Abstract: The flex cable common to commercially available smart card readers and hybrid card readers is eliminated resulting in lower cost, longer lifetimes, and increased reliability. The flex cable is replaced by an assemblage of molded plastic piece parts which travel in the plane of the card movement and elevate along an axis normal to that plane. The assemblage comprises a collar which moves in the plane of card movement but in a manner to elevate a mating spring contact array carraige vertically with respect to that plane. The vertical movement of the carraige distorts spring contacts in a mating, fixed position spring contact array so that the spring contacts distort to achieve electrical connection to the contacts on the card.

Abstract: An encoder of magnetic credit cards and the like includes a slot for the movement of a medium therealong where the slot is wider than the thickness of the medium. Cosequently, the medium may tilt with respect to the planes of the side walls defining the slot. Such an encoder includes a timing wheel which ensures proper encoding of data on the medium even if the medium tilts with respect to the planes of the side walls. To this end, an encoder herein includes a suspension for the timing wheel which permits the wheel to tilt to conform to any tilt assumed by a medium advancing in the slot. A leaf spring of unique design permits the requisite tilt to be realized and has been found to have surprising strength so as to permit the suspension of not only the timing wheel but also a printed circuit board to which the timing wheel may be mounted.

Abstract: Azimuth related problems common to hand-inserted, magnetic card readers are avoided by a spring loaded edge guide track which extends along the entire length of travel of the card rather than only in the vicinity of the read head. The invention of both advancing edges of the card within tracks and a pressure plate maintain the advancing card in the plane of travel in a prescribed vertical position necessary for cards with active electronic elements as well.

Abstract: A magnetic stripe decoder includes an amplitude discrimination circuit to remove noise due to glitches. The use of amplitude discrimination rather than a filter, which is in common use today, permits a single decoder circuit to decode data over a wide range of frequencies including the standards 75 BPI and 210 BPI. In the absence of such an amplitude discriminator, two different decoders, one for 75 BPI and one for 210 BPI are necessary.

Abstract: Misaligned magnetic stripe cards are often improperly encoded during a write operation. The problem occurs most frequently in hand swipe encoders where the encoding operation may occur quickly without sufficient care to seat the card properly. A write - disable circuit responsive to the proper positioning of the card prevents such improper encoding, and destruction of valid encoding on adjacent tracks.

Abstract: A video cassette rotary scanner is adapted for high capacity, high speed, digital audio spectrum data recording by the use of a buffer memory and a servo control system. The buffer memory is operative at a speed much higher than that of the tape. The tape is maintained at relaxed tension until a high data occupancy signal from the buffer activates the data write operation. In response, the tape tension is increased for a write operation, and relaxed again only when the buffer sends a low data occupancy signal. The use of the buffer along with capstan, take-up reel and supply reel motors responsive to the two signals permits tape wear to be decreased substantially while increasing tape capacity.

Abstract: A loop transmission system includes a plurality of micronodes and a central processor operative as a supervisory station linked by two loop transmission lines each capable of transmitting in either direction around the loop. The central processor is adapted to transmit, in alternative cycles in a first then in a second direction about the loop. Each micronode is adapted to respond in a direction opposite to the direction of the command transmission. The system is operative to provide alternative transmission paths in opposite directions around the loop such that if a fault occurs, the system retransmits the prior command in the opposite direction during a next cycle of operation. At most, a one cycle delay occurs, yet the system is inexpensive and easy to install.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a write-after-read magnetic head assembly employs rectangular wafers sliced from a block of abrasion-resistive material. The block is prepared, prior to slicing, with pairs of opposed slots extending inwardly from anterior and posterior surfaces. The slots are adapted to include inserts of magnetically soft material. The inserts at the anterior surface also are of high cost abrasion-resistive materials necessary for digital recording systems but represent a relatively tiny amount of such materials. Pairs of wafers are juxtaposed in a manner to form a core equivalent structure and two such wafer pairs are mounted in an assembly which defines write after read heads for two tracks in a manner to preserve azimuth and avoid crossfeed.

Abstract: An automatic data collection system for recording transaction data from a point of sale terminal employs a magnetic stripe on the back of the bank copy of the familiar sales slip pack. In response to the receipt of a credit authorization number, the POS terminal is operative to transfer tansaction data from the credit card magnetic stripe to the sales slip pack magnetic stripe for automatic recordation by the credit card issuer or its designee. The arrangement obviates the need for manual key operation to record the tyransaction data at the bank.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a write-after-read magnetic head assembly employs rectangular wafers sliced from a block of abrasion-resistive material. The block is prepared, prior to slicing, with pairs of opposed slots extending inwardly from anterior and posterior surfaces. The slots are adapted to include inserts of magnetically soft material. The inserts at the anterior surface also are of high cost abrasion-resistive materials necessary for digital recording systems but represent a relatively tiny amount of such materials. Pairs of wafers are juxtaposed in a manner to form a core equivalent structure and two such wafer pairs are mounted in an assembly which defines write after read heads for two tracks in a manner to preserve aximuth and avoid feed.

