Abstract: A carrier tray as described herein includes a container having pockets for holding electrical components such as integrated circuits during manufacturing, and a device coupled to the container for tracking usage of the carrier tray into and out of process chambers used for performing particular processes on the electrical components carried therein. Stations and methods of using the carrier tray are also described herein.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for determining, communicating, and/or executing hold decisions for deposit items. For example, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving information associated with a deposit item; (b) determining an actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item; (c) determining a payee account to receive the deposit item and a drawer account on which the deposit item is drawn; (d) determining a hold limit for the payee account; (e) determining an adjusted deposit amount for the deposit item based at least partially on: (i) the actual deposit amount identified by the deposit item, and (ii) one or more characteristics associated with the drawer account, and (f) determining a hold decision for the deposit item based at least partially on a comparison of the adjusted deposit amount to the hold limit.

Abstract: A card holding apparatus of the present invention includes a seal member 12 that is provided so as to surround the periphery of a contact terminal portion 11. When a lid 3 is positioned in a closed position with a smart card 100 retained by the lid 3, the seal member 12 comes into close contact with the periphery of a terminal 101. Thus, even when foreign matter such as water or dust intrudes into a space between the lid 3 and a housing 1, adhesion of such foreign matter to contact terminals 11a or the terminal 101 can be prevented.

Abstract: Method of identifying a container (1) obtained by a process comprising the following steps: (A) starting from a blank (2) of the container (1), at least part of the said container (1) is formed; (B) a two-dimensional or three-dimensional marking zone (4), the temperature of which is maintained at a value below the glass transformation temperature of the constituent substrate, is provided in or on the substrate of the blank (2) and, in the said marking zone (4), an identification code (5) is reproduced by illumination (6) of the said marking zone (4) with at least one beam (7) of coherent monochromatic localized electromagnetic radiation to which the substrate is at least partially transparent, the said beam (7) being operated and controlled in order to remove or modify the constituent substrate of the wall (3) and to leave the identification code (5), in positive or negative form, in the said wall so that the said code is readable; and (C) at least the said marking zone (4) is annealed so as at least to reduc

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and apparatuses for determining, communicating, and/or executing hold decisions for deposit items. For example, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving information associated with a deposit item; (b) determining a deposit amount for the deposit item; (c) determining a payee account to receive the deposit item; (d) determining a hold limit for the payee account; and (e) determining a hold decision for the deposit item based at least partially on a comparison of the deposit amount to the hold limit. In some embodiments, the hold limit is based at least partially on (a) an account balance associated with the payee account, and (b) one or more other characteristics associated with the payee account.

Abstract: A data-encoded scraper for cleaning an opaque coating off a scratchcard or lottery ticket is provided. The data-encoded scratchcard scraper includes a scraper body with an integrally formed, or attached, machine-readable encoded data associable with unique end-user-specific data. The machine-readable encoded data preferably comprises barcode symbols. The scraper body is preferably a flattened, somewhat elongated curvilinear object having a rounded larger end, a rounded smaller end, and a narrow sidewall. The larger end is configured with a thumb-size indentation. The smaller end is configured with a small hole for a key ring. The sidewall is configured with multiple grooves suitable for efficiently scraping the opaque coating from the scratchcard. The machine-readable encoded data facilitates purchasing, re-loading of funds, collection of end-user-specific data, and presentation of end-user-specific offers, prizes, rewards, directed advertising, and the like.

Abstract: A portable information reading apparatus includes: a first antenna which has a loop or spiral like shape and is provided in a plate-like manner on one surface of an outer shape; a second antenna which is provided in a plate-like manner on a side face of the one surface, has a loop or spiral like shape, and has a smaller size in a short axis than that in a short axis of the first antenna; and a control part adapted to communicate with a non-contact type IC chip by using the first or second antenna and obtain the information recorded on the IC chip, in which when the information is obtained from the IC chip via the second antenna, the control part determines whether the information obtained via the second antenna is a search condition for searching for the information recorded on the IC chip.

Abstract: A Smart Card module with flip-assembled chip (101) on a metallic strap (112) adhering to an insulating substrate (111). Chip (101) is in the gap (122) of a metal carrier (120), strap (112) conductively attached to the carrier. Carrier (120) is designed to practically surround the chip, and has a thickness about equal to the chip thickness. Overall module thickness is less than 250 ?m without dangerously thinning the chip. Additional strength may be acquired by filling any space of gap (122) not occupied by chip (101) with encapsulation compound (150). Metal carrier (120) further provides contact areas (120a, 120b) for higher level system interconnection (stacking of modules).

Abstract: A prepaid payment device is used to by a consumer as a ticket to a future performance event as well as to conduct a transaction with a merchant. The consumer operates a user interface of a kiosk to select admission to the future performance event and a monetary amount to be added thereto. Payment is submitted to the kiosk for both the admission price and the monetary amount. The prepaid payment device is associated with an account that is credited with the payment. Stored on the prepaid payment device is information which includes the associated account and authorization for admission to the selected future performance event. The payment credited to the account can be for both the transaction with the merchant offering admission to the future performance event and also for an additional transaction with another merchant who may be at the venue of the future performance event.

