Card coding and read-out system

Claim 1

An apparatus for coding a credit card with information comprising, in combination: a. an insulative plate supporting an array of electrical contacts defining an area corresponding to the area of a portion of a card on which information is to be recorded; b. a source of electrical energy providing a given voltage; c. control circuit means for individually connecting said source to selected ones of said electrical contacts in accordance with a code defining information to be recorded; d. a base platen defining a credit card receiving area on its top surface such that a credit card may be positioned on said receiving area and sandwiched between said insulative plate and base platen to assure a consistent registration and avoid any relative motion between said array of electrical contacts and the area on the portion of the card on which information is to be recorded, said base platen constituting part of a return electrical circuit to said source, whereby the individual points among all of the points in the portion of the card on which information is to be recorded which are engaged by the selected contacts may be altered simultaneously relative to the remaining points on the card to render them more conductive by connection of the source of electrical energy to the selected contacts, said given voltage and control circuit means being such as to provide a current through said individual points sufficient to effect the alteration into a more conductive state without rendering the individual points on the card visible to the naked eye, said control circuit means including; e. means for supplying a voltage to all of said contacts simultaneously which is substantially lower than said given voltage; f. means connected to the individual contacts responsive simultaneously to current flows therein to provide electrical signals indicative of those particular contacts through which current is flowing; and g. read-out meAns responsive to said signals to provide a display of information corresponding to the information originally coded in the card, whereby said apparatus may be used to read-out coded information on the card by subsequently sandwiching the card between said insulative plate and base platen and applying said voltage to all of said contacts, only those contacts in engagement with points which have been rendered more conductive having current flowing therethrough to provide said electrical signals.

Claim 2

An apparatus for coding a credit card with information comprising, in combination: a. an insulative plate supporting an array of electrical contacts defining an area corresponding to the area of a portion of a card on which information is to be recorded; b. a source of electrical energy providing a given voltage; c. control circuit means for individually connecting said source to selected ones of said electrical contacts in accordance with a code defining information to be recorded; d. a base platen defining a credit card receiving area on its top surface such that a credit card may be positioned on said receiving area and sandwiched between said insulative plate and base platen to assure a consistent registration and avoid any relative motion between said array of electrical contacts and the area on the portion of the card on which information is to be recorded, said base platen constituting part of a return electrical circuit to said source, whereby the individual points among all of the points in the portion of the card on which information is to be recorded which are engaged by the selected contacts may be altered simultaneously relative to the remaining points on the card to render them more conductive by connection of the source of electrical energy to the selected contacts, said given voltage and control circuit means being such as to provide a current through said individual points sufficient to effect the alteration into a more conductive state without rendering the individual points on the card visible to the naked eye, said control circuit means including; e. means for supplying a voltage to all of said contacts simultaneously which is substantially lower than said given voltage; f. means connected to the individual contacts responsive simultaneously to current flows therein to provide electrical signals indicative of those particular contacts through which current is flowing; and g. read-out meAns responsive to said signals to provide a display of information corresponding to the information originally coded in the card, whereby said apparatus may be used to read-out coded information on the card by subsequently sandwiching the card between said insulative plate and base platen and applying said voltage to all of said contacts, only those contacts in engagement with points which have been rendered more conductive having current flowing therethrough to provide said electrical signals.