Abstract: A card reader includes an opaque arm movable in response to the insertion of a credit card. The arm, when moved, interrupts a light path signalling the presence of the card thus permitting write or read operations on a magnetic stripe on the card. The use of arm permits highly reliable operation due to the location of the light path defining devices in a place where they are protected from contaminants. In addition, the light path is always interrupted with an obstruction of known opacity.

Abstract: A multimedia reader and/or writer such as a credit card reader is adapted to receive media of different thicknesses, such as checks, cards and passports. The medium enters a channel defined by walls or rails, one of which includes a spring loaded section which adjusts to the different thicknesses. The medium moves against a wear plate which includes striations to guide the edge of the medium away from the spring loaded section in order to avoid catching the medium.

Abstract: A credit card security system includes a system to generate a security code number determined by the spatial positions of corresponding data in two different forms of encoded data on the card. The system generates the security code number each time a card is used and compares it to a stored security number generated in the same way when the card was first encoded or previously used. The system is described in terms of a card having a familiar magnetic stripe and embossed character encoding, and apparatus for sensing the embossed characters is disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus for magnetically encoding a card which includes a timing wheel frictionally engaging the card as the card is moved along a slot. The wheel has about its peripheral annulus a series of evenly spaced magnetic timing bits which are read out by a read head located adjacent the annular surface of the wheel. As the card moves along the slot, the frictional engagement rotates the wheel in a precise one-to-one spatial relationship between the position of the card and the rotative position of the wheel, and hence of the rate at which the timing bits are picked up by the read head. The output from the read head is interfaced with a unique card code to cause coding bits to be applied by a write head to the card as it continues to move along the slot. The position of the code bits on the card are precisely determined by the timing bits through an interfacing circuit which includes a series of AND gates.

Abstract: Apparatus for magnetically encoding a card which includes a timing wheel frictionally engaging the card as the card is moved along a slot. The wheel has about its peripheral annulus a series of evenly spaced magnetic timing bits which are read out by a read head located adjacent the annular surface of the wheel. As the card moves along the slot, the frictional engagement rotates the wheel in a precise one-to-one spatial relationship between the position of the card and the rotative position of the wheel, and hence of the rate at which the timing bits are picked up by the read head. The output from the read head is interfaced with a unique card code to cause coding bits to be applied by a write head to the card as it continues to move along the slot. The positions of the code bits on the card are precisely determined by the timing bits through an interfacing circuit, which includes a series of AND gates.

Abstract: An Automatic Teller Machine is adapted to block the acceptance of foreign objects. A blocking member is misaligned with an entrance slot except when sensors signal the presence of an object which meets established criteria. In the presence of the signals, the blocking member is moved into alignment with the slot permitting passage of the conforming objects.

Abstract: Jitter, characteristic of gear trains used for precision movement of magnetic cards in gear driven card readers-writers, is eliminated by forming, in situ, a resilient material as a dampening arrangement in a recess in the gear to which a drive shaft is connected for driving that movement. Alternative dampening spring arrangements are disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic stripe head assembly comprised of a support having a plurality of transducer heads mounted on leaf springs attached at one end to the support and at the opposite end to the transducer heads. The leaf springs permit individual translation of each transducer head to compensate for deformities in recorded material. The opposite side of the support provides a stop to limit the translation of the individual transducer head. A pair of gimbal sockets are provided on the support to permit the transducer head assembly to be pivotally mounted.

Abstract: An apparatus constructed to receive a card such as a credit card having one or more magnetic strips containing coded data. The card is inserted in the machine and a manually operated latch mechanism carries a read head along a rail to an abutment. A latching element is automatically released and a motive system carries the read head at constant speed across the face of the card. The readout head transmits the information to a connector which may be connected to any suitable data processing system. When the card is inserted in the apparatus it energizes a contact switch which provides an activating signal to the processing system, through the connector. The readout head is mounted in a gimbaled frame attached to a carrier so that it can ride with constant pressure against the magnetic strip on the card, while at the same time adjusting itself to undulations or other slight deformations in the card or the magnetic strip.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided in which a card, such as a credit card, carrying a magnetic strip of one or more tracks of coded data is inserted. Manual operation of an external crank or lever causes the card to be drawn into the apparatus. At the end of the stroke, the carrier in which the card rides is freed from the crank and returns at a constant, spring-driven speed, past a magnetic readout head, the output of which is connected to any suitable decoding circuit. The readout head is gimbaled so that it can ride with constant pressure against the magnetic strip on the card while at the same time adjusting itself to undulations or other slight deformations in the card. There is no significant amount of magnetic material within magnetic range of the readout head, so that danger of spurious signals being injected into the decoding circuit is minimized.