Apparatus for processing "smart" cards
First Claim
1. Apparatus for processing smart cards, each card comprising a body, electrical contact tabs, and an integrated circuit placed in the card body and electrically connected to said tabs, said integrated circuit including storage means for storing monetary amounts unit-by-unit as the card is used, said apparatus comprising:
- processor means capable of processing data stored in a card and suitable for feeding electrical power to said integrated circuit, said processor means including comparator means for comparing the quantity of units already used with a plurality, n, of predetermined threshold amounts, together with control means responsive to said comparator means for controlling the marking of the card body at a location corresponding to that one of said thresholds which has been reached;
electrical connections suitable, when a card is in a determined position suitable for enabling data to be read from and/or written to said storage means, for inter-connecting said processor means and said integrated circuit in a card via said contact tabs; and
marker means under the control of said processor means for marking the body of a card with marks representative of the quantity of charge units in the card which have already been used up.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for processing smart cards, each card comprising a body, electrical contact tabs, and an integrated circuit placed in the card body and electrically connected to said tabs, said integrated circuit including storage means for storing monetary amounts unit-by-unit as the card is used, said apparatus comprising:
processor means capable of processing data stored in a card and suitable for feeding electrical power to said integrated circuit;
electrical connections suitable, when a card is in a determined position suitable for enabling data to be read from and/or written to said storage means, for inter-connecting said processor means and said integrated circuit in a card via said contact tabs; and
marker means under the control of said processor means for marking the body of a card with marks representative of the quantity of charge units in the card which have already been used up.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. Apparatus for processing smart cards, each card comprising a body, electrical contact tabs, and an integrated circuit placed in the card body and electrically connected to said tabs, said integrated circuit including storage means for storing monetary amounts unit-by-unit as the card is used, said apparatus comprising:
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processor means capable of processing data stored in a card and suitable for feeding electrical power to said integrated circuit, said processor means including comparator means for comparing the quantity of units already used with a plurality, n, of predetermined threshold amounts, together with control means responsive to said comparator means for controlling the marking of the card body at a location corresponding to that one of said thresholds which has been reached; electrical connections suitable, when a card is in a determined position suitable for enabling data to be read from and/or written to said storage means, for inter-connecting said processor means and said integrated circuit in a card via said contact tabs; and marker means under the control of said processor means for marking the body of a card with marks representative of the quantity of charge units in the card which have already been used up. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeFlonic SA
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Original AssigneeFlonic SA
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InventorsMollet, Jean P.
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Primary Examiner(s)TRAFTON, DAVID
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Application NumberUS07/036,773Time in Patent Office831 DaysField of Search902/4, 902/26, 235/380, 235/441, 235/492, 235/449US Class Current235/380CPC Class CodesG06K 1/126 by photographic or thermogr...G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary...G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit reg...G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adap...
