US6098881A — Magnetic stripe card verification system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 143 words

An identification system for identifying documents bearing a magnetic stripe recorded with digital data and having a repeatable magnetic characteristic, comprising: a magnetic stripe sensor for sensing the magnetic field of the magnetic stripe to provide an analog signal representative of said recorded digital data and said repeatable magnetic characteristic; a detector for defining sampling intervals in said analog signal; a circuit for defining a target number of samples in said sampling intervals; a digitizer for sampling said analog signal in accordance with said samples defined in said sampling intervals to provide a target-number of digitized samples representative of said repeatable characteristic; a selection processor for selecting a predetermined number of said digitized samples from said target number of digitized samples; and a storage for storing at least one of said predetermined number of said digitized samples as an identifier for said document.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 143 words

An identification system for identifying documents bearing a magnetic stripe recorded with digital data and having a repeatable magnetic characteristic, comprising: a magnetic stripe sensor for sensing the magnetic field of the magnetic stripe to provide an analog signal representative of said recorded digital data and said repeatable magnetic characteristic; a detector for defining sampling intervals in said analog signal; a circuit for defining a target number of samples in said sampling intervals; a digitizer for sampling said analog signal in accordance with said samples defined in said sampling intervals to provide a target-number of digitized samples representative of said repeatable characteristic; a selection processor for selecting a predetermined number of said digitized samples from said target number of digitized samples; and a storage for storing at least one of said predetermined number of said digitized samples as an identifier for said document.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 41 words

An identification system according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic stripe is recorded with a series of zeros and said storage stores said predetermined number of said digitized samples from the portion of said analog signal representing said series of zeros.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 46 words

An identification system according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic stripe is recorded with digital data represented by magnetic transitions and said storage stores said predetermined number of said digitized samples from at least one portion of said analog signal representing spaces between said magnetic transitions.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

An identification system according to claim 1 wherein said selection processor performs an Nth number selection process on said target number of digitized samples with deviations to accomplish said predetermined number of said digitized samples.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 47 words

An identification system according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic stripe is recorded with digital data represented by magnetic transitions and wherein said selection processor performs offset processing to select said predetermined number of digitized samples representative of portions of said stripe located between said magnetic transitions.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 47 words

An identification system according to claim 1 wherein said documents comprise magnetic stripe cards and wherein said digital data recorded on said magnetic stripes includes data for fetching said at least one of said predetermined number of said digitized samples as an identifier for said document correlation.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 39 words

An identification system according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic stripe sensor included a transducer head including a magnetic core defining a non-magnetic gap for positioning generally perpendicular to said magnetic stripe, said core defined to avoid contour effect.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

An identification system according to claim 7 wherein said magnetic stripe sensor further includes a mount for supporting said magnetic core to define a predetermined zenith angle deviation of less than three degrees.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 36 words

An identification system according to claim 7 wherein said magnetic stripe sensor further includes a mount for supporting said magnetic core to position said non-magnetic gap to define an azimuth deviation of less than one degree.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 52 words

An identification system according to claim 7 wherein said magnetic stripe sensor further includes a mount for supporting said magnetic core to position said non-magnetic gap at a predetermined location with respect to an edge of said stripe with variations not greater than ten percent of the width of the sensed region.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

An identification system according to claim 7 wherein the product of said azimuth deviation in degrees and the width of the head read channel in inches is less than 0.02.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 16 words

An identification system according to claim 1 wherein said circuit comprises a frequency locked loop circuit.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 146 words

A system for use with a card bearing a magnetic stripe having a repeatable magnetic characteristic and recorded with digital data in the form of magnetic transitions, said system for providing a sensed characteristic identification for the card, comprising: means for sensing said magnetic stripe to provide representations of digitally recorded data and representations of said repeatable magnetic characteristic in the form of at least one set of digital sample signals of a target number and including digital sample signals sensed from a location between said magnetic transitions; means for selecting a subset of said at least one set of digital sample signals, said subset including a predetermined number of said digital samples sensed from a location between said magnetic transitions; and means for storing at least said subset of said at least one set of digital sample signals as an identifier to identify said card.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 146 words

A system for use with a card bearing a magnetic stripe having a repeatable magnetic characteristic and recorded with digital data in the form of magnetic transitions, said system for providing a sensed characteristic identification for the card, comprising: means for sensing said magnetic stripe to provide representations of digitally recorded data and representations of said repeatable magnetic characteristic in the form of at least one set of digital sample signals of a target number and including digital sample signals sensed from a location between said magnetic transitions; means for selecting a subset of said at least one set of digital sample signals, said subset including a predetermined number of said digital samples sensed from a location between said magnetic transitions; and means for storing at least said subset of said at least one set of digital sample signals as an identifier to identify said card.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 29 words

A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said means for selecting said subset includes Nth number selection with deviations and offset selection with reference to said magnetic transitions.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 19 words

A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein plural subsets of digital samples are stored to identify said card.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 32 words

A system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said means for sensing includes a transducer head and a sampling and digitizing unit including a frequency locked loop circuit for defining sample times.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 25 words

A system in accordance with claim 13 and further including a correlation unit for correlating reference and freshly sensed identifier whereby to verify a card.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 38 words

A system in accordance with claim 13 and further including: means to address a remote data bank to provide a reference identifier and a correlation unit for correlating reference and freshly sensed identifier whereby to verify a card.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 109 words

A process for identifying documents bearing a magnetic stripe having a distinct magnetic characteristic that is capable of repeated sensing to identify individual documents, said process including the steps of: sensing the magnetic stripe to produce a representative analog signal manifesting the distinct magnetic characteristic; defining at least one portion of the analog signal; dividing the portion of the analog signal into a target number of sample times; sampling the analog signal at the sample times to produce a target number of samples and digitizing the resulting samples; reducing the target number of samples to a predetermined number of samples to manifest a distinct magnetic characteristic for the document.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 109 words

A process for identifying documents bearing a magnetic stripe having a distinct magnetic characteristic that is capable of repeated sensing to identify individual documents, said process including the steps of: sensing the magnetic stripe to produce a representative analog signal manifesting the distinct magnetic characteristic; defining at least one portion of the analog signal; dividing the portion of the analog signal into a target number of sample times; sampling the analog signal at the sample times to produce a target number of samples and digitizing the resulting samples; reducing the target number of samples to a predetermined number of samples to manifest a distinct magnetic characteristic for the document.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2003-08-08	2004-02-07	2004-08-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2007-08-08	2008-02-07	2008-08-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2011-08-08	2012-02-07	2012-08-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Magnetic stripe card verification system

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag