Patents Examined by Daniel Stcyr
  • Patent number: 7140541
    Abstract: A data processing method for the capture of customers' wet signatures in retail store transactions, using a point of sale terminal interfaced with a printer and a 2D imager-based device used to capture signatures, the terminal and the 2D signature capture device communicating with a central computer. The data processing method employs a printed sales receipt with a barcode containing indicia that guide the 2D signature capture device to the area on the printed sales receipt containing the customer's wet signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Inventor: Troy Stelzer
  • Patent number: 7140537
    Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) includes a mechanism for accepting deposited items. Items deposited into the machine through a deposit inlet (44) pass through a deposit transport (48) in which properties of the deposited item such as thickness are measured and indicia corresponding to the sensed properties are recorded on the deposited item. The deposited item is stored in a storage area (50) in the machine. Each deposited item is subsequently removed from the machine and the content thereof compared to the indicated value for the item input to the machine by the person making the deposit. The data corresponding to the indica recorded on the deposited item is usable to determine if the deposited item had content which may correspond to the value indicated at the time of deposit, and the user's account may be credited accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Dale Blackson, H. Thomas Graef
  • Patent number: 7140539
    Abstract: An automated banking machine system and method includes ATMs which accept checks and dispense cash to users. The ATMs are operated to acquire image and magnetic data from deposited checks to determine the genuineness of checks and the authority of a user to receive cash for such checks. Cash may be dispensed to the user from the ATM in exchange for the deposited checks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Tim Crews, Keith Carpenter, Mike Ryan, Laura Drozda, Wayne Warren, Victor Bell, William McCarthy, Matthew Pahl, Martin J. Brown, Dale H. Blackson, Todd Galloway, Robert W. Barnett, James R. Kay, Mark A. Ward, David A. Peters, Edward L. Laskowski, H. Thomas Graef
  • Patent number: 7140535
    Abstract: This invention integrates with a country's customs and immigration system to keep a periodic check on visitors within the country's borders. A smartcard is created and issued to the visitor at the visitor's Port of Entry. Pertinent immigration information is embedded in the smartcard. Cryptographic technology is used with the smartcard to maintain privacy, as well as to reduce fraud and other misuse. The smartcard is used as the visitor's official identification document whilst in the country. During the visitor's stay, at specified intervals, the visitor registers with automated kiosks (i.e. a Visitor-Visa Automated Teller Machines—ATMs), which are placed at various locations within the country. The ATM kiosks are securely integrated with the customs and immigration database. On exiting the country, the smartcard is returned and is recycled with a new visitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Inventor: Lester Sussman
  • Patent number: 7139447
    Abstract: An optical demultiplexer, having an angular dispersion generator followed by an angular amplifier. The angular dispersion generator disperses an incident optical signal into a plurality of channels. While traveling through the angular dispersion amplifier, the channels with incident angles larger than a critical angle are internally totally reflected, and the channels with incident angles smaller than the critical angle are partly reflected, and partly transmitting into an ambient medium. The transmitting part of the channels are thus further dispersed and demultiplexed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Inventor: Santanu Basu
  • Patent number: 7134596
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for distributing and purchasing contents data by way of wired and wireless communication means, said system comprises an accumulating section (33) for accumulating a plurality of contents data, an input operation section (23) to be used for selecting contents data from those accumulated in the accumulating section (3), a memory section (21) for storing the contents data selected by way of the input operation section (23), a purchase history memory section (33) for storing the package media purchase history of each user in the actual world and a control section (39) for controlling a recording means according to the purchase history stored in the purchase history memory section (33). With this arrangement, the purchase history of package media is controlled by the purchase history memory section (33).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichiro Sako
  • Patent number: 7131576
    Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) includes a user interface (15). The user interface includes a card reader (16), receipt printer opening (30), cash dispensing opening (38) and deposit accepting opening (40). Multicolor light emitting devices (17, 31, 41, 43) are adjacent to and associated with a respective location where a user interacts with a particular transaction function device of the machine. One or more machine controllers (64) are selectively programmed to control the output color and duration of each light emitting device responsive to programming associated with the controller and an operative condition of the associated transaction function device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Diebold Sclf-Service Systems division of Diebold, Incorporated
