Abstract: A plurality of printed circuit boards is mounted within a housing of a data collection terminal. The boards lie in respective planes generally parallel to the plane of a top wall of the housing. The boards are spaced apart along an upright direction generally normal to the plane of the top wall. Terminal components are mounted on the circuit boards.

Abstract: An improved monetary system using electronic media to exchange economic value securely and reliably.

Abstract: A pocket interface unit for a smart diskette. The smart diskette has a housing of the shape and size of a standard diskette, electrical contacts and/or a magnetic transducer, an activation switch, and further has an interface, a processor and memory disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to the electrical contacts/magnetic transducer.

Abstract: The method is for use in a bar code reader. By means of a special illumination of the bar code applied to a reflecting surface/wafer and special receiver optics, bright-field illumination is implemented. Optimum contrasts between the images of the marking elements and the surrounding reflecting areas offer a high recognition reliability.

Abstract: A bar code (10) has primary information (46, 48, 50, 51) encoded in one direction (e.g., horizontally) and secondary information (13,21,36) encoded in another direction (e.g., vertically) in single (11) or multiple tracks (35) in selected ones of the vertical bars (11) of a bar code (10). Using a non-linear, variable amplitude scanner, all of the primary bars are scanned in the one direction to obtain all of the primary information and all of those vertical bars having secondary information are scanned in the other direction to obtain all of the secondary information. The one direction which is perpendicular to the vertical primary bars (11), is determined by first rotating the scan path axis (86,87) until both start (46) and end (48) code bars are read thereby placing the scan path entirely within the total bar code, and, then, further rotating the scan path (88,89) to determine the direction of the minimum crossing width (Lsc 80) of the total bar code (10).

Abstract: A bar code reader for reading a symbol located at a distance from the laser comprises an array of groups of reading elements and an array of selectable liquid crystal elements. Each of the groups of reading elements have an associated predetermined operating focal distance. At least one liquid crystal element corresponds to each group of reading elements. In the bar code reader, a device activates a selected liquid crystal element to transmit light to a selected group of reading elements. In this way, the reading elements can operate at a predetermined, fixed operating focal distance.

Abstract: A chip card including a flexible body; at least one semiconductor chip supported within the flexible body and comprising a memory for storing the information; a display element capable of displaying at least a portion of the information stored in the semiconductor chip, the display element being supported within the flexible body and comprising display areas viewable from at least one side of the chip card; circuitry for controlling the display element; the chip card being capable of undergoing flexing of the type and magnitude experienced by a card during normal use, handling, and storage (e.g., storage in a pocket, wallet, or purse) without permanent damage to the display element and without permanent loss of the displayed information. A chip card may include a power source to provide multi-media capabilities by driving a speaker/microphone or showing a series of images to produce an animated display or film clip.

Abstract: A head assembly moving along a long side of a magnetic card, more than one magnetic head rotating in the head assembly for reading/writing data, a rotary transformer and a carriage with a card holding mechanism for keeping a card at a predefined position are provided in a card reader of the present invention. A rotating part of the rotary transformer in the head assembly receives and sends a signal to the magnetic head and a fixing part of the rotary transformer is connected to a reading/writing circuit. On the card of the present invention, which is usually rectangular, there are tracks defined by plural arcs. The arcs are on plural same-size circles whose centers are aligned on one line along the long side of the card. A magnetic card or an optical card can be used for the present invention.

Abstract: A pocket interface unit for a smart diskette. The smart diskette has a housing of the shape and size of a standard diskette, electrical contacts and/or a magnetic transducer, an activation switch, and further has an interface, a processor and memory disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to the electrical contacts/magnetic transducer.

Abstract: A set of lockers allows a customer to drop off commodities for a service company to pick up. An order is input using an operation screen, and an order sheet which specifies the locker number is issued. A commodity, for example undeveloped film, and the order sheet are put in a transparent request bag and deposited in the locker. When the service company picks up the request bag, the request bag is taken out of the locker, and a bar code on the order sheet is read by a hand scanner. When the order sheet is scanned, the locker it came from is automatically locked, and the next locker which has an undeveloped film order is automatically opened. After processing the film, the developed film and prints are put in a delivery bag, with an attached slip having the locker number to which the bag is to be delivered. Upon delivery to the locker, a first bar code on a slip is read by a hand scanner, and a first locker is unlocked.

