Card with embedded bistable display having short and long term information
First Claim
1. A transaction card, comprising:
- a) a card body defining a recess and a viewing window in the recess, the card body having long term information printed thereon;
b) a display tag including a character display for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the tag, the display tag also including an array of contacts for addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, the array of contacts being directly connected to the character display via conductive traces, the display tag being located in the recess with the character display being viewable through the viewing window;
c) a cap defining a contact window, the cap being mounted in the recess over the display tag with the contacts being accessible through the contact window, an exposed surface of the cap being coplanar with a back surface of the card body; and
d) means for providing machine readable data.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A transaction card system includes a transaction cared with a display tag for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the display tag and an array of electrical contacts for electrically addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, a contact window through which the contacts are accessible, machine readable data on the card, and long term information printed on the transaction card; a transaction card writer having a reader for reading the machine readable data and having means for updating the short term information displayed on the transaction card; and a central computer connected to the transaction card writer having a data base and a central processor for receiving the information read by the magnetic card reader and generating display commands for the transaction card writer.
103 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A transaction card, comprising:
-
a) a card body defining a recess and a viewing window in the recess, the card body having long term information printed thereon; b) a display tag including a character display for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the tag, the display tag also including an array of contacts for addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, the array of contacts being directly connected to the character display via conductive traces, the display tag being located in the recess with the character display being viewable through the viewing window; c) a cap defining a contact window, the cap being mounted in the recess over the display tag with the contacts being accessible through the contact window, an exposed surface of the cap being coplanar with a back surface of the card body; and d) means for providing machine readable data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 14)
-
-
5. A transaction card system, comprising:
-
a) a transaction card having i) a card body defining a recess and a viewing window in the recess, the card body having long term information printed thereon; ii) a display tag including a character display for displaying short term information, the character display having optical states that are stable without power and viewable from one side of the tag, the display tag also including an array of contacts for addressing the character display from the other side of the tag, the array of contacts being directly connected to the character display via conductive traces, the display tag being located in the recess with the character display being viewable through the viewing window; iii) a cap defining a contact window, the cap being mounted in the recess over the display tag with the contacts being accessible through the contact window, an exposed surface of the cap being coplanar with a back surface of the card body; and iv) means for providing machine readable data; b) a transaction card writer having, i) a reader for the machine readable data; ii) an array of electrical contact pins arranged for making contact with the display tag through the contact window in the cap; and iii) control electronics including means for receiving display commands and producing drive signals to the electrical contacts and means for communicating the machine readable data; and c) a central computer connected to the transaction card writer and having a data base and a central processor for receiving the data read by the magnetic card reader and generating display commands for the transaction card writer. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15)
-
Specification