Rotary data card scanning apparatus
AssigneeVeriFone, Inc.
InventorHelmut L. Kayan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for reading a data card which comprises a thin, flexible medium having leading and trailing edges and a data stripe formed thereon at a prearranged location and extending transverse to said leading and trailing edges. The apparatus comprises a card guide arrangement defining a cylindrical card guide path and an entrance slit for accepting said card into said guide path. A drive arrangement cooperatively associated with said card guide arrangement for driving said data card through said entrance slit and around said cylindrical card guide path. A transducer arrangement positioned at a prearranged location on said cylindrical card guide path for detecting data on said data stripe of a data card being driven around said cylindrical card guide path by said drive arrangement.
Claims25
Apparatus for reading a data card which comprises a thin, flexible medium which is capable of being flexed more than 180 degrees into a cylindrical shape, said data card having leading and trailing edges and a data stripe formed thereon at a prearranged location and extending transverse to said leading and trailing edges, said apparatus comprising
- card guide means defining a cylindrical card guide path and an entrance slit for accepting said data card into said cylindrical card guide path;
- drive means cooperatively associated with said card guide means for driving said data card through said entrance slit into and repeatedly around said cylindrical card guide path;
- and
- transducer means positioned at a prearranged location on said cylindrical card guide path for detecting data on said data stripe of a data card being driven around said cylindrical card guide path by said drive means;
- said entrance slit defined by said card guide means comprising a card-in/out slit operative during a card capture time period to admit said data card into said cylindrical card guide path and operative during a card discharge time period to allow discharge of said data card from said cylindrical card guide path;
- said card guide means further comprising a guide claw means having a guide finger portion located at said card-in/out slit and movable between a card in-out position and a card guide position and spring biasing means for biasing said guide finger portion toward said card in-out position, said card in-out position permitting free movement of said data card through said card-in/out slit during both said card capture time period and said card discharge time period;
- and said guide finger portion being moved into said card guide position by the leading edge of a data card being driven around said cylindrical card guide path to provide a smooth guided movement of said data card at the position of said card-in/out slit;
- said drive means comprising a bidirectional drive means for driving said data card alternatively in a forward direction to drive said data card forwards through said entrance slit and around said cylindrical card guide path thereby to scan said data stripe thereon past said transducer means and in a reverse direction to drive said data card backwards through said entrance slit to discharge said data card from said card guide means.
Apparatus for reading a data card which comprises a thin, flexible medium which is capable of being flexed more than 180 degrees into a cylindrical shape, said data card having leading and trailing edges and a data stripe formed thereon at a prearranged location and extending transverse to said leading and trailing edges, said apparatus comprising
- card guide means defining a cylindrical card guide path and an entrance slit for accepting said data card into said cylindrical card guide path;
- drive means cooperatively associated with said card guide means for driving said data card through said entrance slit into and repeatedly around said cylindrical card guide path;
- and
- transducer means positioned at a prearranged location on said cylindrical card guide path for detecting data on said data stripe of a data card being driven around said cylindrical card guide path by said drive means;
- said card guide means further defining a card exit slit separated from said entrance slit;
- and
- said card guide means including
- a guide claw means having a guide finger portion located at said entrance slit and movable between a card-in position and a card guide position;
- first spring means for biasing said guide finger portion of said guide claw means toward said card-in position;
- a read capture claw means having a guide finger portion located at said card exit slit and movable between a card capture position and a card exit position;
- spring biasing means for biasing said guide finger portion of said read capture claw means toward said card exit position;
- and
- actuator means for selectively moving said guide finger portion of said read capture claw means to said card capture position;
- said card-in position of said guide finger portion of said guide claw means permitting free movement of said data card through said entrance slit during a card capture time period and said guide finger portion being moved into said card guide position by the leading edge of a data card being driven around said cylindrical card guide path to provide a smooth guided movement of said data card at the location of said entrance slit;
- said card capture position of said guide finger portion of said read capture claw means providing for capture of said data card in said cylindrical card guide path and smooth guidance of said captured data card at the location of said card exit slit;
- said card exit position of said guide finger portion of said read capture claw means permitting discharge of a data card through said card exit slit during a card discharge time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.