System and method for reading data record stripes on data cards
First Claim
1. In a data card reading transaction terminal for reading a data record stripe on a data card and including a plurality of modules comprising at least one of a keypad and data display module and at least one electronic circuit board module,an injection molded terminal case for housing said modules, said case having a cover portion and a base portion, said cover portion comprising a top wall portion having one or more prearranged apertures formed therein and operatively associated with said keypad or display module and a card guide extending below said top wall portion at a position separated from said apertures and near one side of said case, said cover portion including said card guide being formed as a single injection molded piece with said card guide including right and left side wall portions extending transverse to said top wall portion and being continuous from one end of said cover portion to an opposite end thereof and with a read head window integrally formed in one of said side wall portions;
- a data read head assembly having a read head on a front face thereof; and
mounting means for mounting said data read head assembly to said cover portion adjacent said read head window with said read head projecting through said read head window into said card guide at an accurate position relative to the position of said data record stripe on a data card passing through said card guide.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for reading a data record stripe on a credit card which includes an injection molded case including a card guide slot integrally molded into the case near one side thereof and a read head window integrally formed in one sidewall of the card guide slot. A data read head assembly having a read head on a front face thereof is mounted in the read head window and is spring biased toward the wall of the card slot opposite the read head window. A circuit arrangement is coupled to the read head assembly for detecting data signals on a card passing through the slot and converting the data signals to a substantially square wave signal pattern representing binary signal data in the form of positive and negative signal transitions of the square wave signal. A microcomputer circuit coupled to the circuit arrangement is programmed to detect positive and negative signal transitions, to register in individual memory locations the time interval between successive signal transitions, and to reconstruct the binary signal data from the pattern of the registered time intervals.
157 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In a data card reading transaction terminal for reading a data record stripe on a data card and including a plurality of modules comprising at least one of a keypad and data display module and at least one electronic circuit board module,
an injection molded terminal case for housing said modules, said case having a cover portion and a base portion, said cover portion comprising a top wall portion having one or more prearranged apertures formed therein and operatively associated with said keypad or display module and a card guide extending below said top wall portion at a position separated from said apertures and near one side of said case, said cover portion including said card guide being formed as a single injection molded piece with said card guide including right and left side wall portions extending transverse to said top wall portion and being continuous from one end of said cover portion to an opposite end thereof and with a read head window integrally formed in one of said side wall portions; -
a data read head assembly having a read head on a front face thereof; and mounting means for mounting said data read head assembly to said cover portion adjacent said read head window with said read head projecting through said read head window into said card guide at an accurate position relative to the position of said data record stripe on a data card passing through said card guide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a data card reading transaction terminal for reading a data record stripe on a data card and including a plurality of modules comprising one or more of a keypad and data display module and at least one electronic circuit board module,
an injection molded terminal case having a cover portion and a base portion providing an enclosure for said modules, said cover portion comprising a unitary plastic piece formed as a single injection molding and including a top wall portion having one or more prearranged apertures formed therein and operatively associated with said keypad or display elements, said cover portion further defining an entire card guide integrally and unitarily formed therein and located at a position separated from said apertures and near one side wall of said cover portion, said card guide including right and left side walls extending transverse to said top wall portion of said cover portion with one of said side walls defining a read head window therein; - said right and left side walls defining the position of a bottom wall of said card guide and a metal strip portion being mounted at said defined bottom wall position with a top surface thereof providing at least a major bottom wall portion of said card guide;
a data read head assembly having a read head on a front face thereof; mounting means for mounting said data read head assembly to said cover portion adjacent said read head window with said read head projecting through said read head window into said card guide and positioned to read a data recording stipe on a data card passing through said card guide.
- said right and left side walls defining the position of a bottom wall of said card guide and a metal strip portion being mounted at said defined bottom wall position with a top surface thereof providing at least a major bottom wall portion of said card guide;
Specification