Transaction card with indexed thermal printing for gaming systems
AssigneeTranslucent Technologies, LLC
InventorChauncey T. Mitchell JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-use transaction card, which is particularly useful for holding and transferring value between gaming machines, includes both a machine-readable area and a thermally printable area. The machine readable area links the card to account information in a host processor. The thermally printable area provides a visible indication of the status of the account. The account balance of the card can be updated with use, and the thermally printable area can be reprinted with updated information. A succession of updated entries can be thermally printed on the cards. All but the most recent entry are overprinted with a cross-out or other pattern as an indication that the prior entries are no longer current.
Claims29
A transaction card processing system comprising:
- a transaction card having a machine-readable area for encoding an account reference and a thermally printable area for printing a succession of account status items;
- a reader that accesses the account reference encoded in the machine-readable area of the transaction card;
- a processor that links the accessed account reference with a current account status item;
- a status item locator sensor that distinguishes between a first space within the thermally printable area that is printed with a prior status item and a second space within the thermally printable area that is not printed with a prior status item;
- and
- a direct thermal printer that overprints the prior status item in the first space with a null pattern and that prints a new status item in the second space within the thermally printable area.
A transaction card processing machine comprising:
- an opening that receives a transaction card having a thermally printable area for making a succession of thermally printed entries;
- a verifier that checks the authenticity of the transaction card;
- a position sensor that locates a last of the succession of thermally printed entries and that locates a succeeding space within the printable area for printing a new thermally printed entry;
- a thermal printer that overprints the last of the succession of thermally printed entries as an indication that the last entry is no longer current and that prints the new thermally printed entry within the succeeding space.
A multi-use transaction card comprising:
- a substrate;
- a machine-readable area encoding information identifying the transaction card;
- a printable area printed with a succession of entries;
- the printable area containing at least one prior printed entry and a new printed entry;
- and
- the at least one prior printed entry being overprinted with a cross-out pattern as an indication that the prior printed entry is no longer current.
A method of processing a transaction card comprising:
- accessing account reference information encoded by the transaction card;
- machine linking the account reference information with a current account status;
- locating a prior thermally printed entry on the transaction card along with a remaining printable area for printing a new entry;
- thermally printing the new entry within the remaining printable area as a visible indication of the current account status;
- and
- overprinting the prior thermally printed entry as an indication that the prior entry is no longer current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.