Abstract: A single card receiver assembly is easily mounted on and connected to a circuit board, in a compact arrangement. The circuit board is formed with apertures (200, 202, 88) that respectively receive a connector (34) with card-engaging contact blades (36), a full insertion detector (114), and a latch mechanism (70). The circuit board lower face (30) has traces (230, 232) for engaging vertically compressed connector contact tails (33), to provide surface mount connection of the connector tails to circuit board traces.

Abstract: A sensor capable of reliably detecting a pulse voltage generated by a magnetic material by means of electromagnetic induction and a security tag using the sensor, which produces an alarming sound and causes a security gate to produce another alarming signal to thereby specify a product brought out illegally while preventing an erroneous operation of the security tag in usually handling a product, are provided. A pulse generating member of magnetic material which is inserted into a hollow tube in a free movement state generates a pulse voltage in an A.C. magnetic field. The pulse voltage is derived by a pick-up coil wound on the hollow tube as a sensor output. The pulse voltage thus derived activates an operation control circuit to actuate an alarm device and an alarm device of the security gate is operated by the pulse voltage or its high harmonics or a pulse control signal generated by the operation control circuit or its high harmonics.

Abstract: A data transmission device configured for remote communication with a reading device is provided. The data transmission device includes an identification card and a holding casing. The identification card is provided with visual identifying information about a user of the identification card. The holding casing is removably attached to the identification card. The holding casing includes recording means, and transmission and receiving means. The recording means stores electronically recorded data. The transmission and receiving means is coupled with the recording means to communicate the recorded data to the reading device.

Abstract: A medium having an information pattern encoded as changes in two values of a medium characteristic, including start and end key patterns which have characteristic value changes spaced a fixed distance apart, and including intermediate characteristic value changes, which, with the key patterns, encode information.Two sensors are spaced from each other the fixed distance for sensing the medium characteristic value changes as the medium and the sensors are moved relatively to each other, and for producing signals representative thereof.Circuitry for processing the signals from the sensors to produce an information signal is provided.

Abstract: A bar-code optical scanner in which a converging prism is disposed in front of the light source to concentrate emitted light into a light beam, permitting it to be projected onto the bar code; the lens which is disposed between the reflector and the photosensor has a rectangular through hole forming a diaphragm, the long side of the through hole being disposed in parallel to the transversely disposed charge coupled device of the photosensor, the diameter of the through hole gradually reducing from the side of the photosensor toward the side of the reflector to match with the light path of reflected light passing therethrough; a converging meniscus lens is disposed in front of the photosensor to concentrate reflected light from the lens into the charge coupled device of the photosensor.

Abstract: An optical scanning system is provided for producing a signal representative of a spatial distribution of indicia having different degrees of reflectivity to light, such as a bar code. The system includes an optical scanner for scanning beam of light over the spatial distribution of indicia and for producing an electrical signal corresponding to changes in the degree of reflectivity of the indicia. A digitizer, responsive to detections in a predetermined characteristic of the produced electrical signal is provided. The digitizer converts the detections into digital words, such digital signals having a plurality of bits. The digitizer includes a timing generation circuit for producing a pulse in response to each one of the detections with a time duration representative of the degree of reflectivity of the indicia as the beam of light. A decoder converts the time duration of the pulse into the digital word having a plurality of bits. An enhancement filter is also disclosed.

Abstract: A portable smart card reader for reading and displaying information stored on a smart card comprising a thin housing having an upper surface and a lower surface, a flexible cover affixed to and spaced from the lower surface a plurality of electrical contacts affixed to the lower surface, a reader circuit contained within the housing and connected to the electrical contacts and a display on the housing connected to the reader circuit. A smart card can be placed against the contacts and the circuit can read information stored on the smart card and display the information. Since the reader has no slot with a rigid lower portion, the reader is thin and more easily carried.

Abstract: In an envelope inserting system, a method of digitally printing a postage indicia including a barcode on an envelope. The method includes: inserting a plurality of documents into an envelope to form a stuffed envelope; conveying the stuffed envelope to a digital, postage indicia printer; conveying an image of the postage indicia and included barcode to the printer; printing a postage indicia and included barcode on the stuffed envelope with the postgae indicia printer; conveying the printed, stuffed envelope to a barcode reader; determining with the barcode reader whether or not the barcode is readable; if the barcode is readable, determining whether or not the indicia was printed with the correct amount of postage; and if the barcode is not readable or if the indicia was not printed with the correct amount of postage, outsorting the stuffed envelope.

Abstract: An IC card reader (2) according to the present invention comprises a lower cover (10) which forms a floor of a housing, an upper cover (20) which is installed on the lower cover (10) to form the housing together with the lower cover (10), and a circuit board (30) installed in an upper space of the upper cover (20). The lower cover (10) is provided with a swingable depressing part (12), the upper cover (20) is provided with an insertion slit (22) for the IC card, an insertion passage (23) communicated with the insertion slit (22), a window (24) opposing to an external terminal (1a) of an IC cad (1) inserted into the insertion passage (23) and swingable card protection arm (25) and the circuit board (30) is provided with a card connector (31).

Abstract: An optical scanner having at least a light source (1), an internal helical scanning line generator (1, 6, 7) for generating a scanning beam defined by a beam focus which in use follows a helical pattern, beam shape conversion means (9; 11; 12; 15, 15a; 16) for receiving the scanning beam from the internal helical scanning line generator and converting its direction in order to make the scanning beam propagating substantially along a virtual conic or cylindrical surface around a scanning axis (T), and deflection means (10; 14; 15b) for receiving the scanning beam from the beam shape conversion means (9; 11; 12; 15, 15a; 16) and deflecting it substantially to the scanning axis (T). Such an optical scanner is particularly suited for reading bar codes on an external cylindrical surface, e.g. on a bottle.

