retain the card if the card has been used more than a predetermined number of times or more than once within a predetermined time interval.
Inventors
- 👤 John David Edwards
- 👤 Leonard Perkins
- 👤 John Henry Donald
- 👤 Peter Lee Chappell
- 👤 Sean Benjamin Newcombe
- 👤 Malcolm David Roe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 02:15
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F19/00; G07F19/20; G07F19/202; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/34; G06Q20/343; G06Q20/3433; G07F19/209; G07F19/21; G07F7/00; G07F7/02; G07F7/08; G07F7/086; G07F7/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for authenticating a credit or security card and its use in response to the introduction into said apparatus of said security card and the entering into said apparatus of predetermined information, comprising: means for verifying that a particular security card is valid, said verifying means including an oscillator and a transducer for quantizing a characteristic of magnetic material deposited on discrete areas of said security card, and means for reading encoded information, representative of said characteristic, and data on said security card, means for permitting a user of said apparatus to enter personal identification information into said apparatus, means for determining if said personal identification information corresponds to said data, and means for authorizing the use of said security card only if the card is verified and if said personal identification information corresponds to said data.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
137 words
Apparatus for authenticating a credit or security card and its use in response to the introduction into said apparatus of said security card and the entering into said apparatus of predetermined information, comprising: means for verifying that a particular security card is valid, said verifying means including an oscillator and a transducer for quantizing a characteristic of magnetic material deposited on discrete areas of said security card, and means for reading encoded information, representative of said characteristic, and data on said security card, means for permitting a user of said apparatus to enter personal identification information into said apparatus, means for determining if said personal identification information corresponds to said data, and means for authorizing the use of said security card only if the card is verified and if said personal identification information corresponds to said data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein said information which is present on said security card is magnetically recorded on said security card in a coded or scrambled form, and said means for determining if said personal identification information corresponds to said data includes means for electronically decoding said coded or scrambled data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, including means for recording on said security card the total number of times said security card has been employed to obtain the dispensed items, and means to permit said apparatus to retain said security card when said security card has been employed for dispensing items a predetermined number of total times.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, including means for normally returning said security card to said user before said items are dispensed to said user.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
141 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein said security card includes a body member having a first predetermined area within which there has been applied a random quantity of magnetic material, said security card also including a second predetermined area within which there has been recorded information which is representative of said random quantity of said magnetic material which has been applied within said first predetermined area, said oscillator for energizing said magnetic material and said transducer including associated circuitry for reading the value of the thus energized magnetic material, said information which is read by said reading means being representative of said random quantity of magnetic material, and said verifying means includes means for comparing said recorded information which is representative of said random quantity of magnetic material with the value obtained by reading said energized magnetic material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein said security card is provided with indicia bearing a randomly-applied amount of magnetic material which is accurately measured before the card is issued to said user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, including means for recording on said security card the date of the most recent successful use of that particular security card and means to permit said apparatus to retain said card when said card is presented within a predetermined time after said most recent successful use of said security card.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
272 words
An apparatus for dispensing articles desired by a user of said apparatus in response to the introduction in said apparatus of a valid security card and the entering into said apparatus of a secret memorized personal number, comprising, in combination: means for permitting said user to introduce said security card into said apparatus; means for reading and checking the data which is magnetically encoded in scrambled form on said security card; means for determining the validity of said card; a keyboard for permitting said user to enter into said apparatus said secret memorized personal number; means for determining the validity or invalidity of said entered personal number by comparing said personal number with the data read from said security card; said security card being provided with indicia bearing a randomly-applied amount of magnetic material which is accurately measured before the card is issued to said user; the data representing the accurate measurement of the amount of magnetic material being encoded as part of said data which is present on said security card; said reading and checking means including means for reading said indicia to obtain a signal representative of the amount of magnetic material borne by said indicia and means for comparing said signal with said data which represents the accurate measurement of the amount of said magnetic material; means for dispensing said articles desired by said user only after said security card and said secret memorized personal number are both determined by said apparatus to be valid; and means for permitting said articles to be dispensed to said user only after said user has removed his security card from said apparatus.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
272 words
An apparatus for dispensing articles desired by a user of said apparatus in response to the introduction in said apparatus of a valid security card and the entering into said apparatus of a secret memorized personal number, comprising, in combination: means for permitting said user to introduce said security card into said apparatus; means for reading and checking the data which is magnetically encoded in scrambled form on said security card; means for determining the validity of said card; a keyboard for permitting said user to enter into said apparatus said secret memorized personal number; means for determining the validity or invalidity of said entered personal number by comparing said personal number with the data read from said security card; said security card being provided with indicia bearing a randomly-applied amount of magnetic material which is accurately measured before the card is issued to said user; the data representing the accurate measurement of the amount of magnetic material being encoded as part of said data which is present on said security card; said reading and checking means including means for reading said indicia to obtain a signal representative of the amount of magnetic material borne by said indicia and means for comparing said signal with said data which represents the accurate measurement of the amount of said magnetic material; means for dispensing said articles desired by said user only after said security card and said secret memorized personal number are both determined by said apparatus to be valid; and means for permitting said articles to be dispensed to said user only after said user has removed his security card from said apparatus.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 8, including means for retaining said security card and for preventing the return of said security card to said user when said user has failed to enter into said apparatus the correct secret memorized personal number after a predetermined number of attempts to do so.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 8, wherein said data is magnetically recorded on said security card in a scrambled or coded arrangement, and wherein said means for determining the validity of said security card which is introduced into said apparatus includes means for electronically decoding said scrambled or coded arrangement of data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
