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US6164538A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus and method for determining types of recorded data cards

Assignee: Nippon Conlux Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1998-06-03
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Granted: 2000-12-26
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Expires: 2018-06-03
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Abstract

Abstract The current invention is an apparatus and method for determining types of recorded data cards, capable of shortening card processing time, preventing card deterioration such as damage to the cards, and correctly processing recorded data cards. An apparatus for determining types of recorded data cards, without contacting the cards, has non-contacting magnetic sensors (10), which are provided adjacent to a carry path of the recorded data cards at predetermined positions thereon, and determining elements (12˜16) for determining the types of the cards, as the cards are carried along the carry path, based on signals output from the magnetic sensors.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yonezo Furuya
  • 👤 Susumu Kojima

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 07:28
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K7/00; G06K7/08; G06K7/082; G06K7/083; G06K7/084

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 177 words
A device for preliminarily determining types of recorded data cards, said device includes a card carry path which has at least a sensor, so that types of cards are determined based upon the output from said sensor when a recorded data card having a magnetic recording region and an IC carrying region passes through said card carry path, the device comprising: a first non-contacting magnetic sensor disposed at a first predetermined position where said magnetic recording region passes through, for detecting the magnetic characteristic of said magnetic recording region; a second non-contacting magnetic sensor disposed at a second predetermined position where said IC carrying region passes through, for detecting the magnetic characteristic of said IC carrying region; a reference signal generating circuit for producing a first reference signal corresponding to said first magnetic sensor, and a second reference signal corresponding to said second magnetic sensor in response to a switching signal; and a comparator for comparing the respective outputs from said first and second magnetic sensors with the respective reference signals in response to the switching signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 177 words
A device for preliminarily determining types of recorded data cards, said device includes a card carry path which has at least a sensor, so that types of cards are determined based upon the output from said sensor when a recorded data card having a magnetic recording region and an IC carrying region passes through said card carry path, the device comprising: a first non-contacting magnetic sensor disposed at a first predetermined position where said magnetic recording region passes through, for detecting the magnetic characteristic of said magnetic recording region; a second non-contacting magnetic sensor disposed at a second predetermined position where said IC carrying region passes through, for detecting the magnetic characteristic of said IC carrying region; a reference signal generating circuit for producing a first reference signal corresponding to said first magnetic sensor, and a second reference signal corresponding to said second magnetic sensor in response to a switching signal; and a comparator for comparing the respective outputs from said first and second magnetic sensors with the respective reference signals in response to the switching signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 57 words
The device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second non-contacting magnetic sensors produce voltage signals when detecting the magnetic characteristic from said recorded data card, said reference signal generating circuit produces voltage reference signals, and said comparator compares the voltage signals from said first and second non-contacting magnetic sensors with the respective voltage reference signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 60 words
The device according to claim 1, wherein said reference signal generating circuit has a pattern generating circuit for producing a reference pattern representing a magnetic characteristic of said IC carrying region; and said comparator has a pattern comparing circuit for comparing the signal detected by said second non-contacting magnetic sensor with the reference pattern by said reference pattern generating circuit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
The device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second non-contacting magnetic sensors are constituted as magnetic inductance-type magnetic sensors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 57 words
The device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes a pair of said first non-contacting magnetic sensors provided at positions corresponding to both sides of said recorded data card in widthwise direction; and said second non-contacting magnetic sensor is provided at a position corresponding to a. central position of said recorded data card in widthwise direction.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4882474A Cited
US4968873A Cited
US5382778A Cited
US5594233A Cited
US5640004A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-12-26 2004-06-26 2004-12-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-12-26 2008-06-26 2008-12-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-12-26 2012-06-26 2012-12-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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