Identification card printer data encoder module

• US 20030197056A1
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fargo Electronics Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Fargo Electronics Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Olson, Darrell T., Dunham, Matthew K.
• Application Number:
  US10/126,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197056A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/12 specially adapted for small cards, envelopes, or the like , e.g. credit cards, cut visiting cards
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/50 Mechanisms producing characters by printing and also producing a record by other means , e.g. printer combined with RFID writer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/125 by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations

Abstract

A data encoder module includes a card feeder and an encoding component. The card feeder is adapted to receive a card from an out-feed component of a transport mechanism and move the card within an encoding plane. The encoding plane is oriented such that the card is free to move toward the out-feed component a distance that is greater than a distance separating the out-feed component and the card feeder without contacting the out-feed component. The encoding component is adapted to encode data to the card.

Claims

1. A data encoder module for use in an identification card printer comprising:

a card feeder that is adapted to receive a card from an out-feed component of a transport mechanism and move the card within an encoding plane, the encoding plane oriented such that the card is free to move toward the out-feed component a distance that is greater than a distance separating the out-feed component and the card feeder without contacting the out-feed component; and

an encoding component adapted to encode data to the card.

2. The data encoder module of claim 1, wherein the encoding component is a magnetic write head adjacent the card feeder and configured to encode data on a magnetic portion of the card as the card feeder moves the card in the encoding plane.

3. The data encoder of claim 1, wherein the encoding component is a smart card chip encoder.

4. The data encoder module of claim 1, wherein the card feeder includes top and bottom feed rollers, the feed rollers having axes of rotation that are aligned in a pinch roller plane that is substantially perpendicular to the encoding plane.

5. The data encoder module of claim 1, including a controller adapted to control the card feeder and the encoding component.

6. The data encoder module of claim 5, wherein the controller is connectable to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) network.

7. The data encoder module of claim 4, wherein the bottom feed roller is driven by a motor that is controlled by a controller.

8. The data encoder module of claim 7, wherein the motor is a stepper motor.

9. The data encoder module of claim 4, wherein:

the bottom feed roller is deflectable downwardly from the top feed roller; and

the card feeder includes a biasing mechanism adapted to apply a force to the bottom feed roller to direct the bottom feed roller toward the top feed roller.

10. The data encoder module of claim 4, wherein the encoding component is positioned substantially in the pinch roller plane adjacent the bottom feed roller and below the top feed roller.

11. The data encoder module of claim 1, wherein the encoding component receives write signals from a controller and responsively encodes data to the card in accordance with the write signals.

12. The data encoder module of claim 1, including a card sensor adjacent the card feeder, the card sensor having an output signal indicating the detection of a card fed from the out-feed component.

13. The data encoder module of claim 12, including a controller adapted to control the operation of the card feeder in response to the output signal.

14. An identification card printer comprising:

a supply of cards;

a print mechanism for printing on cards;

a transport mechanism for transporting cards from the supply of cards to the print mechanism for printing, the transport mechanism having a card out-feed component downstream of the print mechanism; and

a data encoder module comprising;

a card feeder that is adapted to receive a card from an out-feed component of a transport mechanism and move the card within an encoding plane, the encoding plane oriented such that the card is free to move toward the out-feed component a distance that is greater than a distance separating the out-feed component and the card feeder without contacting the out-feed component; and

an encoding component adapted to encode data to the card.

15. The data encoder module of claim 14, wherein the encoding component is a magnetic write head adjacent the card feeder and configured to encode data on a magnetic portion of the card as the card feeder moves the card in the encoding plane.

16. The data encoder of claim 14, wherein the encoding component is a smart card chip encoder.

17. The data encoder module of claim 14, wherein the card feeder includes top and bottom feed rollers, the feed rollers having axes of rotation that are aligned in a pinch roller plane that is substantially perpendicular to the encoding plane.

18. The data encoder module of claim 14, including a controller adapted to control the card feeder and the encoding component.

19. The data encoder module of claim 18, wherein the controller is connectable to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) network.

20. The data encoder module of claim 17, wherein the bottom feed roller is driven by a motor that is controlled by a controller.

