The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 18, 1977
Filed:
Mar. 24, 1975
Gabor Peter Torok, Lincroft, NJ (US);
John William Wesner, Jr, Freehold Township, Monmouth County, NJ (US);
Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A credit verification terminal for use in several credit systems includes a dual purpose mechanism for sequentially propelling a user's credit card past a reading head, and for storing merchant identifying and other data that can be read by the head. In one embodiment, the mechanism comprises an axially movable drum containing coaxial bands of encoded data. As the drum is rotated, a selected band containing merchant data is read; further drum rotational propels a credit card past the head, so that the user data contained thereon is read. In another embodiment, a planar card carrier includes a movable table containing parallel stripes or rows of encoded merchant and other data on one surface thereof. The user's credit card placed on the carrier is propelled past the head in one direction, and the data recorded is read; with the card removed, the merchant data is read when the carrier is moved past the head to its initial position. Apparatus for changing the stored merchant information is described.