72 words
An article comprising, in combination: a body member; a first predetErmined area on said body member; said first predetermined area containing a quantity of material which is capable of being influenced by an electromagnetic field; a second predetermined area on said body member; said second predetermined area containing data which is representative of said quantity of said material which lies within certain portions of said first predetermined area on said body member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
72 words
An article comprising, in combination: a body member; a first predetErmined area on said body member; said first predetermined area containing a quantity of material which is capable of being influenced by an electromagnetic field; a second predetermined area on said body member; said second predetermined area containing data which is representative of said quantity of said material which lies within certain portions of said first predetermined area on said body member.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
An article characterized in accordance with claim 11, wherein said quantity of material within said first predetermined area is capable of being detected and measured after said material is influenced by a predetermined electromagnetic field, and said data within said second predetermined area includes values mathematically related to the detected or measured quantity of material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
75 words
An article, such as a security card, a credit card or an identification card, comprising, in combination: a body member; a first predetermined area on said body member; said first predetermined area containing a randomly-applied quantity of magnetic material; a second predetermined area on said body member; and said second predetermined area containing data which is representative of said quantity of said magnetic material which lies within said first predetermined area on said body member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
75 words
An article, such as a security card, a credit card or an identification card, comprising, in combination: a body member; a first predetermined area on said body member; said first predetermined area containing a randomly-applied quantity of magnetic material; a second predetermined area on said body member; and said second predetermined area containing data which is representative of said quantity of said magnetic material which lies within said first predetermined area on said body member.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
An article characterized in accordance with claim 13, including a third predetermined area on said body member, said third predetermined area providing a visible indication of the total number of times said article has been employed for its intended purpose.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
109 words
A security card for use in conjunction with an apparatus for dispensing items desired by a user of said apparatus, comprising, in combination: a body member having a first predetermined area in the shape of an arrow for indicating the correct direction for inserting said security card into said apparatus; said arrow containing a randomly distributed quantity of magnetic material portions of which are accurately measured before said security card is issued to said user; said body member having a second predetermined area within which is encoded various recorded data; and said recorded data includes information which is mathematically related to said accurately measured quantity of said magnetic material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
109 words
A security card for use in conjunction with an apparatus for dispensing items desired by a user of said apparatus, comprising, in combination: a body member having a first predetermined area in the shape of an arrow for indicating the correct direction for inserting said security card into said apparatus; said arrow containing a randomly distributed quantity of magnetic material portions of which are accurately measured before said security card is issued to said user; said body member having a second predetermined area within which is encoded various recorded data; and said recorded data includes information which is mathematically related to said accurately measured quantity of said magnetic material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
A security card characterized in accordance with claim 15, wherein said recorded data also includes information which corresponds to a personal number which is memorized by said user and which is required to be entered into said apparatus by said user before said apparatus will dispense the items desired.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
44 words
A security card characterized in accordance with claim 15, including a third predetermined area on said body member wherein there is provided a visible indication of the total number of times said security card has been employed for a successful dispensing of said item.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
90 words
An apparatus for verifying that a particular credit card is authorized for use, comprising: a credit card including discrete areas of magnetic material deposited thereon and information encoded thereon which is mathematically related to a security value of the deposited magnetic material, means including an oscillator and a transducer for determining the security value of the magnetic material deposited on said card, means for reading the encoded information on said card, means for comparing the security value and the encoded information and for ascertaining the validity of said credit card.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
90 words
An apparatus for verifying that a particular credit card is authorized for use, comprising: a credit card including discrete areas of magnetic material deposited thereon and information encoded thereon which is mathematically related to a security value of the deposited magnetic material, means including an oscillator and a transducer for determining the security value of the magnetic material deposited on said card, means for reading the encoded information on said card, means for comparing the security value and the encoded information and for ascertaining the validity of said credit card.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said transducer and oscillator determine said security value by measuring a predetermined plurality of said discrete areas of magnetic material.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said magnetic material is randomly applied.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said encoded information is in a scrambled form and said means for reading includes electronically unscrambling said information.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3039582A
Cited
US3061143A
Cited
US3221304A
Cited
US3245697A
Cited
US3401830A
Cited
US3564210A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-10-10 | 1976-04-10 | 1976-10-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-10-10 | 1980-04-10 | 1980-10-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-10-10 | 1984-04-10 | 1984-10-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |