Card reading method and apparatus

Claim 2

In the combination of a card and a card reading device, the improvement comprising: said device defining a way for receiving said card, said device including a reed switch positioned at one side of said way, said reed switch being closed when a magnetic field of a relatively strong strength condition is applied thereto and being open when a relatively weak magnetic field strength condition is applied thereto, said device including magnet means including a magnet mounted on the opposite side of said way, said card being positioned at a given location in said way, being mainly non-magnetic material and including magnetic material means of inconsequential residual magnetism, said magnetic material means being positioned between the magnet and the switch and intercepting the magnetic lines of force emanating from said magnet so that said magnetic means applies a magnetic field of one of said conditions to said reed switch, said card being removable from said way whereby said magnetic material means no longer intercepts the lines of force from said magnet and said magnetic means applies a magnetic field of the other of said conditions to said reed switch.

Claim 3

In the combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said reed switch and said magnetic means form a pair with which said magnetic material means cooperates as described, said device including a plurality of said pairs, said card including a plurality of said magnetic material means positioned at different locations on the card to correspondingly cooperate with a respective pair.

Claim 4

In the combination of claim 2, wherein said magnetic material means is obscured from visual examination of the exterior of said card.

Claim 5

In the combination of claim 2, wherein said device and said card include means restricting the insertion of said card into said way to said location to a single orientation of said card.

Claim 6

In the combination of claim 2, wherein said device includes detecting means connected to said switches to determine which of the switches are open and which are closed.

Claim 7

In the combination of claim 1, wherein said magnet is positioned to hold said reed switch closed in the absence of said card, when said card is in said position said magnetic material means shunting the magnetic field from said magnet whereby said switch then is open.

Claim 8

In the combination of claim 6, wherein said device includes sensing means connected to said switch to determine whether said switch is open or closed.

Claim 9

In the combination of claim 1, wherein said magnet and said reed switch are oriented with respect to each other such that, in the absence of a card in said way, the magnetic field from the magnet is so weak at the switch that the switch is then open, said magnetic material being so positioned that when the card is in said position the magnetic material forms a paramagnetic path over a substantial part of the distance between the switch and the magnet to thereby increase the magnetic field at the switch to an extent sufficient to close the switch.

Claim 10

In the combination of claim 8, wherein said switch and said magnet are in planes parallel to and at opposite sides of said way, with one respective ends of the switch and magnet being in juxtaposition and the other respective ends being spaced from each other, said magnetic material means being positioned to link said other respective ends.

Claim 11

In the combination of claim 8, wherein said switch and said magnet are in planes parallel to and at opposite sides of said way, as viewed at right angles to said planes the respective ends of the switch and magnet being spaced from each other, said magnetic material means being positioned to link said respective ends when said card is in said position.

Claim 12

In the combination of claim 1, wherein said magnet means includes a second magnet positioned at said one side of said way between the way and said switch, means mounting said second magnet for movement toward and away from said way and biasing it toward said way, the two magnets being so oriented that in the absence of a card their magnetic fields repel and the second magnet is thereby moved, against said biasing, away from said way and toward said switch so that the magnetic field of the second magnet closes said switch, said magnetic material means being positioned, when said card is in said position, between said magnets thereby shunting their magnetic fields to reduce said repulsion and allowing said second magnet to move away from the switch under the influence of said biasing thereby reducing the magnetic field at the switch sufficiently to allow said switch to open.

Claim 13

In a card for use with a card reading device defining a way for receiving said card at a given location in said way, which device includes a reed switch positioned at one side of said way, said reed switch being closed when a magnetic field of a relatively strong strength condition is applied thereto and being open when a relatively weak magnetic field strength condition is applied thereto, magnet means including a magnet mounted on the opposite side of said way, when said card is not in said way said magnetic material means applies a magnetic field of one of said conditions to said reed switch, the improvement wherein said card being mainly non-magnetic material and including magnetic material means of inconsequential residual magnetism, when said card is at said location said magnetic material means being positioned between the magnet and the switch and intercepting the magnetic lines of force emanating from said magnet so that said magnetic means applies a magnetic field of the other of said conditions to said reed switch.

Claim 14

In a card for use with a card reading device defining a way for receiving said card at a given location in said way, which device includes a reed switch positioned at one side of said way, said reed switch being closed when a magnetic field of a relatively strong strength condition is applied thereto and being open when a relatively weak magnetic field strength condition is applied thereto, magnet means including a magnet mounted on the opposite side of said way, when said card is not in said way said magnetic material means applies a magnetic field of one of said conditions to said reed switch, the improvement wherein said card being mainly non-magnetic material and including magnetic material means of inconsequential residual magnetism, when said card is at said location said magnetic material means being positioned between the magnet and the switch and intercepting the magnetic lines of force emanating from said magnet so that said magnetic means applies a magnetic field of the other of said conditions to said reed switch.

Claim 15

In the combination of claim 12, wherein said magnetic material means is obscured from visual examination of the exterior of said card.

Claim 16

A card reading device for use with a card formed primarily of non-magnetic material and including a predetermined area of magnetic material means at a particular location on the card, said magnetic material means having inconsequential residual magnetism, said device comprising: frame means defining a pocket for said card such that when said card is in said pocket said location is at a given position in said pocket, magnet means mounted on said frame means and including a magnet positioned at one side of said pocket adjacent said location, said magnet means establishing a magnetic field of a first strength at a point to the other side of said pocket when said card is in said pocket and a magnetic field of a second, different strength at said point when saiD card is displaced from said pocket, and a reed switch positioned at said point, said switch having an open condition when a relatively weak magnetic field is applied thereto and a closed condition when a relatively strong magnetic field is applied thereto, one of said first and second strengths corresponding to said relatively strong magnetic field and the other of said first and second strengths corresponding to said relatively weak magnetic field, whereby when said card is in said pocket said magnetic material means serves as a shunt for a magnetic field between said magnet and said point so that the magnetic field at said point will be different depending on whether said shunt is present thereby causing the condition of said switch to indicate whether said card is in said pocket.

Claim 17

A card reading device for use with a card formed primarily of non-magnetic material and including a predetermined area of magnetic material means at a particular location on the card, said magnetic material means having inconsequential residual magnetism, said device comprising: frame means defining a pocket for said card such that when said card is in said pocket said location is at a given position in said pocket, magnet means mounted on said frame means and including a magnet positioned at one side of said pocket adjacent said location, said magnet means establishing a magnetic field of a first strength at a point to the other side of said pocket when said card is in said pocket and a magnetic field of a second, different strength at said point when saiD card is displaced from said pocket, and a reed switch positioned at said point, said switch having an open condition when a relatively weak magnetic field is applied thereto and a closed condition when a relatively strong magnetic field is applied thereto, one of said first and second strengths corresponding to said relatively strong magnetic field and the other of said first and second strengths corresponding to said relatively weak magnetic field, whereby when said card is in said pocket said magnetic material means serves as a shunt for a magnetic field between said magnet and said point so that the magnetic field at said point will be different depending on whether said shunt is present thereby causing the condition of said switch to indicate whether said card is in said pocket.

Claim 18

A card reading device as set forth in claim 14, wherein said device includes detecting means connected to said switch to determine whether said switch is open or closed.

Claim 19

A card reading device as set forth in claim 15, for use with said card wherein the card includes a plurality of said magnetic material means at a plurality of locations on said card, said device being characterized by: a plurality of said magnet means each having said magnets positioned respectively adjacent the locations of the magnetic material means when said card is in said pocket, and a plurality of said reed switches respectively positioned at the respective points.