GB2114801A

GB2114801A - Read and erase device

Info

Publication number: GB2114801A
Application number: GB08301168A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Fyfe Anderson; Robert William Easterby
Original assignee: HAWKER SIDDLEY REVENUE CONTROL
Current assignee: HAWKER SIDDLEY REVENUE CONTROL
Priority date: 1982-01-29
Filing date: 1983-01-17
Publication date: 1983-08-24
Also published as: GB8301168D0; GB2114801B

Abstract

A device adapted to read and erase magnetically encoded information on a ticket or card is provided for attachment to a local utility meter (e.g. electricity or gas). The device comprises a casing 10 which is attached to an electric motor 11 which, via roller 9, drives a drive roller 13. The casing 10 includes an entry mouth 18 which leads to a flow path 19 passing between the drive roller 13 and a pinch roller 15 and terminating in an exit mouth 20. Adjacent the mouth 18 are sensors 21, adapted to energise the motor 11 when a card is inserted. Adjacent the mouth 20 are sensors incorporating switches 22 which may be used to de- energise or reverse the motor. A magnetic read-head 25 reads information magnetically recorded on the card or ticket as it flows along the path 19. An erase head 23 may also be provided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Read and erase device This invention relates to a read and erase device adapted to read and erase magnetically encoded information on a ticket or card such as a ticket used on a public transport system or a credit card or identification card or similar cards containing coded information.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact self-contained device which may for example be attached to a local utility meter such as an electricity meter, a meter used in a district heating system, or a gas meter. The device may also be used in a system where recognition and identification is required, for example in fare collection or in card controlled locking systems such as are used in garages and car parks.

In accordance with the invention there is a compact read and erase device, for reading and erasing magnetically encoded information on a ticket or card, the device comprises a single unit incorporating an electric drive motor, and a read head and system of drive and pinch rollers for passing a ticket or card from an entry slot to a read head and then, optionally, to an erase head, or to a combined read/erase head the whole device being in compact unitary se!f contained form and adapted to be attached to an existing meter or the like. The device may for instance be used in the credit card system described in our co-pending patent application No. 81 37197 which requires a token reader to be attached to a commodity dispensing equipment such as a hot water meter employed in a district heating system.

Such systems may operate by a combination of identity cards and value cards and the device in accordance with this invention may be adapted to read both types of cards and produce an output which in turn may be used to operate a meter mechanism which supplies the appropriate quantity of the hot water or other utility being dispensed.

The device may also be used for example on the entry gate of a public transport system such as an underground railway system and may be equally adapted to and used with existing automated gates.

Preferably the device comprises a single compact casing providing the flow path for the ticket or credit card, the flow path having a drive roller and one or more pinch rollers to propel the card or ticket through the device, a magnetic read head for reading the information on the card, and optionally a magnetic erase head which may be combined with the read head for removing information recorded on the card. The drive roller may be driven by a small electric motor attached to or forming an integral part of the device and there may be entry and exit switches to energise and de-energise the motor and to control its direction as the card or ticket enters and leaves the device.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a read and erase device in accordance with this invention with parts removed and other paris shown in dotted line to illustrate the internal construction; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same device; Fig. 3 is a block diagram of apparatus with which the read and erase device may be used.

The device comprises a compact casing 10 which is attached to an electrical drive motor 11 which, via roller 9, dnves a drive roller 1 3 which is mounted on a shaft 12. Within the casing 10 on a shaft 1 4 is mounted a pinch roller 1 5 (Fig. 1). The casing 18 includes an entry mouth 1 8 which leads to a flow path 1 9 passing between the drive roller 13 and the pinch roller 1 5. The flow path 19 terminates in an exit mouth 20.Adjacent the entry mouth 18 are sensors 21, which may be optical sensors, and which incorporate switches adapted to energise the motor 11 when a card is pushed into the entry mouth 1 8. Similarly adjacent the exit mouth 20 are sensors incorporating switches 22 which may be used to de-energise the motor at the end of the cycle or to revers the motor and return the card to the entry mouth 1 8.

A magnetic read-head 25 is located within the casing 10 and is adapted to read informat on magnetically recorded on the card or ticket as it flows along the flow path 19.

An erase head 23 may also be provided and is shown in Fig. 1. The erase head may be combined with the read head in a single unit located at the position of read head 25.

In use this device can be attached to a meter, a control gate, or a similar mechanism and when a card or ticket is pushed into the entry mouth the switches 21 are energised to switch on the motor 11 which, via roller 9, drives the drive roller 1 3 so as to cause the ticket or card to move along the flow path 1 9 between the drive roller 1 3 and pinch roller 15. As the card or ticket passes the magnetic read head 25 the information on the card or ticket will be read and, if the erase device is used the information on the card or ticket will be erased as it passes the erase device 23. As the ticket or card exits through the exit mouth it will pass the sensors 22 which will switch off the motor and stop operation of the device.

Alternativeiy after the card or ticket information has been interpreted, the motor 11 may be reversed so as to propel the card or ticket back along the flow path 1 9 towards the entry mouth 18 and the sensing device 21 would be used to switch off the motor and stop operation of the device. A typical use of the device by which a credit card may be employed for prepayment of charges for use of electricity is shown in Fig. 3.

The read and erase device 10 is connected to a decoder 28 in turn connected via a controller 29 to the electricity meter 30. The controller may perform several functions. Initially it may compare a code on the card with a pre-set code on the controller and either accept or reject the card. If the card is accepted it may then set a mechanism in the meter to allow a predetermined amount of electricity to be used. It may also operate a counter to record the total electricity used.

The output from this device may be fed to appropriate iogic circuits so as to operate the mechanism to which the device is attached.

Claims

1. A compact read and erase device, for reading and erasing magnetically encoded information on a ticket or card, the device comprises a single unit incorporating an electric drive motor and a read head and a system of drive and pinch rollers for passing a ticket or card from an entry slot to a read head, the whole device being in compact unitary self contained form and adapted to be attached to an existing meter or the like.

2. A device according to Claim 1 also incorporating an erase head.

3. A device according to Claim 2 and in which the erase head and read head are combined.

4. A device according to any preceding Claim when used in combination with commodity dispensing equipment incorporating a local utility meter.

5. A device according to any of Claims 1 to 3 when used in combination with a water or electricity meter, or a gas or district heating system meter, so as to operate the meter mechanism to dispense an appropriate quantity of water or electricity.

6. A device according to any of Claims 1 to 4 when used on the entry gate of a public transport system.

7. A read and erase device comprises a single compact casing providing the flow path for a ticket or credit card, there being along the flow path a drive roller and one or more pinch rollers to propel the card or ticket through the device, a magnetic read head for reading the information on the card, and a magnetic erase head for removing information recorded on the card, the drive roller being driven by a small electric motor attached to or forming an integral part of the device, the device including entry and exit switches to energise and de-energise the motor and to control its direction as the card or ticket enters or leaves the device.

8. The combination of the read and erase device of Claim 7 with an electricity meter, the device being connected via a decoder and a controller to the meter so that the amount of electricity dispensed by the meter is controlled in accordance with pre-recorded information on the card.

9. A read and erase device substantially as hereinbefore particularly described and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanving drawings.

1 0. The combination of a read and erase device, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, with the ancillary apparatus shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.