Rewritable card printer

• US 20050058482A1
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Meyerhofer, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,192,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/76
• 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 2/32 using thermal heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/35 Thermal printing on id card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

A rewritable card printer useful as a rewritable card printer. The rewritable card printer includes a print module coupled to one or more separate card magazines, each having independent card drives. The operation of the print module and one or more card magazines are controlled by a printer controller. Cards may be exchanged between multiple card magazines so that cards can be escrowed, exchanged, or selectively located and retrieved. The print module may receive as well as dispense cards from and to an external card source so that the card magazines may be replenished without opening up a gaming machine hosting the rewritable card printer. The print module may further include a security device reader that is used to read security features embedded in the cards. The security features may be used to track individual card use and to guard against card duplication and fraud.

Claims

1. A rewritable card printer, comprising:

a print module including a print card drive and a print head, the print module mechanically coupled to a base;

a card magazine including a card storage location and a magazine card drive, the card magazine coupled to the base whereby the magazine card drive and the print card drive are in communication;

a printer controller electronically coupled to the print module and the card magazine, the printer controller including;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored therein, the program instructions for operation by the printer controller of the print module and the card magazine.

2. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving card information for printing onto a card;

generating printable indicia using the card information;

printing onto a rewritable card the printable indicia using the print head.

3. The rewritable card printer of claim 2, wherein the print module further includes an erase head, the program instructions further including erasing the rewritable card using the erase head.

4. The rewritable card printer of claim 2, wherein the print module further includes a security feature reader, the program instructions further including reading a security signature from the rewritable card using the security feature reader.

5. The rewritable card printer of claim 4, wherein the program instructions further include transmitting the security signature to an external device.

6. The rewritable card printer of claim 4, wherein the program instructions for generating the printable indicia further include using the security signature.

7. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein in the printer controller further includes a static memory for storage of card information.

8. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving a card load signal from an external controller;

receiving a card by the print module from an external card magazine; and

moving the card by the print module into the card magazine.

9. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving a card dispensing signal from an external controller; and

dispensing a card from the rewritable card printer into an external magazine.

10. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving a card having second program instructions;

reading the second program instructions from the card; and

storing the second program instruction into the memory.

11. The rewritable card printer of claim 10, wherein the second program instructions are included in indicia printed onto the card.

12. The rewritable card printer of claim 10, wherein the second program instructions are included in a magnetic strip.

13. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, further comprising encryption/decryption means coupled to the printer controller.

14. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, further comprising a display device coupled to the printer controller.

15. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, further comprising a card cleaning device coupled to the input module.

16. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the input module further includes a magnetic strip read/write head.

17. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the input module further includes an optical scanning device.

18. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the input module further includes means for coupling to a static memory in a rewritable card.

19. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving a card for storage;

reading card information from the card;

erasing the card;

storing the card information in a static memory; and

storing the card in the card magazine.

20. The rewritable card printer of claim 19, wherein the card magazine further includes the static memory for storage of the card information.

21. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving second program instructions by the printer controller from an external device; and

storing the second program instructions in the memory.

22. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the base is slidably coupled to a base plate fixedly coupled to a gaming machine.

23. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the card magazine is slidably coupled to the base.

24. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein:

the print module is removably coupled to the base by mechanical quick disconnect means; and

the print module is removably coupled to the printer controller by electrical quick disconnect means.

25. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein:

the card magazine is removably coupled to the base by mechanical quick disconnect means; and

the card magazine is removably coupled to the printer controller by electrical quick disconnect means.

26. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, further comprising a second card magazine including a card storage location and a magazine card drive, the second card magazine coupled to the base whereby the second card magazine'"'"'s magazine card drive is in communication with the first of the card magazine'"'"'s magazine card drive, the second card magazine electronically coupled to the printer controller, the program instructions further including program instructions for operation by the printer controller of the second card magazine.

27. The rewritable card printer of claim 26, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving a request for a card located in the first card magazine;

determining the location of the requested card located in the first card magazine;

moving cards from the first card magazine to the second card magazine until the location of the requested card is reached.

28. The rewritable card printer of claim 26, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving a request for a card identified by the requested card'"'"'s security signature;

retrieving a card from the first card magazine into the print module;

reading a security signature from the retrieved card;

moving the retrieved card from the print module to the second card magazine if the retrieved card'"'"'s security signature does not match the requested card'"'"'s security signature; and

dispensing the retrieved card from the rewritable card printer if the retrieved card'"'"'s security signature matches the requested card'"'"'s security signature.

29. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, further comprising a second card magazine including a card storage location and a magazine card drive, the second card magazine coupled to the base whereby the second card magazine'"'"'s magazine card drive is in communication with the print module'"'"'s print card drive, the second card magazine electronically coupled to the printer controller, the program instructions further including program instructions for operation by the printer controller of the second card magazine.

30. The rewritable card printer of claim 29, wherein the program instructions further include:

receiving by the print module a card for imprinting;

moving the received card from the print module into the first of the card magazines;

retrieving a replacement card from the second card magazine into the print module;

receiving card information for printing onto the replacement card;

generating printable indicia using the card information;

printing onto the replacement card the printable indicia by the print module; and

dispensing the replacement card from the rewritable card printer whereby the received card is exchanged for the replacement card.

31. The rewritable card printer of claim 29, wherein the program instructions further include:

determining if a card inserted into the print module should be removed from service;

if the inserted card should be removed from service, performing the following steps;

move the inserted card from the print module to the first of the card magazines; and

retrieving a card from the second card magazine;

whereby the inserted card is placed into escrow for later retrieval.

32. The rewritable card printer of claim 31, wherein the print module further includes a security feature scanning device and the program instructions for determining if a card inserted into the print module should be removed from service further include:

attempting to read a security signature from the inserted card; and

determining that the inserted card should be removed from service if the security signature cannot be read.

33. The rewritable card printer of claim 31, wherein the print module further includes an optical scanning device and the program instructions for determining if a card inserted into the print module should be removed from service further include:

printing indicia on the inserted card;

generating scanned indicia by scanning the inserted card using the optical scanning device; and

determining that the inserted card should be removed from service if the scanned indicia does not correspond to the printed indicia.

34. The rewritable card printer of claim 1, wherein the print module further includes an embossing detector.