Automated card customization machine

• US 7,896,241 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Pomerantz, Itzhak, Meir, Avraham, Cohen, Yohan, Bychkov, Eyal
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLY, RAFFERTY D
• Application Number:
  US11/618,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/381, 705/26
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/005 for the hiring of content carriers, e.g. of DVDs or CDs reverse vending for box-like objects such as videocassettes G07F7/069
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A card vending machine includes a storage area, wherein each of a plurality of memory cards to be issued by a respective one of at least two different issuers are stored. A security mechanism conditions access of each issuer to only a respective portion of the storage area upon authorization of this issuer. An interface mechanism is operated by a user to define a purchasing transaction and a controller is operative, in accordance with the interface mechanism, to customize a memory card at least in part according to the purchasing transaction.

Claims

1. A card vending machine comprising:

card storage to store memory cards, the card storage comprising;

a first storage compartment storing a first memory card that is associated with a first issuer;

a second storage compartment storing a second memory card that is associated with a second issuer that is distinct from the first issuer;

wherein the first issuer is permitted to access the first storage compartment and the first issuer is excluded from access to the second storage compartment; and

wherein the second issuer is permitted to access the second storage compartment and the second issuer is excluded from access to the first storage compartment;

an interface that is operable to

receive at least one of a user-selected value of a first parameter and a user-selected value of a second parameter; and

a controller operative to manage customization of at least one of the first memory card and the second memory card;

an authentication mechanism to authenticate a user and to grant permission to the user to customize one of the first memory card and the second memory card in response to authenticating the user; and

a card programming unit operative to;

receive the first memory card from the card storage and store first data in the first memory card to produce a customized first memory card when the user is granted permission to customize the first memory card and in response to receipt at the interface of the user-selected value of the first parameter; and

receive the second memory card from the card storage and store second data in the second memory card to produce a customized second memory card when the user is granted permission to customize the second memory card and in response to receipt at the interface of the user-selected value of the second parameter.

2. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the card vending machine is operative to customize the first memory card or the second memory card in accordance with a value of at least one of physical contour, graphical decoration, and means of payment.

3. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the authentication mechanism is to authenticate the user in accordance with requirements of at least one of the first issuer and the second issuer.

4. The card vending machine of claim 3, wherein the controller is operative to permit the customization conditional on authenticating the user.

5. The card vending machine of claim 3, wherein the authentication mechanism includes a biometric identifier reader.

6. The card vending machine of claim 3, wherein the authentication mechanism includes a voice recognition unit.

7. The card vending machine of claim 3, wherein the authentication mechanism includes a microphone.

8. The card vending machine of claim 3, wherein the authentication mechanism includes a facial recognition unit.

9. The card vending machine of claim 8, wherein the facial recognition unit includes a camera.

10. The card vending machine of claim 3, wherein the authentication mechanism includes a wireless communication mechanism.

11. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a keypad.

12. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a touch screen.

13. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

14. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a scanner.

15. The card vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a contour shape editor unit that is responsive to the controller to customize one of the first memory card and the second memory card.

16. The card vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a graphical editor unit that is responsive to the controller to customize one of the first memory card and the second memory card.

17. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the card programming unit is operative to store at least 200 bytes of data in one of the first memory card and the second memory card.

18. The card vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a display to display a pre-view of one of the customized first memory card and the customized second memory card.

19. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the first data includes a quantitative measure of a first fungible asset.

20. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the first data includes digital content.

21. The card vending machine of claim 20, wherein the digital content includes a digital book.

22. The card vending machine of claim 20, wherein the digital content includes video content.

23. The card vending machine of claim 20, wherein the digital content includes audio content.

24. The card vending machine of claim 20, wherein the digital content includes a software application.

25. The card vending machine of claim 20, wherein the digital content is downloaded from a remote storage device prior to storing the first data in the first memory card.

26. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the second data is downloaded from a local memory of the card vending machine to the second memory card.

27. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the authenticating is effected by a biometric authentication.

28. The card vending machine of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further operative to apply a purchasing transaction.

29. The card vending machine 28, wherein the apparatus is further operative to update a purchasing transaction database upon application of the purchasing transaction.