Abstract: The invention relates to a document of value, in particular a credit card, identity card or ticket, and to a transfer film for the production of a document of value. The latter has on one of its surfaces a security element (2), which has a magnetic layer (25) for storing machine-readable information and a reflective, non-magnetizable metal layer (23). The metal layer is arranged above the magnetic layer (25) in relation to the surface of the document of value. The metal layer and the magnetic layer overlap, at least in some regions. The region of the metal layer (23) that overlaps the magnetic layer (25) is subdivided into at least two regions (231) isolated electrically from one another.

Abstract: A dedicated self-service return terminal is provided for receiving returned media on which entertainment data is stored.

Abstract: A hand-operated document processor includes a base including a perforated bed for receiving a document containing magnetic ink character data to be read and recognized. The base defines a chamber under the perforated bed. A manually operated moving magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) subsystem includes a MICR read head and is attached to the base such that movement of the subsystem causes the MICR read head to pass over the magnetic ink character data on the document. MICR reading and recognition logic receives the signal from the MICR read head. A document positioning and retentioning device connected to the base includes a manually-powered anti-skew device for creating a vacuum. The created vacuum is provided to the chamber under the perforated bed such that the vacuum, acting through the perforations, securely holds the document during the scanning operation.

Abstract: There is described an indicia reading terminal that can be operative to capture a succession of frames of image data and that can be operative so that a certain frame of the succession of frames is subject to quality evaluation processing where a result of the quality evaluation processing is responsive to one or more of an incidence and sharpness of edge representations of the frame of image data.

Abstract: A hand-operated document processor includes a base for receiving a document containing magnetic ink character data to be read and recognized. A manually operated moving magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) subsystem includes a MICR read head and is attached to the base. Movement of the subsystem causes the MICR read head to pass over the magnetic ink character data on the document. MICR reading and recognition logic receives the signal from the MICR read head. A spring drives the moving MICR subsystem across the document being processed. A vacuum solenoid creates a vacuum. The vacuum solenoid is driven by the spring and is connected to the base. The created vacuum acts as a brake to control the speed of the moving MICR subsystem as the moving MICR subsystem is driven by the spring.

Abstract: In one implementation, a method for providing access to a secure facility includes authenticating the user; generating a card credential, transmitting the card credential to an access card carried by of the user, and transmitting the card key to the access card in a form that is usable by the access card. The generating the card credential includes encrypting the card key using a server encryption key. The card key is usable for a challenge-response interaction during subsequent access requests by the user.

Abstract: A personal health card that includes a smartcard with an RFID device that automatically reports certain RFID response information when illuminated by an interrogation signal from an RFID reader, such as an authorized first responder interrogation device issued to police, fire, lifeguard, or EMT personnel. The RFID response information may be as minimal as a visible or audible “ping” response displayed or played on the RFID interrogator indicating that a personal health card has been interrogated. If multiple cards respond to the interrogator, the RFID interrogator can be used to select among the responding cards so that the operator can investigate one card at a time. A characteristic of the response from a selected card may change in response to the strength of the signal received from the card to help the operator locate and recover a desired card.

Abstract: The ticket processing system utilizes RFID technique to record and access data in the parking tickets. The ticket processing system mainly contains at least a ticket reader positioned at the entry of the parking lot. A first antenna in the ticket reader writes data into a ticket having RFID chip and a second antenna at a ticket retrieval opening of the ticket reader erases data from the ticket. The ticket processing system further contains a number of third antenna at the various parking spots which records a spot number into the ticket to facilitate the later locating the whereabouts of the parked vehicle.

Abstract: The invention provides a system of devices and a set of methods for accurately characterizing, tracking and controlling bulk material flows. Measurements of input material properties, dynamical measurements involving identifiable tags, and fast, discrete simulations are combined to predict and control the composition of bulk material exiting a container, such as a silo, bunker or hopper. In one embodiment, a system is provided for a coal-fired power plant where the properties of coal are assessed, then the coal is marked and tracked to provide the plant's operators improved control over the coal mixture and target bulk properties as it makes its way from a coal receiving station to delivery for combustion in a furnace.

Abstract: Disclosed are arrangements encode protection marks (302) into an unprotected document, where the protection marks are modulated according to a attributes of corresponding areas (902) of the unprotected document associated with the protection marks (302). Unauthorized amendment of the protected document can be detected by demodulating (1107) the modulated protection marks in the protected document, to derive the attribute of the unprotected document. This is compared to the corresponding attribute of the protected document, and this comparison indicates if unauthorized amendment has taken place.

Abstract: Laser power monitoring arrangements interrupt power to a laser used in electro-optical readers upon detection of operating conditions not conforming to preestablished standards. An auxiliary light detector independently monitors the output power of a laser beam, and directly receives a portion of the laser beam reflected from an optical assembly operative for optically modifying the laser beam.