Data storage device, apparatus and method for using same

• US 8,397,998 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• 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 C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): WALSH, DANIEL I
• Application Number:
  US09/693,271
• Time in Patent Office: 4,533 Days
• Field of Search: 235/493, 235/379, 235/380, 235/487, 235/492, 235/449, 360/69, 360/131, 360/133, 360/97.11, 720718-719, 720/745, 369273-274, 369/275.5
• US Class Current: 235/493
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06196 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 25/04 using flat record carriers, e.g. disc, card
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00808 magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/80 Card carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0033 with cards or other card-like flat carriers, e.g. flat sheets of optical film
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0857 Arrangements for mechanically moving the whole head
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/08576 Swinging-arm positioners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49069 Data storage inductor or core

Abstract

A data storage device for use as a portable card, magnetically encodeable card, magnetic credit card or the like is shown. The data storage device includes a substrate having at least one surface. A high density, magnetically coercive material layer is disposed on or is deposited on the substrate for storing magnetic signals. The magnetically coercive material may have an axis of magnetization that is oriented in a predetermined direction relative to the at least one surface of the substrate. A layer of non-magnetically material is disposed on the substrate for defining an exchange break layer. A relatively hard, abradeable protective coating is formed on said magnetic material layer and is selected to have a thickness between a maximum thickness which would materially attenuate magnetic signals passing between the 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. The protective coating may comprise one, two or more layers of materials.

Claims

1. A card processing system comprising:

a data processing station; and

a portable card including;

a protective housing; and

a data storage device movably coupled to the protective housing for interacting with the data processing station when the portable card carrier and the data processing station are moved relative to each other, said data storage device including;

a substrate having a generally rectangular shape;

a hard disk drive recording medium including at least one layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material including a plurality of magnetic domains for storing magnetic signals, said plurality of magnetic domains having an areal density of between 2 megabits per sq. in. to about 10 gigabits per sq. in. and having a storage capability of more than 500 megabytes; and

a hard, abradeable protective coating formed on said magnetic material layer,

wherein the protective coating has at least one layer which includes a magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material, and

wherein the protective housing has at least one housing section that is movable relative to the data storage device such that said data storage device is shielded by said at least one housing section when said at least one housing section is in a first position, and said data storage device is operably exposed for interaction with the data processing station when said at least one housing section is in a second position.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said substrate includes one side which is longer than the other side.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said stored magnetic signals are stored in arcuate shaped track extending between two opposed sides of said rectangular shape.

4. The system of claim 2 having two longer sides wherein said stored magnetic signals are stored in arcuate shaped track extending between said two longer sides of said rectangular shape.

5. The system of claim 2 having two longer sides wherein said stored magnetic signals are stored in arcuate shaped track extending between said two shorter sides of said rectangular shape.

6. The system of claim 2 having two longer sides wherein said stored magnetic signals are stored in circular shaped tracks located between said two longer sides of said rectangular shape.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said stored magnetic signals are stored in circular shaped tracks located centrally between said two longer sides of said rectangular shape.

8. A card processing system comprising a portable card and a data processing station, wherein the portable card comprises:

a protective housing; and

a data storage device movably coupled to the protective housing for interacting with the data processing station when the portable card and the data processing station are moved relative to each other, said data storage device including;

a substrate having a generally rectangular shape and a pair of longer sides which are longer than a pair of shorter sides shape;

a hard disk drive storage medium including at least one layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material including a plurality of magnetic domains for storing magnetic signals, said magnetic material having an areal density of about 10 gigabits per sq. in and having a storage capability in the range of 1 megabyte and 500 megabytes; and

a diamond-like hardness, abradeable protective coating formed on said magnetic material layer,

wherein protective coating has at least one layer which includes a magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material, and

wherein the protective housing has at least one housing section that is movable relative to the data storage device such that data storage device is shielded by said at least one housing section when said at least one housing section is in a first position, and said data storage device is operably exposed for interaction with the data processing station when said at least one housing section is in a second position.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said stored magnetic signals are stored in at least one circular shaped track located between pair of longer sides.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said stored magnetic signals are stored in at least one circular shaped track located centrally between pair of longer sides of said rectangular shape.

11. The system of claim 8 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.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein protective coating has at least two layers wherein one of said layers includes a magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material and the other of said layers is a non-magnetic friction reducing layer formed on said one of said layers.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said protective has an outer surface that is cleanable.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said substrate has two surfaces and said protective coating is applied to at least one of said two surfaces.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein said substrate has two surfaces and said protective coating is applied to at least one of said two surfaces and wherein said data storage device is located on the other of said two surfaces and said protective coating is applied to at least said data storage device.

16. The system of claim 8 having an obverse side and a converse side and wherein said substrate has two surfaces and wherein said data storage device is located on one of said two surfaces and said protective coating is applied to each of said obverse side and converse side.

17. The system of claim 8 wherein said protective coating has an outer surface and further comprises

a bonded lubricant layer formed on said outer surface and having a thickness which is less that the thickness of said protective coating.

18. The portable card of claim 8 wherein said protective coating is adapted to interface with and be responsive to a data processing station when said substrate and data processing station are moved relative to each other to position said substrate proximate said data processing station to enable data flow therebetween.

19. The system of claim 8 wherein said substrate is moved relative to said data processing station.

20. The system of claim 8 wherein said data processing station is moved relative to said substrate.

21. The system of claim 8 wherein said data processing station and said substrate are moved relative to each other.

22. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one thin film layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material is a sputtered layer.

23. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one thin film layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material is a plated layer.

24. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one thin film layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material is an oxide layer.

25. The system of claim 11 wherein said at least one thin film layer of high density, high coercivity magnetic material is a web coated layer.