Card and card issuing apparatus

• US 5,714,743 A
• Filed: 03/21/1996
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tamura Electric Works., Ltd. (SAXA Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Tamura Electric Works., Ltd. (SAXA Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chiba, Hiromi, Sasou, Hiroshi, Tanaka, Shuichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US08/619,177
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/375, 235/384, 235/487, 235/493, 235/449
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• 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: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• 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 7/12 Card verification

Abstract

A card includes a magnetic track portion on which value information representing a prepaid amount and one of serial number data consecutively assigned in an issuance order are magnetically recorded, and a serial number printing portion in which a number representing the serial number data is marked with a laser beam. A card issuing apparatus includes a recording/reproducing unit and a laser marking unit. The recording/reproducing unit magnetically records value information representing a prepaid amount and one of serial number data consecutively assigned in an issuance order in a first area of the card, and reads out the serial number data magnetically recorded in the first area. The laser marking unit marks a number represented by the serial number data read out by the recording/reproducing unit in a second area of the card with a laser beam.

Claims

1. A card comprising:

a magnetic track portion on which value information representing a prepaid amount and one of serial number data consecutively assigned in an issuance order are magnetically recorded; and

a serial number printing portion in which a number representing the serial number data is marked with a laser beam, wherein said magnetic track portion and said serial number printing portion are formed in different areas of said card.

2. A card according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic track portion and said serial number printing portion are formed on the same surface of said card.

3. A card issuing apparatus comprising:

a recording/reproducing means for magnetically recording value information representing a prepaid amount and one of serial number data consecutively assigned in an issuance order in a first area of said card, and reading out the serial number data magnetically recorded in the first area; and

laser marking means for marking a number represented by the serial number data read out by said recording/reproducing means in a second area of said card with a laser beam; and

determination means for determining whether the serial number data recorded by said recording/reproducing means coincides with the serial number data read out by said recording/reproducing means, so that said determination means enables said laser marking means when the recorded serial number data coincides with their readout serial number data;

wherein the first and second areas are respectively constituted by a magnetic track portion and a serial number printing portion which are respectively formed in predetermined areas of said card.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising detection means for detecting a card jam of a card marked with a serial number by said laser marking means, and control means for incrementing a serial number by one upon issuance of each card and assigning a next serial number, and performing error processing to deliver a card having an error as a defective card when one of a determination output representing an incoincidence between the two serial number data from said determination means and a detection output representing the card jam from said detection means is obtained, so that said control means assigns a serial number next to the serial number of a card issued last prior to the error processing to a card to be issued first upon the error processing.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising input means for inputting card issuing information, so that said control means controls card issuance on the basis of the card issuing information input from said input means.