21. The data encoder module of claim 20, wherein the motor is a stepper motor.

22. The data encoder module of claim 17, wherein:

the bottom feed roller is deflectable downwardly from the top feed roller; and

the card feeder includes a biasing mechanism adapted to apply a force to the bottom feed roller to direct the bottom feed roller toward the top feed roller.

23. The data encoder module of claim 17, wherein the encoding component is positioned substantially in the pinch roller plane adjacent the bottom feed roller and below the top feed roller.

24. The data encoder module of claim 14, wherein the encoding component receives write signals from a controller and responsively encodes data to the card in accordance with the write signals.

25. The data encoder module of claim 14, including a card sensor adjacent the card feeder, the card sensor having an output signal indicating the detection of a card fed from the out-feed component.

26. The data encoder module of claim 25, including a controller adapted to control the operation of the card feeder in response to the output signal.

27. A magnetic encoder module for use in an identification card printer comprising:

a card feeder that is adapted to receive a card from an out-feed component of a transport mechanism and move the card within an encoding plane, the encoding plane oriented such that the card is free to move toward the out-feed component a distance that is greater than a distance separating the out-feed component and the card feeder without contacting the out-feed component; and

a magnetic write head adjacent the card feeder and positioned to encode data on a magnetic portion of the card as the card feeder moves the card in the encoding plane.

28. The magnetic encoder module of claim 27, wherein the card feeder includes top and bottom feed rollers, the feed rollers having axes of rotation that are aligned in a pinch roller plane that is substantially perpendicular to the encoding plane.

29. The magnetic encoder module of claim 28, including a controller adapted to control the card feeder and the magnetic write head.

30. The magnetic encoder module of claim 29, wherein the controller is connectable to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) network.

31. The magnetic encoder module of claim 28, wherein the bottom feed roller is driven by a motor that is controlled by a controller.

32. The magnetic encoder module of claim 31, wherein the motor is a stepper motor.

33. The magnetic encoder module of claim 28, wherein:

the bottom feed roller is deflectable downwardly from the top feed roller; and

the card feeder includes a biasing mechanism adapted to apply a force to the bottom feed roller to direct the bottom feed roller toward the top feed roller.

34. The magnetic encoder module of claim 28, wherein the magnetic write head is positioned substantially in the pinch roller plane adjacent the bottom feed roller and below the top feed roller.

35. The magnetic encoder module of claim 27, wherein the magnetic write head receives write signals from a controller and responsively produces a magnetic field in accordance with the write signals.

36. The magnetic encoder module of claim 27, including a card sensor positioned on an upstream side of the card feeder and having an output signal indicating the detection of a card fed from the out-feed component.

37. The magnetic encoder module of claim 36, including a controller adapted to control the operation of the card feeder in response to the output signal.

38. The magnetic encoder module of claim 27, including:

an in-feed ramp located on an upstream side of the card feeder; and

an out-feed ramp positioned on a downstream side of the card feeder and substantially parallel with the encoding plane.

39. The magnetic encoder module of claim 38, including side walls adjacent the in-feed ramp.

40. A magnetic encoder module for use with an identification card printer comprising:

a card feeder including top and bottom feed rollers, the feed rollers having axes of rotation that are aligned in a pinch roller plane, the pinch roller assembly configured to control the position of a card in an encoding plane that is angularly displaced from a card transport plane in which cards are provided from an out-feed component of a transport mechanism;

a magnetic write head adjacent the card feeder and positioned to encode data on magnetic portions of the cards;

a card sensor positioned on an upstream side of the card feeder and having an output signal indicating the detection of a card fed from the out-feed component; and

a controller in electrical communication with the output signal and adapted to control the card feeder and the magnetic write head.

41. The magnetic encoder module of claim 40, wherein the bottom feed roller is driven by a motor.

42. The magnetic encoder module of claim 41, wherein the motor is a stepper motor.

43. The magnetic encoder module of claim 40, wherein:

the bottom feed roller is deflectable downwardly from the top feed roller; and

the card feeder includes a biasing mechanism adapted to apply a force to the bottom feed roller to direct the bottom feed roller toward the top feed roller.

44. The magnetic encoder module of claim 40, wherein the magnetic write head is positioned substantially in the pinch roller plane adjacent the bottom feed roller and below the top feed roller.

