Card with rewriteable display

• US 7,284,708 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Martin, Nathaniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haupt; Kristy A.
• Application Number:
  US11/209,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20070045399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/492, 235/493, 235/449, 235/451, 349/86
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06187 with magnetically detectable marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• 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: G09F 9/372 the positions of the elements being controlled by the application of an electric field
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/375 the position of the elements being controlled by the application of a magnetic field

Abstract

A transaction card is formed of an electrically-alterable display material. The display may be altered by the application of an external field, without requiring any circuiting on the card. The card also includes an information storage medium, and both the information storage medium and the display may be accessed by a card reader.

Claims

1. A transaction card comprising:

an electronically-alterable display forming at least a portion of a transaction card, wherein the display is alterable through the application of an external field without requiring any circuitry on the card; and

an information storage medium, wherein;

the display comprises capsules that have a light and dark color;

the capsules contain bichromal material;

the bichromal material may change orientation in response to the external field;

the orientation of the bichromal material determines an image or value on the display; and

the display is integral to the transaction card.

2. The card of claim 1, wherein the capsules are positioned between a substrate and a transparent overlayer.

3. The card of claim 1, wherein the display is altered based on a transaction card reader reading the information storage medium and applying the external field to change the display area.

4. The card of claim 1, wherein the display area changes when the orientation of the bichromal material is altered by selective application of the external field.

5. The card of claim 1, wherein the information storage medium comprises a magnetic strip having a size and position on the card so that data on the strip can be read by a card reader.

6. The card of claim 1 wherein the information storage medium comprises a radio frequency identification tag.

7. The card of claim 1, wherein the information storage medium is positioned over at least a portion of the electronically-alterable display.

8. The card of claim 1, wherein a capsule is approximately 120 μ

m in diameter.

9. A method of changing a display member on a card comprising:

receiving, by a card reader, a card;

reading, by the card reader, information from an information storage medium on the card;

processing the information to determine an item to be displayed; and

writing the item to a human readable display on the card by configuring bichromal material to display the item wherein;

the bichromal material is contained in capsules;

the bichromal material may change orientation in response to an external field;

the orientation of the bichromal material determines an image or value on the display; and

the display is integral to the card.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising writing the item to the information storage medium.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the card reader communicates with an external device that performs at least a portion of the processing.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the item is an alphanumeric value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the alphanumeric value is a new card number.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the item is an image.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the item is a monetary value.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the information storage medium contains data that identities a user or a user'"'"'s account.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the bichromal material is responsive to a field applied by the card reader without the use of circuitry or a power source on the card.

18. A transaction card, comprising:

an information storage medium; and

a readdressable display comprising bichromal material that is responsive to a selectively applied field to produce an image on the display;

wherein;

the bichromal material is contained in capsules;

the bichromal material may change orientation in response to the applied field;

the orientation of the bichromal material determines an image or value on the display;

no circuitry or power source is required on the card to create or maintain the display; and

the display is integral to the transaction card.

19. The transaction card of claim 18, wherein the display further comprises a substrate and a conductive overlayer, and the bichromal material is positioned between the substrate and the conductive overlayer.

20. The transaction card of claim 18, wherein the information storage medium has a size and position such that data on the strip may be read by a card reader.

21. The transaction card of claim 18, wherein the information storage medium is positioned over at least a portion of the readdressable display.

22. The transaction card of claim 18, wherein a capsule is approximately 120 μ

m in diameter.