    Inventors: Zachary Utz, Kenneth Turocy, Jim Booth, Natarajan Ramachandran
  • Patent number: 7131577
    Abstract: An automatic transaction apparatus communicates with a Web server and performs automatic transaction according to the operation of a user in order to perform automatic transaction processing with decreasing the number of times of requests to the Web server. Objects for each processing of the transaction processing are embedded in a screen content of a Web server, a part of the screen can be updated by an applet and script of the screen content, without downloading all the updates of the screen from the Web server. The screen can be updated without communication with the Web server. The transaction performance (speed) of the automatic transaction apparatus can be improved, and load of the Web server can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignees: Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Frontech Limited
    Inventors: Tomomichi Obara, Satoshi Tomi
  • Patent number: 7131575
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a payment module implementing a MDB TRANSACTION STRING in memory to effectuate cashless vending. The MDB TRANSACTION STRING allows the payment module and or computing platform to manage cashless vending by monitoring data fields within the MDB TRANSACTION STRING. The MDB TRANSACTION STRING is constructed and managed in payment module memory. The MDB TRANSACTION STRING includes at least one of the following data fields a VEND STATE field, a MAX VEND SALE field, a SALE PRICE field, a COLUMN field, or a VEND FLAG field. In operation, the payment module obtains data from a vending machine and constructs and manages an MDB TRANSACTION STRING in memory. Utilization of the MDB TRANSACTION STRING occurs when the payment module application code and or a computing platform interconnected with the payment module reads the MDB TRANSACTION STRING to make certain determinations to effectuate cashless vending.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: H. Brock Kolls
  • Patent number: 7131588
    Abstract: A method of utilising a two-dimensional code pattern is disclosed comprising the steps of encoding (5) the structure of phase perturbations (including singularities) on a continuous phase map structure as an encoded representation of the code information. The codes can then be impressed or printed on other media such labels, documents, envelopes etc. A method of demodulating (10) the aforementioned codes and determining a phase map structure for the code including the detection of embedded phase singularities and decoding the embedded information, is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kieran Gerard Larkin, Michael Alexander Oldfield
  • Patent number: 7128261
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating and dispensing gift cards for an associated merchant. A customer enters a value for the gift card through a customer input pad, and pays for the card by swiping a credit card through a credit card reader. After authorization is received, a card transporter pulls a serialized gift card from a card stock hopper. The card transporter then moves the card to a gift card inspector, which determines whether the serial number of the gift card can be properly read. If not, the bad card is deposited in a bad card bin. If the serial number can be properly read, the card transporter moves the card to a good card dispenser, which dispenses the gift card to the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Long Range Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James Henderson, Russell P. Blink, Kenneth J. Lovegreen
  • Patent number: 7128271
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit having a reverse engineering protection part that can be easily implemented without additional circuitry or process using a method for protecting against reverse engineering of the semiconductor integrated circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a logic gate and a reverse engineering protection part. The reverse engineering protection part alters the apparent Boolean functions of a logic gate. Further, the reverse engineering protection part includes at least one PMOS transistor and at least one NMOS transistor. The PMOS and NMOS transistors are constructed to remain in a state of constant on or off irrespective of an input signal applied to their gates. The PMOS transistors and the NMOS transistors are included in transistors forming the logic gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-Cheol Kim
  • Patent number: 7124952
    Abstract: A portable instrument incorporates an electro-optical assembly for reading indicia during a reading mode, and for projecting a bit-mapped image during a display mode. A manually operable switch on the instrument is disposed for selecting one of the modes. The image is formed by pulsing a laser at selected times on selected scan lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chinh Tan, Frederick F. Wood, Miklos Stern, Joseph Katz, Shane MacGregor, Altaf Mulla
  • Patent number: 7124949
