Registers – Records – Magnetic
Patent
1987-11-12
1990-05-29
Trafton, David L.
Registers
Records
Magnetic
235432, 235449, 235483, 235486, G06K 1906
Patent
active
049298216
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
As a rule, magnetic cards are used as data carriers. To safeguard these magnetic cards against forgery, the data entered into a magnetic track is in most cases codified by a more or less complicated method. It is true that amendment or falsification of the data on the magnetic card can, in consequence, be largely prevented. However, the actual problem of forging a magnetic card resides in the fact that copying the contents of a valuable data carrier onto the magnetic track of a data carrier of lesser value cannot be prevented by these measures. In order to prevent such forgery, it is necessary to evaluate physical features which represent the genuine nature of the data carrier.
For example, it is known for this purpose to provide in the data carrier an area having random but characteristic visual properties One known method employs the transmitted light method and stores the measured characteristic value jointly with the data. Where another method is concerned, characteristic and invididual changes are produced on the surface of the data carrier which are then evaluated in a Relfex (sic!) light. By this method, it is indeed possible to establish the physical genuineness of the data carrier with the data stored on a magnetic track or on some other storage medium, but the method is relatively unsafe. The essential problem of such visual methods of evaluating physical features of genuineness is the vulnerability to dirt. Furthermore, the considerable expenditure on the evaluating apparatus is a substantial disadvantage.
It is furthermore also known to adopt safety measures which are separate from the magnetic track but which are likewise magnetic, whereby substantially arbitrarily and variously distributed and variously magnetic areas are provided so that the safeguard against falsification resides in the recognition, evaluation and checking of the magnetic properties which are detected. Such methods are disclosed substantially in DE-A-2245028 and 2745632 or GB-A-1244875 and US-A-3453598.
Cards carrying points are often used to provide access to swimming pools, cable railways, etc. In this respect, it is advantageous if, when entering, it is possible visually and legibly to devalue the entrance card or to increase the number of points which have been used up on the card. Therefore, the card proprietor acquires information about the number of points still left on the card and any interference with it is rendered difficult.
In the case of a known apparatus, thermolayers are applied to the cards on which an inscription can be made by a thermoprinter provided in the card monitoring device. Problems occur, for example, in that the cards are often inserted into the card monitoring device in a very dirty condition and the dirt may well damage the thermoprinter.
Similar devices have also become known in which the inscription is applied by means of a stamping printer and a coloured tape. Here, the disadvantage is that such a printer may carry only a small stock of symbols by virtue of the mechanical complication involved.
In cases where money is to be extracted from automatic cash dispensers, it is generally possible to insert the magnetic card in only one position so that when using such a device, for example within the context of an entrance monitoring system, only a very low rate of throughput is possible.
For monitoring or devaluing part of entitlement cards, these cards are often pulled completely through a mouthpiece. This has the disadvantage that when the ticket or entitlement card is pushed in or ejected from the monitoring device, it can be relatively easily lost.
In winter sports, entitlement cards, like ski passes, points cards, etc., are only partly used, since they have to be visibly fixed by a cord or such like to, for instance, the owner's garment. It is true that this protects the card from being lost and leaves it handly to use, but the construction of the monitoring device is complicated in that it must prevent premature withdrawal from the mouthpiece during the scanning or monitoring process.
The i
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Kocznar Wolfram
Wallerstorfer Kurt
Skidata Computer G.m.b.H.
Trafton David L.
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