Discernment card and a discernment card business system using the discernment card

• US 7,975,913 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rynne Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Rynne Group LLC
• Inventors: Kubota, Yoshinori, Rynne, Donald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/377,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20100176195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/451, 235/454, 235/457, 235/492, 235/487, 235/494
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column detection devices

Abstract

This invention is related to a discernment card which is resistant to bending and high heat, and capable of preventing unauthorized copying of recorded identity information leakage of personal information and deletion of identity information, and to a discernment card business system for preventing unauthorized use of identity information. The discernment card (1) comprises a card main body (10) integrally formed by a high strength alloy and at least one identity information recording portion (20) comprising specific identity information inscribed on the card main body, wherein plural cells (30) are inscribed at predetermined positions of identity information recording portion of the card main body and specific identity information of the identity information recording portion is specified by one or more of inscribed depth, inscribed width and inscribed shape of the cells. The discernment card can be used in the discernment card business system to accomplish a transaction such as an Automated-Teller-Machine (ATM) or a social security-related transaction.

Claims

1. A discernment card comprising:

a card main body integrally formed by a high strength alloy; and

at least one identity information recording portion comprising specific identity information inscribed in the high strength alloy of the card main body,

wherein plural cells are inscribed at predetermined positions of the identity information recording portion of the card main body and specific identity information of the identity information recording portion is specified by one or more of inscribed depth, inscribed width and inscribed shape of the cells; and

wherein one of;

(a) the specific identity information is specified by at least the depths of the plural cells and the specified depth of at least one cell is different from the specified depth of at least one other cell; and

(b) the specific identity information does not include any personal information of the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued.

2. A discernment card according to claim 1, wherein the specific identity information of the identity information recording portion is specified by a combination of first identity information specified by patterns inscribed on the plural cells respectively and second identity information specified by the depths of the plural cells from the opening portion to a bottom face of the cells.

3. A discernment card according to claim 2, wherein said discernment card is issued to an entity for carrying out transactions and said discernment card is devoid of one or more of personal information of said entity and a magnetic strip normally used to contain personal information.

4. A discernment card in accordance with claim 3, wherein said entity is one of a person and a company.

5. A discernment card in accordance with claim 3, wherein said discernment card is a one or more of a credit card, bank card, debit card and any other card for carrying out a monetary transaction.

6. A discernment card in accordance with claim 5, wherein said discernment card is devoid of any magnetic strip normally used to contain personal information.

7. A discernment card in accordance with claim 3, wherein said discernment card is a social security card.

8. A discernment card according to claim 3, wherein said discernment card is devoid of a magnetic strip normally used to contain personal information.

9. A discernment card in accordance with claim 2, wherein said depth of a cell is one of a first, second, third and fourth depth, the first depth being zero depth and second, third and fourth depths each being depths greater than zero depth and of increasing depth.

10. A discernment card according to claim 9, wherein the patterns inscribed in the cells include straight line patterns with a predetermined inclination in plan view.

11. A discernment card according to claim 10, wherein the pattern inscribed in a cell is one of a blank pattern, a vertical straight line pattern, a horizontal straight line pattern, a left diagonal straight line pattern and a right diagonal straight line pattern in plan view.

12. A discernment card according to claim 11, wherein said cells are arranged in rows extending along the long side of the discernment card and one after the other along the short side of the discernment card.

13. A discernment card according to claim 12, wherein the number of rows of cells is four, each row of cells includes 36 cells and said cells are cubic in shape.

14. A discernment card according to any one of claim 1 or claim 13, wherein the high strength alloy is a titanium alloy.

15. A discernment card according to claim 14, wherein said titanium alloy is 6-4 titanium and the surface of the discernment card is coated with a metalized layer for color.

16. A method of making the discernment card in accordance with any one of claims 1-3, comprising:

first inscribing in the identity information recording portion of the main body of the discernment card plural cells each to a specified depth to provide first identity information for each cell; and

second inscribing in each cell a specified pattern to provide a second identity information for each cell.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein:

said first inscribing is carried out by an electrical discharge device; and

said second inscribing is carried out by a laser engraver.