    Abstract: The influence of speckle noise in degrading performance of a reader for electro-optically reading a multiple element symbol is reduced by constructing wavelets for each element width, correlating each wavelet with a differentiated signal derived from light scattered from the symbol to obtain a correlated signal having peaks, each peak corresponding to a middle of a respective element, and processing the peaks to decode the symbol. Edge detection of the elements, which is susceptible to speckle noise degradation, is not used for decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Dariusz J. Madej
  • Patent number: 7124947
    Abstract: A referenceless self-clocking (n,k) bar code word allows conveyance of information without the need of any start and/or stop code pattern or other reference; a code word pattern is repeated at least in part without space therebetween according to a given n,k coding convention so that any k pair of adjacent data code elements sensed by any sensing means according to the n,k coding convention will consist of n units (e.g., bar code modules), thus allowing the data code elements of the code word to be decoded most accurately without any reference pattern. One application of this coding is on round or cylindrical objects like coins, casino chips and the like, and this coding is also well suited for linear or other coding applications wanting to convey coded information without the use of a start/stop code or reference pattern using n,k coding. This coding may or mayn't include error control, for example, as disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Cias, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Storch
  • Patent number: 7121472
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit driven by an external power, comprises a change unit whose state changes with lapse of time without the external power, an output unit configured to output a signal in response to an instruction issued when the external power is supplied, the signal indicating a change of the state of the change unit, and an execution unit configured to execute a process in response to the signal. Therefore, the circuit is capable of utilizing time-point/time-period information even if they are not supplied with power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideo Shimizu, Kenji Kojima, Tatsuyuki Matsushita, Yuuki Tomoeda, Kentaro Umesawa, Hideyuki Miyake, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7121456
    Abstract: A system for managing token image replacement is provided. The system includes a remote server, a personal computer (PC) connected to the remote server, a smartcard that can be read by the PC, and a card image server. Using application logic and rules, the remote server is able to read the card image on the smartcard and determine if the card image on the smartcard needs to be updated. If an indicator on the smartcard is set to “update”, the remote server then retrieves a backup card image that corresponds to the card from the card image server. The remote server forwards the backup card image to the PC which, in turn, writes the backup card image including transaction information to the smartcard. Once the backup card image is written onto the smartcard, the indicator in the smartcard is then reset to ensure that subsequent interactions with the system would not initiate an update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Spaeth, Douglas Jones, Bryan Shimko, James G. Gordon, Kim Madore, Marc Black, James Mazour, Michael Salters
  • Patent number: 7121466
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for providing an encoding scheme for a scrolling display comprising a plurality of sequences of bar codes, each sequence of bar codes identifying a corresponding display on a moving scroll, each sequence of bar codes comprising a “start reading” code and an associated data code, the associated data code identifying uniquely the corresponding display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Sirona Inc.
    Inventor: Yvon Charbonneau
  • Patent number: 7121467
    Abstract: A data collection device for reading barcodes, matrix codes, acoustical tags, radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags, and other data carriers. The data collection device includes components to determine an actual position of the data collection device with respect to a target data carrier. The data collection device further includes visual indicators to indicate the determined actual position relative to an optimal position of the data collection device relative to the target data carrier. The determined actual position can be at least one of an actual distance or an actual orientation of the data collection device relative to the target data carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Intermec IP Corp.
    Inventors: Steven J. Winter, Rene D. Martinez
  • Patent number: 7118027
    Abstract: This invention integrates with a country's customs and immigration system to issue an electronic visitor's visa, and to validate periodically, electronically a visitor's visa within the country's borders. A computer-encoded visa card is created and issued to the visitor at the country's overseas consulate. Pertinent visa application information is embedded in the issued card. Cryptographic technology is used with the card to maintain privacy, as well as to reduce fraud and other misuse. The card is used as the visitor's official identification document whilst in the country. During the visitor's stay, at specified intervals, the visitor registers with self-service kiosks, which are placed at various locations within the country. The kiosks are securely integrated with the customs and immigration database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Inventor: Lester Sussman