Verification apparatus using a card scanning means
OwnerJerome H. Lemelsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are provided for verifying the status of an account such as a credit card account or that the holder of a card is the party indicated by information recorded on the card. In one form, information is recorded on a magnetic recording strip of a card which is automatically read when a magnetic pick-up is caused to scan the recording. The signals generated are then fed to a comparator which compares same with information reproduced from a memory or signals generated in scanning a characteristic of the card holder such as a voice or photoelectrically generated signals scanning a finger print or other physical characteristic of the holder. Special card scanning means is also provided.
Claims8
A scanning reproduction apparatus for picking up signals recorded on record tracks of record members made of sheet material, such as cards or strips containing information recorded along selected portions thereof comprising:
- a support,
- means for prepositioning a record sheet member on said support,
- a scanning mechanism including an arm,
- means for pivotally supporting said arm on said support adjacent to said sheet prepositioning means,
- a scanning transducer supported by said arm and operable for generating output signals of information contained on a record sheet scanned thereby,
- means for power driving said arm in pivotal movement on said support to cause said arm to carry said transducer across said prepositioned record sheet member to permit said transducer to scan information recorded on a selected portion of said sheet member,
- means for controlling said means for power driving said arm to cause said arm to move in a first direction from a home location so as to carry said transducer in a given path across said sheet member while said transducer scans and transduces with respect to said selected portion of said sheet member and means for thereafter causing said arm to return to said home location.
In a magnetic reproduction apparatus for reproducing signals magnetically recorded on cards predeterminately located on said apparatus by means of a magnetic pick-up and means for relatively moving a card and said pick-up in a first direction to bring the pick-up into alignment with a magnetic record track of the card, the improvement comprising a first support for predeterminately locating said magnetic record card, a second support for supporting said magnetic pick-up, means for effecting relative movement of said first and second supports in a first direction to cause the pick-up to scan parallel to the record track of a card held by said first support and means for relatively moving said pick-up and card in a second direction during the relative movement in said first direction to cause said pick-up to engage the magnetic recording area of said card for reproducing the magnetic recordings thereon and further means for effecting movement of said card and magnetic pick-up in a third direction to disengage said card and pick-up.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.