GB2218041A - Debit card - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a debit card, for example a phone card, containing magnetically coded information indicative of the number of units available. The card also provides an optical indication of the number of units 14 remaining. Apparatus is also provided for reading the magnetic coding on the card and for updating the optical information displayed by the card after use, by actinic radiation (u.v. light). <IMAGE>

Description

DEBIT CARDS This invention relates to debit cards such as "phonecards" which are puchased "loaded" with a predetermined number of units enabling purchase of a service e.g. the making of a telephone call, the value of the service being deducted, during or upon termination of the service. Such cards are becoming prevalent, particularly for use in connection with public telecommunication services. A disadvantage resides in the fact that, as the unit values are recorded, and subsequently deleted magnetically, a user or possessor of a card has no way of telling, merely by visual inspection, of the remanent value of the card.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a debit card whose value or remanent value can be determined by visual inspection.

The invention also has for an object the provision of means for providing on such a debit card, a visual indication of the value or remanent value thereof.

According to the present invention, there is provided a debit card, for use in a co-operating apparatus to permit a service to be performed by that apparatus the cost of which is deducted from a stored value on the card, the card having its value magnetically recorded thereon and, in use, having a new reduced value written thereto, characterised in that the card has a visual marker thereon, the marker being coated with a photoresponsive substance arranged to change colour or shade on exposure to actinic radiation whereby, in use, exposure of the marker commensurate with the cost of the service is made so that the remanent value of the card is visually determinable.

The invention also provides a card-using apparatus for receiving a debit card having value units magnetically recorded thereon, for performing a service, and for deducting the value of that service from the originally recorded units so as to indicate the remanent value units on the card, the apparatus further including sensing means for sensing optically the location of predetermined areas of the card, an actinic light source, and means for exposing the predetermined areas of the card, on ejection of the card from the apparatus so as visually to record on the card the remanent value units thereon.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for providing a visual indication of the remanent value of a debit card; Figure 2 is a block diagram of a card marking arrangement forming part of the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of debit card according to the present invention.

Referring firstly to Figure 3, there is shown a debit card 10.

The card 10 may represent a phone card which, as is well known is purchased by a would-be user at a price commensurate with the number and value of debitable units stored on the card. For example, the card may have 10, 20 or 100 units, each unit being equivalent in value to the cost of a short-duration, peak-hours, local telephone call (the minimum charge of the telecommunications system with which it is to be used).

The information concerning the number of units remanent on -the card is readable only by a magnetic reader. Thus, if a user is adjacent an appropriate service apparatus with which the card is usable, he can insert the card in the apparatus and determine the remanent value of the card. If he is remote from such an apparatus, the card itself bears no visual indication of its remanent value and a user may not be aware of the fact that his card has few remanent units and hence "is about to run out".

In accordance with the present invention, the card 10 has a stripe 12 upon which a visual indication is provided. A plurality of boxes 14 each of which is coated with a substance responsive to incident radiation to change colour or shade when so exposed. For example, the substance may be a dye subject to chemical change when exposed to light of wavelength in the ultra-violet or infra-red region.

In this way, as credit is used up on a card, one or more further boxes are exposed to light and change colour or shade subsequently to indicate this to a user. If half the boxes 14 are, for example, black and half white, then half the units of the card have been used.

In order that such visual marking may be effected, besides the magnetically recorded information, optically readable information is also provided. A bar coding 16 is conveniently provided on the card.

Further, a plurality (equal to the plurality of boxes 14) of indexing marks 18 are provided for appropriate detection and for indicating when a box 14 to be exposed is aligned with a light source for effecting exposure thereof.

It is intended that the optical coding and visual display of exposed boxes 14 should operate in parallel with conventional magnetically recorded information for indicating to a card using apparatus, the validity of the card and the value of units remaining.

Such an apparatus will now be described.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, a card using apparatus comprises a card transporter 20 for accepting and transporting a card 10 into and out of the apparatus. The card transporter may be of known form. The transporter 20 is controlled by a card transporter control board 22 in turn controlled by a control board 24 which, in the case of a payphone, provides appropriate debiting information as to the cost of a call or calls made.

