Automated card customization machine

• US 9,230,389 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sandisk China Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Bychkov, Eyal, Cohen, Yohan, Pomerantz, Itzhak, Meir, Avraham
• Primary Examiner(s): KELLY, RAFFERTY D
• Application Number:
  US13/012,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20110114738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 memory card includes a non-volatile memory, a connector configured to enable the memory card to be operatively coupled to a host computer, and a housing enclosing the non-volatile memory. The housing has a customized physical contour that is determined according to a user-selected value.

Claims

1. A memory card comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a connector configured to enable the memory card to be operatively coupled to a host computer; and

a housing enclosing the non-volatile memory, the housing having a customized card shape that is determined according to a first user-selected shape parameter, wherein the housing is configured to be shaped by a contour shaper of a card vending machine to form the customized card shape, wherein the housing includes account information associated with the user and printed onto a surface of the housing, wherein the housing includes a user-selected customized graphical decoration that is determined according to a user-selected graphic value, the memory card dispensed from storage in a first storage compartment of the card vending machine, the first storage compartment accessible to a first issuer and excluded from access to a second issuer and distinct from a second storage compartment that is excluded from access to the first issuer and that is accessible to the second issuer, wherein the memory card is distinct from a second memory card from the second storage compartment that is shaped by the contour shaper and that includes second data stored in response to a second user-selected shape parameter.

2. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the second memory card is stored in the second storage compartment, wherein:

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

second data associated with the second user-selected shape parameter is stored in the second memory card via the card programming unit when the user is granted access to the second memory card and in response to receipt of the second user-selected shape parameter; and

one of the memory card and the second memory card is provided to the user.

3. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the first user-selected shape parameter is associated with musical content.

4. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the first user-selected shape parameter is associated with a fungible asset.

5. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the first user-selected shape parameter is associated with downloadable digital content.

6. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the first data includes digital content.

7. The memory card of claim 6, wherein the digital content includes a software application.

8. The memory card of claim 2, wherein prior to providing the memory card to the user, the memory card is shaped according to a physical contour.

9. The memory card of claim 2, wherein prior to providing the memory card to the user, a user-selected graphic is applied to the memory card.

10. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the user is granted access to the memory card in response to the user satisfying at least one authentication criterion associated with the first issuer, and wherein the user is granted access to the second memory card in response to the user satisfying at least one authentication criterion associated with the second issuer.

11. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the first data includes user-selected data that is downloaded to the non-volatile memory in response to authorization by the first issuer.

12. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the one of the memory card and the second memory card is provided to the user in response to a user selection at the card vending machine.

13. The memory card of claim 2, wherein the first user-selected shape parameter specifies an amount of data to be stored in the memory card.

14. The memory card of claim 1, wherein the customized card shape corresponds to at least one of a driver license shape, a credit card shape, an employee badge shape, and a membership card shape.

15. A memory card comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a connector configured to enable the memory card to be operatively coupled to a host computer; and

a housing enclosing the non-volatile memory, the housing having a customized card shape and further having a customized graphical decoration printed upon the housing, wherein the housing is configured to be shaped by a contour shaper of a card vending machine to form the customized card shape, and wherein the housing includes account information associated with the user and printed onto a surface of the housing,

wherein the memory card is a secure memory card and wherein the customized card shape and the customized graphical decoration correspond to selections of an authenticated user of the secure memory card to apply the customized card shape and the customized graphical decoration to the secure memory card, the memory card dispensed from storage in a first storage compartment of the card vending machine, the first storage compartment accessible to a first issuer and excluded from access to a second issuer and distinct from a second storage compartment that is excluded from access to the first issuer and that is accessible to the second issuer, wherein the memory card is distinct from a second memory card from the second storage compartment that is shaped by the contour shaper and that includes data stored in response to an authenticated user-selected value.

16. The memory card of claim 15, wherein the authenticated user is authenticated in response to satisfaction of at least one authentication criterion associated with the first issuer.

17. The memory card of claim 15, wherein the memory card has a first customized card shape corresponding to a first type of shape selected from a group consisting of:

a driver license shape, a credit card shape, an employee badge shape, and a membership card shape, and wherein the second memory card has a second customized card shape corresponding to a second type of shape selected from a group consisting of;

a driver license shape, a credit card shape, an employee badge shape, and a membership card shape.

18. The memory card of claim 15, wherein the data includes at least one of a digital book, video content, and audio content.

19. A method comprising:

in a first memory card having a non-volatile memory, a connector configured to enable the first memory card to be operatively coupled to a host computer, and a housing enclosing the non-volatile memory, the housing having a customized card shape that is determined according to a first card shape selection, wherein the housing is configured to be shaped by a contour shaper of a card vending machine to form the customized card shape, wherein the housing includes account information associated with the user and printed onto a surface of the housing, and wherein the housing includes a user-selected customized graphical decoration that is determined according to a user-selected graphic value, performing;

receiving data to be stored in the non-volatile memory, wherein the data corresponds to a data selection of the user; and

storing the data in the non-volatile memory,

wherein the first memory card is stored in a first storage compartment of the card vending machine, the first storage compartment accessible to a first issuer and excluded from access to a second issuer and distinct from a second storage compartment that is excluded from access to the first issuer and that is accessible to the second issuer, wherein the first memory card is distinct from a second memory card from the second storage compartment that is shaped by the contour shaper according to a second card shape selection.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data includes digital content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the digital content includes at least one of a digital book, video content, and audio content.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the digital content and the customized card shape are received from the card vending machine.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the data includes at least one of a digital book, video content, and audio content.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the customized card shape corresponds to at least one of a driver license shape, a credit card shape, an employee badge shape, and a membership card shape.