Abstract: A system is provided for providing security with an optical card. According to one embodiment of the invention, immunization data can be disposed on an optical card and used in an optical card system to establish that a particular individual has been immunized for a particular disease. The immunization data can be stored in a variety of formats and encrypted for verification. Biometric data can be used with the immunization data to establish that the immunization data applies to that particular individual. The optical card memory allows sufficient biometric data to be stored so as to clearly verify the identity of the card holder.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that facilitate configuration of a keypad by end users of the portable host device, via employing a mapping component that can map individual keys of the keypad to characters and/or functions predefined by a user (e.g., defined for the host unit via a proprietary application/software). The reconfigurable keypad of the present invention can provide for a one touch access to special characters and/or performance of predetermined functions designated by the user, and thus facilitates performances of customized functions that can be unique to the end users.

Abstract: An adaptor in accordance with the present invention allows a conventional magnetic stripe card POS reader to receive information from contact-based or wireless sources while maintaining the concurrent ability of the reader to interact with a magnetic stripe card. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the adaptor includes an inductor capable of generating a magnetic field of sufficient power to couple with a head of a magnetic stripe card reader through the housing of the reader device. In this manner, the adaptor can be positioned external to the reader device, leaving the slot of the reader accessible for conventional interactions with magnetic stripe cards. Selective inductive communication with individual heads of the reader device may exploit their differing sensitivity to external magnetic fields generated by the adaptor.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing access to data. When an application needs to perform an action that requires access to data, the application acquires a “ticket” in order to access the data. While the application holds the ticket, it is given access to the data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for recognizing and identifying items located on the lower shelf of a shopping cart in a checkout lane of a retail store environment for the purpose of reducing or preventing loss or fraud and increasing the efficiency of a checkout process. The system includes one or more visual sensors that can take images of items and a computer system that receives the images from the one or more visual sensors and automatically identifies the items. The system can be trained to recognize the items using images taken of the items. The system relies on matching visual features from training images to match against features extracted from images taken at the checkout lane. Using the scale-invariant feature transformation (SIFT) method, for example, the system can compare the visual features of the images to the features stored in a database to find one or more matches, where the found one or more matches are used to identify the items.

Abstract: An arrangement for reading data recorded in infra-red on the surface of a card upon which may also be recorded a visual representation is disclosed. The reading apparatus comprises scanning means for scanning in the encoded fault tolerant digital form of the data on the surface, means for processing the scanned data and for decoding the data into a secondary digital format and means for outputting the secondary digital format to an output device with which the secondary digital format is usable. The output device presents the data in a human readable form. The data may include text and/or images equivalent to recording a book, newspaper, manual or a database.

Abstract: A bill handling machine includes a bill discriminator which discriminates between genuine and counterfeit bills; a cash box including first and second bill storing boxes which store bills to be recycled, the first bill storing box for storing bills of first type, the second bill storing box for storing bills of second type; a non-genuine bill storing box which is provided outside the cash box and stores a bill that is suspected or determined to be non-genuine by the bill discriminator; a temporary stocker which temporarily stores bills prior to storing the bills in the first and second bill storing boxes or the non-genuine bill storing box; and a transport component configured to transport the bills to the temporary stocker, first and second bill storing boxes, and non-genuine bill storing box, wherein an entry to the non-genuine bill storing box is provided at a section of the transport path that is between the bill discriminator and temporary stocker.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for facilitating product weight identification in a checkout lane. The apparatus includes an open-frame back, a pair of opposing support arms to support an open plastic bag, a pair of opposing open-frame sides, and a gate. The opposing sides are connected to the back and are positioned to define a receiving area for the plastic bag. The gate may be connected to a side or the back and retains an item placed in an open bag within the receiving area. Furthermore, guards may be mounted near the top of each side to retain handles of the bag supply within a predefined area. The apparatus may be attached to a scale associated with a self checkout lane.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a body that has monolithically formed top and bottom surfaces and opposed top and bottom edge portions respectively. An annular magnetic member is directly affixed to one of the top and bottom surfaces and is positioned adjacent to one of the top and bottom edge portions. The annular magnetic member is sufficiently sized and shaped for affixing the body against a support surface elevated from a ground surface. The annular magnetic member has a smooth and arcuate outer perimeter which effectively resists premature peeling and fraying during manufacturing processes. The annular magnetic member and the body further have substantially equal thicknesses for occupying minimum interior space defined within a postal envelope.

Abstract: The combination of a rooftop optical element and a soft edge aperture stop, as well as the introduction of a negative spherical aberration in a positive focusing lens, improve working distance and depth of focus in both moving beam and imaging readers for electro-optically reading indicia such as bar code symbols, especially for close-in symbols, and moreover tend to reduce undesirable light intensity modulation in the beam profile thereby improving reader performance.

Abstract: A stored-value card including a first surface and a second surface. The first surface stores data adapted to be read by an electronic device to perform at least one interactive activity. The second surface is opposite the first surface. The second surface includes account indicia signifying a financial account linked to the stored-value card, and brand indicia relating to a retail setting configured to redeem the stored-value card. The at least one interactive activity includes displaying at least one of a character, an object, a textual passage, and a symbol associated with the retail setting. Financial transaction card assemblies, packaged stored-value cards, and methods of using such cards are also disclosed.