CODED MAGNETIC CARD AND SYSTEM FOR ENCODING AND SENSING THE SAME

• US 3,788,617 A
• Filed: 06/12/1972
• Issued: 01/29/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter W. Barney
• Original Assignee: Walter W. Barney
• Inventors: Barney, Walter W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US05/261,886
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.11D,61.12M,61.12N 346/74M 340/174.1R,149A,174SP,174PM,174CC,174JA
• US Class Current: 235/493
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/125 by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/12 the marking being sensed by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1058 PIN is checked locally
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 Credit card

Abstract

A card is provided which includes a homogeneous sheet of magnetic material. The material and thickness of the magnetic sheet are such that portions may be permanently magnetized in a direction transverse to the plane of the sheet and with a polarity which cannot be disturbed except by directing magnetic flux in the opposite direction through the sheet. A plurality of such portions are permanently magnetized to provide a card with a plurality of magnetic poles at one face of one polarity or the other and distributed to code the card. In addition, a further irregular or random magnetizing pattern is imparted to the sheet, whereby the card magnetization is effectively scrambled to render the code undecipherable and unintelligible.

Claims

1. A magnetically coded card including a sheet of magnetic material characterized as a homogeneous sheet in which magnetic material is diStributed throughout a plastic-like base, a. said sheet being permanently magnetized at a plurality of first portions having randomly shaped first areas over the face of the sheet, the first portions being magnetically poled along lines perpendicular to the opposite faces of the sheet, some of the first portions exhibiting north poles on one face and south poles on the opposite face and others of the first portions exhibiting south poles on one face and north poles on the opposite face, b. said sheet further including magnetized code bearing second portions having second areas smaller than said first areas and distributed over the face such that some of the second areas lie wholly within some of the first areas and others of the second areas intersect common boundaries of the first areas to lie partially in adjacent first areas, said second portions being magnetically poled along lines perpendicular to the opposite faces of the sheet, some of the second portions exhibiting north poles on said one face of the sheet and south poles on the opposite face and others of the second portions exhibiting south poles on the one face and north poles on the opposite face, such that any second area which lies wholly within a first area wherein the corresponding second portion exhibits the same pole as the first portion defining the first area, is undetectable whereby the particular arrangement and location of the magnetized code bearing second portions are undetectable in the absence of a previous knowledge of said particular arrangement and location as a consequence of the presence of said first portion.

2. A card according to claim 1, including in combination, two plastic sheets between which said homogeneous sheet is embedded to form a unitary card.