Article having an embedded accessible storage member, apparatus and method for using same

• US 7,988,061 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultracard, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ultracard, Inc.
• Inventors: Mann, Donald C., Cook, Bert D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US12/210,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20090045262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 235/487, 235/435, 235/439, 235/449, 369/13.17, 369/13.41, 369/13.11, 369/78, 705/41, 360/2, 360/17, 360/78.04
• US Class Current: 235/493
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06196 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"

Abstract

A portable card adapted to interact with a data processing station when the portable card and the data processing station are moved relative to each other is disclosed. The portable card includes a substrate having a predetermined shape, e.g. rectangular. An accessible embedded storage member is enclosed within said substrate. The storage member includes at least one layer of storage material for storing information in a predetermined format for processing by the data processing station. The storage member and the substrate are adapted to be transported relative to each other to expose at least a portion of the storage member to the data processing station to facilitate processing of stored information and for embedment of the storage member within the substrate. The storage member may be in the form of an elongated strip member, or a circular member.

Claims

1. A portable encoded memory card adapted to interact with a data processing station, said portable encoded memory card comprising:

a hollow substrate defining a slot-like hollow area in the card having an opening; and

a storage member having at least one layer of storage material for storing information,

wherein said storage member and the slot-like hollow area are cooperatively formed such that the storage member is transportable relative to the substrate by said data processing station through said opening between a first position in which the at least one layer of storage material is fully enclosed within the slot-like hollow area, and a second position in which at least a portion of said at least one layer of storage material is removed from and exposed outside of said slot-like hollow area to facilitate processing of stored information by said data processing station when the material is exposed,

wherein said at least one storage material layer is formed of a high density, high coercivity magnetic material having a predetermined magnetic field orientation and wherein said protective coating has at least one layer which includes a magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material, and wherein said storage device further includes a non-magnetic exchange break layer positioned between the protective coating and said at least one storage material layer, said magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material being responsive through said non-magnetic exchange break layer to produce a magnetic image field in a direction opposite to said predetermined magnetic field orientation.

2. The portable encoded memory card of claim 1 wherein the protective coating further comprises a relatively hard, abradeable material formed on said at least one layer of storage material and being selected to have a thickness between a maximum thickness which would materially attenuate magnetic signals passing between said magnetic storage medium and a transducer and a minimum thickness enabling said protective coating to be abraded by usage in an ambient natural atmosphere operating environment for removing therefrom a known quantity of the protective coating.

3. A portable encoded memory card adapted to be used in a card processing system having a data processing station, the portable encoded memory card comprising:

a hollow substrate having a predetermined shape; and

at least one storage member having at least one layer of storage material for storing information slidably received within said substrate such that said storage member is transportable relative between a first position in which the storage member is fully embedded within said substrate, and a second position in which at least a portion said storage member is fully removed and exposed outside of said substrate to facilitate processing of stored information by said data processing station when the material is exposed,

wherein said storage member has at least one layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material for storing magnetic signals,

wherein said storage member further includes a relatively hard, abradeable protective coating formed on said storage material layer and being selected to have a thickness between a maximum thickness which would materially attenuate magnetic signals passing between said magnetic material layer and a transducer and a minimum thickness enabling said protective coating to be abraded by usage in an ambient natural atmosphere operating environment for removing therefrom a known quantity of the protective coating,

wherein said at least one storage material layer is formed of a high density, high coercivity magnetic material having a predetermined magnetic field orientation and wherein said protective coating has at least two layers wherein said one of said layers includes a magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material and the other of said layers is a non-magnetic abrasion reducing layer formed on said one of said layers, and

wherein said data storage device further includes a non-magnetic material layer positioned between the protective coating and said at least one magnetic material layer, said magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material being responsive through said non-magnetic layer to predetermined magnetic field orientation to produce a magnetic image field in a direction opposite to said predetermined magnetic field orientation.

4. The portable encoded memory card of claim 3 wherein said at least one magnetic material layer is a thin film layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material having a predetermined magnetic field orientation for storing data.

5. The portable encoded memory card of claim 3, wherein said storage member is generally rectangular in shape.

6. The portable encoded memory card of claim 3 wherein said storage member is generally circular in shape.

7. The portable encoded memory card of claim 3 wherein said at least one storage member comprises a first storage member and a second storage member, each of the first storage member and the second storage member being generally rectangular in shape.

8. The portable encoded memory card of claim 3 wherein said at least one storage member comprises a first storage member, a second storage member and a third storage member, each of the first, second and third storage members being generally rectangular in shape.

9. The portable encoded memory card of claim 3 wherein said substrate has two opposing surfaces and one of said two opposing surfaces includes an integrated circuit located thereon.