Abstract: A wireless debit card communications system comprising a radio unit, a base station, and an end station. The radio unit, for example, a radio telephone, includes a first processor, a reader for reading a credit amount and a personal access number from a debit card, and a transceiver for communicating, using radio waves, a credit signal. The base station receives and relays the credit signal over a communications channel to the end station. The end station includes a switch to generate a first control signal to allocate the credit amount of the debit card to the radio unit, and to set a radio unit access number of the radio unit to the personal access number of the debit card with a communications path through the base station. The end station also generates a second control signal for changing the credit amount and the personal access number of the debit card. The base station may be connected to a debit meter.

Abstract: To facilitate the recovery data from an embedded data pattern through the use of a appropriately sized capture window that is randomly positioned within the data pattern, the embedded data pattern is composed of a plurality of identical, one dimensionally or two dimensionally regularly tiled embedded data blocks which contain sufficient spatial addressing information to permit the logical reconstruction of a complete data block from any set of fragments that collectively provide a full cover for the surface area of any one tile. To this end, the capture window is sized to include a shape which is completely registered with the data pattern in which is capable of tiling the recording medium in accordance with the tiling vectors.

Abstract: A dynamic authentication process having multiple tiers of validation. A first tier of validation authenticates the credit transaction based upon static personal identification numbers. If this first tier of validation is satisfied, a threshold determination is made as to whether a secondary tier of validation is required. These thresholds are defined by either the service provider or the card holder to address the additional costs of a second tier of validation.

Abstract: A manufacturing method comprises the steps of changing an identification number of each electronic device 15 into a bar code and adhering it to an electronic component 18, reading the bar code 12a, and writing information of the bar code in a memory of the electronic device 15. All the steps for writing identification numbers are automated so that human errors in setting the identification numbers by an operator can be prevented.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus such as a computer terminal, video camcorder, portable picture phone or a bar code reader includes a display which is arranged to pivot so as to provide optimum ease of viewing for the user. A reader such as an optical scanner for scanning indicia, for example bar code symbols, comprises a handle portion and, mounted pivotally thereon, a head portion. The angle of the head portion relative to the handle portion can be adjusted by rotating the head portion as desired. The reader can thus be used to read bar code symbols that would otherwise be inaccessible. In an alternative embodiment a reading head is mounted pivotally on a fixed terminal and is movable so as to accommodate the physical requirements of the operator.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for enhancing the resolution of an image of an object by a sensor is described by operating the sensor to capture a two-dimensional image of the object. In particular, one of the sensor and the object is moved with respect to the other from a first position to a second position. In the second position, electrical signals are outputted by the sensor's pixels aligned with a sampling line that is disposed at an acute angle with respect with a reference line of the object, whereby the resolution of the resultant object image is enhanced.

Abstract: An auto-changer has a shelf which holds magazines that contained differently sized cartridges. The magazines are conveyed to a recording/reproducing device and include discrimination information concerning the cartridges contained therein. Sensors detect the discrimination information, and a conveyor conveys the magazine between the housing shelf and the recording/reproducing devices based on the detected information.

Abstract: Sub-pixel processing of image data representing a dataform, such as a 2D bar code, enables reading of dataforms including more data/smaller elements, without costly increases in sensor and memory capacity. Whole pixel processing is employed for pixel-per-element resolutions of two or better. Sub-pixel cell edge transition location in image data is enhanced by use of a dynamically implemented noise margin applied with bands of gray scale values designated within the envelope of applicable gray scale maximum and minimum values. Sub-pixel cell edge transition location employs selection of transition segments (subject to the noise margin) and determination of a dynamic threshold for each relevant transition segment. The intersection of the threshold and the transition segment is then indicative of the location of the cell edge transition along a sampling line crossing the dataform.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for connecting a card requester with multiple card service providers, whereas the card requester can select multiple services from a menu on a computer screen. The services offered by the multiple service providers can be combined and issued on one card after a successful calculation and simulation of the data was performed by the apparatus. The apparatus consists essentially of a host computer with a specific software, known as gateway apparatus or "Gateway Apparatus for Designing and Issuing Multiple Application Cards" (GADIMAC).

Abstract: A method and apparatus issues a plurality of kinds of IC cards. A plurality of items of issue information are stored, to be written into a plurality of kinds of IC cards being issued. The kind of the IC card connected to the IC card processing apparatus is determined, based on received information from the IC card. Command data corresponding to the determined kind of the IC card is generated, the generated command data including a function code corresponding to the kind of the IC card and an item of issue information of the plurality of items of stored issue information, and the command data being formed into a format corresponding to the kind of the IC card. The command and data having a converted format prepared by a selected processing method is transmitted to the IC card.