US4362930A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Data carrier card
Assignee: Zeag AG
•
Filing: 1981-01-09
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Granted: 1982-12-07
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Expires: 2001-01-09
Abstract
Abstract A laminated hard-to-counterfeit data carrier card with an opaque median plastic layer and transparent outer plastic layers has a plurality of groups of light conductors which extend through the median layer and represent encoded information which can be decoded by inserting the card into the slot of a decoding apparatus wherein a light source directs radiation against one side of the inserted card and a suitable circuit including rhotodiodes decodes the pattern of light rays which issue from the other side of the inserted card. The encoded information can represent sums of money, units of time, the serial number of the card, the identification number of the bearer and/or other data. Each group of light conductors can be destroyed or removed independently of the other groups, especially if each group denotes a unit of currency. The cross-sectional area of each light conductor is less than the square of the thickness of the card. The light conductors may constitute holes, light conducting filaments of glass or plastic, or light-conducting tubes. The light conductors form several parallel rows and the diameter of each light conductor is approximately 0.05 mm. The distance between neighboring light conductors in a group is approximately 0.3 mm.
Inventors
- 👤 Kurt Ehrat
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:15
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/02; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/08; G06K19/10; G06K19/14; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/34; G06Q20/343; G06Q20/3433; G06Q20/347; G06Q20/36; G06Q20/363; G07F7/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
88 words
A data carrier comprising: (a) a body of predetermined thickness having a layer which is opaque to radiation of a predetermined wavelength; and (b) a plurality of conductors of said radiation extending through said layer, said conductors having a geometric distribution representing encoded information decipherable by a reader and being arranged in discrete groups, and the distance between neighboring conductors of a group being less than about twice said predetermined thickness, each of said conductors having a cross-sectional area at most equaling the square of said predetermined thickness.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
88 words
A data carrier comprising: (a) a body of predetermined thickness having a layer which is opaque to radiation of a predetermined wavelength; and (b) a plurality of conductors of said radiation extending through said layer, said conductors having a geometric distribution representing encoded information decipherable by a reader and being arranged in discrete groups, and the distance between neighboring conductors of a group being less than about twice said predetermined thickness, each of said conductors having a cross-sectional area at most equaling the square of said predetermined thickness.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said conductors are arranged in a predetermined orientation relative to each other and the plane of said layer, such orientation constituting additional information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein at least some of said conductors are holes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The carrier of claim 3, wherein said holes have diameters less than about one-half of said predetermined thickness.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The carrier of claim 3, wherein said holes are bores which are obtained as a result of removal of the material of said layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The carrier of claim 1, further comprising two outer layers transparent to said radiation, said opaque layer being disposed between said outer layers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said body is substantially flat.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein each of said groups contains more than two conductors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said distance at most equals said predetermined thickness.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said conductors of said groups form at least one elongated row.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
12 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said conductors form several parallel rows.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The carrier of claim 11 for insertion into a reader in a predetermined direction, wherein said rows are substantially normal to said predetermined direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein each of said groups contains three conductors which occupy three of five possible locations, said locations permitting ten different distributions of conductors and each of said distributions denoting a different decimal number.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said layer consists of a material allowing for thermally, chemically and/or mechanically induced destruction of selected conductors.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The carrier of claim 14, wherein the conductors of each of said groups are destructible simultaneously.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The carrier of claim 14, wherein the destruction of a conductor causes a change in the color of said layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
The carrier of claim 1, for decoding in a reader having photoelectronic transducers forming a row of predetermined length, wherein said conductors form at least one row and the distances between neighboring conductors of said one row are less than said predetermined length.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said layer forms part of a card.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said layer forms part of a key.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said groups define a first field representing an encoded serial number, and at least one additional field representing encoded information other than said serial number.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The carrier of claim 20, wherein each of said fields includes a plurality of said groups and each group denotes a discrete bit of information.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The carrier of claim 20, wherein encoded information of said additional field is related to said serial number.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said groups define at least one field representing a serial number in encoded form.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said groups define at least one field representing a predetermined sum of money in encoded form.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The carrier of claim 24, wherein each group of said field denotes a unit of said sum of money.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
The carrier of claim 25, wherein each group of said field is independently deformable to cancel the respective unit.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said groups define at least one field representing various times in encoded form.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
11 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said conductors are light conductors.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said groups define at least one field and a second field is provided for storage of encoded information other than in the form of light conductors.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
15 words
The carrier of claim 29, wherein said second field includes at least one magnetic track.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
29 words
The carrier of claim 30, wherein the information which is stored on said track is related to and variable with changes in the information encoded in said one field.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
21 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein said conductors extend through said layer generally in the direction of the thickness dimension thereof.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
26 words
The carrier of claim 1, wherein neighboring ones of said groups are separated by a gap having a length which is large compared to said distance.
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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) | 1985-12-06 | 1986-06-07 | 1986-12-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-12-06 | 1990-06-07 | 1990-12-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-12-06 | 1994-06-07 | 1994-12-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |