Universal credit card

• US 4,593,936 A
• Filed: 03/06/1984
• Issued: 06/10/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George E. Opel
• Original Assignee: George E. Opel
• Inventors: Opel, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US06/586,857
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 101/17, 101/32, 101/369, 101/395, 283/75, 283/76, 283/107, 283/108, 283/109, 283/110, 283/111, 283/112, 283/904
• US Class Current: 283/112
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/04 Transparent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/16 Magnetic or magnetisable material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/06 Picture of the user
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/08 Alphanumerical data
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/14 Dot or raster patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/34 Markings visible under particular conditions or containing coded information
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/309 Photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/318 Signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/425 by deformation, e.g. embossing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 Credit card

Abstract

A universal credit card is disclosed that allows a purchaser to make a credit purchase and select any one of a number of pre-established credit lines to charge the purchase to. After an imprint is made from the universal card, a number corresponding to the proper credit line is manually entered onto the charge slip in an array of dots imprinted from the credit card.

Claims

1. A credit card comprising:

a rectangular card of predetermined dimensions having a front side and a back side;

a photographic image adheringly attached to said front side;

identification indicia embossed on said front side so as to be reproduced on an imprinted charge slip consisting of;

a. a pre-selected number; and

b. a plurality of spaced apart dot arrays adjacent said pre-selected number, wherein the spacing of said dots is predetermined so as to define, when a charge slip is imprinted, a plurality of spaced apart dot array patterns on the slip, each such pattern being suitable for entry of a character.

2. A credit card as in claim 1 wherein a strip of predetermined material able to accept for permanent display, an individual signature thereon is adheringly attached to said back side.

3. A credit card as in claim 2 wherein said front and said back sides are each protected by fixedly attached, transparent overlays.

4. A credit card as in claim 1 wherein a strip of predetermined material able to accept for permanent recording electronically encoded information is adheringly attached to said back side.

5. A credit card as in claim 4 wherein said front and said back sides are each protected by fixedly attached, transparent overlays.

6. An improved credit card, made of plastic or similar material with transparent overlays protecting an insert and having a front side with a photo and raised numerals thereon and a back side having a strip of magnetically encoded information thereon, the improvement comprising:

additional identification indicia embossed on said front side so as to be reproduced on an imprinted charge slip consisting of;

a. a plurality of preselected numbers; and

b. a plurality of spaced apart dot arrays adjacent said preselected numbers, wherein the spacing of said dots is predetermined so as to define, when a charge slip is imprinted, a plurality of spaced apart dot array patterns on the slip, each such pattern being suitable for entry of a character.