45. The magnetic encoder module of claim 40, wherein the magnetic write head receives write signals from the controller and responsively produces a magnetic field in accordance with the write signals.

46. The magnetic encoder module of claim 40, including:

an in-feed ramp located on an upstream side of the card feeder; and

an out-feed ramp positioned on a downstream side of the card feeder and substantially parallel with the encoding plane.

47. The magnetic encoder module of claim 46, including side walls adjacent the in-feed ramp.

48. The magnetic encoder module of claim 40, including a magnetic read head.

49. An identification card printer comprising:

a supply of cards;

a print mechanism for printing on cards;

a transport mechanism for transporting cards from the supply of cards to the print mechanism for printing, the transport mechanism having a card out-feed component downstream of the print mechanism; and

a magnetic encoder module adjacent the out-feed component comprising;

a card feeder that is adapted to receive a card from the out-feed component and move the card within an encoding plane, the encoding plane oriented such that the card is free to move toward the out-feed component a distance that is greater than a distance separating the out-feed component and the card feeder without contacting the out-feed component; and

a magnetic write head adjacent the card feeder and positioned to encode data on a magnetic portion of the card as the card feeder moves the card in the encoding plane.

50. The magnetic encoder module of claim 49, wherein the card feeder includes top and bottom feed rollers, the feed rollers having axes of rotation that are aligned in a pinch roller plane that is substantially perpendicular to the encoding plane.

51. The magnetic encoder module of claim 50, including a controller adapted to control the card feeder and the magnetic write head.

52. The magnetic encoder module of claim 51, wherein the controller is connectable to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) network.

53. The magnetic encoder module of claim 50, wherein the bottom feed roller is driven by a motor that is controlled by a controller.

54. The magnetic encoder module of claim 53, wherein the motor is a stepper motor.

55. The magnetic encoder module of claim 50, wherein:

the bottom feed roller is deflectable downwardly from the top feed roller; and

the card feeder includes a biasing mechanism adapted to apply a force to the bottom feed roller to direct the bottom feed roller toward the top feed roller.

56. The magnetic encoder module of claim 50, wherein the magnetic write head is positioned substantially in the pinch roller plane adjacent the bottom feed roller and below the top feed roller.

57. The magnetic encoder module of claim 49, wherein the magnetic write head receives write signals from a controller and responsively produces a magnetic field in accordance with the write signals.

58. The magnetic encoder module of claim 49, including a card sensor positioned on an upstream side of the card feeder and having an output signal indicating the detection of a card fed from the out-feed component.

59. The magnetic encoder module of claim 58, including a controller adapted to control the operation of the card feeder in response to the output signal.

60. The magnetic encoder module of claim 49, including:

an in-feed ramp located on an upstream side of the card feeder; and

an out-feed ramp positioned on a downstream side of the card feeder and substantially parallel with the encoding plane.

61. The magnetic encoder module of claim 50, including side walls adjacent the in-feed ramp.

62. The identification card printer of claim 49, including a base to which the transport mechanism and the magnetic encoder module are mounted.

63. The identification card printer of claim 49, wherein the out-feed component of the transport mechanism includes at least one top guide roller and a bottom feed roller.

64. The identification card printer of claim 49, wherein the supply of cards is contained in a card cartridge comprising a housing having an interior cavity that is sized to accommodate a stack of cards, the housing including a pair of opposing side walls, a top, a front wall, a back wall opposite the front wall, a base, a card access, through which a card transport mechanism can engage a lead card, and a card output slot.

65. A method of encoding a magnetic portion of a card, the method comprising steps of:

(a) receiving the card from an out-feed component of a transport mechanism;

(b) pivoting the card into an encoding plane;

(c) feeding the card forward along the encoding plane;

(d) writing data to the magnetic portion of the card as the card is fed rearwardly along the encoding plane.

66. The method of claim 65, including steps of:

(e) reading the encoded data on the magnetic portion as the card is fed forwardly along the encoding plane; and

(f) verifying that the data encoded on the magnetic portion matches the data intended to be written in step (e) to the magnetic portion.

67. The method of claim 66, including steps of:

(g) dispensing the card when the encoded data is valid; and

(h) holding the card and/or producing a signal when the encoded data is invalid.