18. A discernment card system to be used with the discernment card according to any one of claims 1-3, the discernment card system comprising:

a client system reading specific identity information of the inscribed cells in the discernment card;

a server system connected with the client system through a network;

a data base provided in the server system and in which is recorded said specific identity information and personal information of the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued; and

a judging portion provided in the server system and comparing specific identity information with the recorded information in the data base,

wherein the client system reads the specific identity information of the inscribed cells in the discernment card and transmits the read specific identity information to the server system over the network and further the judging portion recognizes the entity to whom the card has been issued by comparing the transmitted read specific identity information transmitted by the client system over the network to the server system with the information recorded in the data base in the server system.

19. A discernment card system according to claim 18, further comprising:

said discernment card.

20. A discernment card system according to claim 18, wherein;

said client system is devoid of personal information;

and said data base is publicly inaccessible.

21. A discernment card system according to claim 18, wherein

said client system is one of an automatic teller machine and a transaction card reader;

and said server system is a bank server.

22. A discernment card system according to claim 18, wherein:

said client system is a social security terminal;

and said server system is a social security system server.

23. A discernment card system according to claim 18, wherein:

each discernment card is assigned to one of a plurality of groups and has a number of cells located at different positions, the different positions being the same positions on each discernment card of the group, and each of said number of cells on a discernment card of a group having a characteristic like that of the cell at the same position of the other discernment cards of the group;

the client system stores for each of the plurality of groups information as to the different positions of the group and the associated characteristics of the cells at the different positions;

the recorded information in the data base of the server system is associated with said plurality of groups;

the client system codes the read specific identity information with one of a plurality of coding methods selected based on the group assigned to the discernment card as determined from the read specific identity information and the stored information for each of the plurality of groups and transmits the encoded read specific identity information and the assigned group over the network;

the server system receives the transmitted encoded read specific identity information and the transmitted assigned group from the network and based on the transmitted assigned group decodes the transmitted encoded read specific identity information and carries out said comparing by comparing the decoded information with information in the data base associated with the transmitted assigned group.

24. A discernment card system according to claim 23, wherein said characteristic is inscribed depth.

25. A method of operating the discernment card system to be used with a discernment card according to any one of claims 1-3, the discernment card system comprising:

a client system;

a server system connected with the client system through a network;

a data base provided in the server system and in which is recorded specific identity information and personal information of the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued; and

a judging portion provided in the server system;

said method comprising;

at said client system, reading the specific identity information of the inscribed cells in the discernment card and transmitting the read specific identity information over the network to the server system; and

at said judging portion of said server system, recognizing the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued by comparing the transmitted read specific identity information transmitted by the client system over the network with the information recorded in the data base.

26. A client system for use in the discernment card system to be used with the discernment card according to any one of claims 1-3, the discernment card system comprising:

a server system connected with a network;

a data base provided in the server system and in which is recorded specific identity information of the discernment card and personal information of the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued; and

a judging portion provided in the server system recognizing the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued by comparing read information transmitted by the client system over the network to the server system with the information recorded in the data base in the server system, said client system comprising;

a reading unit reading specific identity information inscribed in the cells in the discernment card; and

a transmitting unit transmitting said read specific identity information over said network to the server system.

27. A client system for use in the discernment card system according to claim 26, wherein said reading unit is a laser measuring unit.

28. A server system for use in a discernment card system to be used with the discernment card according to any one of claims 1-3, the discernment card system comprising:

a client system and a network, the client system reading specific identity information of the inscribed cells in the discernment card and transmitting the read specific identity information over the network to the server system, the server system connected with the client system through the network and comprising;

a data base provided in the server system and in which is recorded specific identity information and personal information of the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued; and

a judging portion recognizing the entity to whom the discernment card has been issued by comparing the read specific identity information transmitted by the client system over the network to the server system with the information recorded in the data base.

29. A discernment card comprising:

a card main body integrally formed by a high strength alloy; and

at least one identity information recording portion comprising specific identity information inscribed in the high strength alloy of the card main body,

wherein plural cells are inscribed at predetermined positions of the identity information recording portion of the card main body and specific identity information of the identity information recording portion is specified by a combination of first identity information specified by patterns inscribed on the plural cells respectively and second identity information specified by the depths of the plural cells, wherein the specified depth of at least one cell is different from the specified depth of at least one other cell.

30. A discernment card according to claim 29, wherein said discernment card is issued to an entity for carrying out transactions and said discernment card is devoid of one or more of personal information of said entity and a magnetic strip normally used to contain personal information.

31. A discernment card according to claim 30, wherein said high strength alloy is a titanium alloy.