Abstract: An analyzer for reading an information carrying document includes a document drive roller for driving the document into a location to be read, an image detector for reading the document, a case for the image detector which has an opening toward the document drive roller and wheels and pads for applying the document against the document drive roller. The case is angularly movable relative to the document drive roller between a document reading position at which the wheels and pads are applied against the document drive roller, and a document inlet position in which the pads are not applied against the document drive roller. The analyzer may also include at least one finger adjacent the case for at least partially closing the opening when the case is in the document inlet position so as to prevent passage of light through the opening, and for being retracted from the opening when the case is in the document reading position to permit passage of light through the openings so the document can be read.

Abstract: A shutter control mechanism for controlling the movement of a pivoted shutter (20) suitable for controlling the passage of a user's card (6) in a self-service terminal (10) such as an ATM (automated teller machine), for example, includes a rotatable cam (23) having a cam track (24) which cooperates with a pin (30) on the shutter (20). Rotation of the cam (23) causes the pin (30) to move in the cam track (24) thereby causing the shutter (20) to pivot to open and close the card passage (2) alternately. Thus, the shutter (20) is held positively both in the open and in the closed position.

Abstract: A high efficiency multi-image scanning method is disclosed. It involves the use of a special scanning window, or panel, containing a plurality of rectangular fields provided therein. The scanning window also contains a plurality of fiducial marks which associates each rectangular field, respectively, with a pre-defined location relative to the fiducial mark and a pre-defined scanning area. Prior to the scanning operation, a plurality of documents to be scanned are placed inside the rectangular fields. A pre-scan operation is performed to find and identify the fiducial mark. Then the scanner is moved to a selected rectangular field according to the information contained in the fiducial mark to scan an image having the pre-defined scanning area. Optionally, the method further contains the step of determining whether an image is present in the rectangular field, and if so, then adjusting the scanning area to compensate for any inadvertent misplacement of the image in the rectangular field.

Abstract: A projector projects an image. A scanning mirror deflects the projected image by mirror oscillation method. A reading device reads the projected image deflected by said scanning mirror and outputs an image data corresponding to the projected image. A discriminating device discriminates which projection lens is mounted on said projection lens mount among said plurality of lenses. A memory device stores respective distortion data of said plurality of projection lenses and distortion data concerned with a distortion being due to the oscillation method. A correcting device corrects distortion of the distortion data of the projection lens which is discriminated to be mounted on the projection lens mount and the distortion data concerned with a distortion being due to the oscillation method.

Abstract: The portable object comprises a circuit on a double-sided printed circuit with a coil etched on the printed circuit, the coil comprising a plurality of alternating turns etched on each of the faces of the card, with each turn being an open turn connected at each end by means of a respective via passing through the card to the corresponding adjacent end of the next turn disposed on the opposite face of the card, the successive turns thus being connected in series in alternating and concentric manner by means of a set of vias.

Abstract: A card includes a magnetic track portion on which value information representing a prepaid amount and one of serial number data consecutively assigned in an issuance order are magnetically recorded, and a serial number printing portion in which a number representing the serial number data is marked with a laser beam. A card issuing apparatus includes a recording/reproducing unit and a laser marking unit. The recording/reproducing unit magnetically records value information representing a prepaid amount and one of serial number data consecutively assigned in an issuance order in a first area of the card, and reads out the serial number data magnetically recorded in the first area. The laser marking unit marks a number represented by the serial number data read out by the recording/reproducing unit in a second area of the card with a laser beam.

Abstract: An IC-card reader/writer for an IC-card has an insertion chamber (7) for receiving the IC-card (80), plural contact springs (5a1, 5a2, 5a3) for contacting plural contact regions (C1-C4) provided in a front row of the IC-card (80), and at least two contact springs (5a5, 5a7) for contacting plural contact regions (C5-C8) provided in a rear row of the IC-card (80); the plural contact springs (5a1, 5a2, 5a3) are disposed between the at least two contact springs (5a5, 5a7) in the insertion chamber (7).

Abstract: A prepaid card is disclosed, which uses drawing codes not requiring so high accuracy and permits direct computer processing of read-out data without agency of any A/D converter, thus permitting system security improvement.In the prepaid card 1, main information 2, personal information 3, fingerprint image 4 and security data rotation key 5 are printed on the surface as a transparent print pattern with box drawing codes provided in the form of four tetrahedrons of different sizes arranged one inside another, the four sides of each tetrahedron being constituted by respective segments representing respective bit expressions, the individual bit expressions of the segments being for a predetermined digit place arrangement from the least significant digit place to provide a binary number system expression representing a corresponding decimal or n-step number system expression, a predetermined numeral, character, symbol, etc.

Abstract: A novel card read and write process for use in a single card read and write device constructed in a data processing terminal for enabling the card read and write device to access both types of IC card including a smart card and a memory card in a cost-efficient manner. The process requires the single card read and write device to determine whether the type of card inserted into a card insertion slot of the data processing terminal is one of the smart card and the memory card by detection of an answer-to-reset (ATR) signal in order to perform read and write operations in accordance with the type of IC card determined.

Abstract: An optical image sensor, particularly a bar code reader, comprises a laser diode emitting a light beam of small area and elliptical cross-section. The light beam is directed onto an optical device for greatly expanding the beam along one axis for expanding the beam cross-section to that of a greatly elongated rectangle having a line-like shape. The line beam is projected from the reader for encompassing and illuminating the entire width of a bar code. Light reflected from the bar code is focused as a complete image of the bar code onto a light detector for simultaneous storage of all the bar code data. The beam expander can comprise a cylindrical lens, a cylindrical mirror, or a conical mirror including means for varying the intercept of the laser beam with the conical surface for selectively varying the width of the expanded beam.