Information card system

• US 7,290,709 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Erica Tsai, John C. Tsai
• Original Assignee: Erica Tsai, John C. Tsai
• Inventors: Tsai, John C., Tsai, Erica
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US11/279,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 235/449, 235/487, 235/492, 235/493, 340/572.1, 360/131, 360/133, 361/737
• US Class Current: 235/449
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06196 Constructional details
• 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 19/083 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state

Abstract

A data distribution system (10) including an information card (12) to work with a reader (14, 72). The information card (12) includes visible indicia (20) on its front, stripe zones (34) and a ring zone (36) nominally “on” its back and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag (70). The zones (34, 36) are suitable for magnetically recording and the RFID tag is suitable for electronically storing data. Optional characteristics for such data can concurrently be recorded or stored. The reader (14, 72) may be a linear reader (14a), a rotary reader (14b), a card-stationary reader (14c, 14d), or a RFID reader/interrogator (72), and may optionally act automatically in response to reading one or more of the optional data characteristics. If the reader (14) is a rotary reader (14b) the information card (12) may particularly be loaded into a cartridge (16) which is loaded into the rotary reader (14b).

Claims

1. An information card for distributing data, comprising:

a front surface, a back surface, and four edges defining a rectangular shape such that the information card resembles a conventional business card;

the information card including upon its said front surface visually-recognizable indicia; and

the information card including upon its said back surface at least one stripe zone and a ring zone able to contain magnetically recorded instances of the data; and

said information card including a passive type radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag able to store instances of the data; and

wherein at least one of said zones is readable by placing said information card proximate to a stationary read mechanism and said RFID tag is readable by placing said information card proximate to a RFID interrogator.

2. The information card of claim 1, wherein at least one member of the set consisting of said zones and said RFID tag does contain the data.

3. The information card of claim 2, wherein the data includes at least one encoded version of at least some of said visually-recognizable indicia appearing upon said front surface of the information card.

4. The information card of claim 2, wherein at least one member of the set consisting of said zones and said RFID tag further includes data identifiers associated with at least some of the data.

5. The information card of claim 2, wherein at least one of said zones further includes at least one data orientator to permit reading the data regardless of a relative orientation of the information card relative to said stationary read mechanism.

6. The information card of claim 2, wherein at least one member of the set consisting of said zones and said RFID tag includes instances of the data including extensible markup language tagging.

7. The information card of claim 1, wherein the information card is substantially constructed with a paper or plastic based substrate material, to facilitate economical manufacture of the information card.

8. The information card of claim 1, wherein said RFID tag includes a manually operable switch to permit selective control of said RFID tag being readable.

9. An information card for distributing data, comprising:

a front surface, a back surface, and four edges defining a rectangular shape such that the information card resembles a conventional business card;

the information card including upon its said front surface visually-recognizable indicia; and

the information card including upon its said back surface at least one stripe zone and a ring zone able to contain magnetically recorded instances of the data; and

said information card including an active type radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag able to store instances of the data;

said information card including a member of the set consisting of piezo-electric power sources and photo-electric power sources to power said RFID tag; and

wherein at least one of said zones is readable by placing said information card proximate to a stationary read mechanism and said RFID tag is readable by placing said information card proximate to a RFID interrogator.

10. The information card of claim 9, wherein at least one member of the set consisting of said zones and said RFID tag does contain the data.

11. The information card of claim 10, wherein the data includes at least one encoded version of at least some of said visually-recognizable indicia appearing upon said front surface of the information card.

12. The information card of claim 10, wherein at least one member of the set consisting of said zones and said RFID tag further includes data identifiers associated with at least some of the data.

13. The information card of claim 10, wherein at least one of said zones further includes at least one data orientator to permit reading the data regardless of a relative orientation of the information card relative to said stationary read mechanism.

14. The information card of claim 10, wherein at least one member of the set consisting of said zones and said RFID tag includes instances of the data including extensible markup language tagging.

15. The information card of claim 9, wherein the information card is substantially constructed with a paper or plastic based substrate material, to facilitate economical manufacture of the information card.

16. The information card of claim 9, wherein said RFID tag includes a manually operable switch to permit selective control of said RFID tag being readable.