The transporter control board 22 checks in a conventional manner, the remanent value of units on the card by reading the magnetically recorded information thereon and, if there are no units remaining, rejects the card. As is conventional, the board 22 may cause the number of remaining units, or their value, to be displayed on an appropriate reader associated with the card using apparatus.

In addition to the foregoing, a card using apparatus of the present invention has a card marking system 26. The system 26 comprises a bar code and graticule sensor 28, a marked square sensor 30 for reading the boxes 14, and a marking device 32. The sensors 28 and 30 and the marking device 32 are mounted on or adjacent the card transporter 20. A marking system control board 34 is provided for reading the sensors 28 and 30 and for controlling operation of the marking device 32. The marking system control board 34 co-operates with and, in turn, is controlled by the payphone control board 24 simultaneously with the control by the latter of the card transporter.

In a preferred manner of operation, a user inserts his card, having remanent units, into a card using apparatus. The card transporter 20 senses the insertion of the card and transports the card into the apparatus. On so doing, the card passes over the card marking system 26 the marked square sensor 30 of which (see the juxtaposition in Figure 3) is positioned to read the visually indicated value of the card, and the bar coding and graticule sensor 28 of which is positioned to read the verifying information 16 bar coded on the card 10. In its transported state, the card is positioned for reading by magnetic heads which determine the magnetically recorded value of the remanent units on the card. As a security check, this is compared with the optically read value and simultaneously, the verifying information 16 on the card is compared with corresponding magnetically recorded information.

If there are no remanent units on the card 10, or if the magnetically and optically recorded information do not agree indicating that the card has been tampered with, the card is rejected and ejected by the card transporter 20, a corresponding message being sent to the display reader of the apparatus.

Assuming the card is verified and has remanent units thereon, the card using apparatus is enabled thereby permitting a user, for example, to make a phone call.

During use, the apparatus monitors the units used and, on termination, writes back to the card, magnetically, the remanent value. If the card "runs out" of units, the user is advised of this, the service terminated and the card rejected. These conventional sequences of action are reported also to the card marking system.

The card transporter 20 is then actuated at slow speed. As the card 10 traverses the sensor 28, the graticules 18 indicate which box or boxes 14 are to be marked to indicate the extent of use of the card.

In synchronisation with the sensed position of the card, the marking device 32 is energised to expose one or more of the boxes 14 to light actinic to the substance coated thereon. The box or boxes 14 so marked change colour or shade as the card is being ejected. The user, on inspecting the card 10 can thereafter determine approximately the remanent value thereof.

As mentioned above, depending upon the substance used to coat the boxes 14, the marking device may be arranged to emit ultra-violet or infra-red light to expose the box or boxes 14.

Further, the actinic light source may be located remote from the marking device 32, the light being ducted thereto by an optical fibre or other suitable means.

Other variations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (9)

1. A debit card, for use in a co-operating apparatus to permit a service to be performed by that apparatus the cost of which is deducted from a stored value on the card, the card having its value magnetically recorded thereon and, in use, having a new reduced value written thereto, characterised in that the card has a visual marker thereon, the marker being coated with a photoresponsive substance arranged to change colour or shade on exposure to actinic radiation whereby, in use, exposure of the marker commensurate with the cost of the service is made so that the remanent value of the card is visually determinable.

2. A card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the marker comprises a plurality of boxes individually coated with the substance and individually exposable to indicate visually the remanent value of the card.

3. A card as claimed in claim 2 further including an indexing means associated with each box, the indexing means serving, in use, to indicate to an exposing apparatus when a particular box is positioned for exposure.

4. A card as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 further including machine readable optical coding thereon whereby the status of the card indicated thereby enables a check to be made on magnetically recorded information thereon.

5. A debit card substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A card-using apparatus for receiving a debit card having value units magnetically recorded thereon, for performing a service, and for deducting the value of that service from the originally recorded units so as to indicate the remanent value units on the card, the apparatus further including sensing means for sensing optically the location of predetermined areas of the card, an actinic light source, and means for exposing the predetermined areas of the card, on ejection of the card from the apparatus so as visually to record on the card the remanent value units thereon.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further including means for reading optically information on a card and for comparing the optical information with the magnetically recorded information for verification of the latter.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7 further including control means for co-ordinating the sensing means, the light source and the exposing means with means for transporting a card into and out of the apparatus.

9. A card-using apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.