Magnetic recording method and circuit for toll road ticket

• US 5,274,218 A
• Filed: 09/09/1991
• Issued: 12/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Urata, Hideo, Yamashita, Riichiro, Hirako, Nobuhide, Jojo, Shigeru, Noguchi, Naoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US07/756,991
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 235/384, 235/449, 340/928, 360/28
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/125 by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/12 the marking being sensed by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems

Abstract

A method for reading information from a toll road ticket in which a mark indicating magnetic recording density is formed on a ticket and is detected. A magnetic record demodulating circuit is selected in accordance with the result of detection. Further, a conversion method for increasing a recording capacity of a ticket is provided.

Claims

1. A method of reading information from a toll road ticket comprising the steps of:

detecting a mark formed on a roll road ticket indicating a magnetic recording density;

selecting, in accordance with a result of the detecting step, a magnetic record demodulating means for demodulating an output signal of a read head; and

reading with the read head information recorded magnetically in a magnetic stripe of the ticket.

2. A conversion method of a magnetic record of a toll road ticket, wherein a read head and a write head are used for one track of a magnetic stripe of a ticket, the method comprising the steps of:

reading information which has been previously recorded on a toll road ticket at a predetermined bit density with the read head;

recording new information on said toll road ticket thereafter at a bit density higher than that of said previously recorded information with the write head; and

reading the recorded contents of the new information with the read head for confirming the recorded contents of the new information.

3. The conversion method according to claim 2, wherein the new information is recorded by a modified frequency modulation system when the previously recorded information has been recorded by a frequency modulation system.

4. A conversion method of a magnetic record of a toll road ticket, wherein a plurality of read heads and a plurality of write heads for a plurality of tracks are used for a magnetic stripe of a ticket, the method comprising the steps of:

reading information which has been previously recorded on a toll road ticket in one track with at least one read head;

recording new information on said toll road ticket over a plurality of tracks by means of a plurality of write heads thereafter; and

reading the recorded contents of the new information with a plurality of read heads for confirming the recorded contents of the new information.

5. The conversion method according to claim 4, wherein said new information is recorded in a bit density higher than that of the previously recorded information.