30. A method of vending, the method comprising:

storing a first memory card associated with a first issuer in a first secure compartment of a vending apparatus and storing a second memory card associated with a second issuer in a second secure compartment of the vending apparatus, wherein the first issuer is excluded from accessing the second secure compartment and the second issuer is excluded from accessing the first secure compartment;

receiving one of a user-selected value of a first parameter from a user and a user-selected value of a second parameter from the user;

granting access to at least one of the first memory card and the second memory card in response to authentication of the user;

storing first data associated with the user-selected value of the first parameter in the first memory card via a card programming unit to form a customized first memory card when the user is granted access to the first memory card and in response to receipt of the user-selected value of the first parameter;

storing second data associated with the user-selected value of the second parameter in the second memory card via the card programming unit to form a customized second memory card when the user is granted access to the second memory card and in response to receipt of the user-selected value of the second parameter; and

providing one of the customized first memory card and the customized second memory card to the user.

31. The vending method of claim 30, wherein one of the first memory card and the second memory card is customized in accordance with a value of at least one of physical contour, graphical decoration, and means of payment.

32. The vending method of claim 30, wherein storing the first data includes storing at least 200 bytes of data in the first memory card and storing the second data includes storing at least 200 bytes of data in the second memory card.

33. The vending method of claim 30, wherein one of the first memory card and the second memory card is customized conditional on the authentication of the user.

34. The vending method of claim 30, wherein the authentication is effected by reading a biometric identification.

35. The vending method of claim 30, wherein the authentication is effected by voice recognition.

36. The vending method of claim 30, wherein the authentication is effected by facial recognition.

37. The vending method of claim 30, wherein the authentication is effected by wireless communication.

38. The vending machine of claim 30, wherein the user-selected value of the first parameter is received from a keypad.

39. The vending machine of claim 30, wherein the user-selected value of the first parameter is received from a touch-screen.

40. The vending machine of claim 30, wherein the user-selected value of the first parameter is received from a portable storage device.

41. The vending machine of claim 30, wherein the user-selected value of the first parameter is received from a scanner.

42. The vending method of claim 30, further comprising displaying a pre-view of one of the customized first memory card and the customized second memory card.

43. The method of claim 30, wherein the first data includes a quantitative measure of a first fungible asset.

44. The method of claim 30, wherein the first data includes digital content.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the digital content includes a digital book.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the digital content includes video content.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the digital content includes audio content.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the digital content includes a software application.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the digital content is downloaded from a remote storage device prior to storing the first data in the first memory card.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein the digital content is downloaded from a local memory of the card vending machine to the first memory card.

51. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a user-selected value of a third parameter that is associated with one of a physical shape, digital content, and a graphical illustration.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising, prior to providing one of the customized first memory card and the second customized second memory card to the user:

modifying the first memory card according to the user-selected value of the third parameter when the user is granted permission to customize the first memory card; and

modifying the second memory card according to the user-selected value of the third parameter when the user is granted permission to customize the second memory card.

53. The method of claim 30, further comprising prior to providing one of the customized first memory card and the second customized second memory card to the user, applying a purchasing transaction.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising updating a purchasing transaction database upon applying the purchasing transaction.

55. An apparatus comprising:

card storage comprising;

a first storage compartment storing a first digital memory card that is associated with a first issuer;

a second storage compartment storing a second digital memory card that is associated with a second issuer, wherein the second issuer is distinct from the first issuer;

wherein the first issuer is permitted to access the first storage compartment and the first issuer is excluded from access to the second storage compartment, and wherein the second issuer is permitted to access the second storage compartment and the second issuer is excluded from access to the first storage compartment; and

wherein the first digital memory card is provided to a card programming unit in response to a first authentication of a user and the second digital memory card is provided to the card programming unit in response to a second authentication of the user;

a user interface operative to receive at least one of a user-selected value of a first parameter and a user-selected value of a second parameter, wherein the user-selected value of the first parameter identifies first data and the user-selected value of the second parameter identifies second data; and

the card programming unit, wherein the card programming unit is operative to;

store the first data in the first digital memory card to produce a customized first digital memory card when the first data is identified and when the first memory card is provided by the first storage compartment; and

store the second data in the second digital memory card to produce a customized second digital memory card when the second data is identified and when the second memory card is provided by the second storage compartment.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the apparatus is configured to output at least one of the customized first digital memory card and the customized second digital memory card.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the apparatus is configured to apply a purchasing transaction prior to outputting at least one of the customized first digital memory card and the customized second digital memory card.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the apparatus is configured to update a purchasing transaction database upon application of the purchasing transaction.

59. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the user interface is operable to receive a user-selected value of a third parameter that is associated with one of a physical shape, digital content, and a graphical illustration.

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein the card programming unit is further operative to:

modify the first memory card according to the user-selected value of the third parameter when the first memory card is provided to the card programming unit; and

modify the second memory card according to the user-selected value of the third parameter when the second memory card is provided to the card programming unit.