Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-11
2001-05-15
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S487000, C235S493000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230973
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of inputting previously print-destined data (i.e., data to be printed) in a rewritable card read/write apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, a rewritable card which carries rewritable print-destined data is employed in various commercial and other fields. Among others, the rewritable card is used widely as a so-called point card which is issued, for example, by the owner of a store or chain stores for the customers and which stores therein data of score or point which is incremented on a sale-by-sale basis so that the customer can enjoy a gift or coupon or discount equivalent to the accumulated monetary value indicated by the point recorded on the card. As an attempt for utilizing more effectively such point card, it is conceived to print on the point card the information concerning events or festivals scheduled to be held at a store or stores of a same group when the customer uses the point card, with the aim for promoting the merchandizing activity.
As a means for inputting such event information or the like, there can be conceived a method of utilizing a communication line or network on an on-line or off-line basis, a method of using general-purpose recording medium such as a floppy disk, a memory card or the like. However, the method relying on the line or network requires a large-scale system, involving high investment cost for realization. On the other hand, the method of using the general-purpose recording media such as the floppy disk or the like requires additional installation of a corresponding recording medium reading device in each of rewritable card read/write apparatuses employed in a card utilization system, incurring high cost for the realization.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the light of the state of the art described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method which allows print-destined data to be inputted in a rewritable card read/write apparatus or apparatuses very conveniently and economically without resorting to the use of a communication network or a general-purpose recording medium.
In view of the above and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, there is provided according to a general aspect of the present invention a method of inputting print-destined data in a rewritable card read/write apparatus, according to which a computer or the like data editing/inputting means is connected to an external-input interface for a magnetic head energizing means of a rewritable card read/write apparatus, a message for users of rewritable cards is edited with the aid of the computer, contents of the message is stored in a memory provided in association with the magnetic head energizing means by way of the external-input interface, a magnetic card which can be handled by the rewritable card read/write apparatus and which has at least one magnetic track for storing the message therein is inserted into the rewritable card read/write apparatus to thereby create a message card from the magnetic card, and the message card is inserted into other rewritable card read/write apparatus which belongs to a predetermined rewritable card utilization system for allowing a magnetic head provided in the other rewritable card read/write apparatus at a location corresponding to the magnetic track to read the contents of message for storing the message in a memory of the other rewritable card read/write apparatus so that the message can be printed on each of rewritable cards which will be inserted subsequently into the other rewritable card read/write apparatus.
In the method described above, the magnetic card which is of same shape and size as the rewritable card can be used as the medium for carrying and recording the data for printing. Thus, when the magnetic card serving as the message card is inserted into a rewritable card read/write apparatus installed, for example, at a storefront and belonging to a same system as the magnetic card creating rewritable card read/write apparatus through similar process as the rewritable card, the data printed or recorded on the magnetic card is read out by the magnetic head for the rewritable card to be stored in a storage space on a RAM (Random Access Memory) through the medium of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) incorporated in the rewritable card read/write apparatus. Thus, the print-destined data stored in the rewritable card read/write apparatus installed at the storefront can be outputted in the form of a printed message on each of rewritable cards which will be inserted subsequently by the customers until the data is updated.
In a preferred mode for carrying out the method mentioned above, the amount of the print-destined data to be magnetically stored can be increased by a factor of two by providing a pair of message storing magnetic tracks on at least one surface of the card at both sides thereof symmetrically to a center line extending in a direction in which the magnetic card is fed. In that case, in both of the message card creating step in which the magnetic card is inserted into the message card creating rewritable card read/write apparatus and the print-destined message storing step in which the message card is inserted into the other rewritable card read/write apparatus, the card may be so fed that one of the paired tracks is caused to pass by the magnetic head during a preceding half feeding stroke and that the other track is caused to pass by the magnetic head in a succeeding half feeding stroke after reversal of the feeding direction of the card at the end of the preceding half feeding stroke.
The above and other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will more easily be understood by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof taken, only by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5206489 (1993-04-01), Warwick
patent: 5229586 (1993-07-01), Ishii
patent: 5479532 (1995-12-01), Abel et al.
patent: 6141161 (2000-10-01), Sato et al.
patent: 405012519 (1993-01-01), None
Arakida Hideaki
Fukui Takeshi
Nabeshima Yoshihiro
Lee Michael G.
Seidel Gonda Lavorgna & Monaco, PC
St Cyr Daniel
Tokyo Magnetic Printing Co. Ltd.
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