Package for activatable point of sale cards

• US 6,957,737 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPI Card Group - Colorado Incorporated (CPI Card Group), CPI Card Group - Minnesota Incorporated (CPI Card Group), CPI Card Group - Tennessee, Inc.
• Original Assignee: UV Color Incorporated (Premier Card Solutions LLC)
• Inventors: Frederickson, Daniel J., Smith, Dennis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US10/621,594
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 206/449, 283 61- 62, 283/74, 283/904, 235379-3825, 235486-487
• US Class Current: 206/449
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

Activatable point of sale cards in which multiple cards can be mounted on a display sheet for use in display or shipment applications. Several cards can be included in the package, with each card being associated with a unique account. The card accounts may be conveniently activated by orienting a data field on the display sheet that is associated with the accounts which can be used to activate all of the accounts in one transaction.

Claims

1. A package assembly comprising;

a) a display sheet and a data field affixed to the display sheet;

b) a covering which cooperates with the display sheet to form an enclosed space;

c) a plurality of cards retained within the enclosed space;

d) wherein each of the plurality of cards is uniquely associated with one of a plurality of accounts in a database; and

e) wherein the data field on the display sheet contains data that can activate all of the plurality of accounts associated with the plurality of cards.

2. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein the display sheet is plastic.

3. The package assembly of claim 2, wherein the covering is affixed to the display sheet by radio-frequency welding.

4. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein the display sheet is formed from a sheet of material which is folded upon itself to form a multilayer display sheet.

5. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein the display sheet is formed from a plurality of sheets of material congruently affixed to one another.

6. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein the data field is a magnetic strip.

7. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein the display sheet has a generally rectangular perimeter and a portion extending from the perimeter across which the data field is affixed.

8. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cards have card data printed on them.

9. The package assembly of claim 8, wherein the display sheet has an aperture through it for viewing card data on at least one of the plurality of cards.

10. The package assembly of claim 9, wherein the display sheet has at least one score line near the aperture to allow for removal of the plurality of cards.

11. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cards has a personal identification number printed on it which allows the user to access the account associated with that card.

12. The package assembly of claim 11, wherein the personal identification number is obscured by a removable covering.

13. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein the display sheet has data printed on it corresponding to the data of the data field.

14. The package assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cards has a personal identification number printed on it which allows the user to access the account associated with that card;

and

a) wherein the personal identification number is on the side of each of the plurality of cards nearest the display sheet when retained within the enclosed space;

b) and wherein an aperture through the display sheet prevents the display sheet from concealing the personal identification number of at least one of the cards.

15. The package assembly of claim 14, wherein the personal identification number is obscured by a removable covering.

16. A package assembly comprising:

a) a display sheet formed of a single sheet of plastic material with generic and/or package-specific data printed on at least one side of the display sheet;

b) an ultraviolet-curable coating on at least one side of the display sheet;

c) data field affixed to the display sheet containing data uniquely identifying the display sheet;

d) a covering which cooperates with the display sheet so as to form an enclosed space;

e) a plurality of cards retained in the enclosed space, each card having a personal identification number printed on it and each of the plurality of cards being uniquely associated with one of a plurality of accounts in a database, wherein the personal identification number is obscured by a removable covering and wherein the data field contains data that can activate all of the plurality of accounts associated with the plurality of cards.

17. The package assembly of claim 16, wherein the covering is affixed to the display sheet by radio-frequency welding.

18. The package assembly of claim 16, wherein the display sheet has a hole through it for hanging on a point-of-sale display rack.

19. The package assembly of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of cards have card data printed on them.

20. The package assembly of claim 19, wherein the display sheet has an aperture through it for viewing card data on at least one of the plurality of cards.

21. A process for activating a plurality of cards comprising:

a) passing a display sheet through a data field reader which reads data from a data field that is affixed to the display sheet;

wherein there is a covering which cooperates with the display sheet to form an enclosed space, and a plurality of cards retained within the enclosed space;

wherein each of the plurality of cards is uniquely associated with one of a plurality of accounts in a database and the data field contains data that can activate all of the plurality of accounts associated with the plurality of cards;

b) activating the plurality of cards by transmitting data from the data field to a computer which monitors metered accounts so that the computer can credit the accounts associated with each of the cards in an appropriate amount.