Methods and apparatus for authenticating data storage articles
First Claim
1. A method for authenticating data storage cards for use in conjunction with existing card-reading means, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing data storage cards bearing at least two sets of indicia includingfirst indicia that are invisible when irradiated with light in the visible spectrum but are detectable when irradiated with non-visible light andsecond indicia readable by said existing card-reading means,b) irradiating said data storage cards with said non-visible light,c) detecting said first indicia to determine the authenticity or lack thereof for each of said data storage cards, andd) optionally exposing each of said data storage cards to said existing card-reading means to read said second indicia.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Accessory apparatus for authenticating articles is used in conjunction with existing readers or scanners of articles bearing stored data, such as credit cards or identification cards. The accessory apparatus is disposed before, after, on, under, inside, or adjacent to existing reader apparatus, to have a view of the article whose data is to be read. Information in addition to the stored data is coded on the article in non-visible indicia and is detected by the accessory authenticating apparatus. This coded additional information may be related to identification data stored in the article by the article'"'"'s normal storage mechanism, such as a magnetic stripe or an embedded memory IC chip. The additional information may be coded in various combinations of predetermined characteristics of light emitted by the article to be authenticated when the article is irradiated with non-visible light from the accessory apparatus. The code combinations are preferably complex combinations of the various radiation characteristics. The article is irradiated at a high enough frequency (above 10,000 Hz modulation) for rapid determination of authenticity, and for reading and decoding standard bar codes. Visible and/or audible indicators alert a user when the authentication process detects an invalid card. With certain arrangements, an invalid card may be blocked from being read by the existing reader or scanner. The accessory apparatus may be connected to interrupt the normal communication channel of the existing reader or scanner with which it is used, when an article fails to be authenticated. The accessory apparatus may be used as an adjunct to existing readers or scanners of information on such cards or other articles, to perform authentication functions without replacing or obsoleting such existing readers or scanners.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method for authenticating data storage cards for use in conjunction with existing card-reading means, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing data storage cards bearing at least two sets of indicia including first indicia that are invisible when irradiated with light in the visible spectrum but are detectable when irradiated with non-visible light and second indicia readable by said existing card-reading means, b) irradiating said data storage cards with said non-visible light, c) detecting said first indicia to determine the authenticity or lack thereof for each of said data storage cards, and d) optionally exposing each of said data storage cards to said existing card-reading means to read said second indicia. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for authenticating data storage cards for use in conjunction with existing card-reading means, comprising:
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a) a housing having first and second ends and a card slot communicating between said first and second ends, said card slot being adapted for alignment with said existing card-reading means, b) a source of irradiating light characterized by having a peak wavelength outside the visible spectrum, said source being adapted for irradiating said data storage cards while they are within said card slot, c) one or more detectors of light emitted by said data storage cards in response to said irradiating light, each of said detectors producing a first electrical signal depending on one or more characteristics of said emitted light, d) signal processing means responsive to at least one of said first electrical signals to produce a second electrical signal indicative of the authenticity of said data storage cards, and e) output means responsive to said second electrical signal to indicate authenticity status of said data storage cards. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 36, 39, 45)
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29. An apparatus for authenticating data storage articles for use in conjunction with existing article-scanning means, comprising:
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a) a housing having a window and means for attaching said housing to said existing article-scanning means, said housing being adapted for alignment with said existing article-scanning means, b) a source of irradiating light characterized by having a peak wavelength outside the visible spectrum, adapted for irradiating said data storage articles through said window in said housing, c) one or more detectors of light emitted through said window by said data storage articles in response to said irradiating light, each of said detectors producing a first electrical signal depending on one or more characteristics of said emitted light, d) signal processing means responsive to at least one of said first electrical signals to produce a second electrical signal indicative of the authenticity of said data storage articles, and e) output means responsive to said second electrical signal to indicate authenticity status of said data storage articles. - View Dependent Claims (34, 37, 40)
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30. An apparatus for authenticating data storage cards for use in conjunction with existing card-reading means, comprising:
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a) a first light guide characterized by being transmissive to non-visible light, said first light guide being adapted for irradiating said data storage cards with said non-visible light while said existing card-reading means are in use, b) a second light guide characterized by being transmissive to fluorescent light emitted by said data storage cards in response to said non-visible light, said second light guide being adapted for transmitting said fluorescent light while said existing card-reading means are in use, c) a source of said non-visible light characterized by having a peak wavelength outside the visible spectrum, said source being adapted for irradiating said data storage cards through said first light guide, d) one or more detectors adapted for detecting said fluorescent light emitted through said second light guide by said data storage cards in response to said irradiating light, each of said detectors producing a first electrical signal depending on one or more characteristics of said emitted fluorescent light, e) signal processing means responsive to at least one of said first electrical signals to produce a second electrical signal indicative of the authenticity of said data storage cards, and f) output means responsive to said second electrical signal to indicate authenticity status of said data storage cards. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 35, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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46. An apparatus for authenticating data storage articles for use in conjunction with existing article-reading means, comprising:
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a) a housing, said housing being adapted to be aligned with said existing article-reading means; b) a source of irradiating light characterized by having a peak wavelength outside the visible spectrum, said source being adapted to irradiate said data storage articles; c) one or more detectors of light emitted by said data storage articles in response to said irradiating light, each of said detectors producing a first electrical signal depending on one or more characteristics of said emitted light; d) signal processing means responsive to at least one of said first electrical signals to produce a second electrical signal indicative of the authenticity of said data storage articles; and e) output means responsive to said second electrical signal to indicate authenticity status of said data storage articles.
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Specification