Fraud resistant credit card system

• US 4,641,017 A
• Filed: 12/15/1983
• Issued: 02/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TC License Limited
• Original Assignee: Herman Lopata
• Inventors: Lopata, Herman
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/561,638
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 235/454, 235/457
• US Class Current: 235/457
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0011 for security or authentication holograms on information-bearing cards B42D25/328; testing papers with holograms G07D7/0032
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/265 Angle multiplexing; Multichannel holograms G03H1/268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/125 Offline card verification

Abstract

A reflection hologram is laminated or otherwise incorporated into the face of a magnetic-stripe credit card or other similar document. This is done to guard against counterfeiting of the document by transfering of information from the magnetic stripe or similar indicia that is not readily detectable by an operator or user of the card or document. The card is verified by inserting it into a reading device which, while reading the information on the magnetic stripe or other indicia, also illuminates the hologram, producing holographic images or spots at one or more pedetermined unique angles, so that the spots can be detected by light sensing devices. Absence of a reflection at the proper angle would immediately indicate, through sensing circuitry, that the card is of questionable validity. To render the system still more secure, the hologram can produce multiple reflective images to be detected at several predetermined positions either from a single point or from multiple points.

Claims

1. Tamper proof credit or identification card, comprising a flat card member adapted to identify an authorized bearer thereof, automatically-readable indicia on one surface of the flat card member containing data relating to the authorized bearer, and a separate reflective hologram disposed on a surface of the flat card member, the automatically-readable indicia being spaced apart from the hologram, the hologram being so constructed that a reference light beam impinging thereon from light source means at one predetermined angle and orientation to said one surface of the card will produce an image at another predetermined angle relative to said reference beam to impinge on sensor means disposed at a predetermined position relative to said light source means.

2. Tamper proof credit or identification card as in claim 1, wherein said indicia one embodied as a magnetic stripe and the magnetic stripe and said reflective hologram are disposed on opposite flat surfaces of the card member.

3. Tamper proof credit or identification card, comprising a flat card member adapted to identify an authorized bearer thereof, automatically-readable indicia on one surface of the flat card member containing data relating to the authorized bearer, and a separate reflective hologram disposed on a surface of the flat card member, the automatically-readable indicia being spaced apart from the hologram, the hologram being so constructed that a reference light beam impining thereon from light source means at one predetermined angle and orientation to said one surface of the card will produce a plurality of images at predetermined angles relative to said reference beam, each to impinge on respective sensor elements disposed at predetermined positions relative to said light source means.

4. System for verifying authenticity of credit or identification cards, comprising one or more tamper proof cards, each including a flat card member adapted to identify the bearer thereof, automatically-readable indicia on one surface of the flat card member containing data relating to the authorized bearer, and a separate reflective hologram disposed on a surface of the flat card member, the automatically-readable indicia being spaced apart from the hologram, the hologram being so constructed that a reference light beam impinging thereon from light source means at one predetermined angle and orientation to said one surface of the card will produce an image at a predetermined angle relative to said reference beam to impinge on sensor means disposed at a predetermined position relative to said light source means;

and a vertifying card reader mechanism including means to receive one such card inserted therein, means to read the data in said indicia when said card is inserted in a predetermined orientation, reference light beam source means disposed within said reader and positioned and oriented so that a light beam emanating therefrom impinges on said hologram at said one predetermined angle, at least one light sensor means disposed in said reader at said predetermined position and providing an output signal when said image impinges thereon, and checking circuit means coupled to receive the output of said sensor means to indicate the authenticity of the card inserted in said reader.

5. System for vertifying authenticity of credit or identification cards, comprising one or more tamper proof cards, each including a flat card member adapted to identify the bearer thereof, automatically-readable indicia on one surface of the flat card member containing data relating to the authorized bearer, and a separate reflective hologram disposed on a surface of the flat card member, the automatically-readable indicia being spaced apart from the hologram, the hologram being so constructed that a reference light beam impinging thereon from a light source means at one predetermined angle and orientation to said one surface of the card will produce a plurality of images at predetermined angles relative to said reference beam to impinge on respective sensor elements disposed at predetermined positions relative to said light source meams;

and a verifying card reader mechanism including means to receive one such card inserted therein, means to read the data in said indicia when said card is inserted in a predetermined orientation, reference light beam source means disposed within said reader and positioned and oriented so that a ligth beam emanating therefrom impinges on said hologram at said one predetermined angle, a plurality of light sensor elements disposed at least at said predetermined positions relative to said light source means, each providing an output signal when said image impinges thereon, and checking circuit means coupled to receive the output of said sensor elements to indicate the authenticity of the card inserted in said reader.

6. System as in claim 5, wherein, in said reader mechanism, there are a first plurality of said light sensor elements each at a position corresponding to the position of a respective one of said images, and second plurality of additional light sensor elements disposed at other positions at which no image beam impinges, and said checking circuit includes logic circuit means having first and second sets of input coupled respectively to the outputs of the first and second plurality of sensor elements, and providing an output of an affirmative sense when the outputs of the first plurality of said elements are all of one predetermined sense, while the outputs of the second plurality of said elements are all of a complementary sense, and providing an output of another, negative sense otherwise.