Card made of fluorescent material and card reader for use with the card

• US 6,641,035 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Junichi, Oki, Hajime, Predescu, Lucian, Lanovich, Steve J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIZKALLAH, KIMBERLY NGUYEN
• Application Number:
  US09/675,371
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 235/491, 235/480, 235/380, 235/382, 283/85, 283/92, 902/23
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 for a specific application

Abstract

A card that carries information on it and a card reader that read and/or writes information on the card. The card is made of a fluorescent material that, when receiving UV light, emits light in the visible spectrum. The card reader may have a UV lamp for illuminating the card. The card, illuminated by the UV lamp, glows at a desired state of the card read/write operation. If the card reader is a contactless reader, the reader will irradiate UV light to the card brought in close proximity to the reader. Illuminated by the UV light, the card glows in the hand of a cardholder.

Claims

1. A combination of a card carrying information and a card reader for reading and writing information on the card, the card being made of a fluorescent material that, when receiving UV light, emits light in a visible spectrum, and the card reader including a UV lamp and being made at least in part of a material that allows UV light from the UV lamp to pass through the material and go out of the card reader so as to illuminate the card placed adjacent to the card reader.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the card is colored in a desired color.

3. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the card is made of a plurality of fluorescent materials of different colors to emit light in desired coloration.

4. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the card is selected from the group consisting of a magnetic card, IC card, smart card, credit card, and debit card.

5. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the card is a contactless card used with a RF contactless reader.

6. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the UV lamp is always turned on.

7. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the card reader has at least one sensor for detecting the card, and the UV lamp is turned on when the at least one sensor detects the card.

8. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the UV lamp is turned on when the information on the card is verified.

9. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the card reader turns on and off the UV lamp so that the card will emit desired patterns of light.

10. A combination of a card carrying information and a card reader for reading and writing information on the card, the card being made of a fluorescent material that, when receiving UV light, emits light in a visible spectrum, and the card reader including a UV lamp and a casing with a slot through which the card is inserted, wherein UV light from the UV lamp goes out of the card reader through the slot to illuminate the card placed adjacent to the card reader.

11. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the card is colored in a desired color.

12. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the card is made of a plurality of fluorescent materials of different colors to emit light in desired coloration.

13. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the card is selected from the group consisting of a magnetic card, IC card, smart card, credit card, and debit card.

14. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the UV lamp is provided outside the casing, and the casing is made transparent.

15. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the UV lamp is provided inside the casing.

16. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the card reader has a bezel attached at the slot, the card being colored, the bezel being made of the fluorescent material of a color different from the color of the card.

17. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the UV lamp is always turned on.

18. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the card reader has at least one sensor for detecting the card, and the UV lamp is turned on when the at least one sensor detects the card.

19. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the UV lamp is turned on when the information on the card is verified.

20. A combination according to claim 10, wherein the card reader turns on and off the UV lamp so that the card will emit desired patterns of light.