Card reader apparatus and method

Abstract

Apparatus and method whereby a credit card sized high-memory card, composed of recordable storage media such as plastic or ceramic having a suitable recording medium inserted therein or placed thereon, can be inserted into an operative position adjacent to a rotating read/write head and the rotating head can be moved linearly relative to the high-memory card, while at the same time rotating, to permit the head to write data to or read data from the recording medium of the high-memory card. In the preferred embodiment, a high-memory card is fixed in position under a read/write head mounted in or on a holding assembly that can be rotated about its own axis. The read/write head assembly can then be moved incrementally, by stepper motor, voice coil actuator or other stepping device, in an arc, or linearly across the surface of the media, thus sweeping a recording path along the length of the high-memory card. One or more recording paths are swept parallel to each other along either axis of the high-memory card, or alternatively, recording paths are swept on both sides of a high-memory card by turning the card over or by placing read/write head assemblies on both sides of the high-memory card and providing the high-memory card with recording surfaces on both sides.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a card slot;    a thin high density recording card approximately the size of a credit or business card;    a driven rotatable platen having a recess in its surface approximately the length and width of said card and large enough to accept the card into said recess, said recess being located substantially symmetrical to the axis of rotation of said platen;    card retainer apparatus;    a movable read/write head located continuously proximate the surface of said card without crossing an interface between the recording surface of the card and the surface of the platen;    head actuator apparatus coupled to drive said head incrementally across the surface of said card;    a card slot in said housing; and    platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal to position said recess in juxtaposition with said card slot.    
     
     
         2 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a card slot;    a thin high density recording card approximately the size of a credit or business card;    a driven rotatable platen having a recess in its surface approximately the length and width of said card and large enough to accept the card into said recess;    card retainer apparatus;    a movable read head located proximate the surface of said card;    head actuator apparatus coupled to drive said head incrementally across the surface of said card; and    a card slot in said housing; and    platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal to position said recess in juxtaposition with said card slot.    
     
     
         3 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a thin high density recording card;    a rotatable platen having a recess approximately the length and width of said card;    card retainer apparatus;    an incrementally movable read head located proximate the surface of said card; and    platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal.    
     
     
         4 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said card is approximately the size of a credit or business card.  
     
     
         5 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said card retainer apparatus includes one or more projection ears about the surface of said recess.  
     
     
         6 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 3 , including an actuator for incrementally moving said head through an arc across the surface of said card.  
     
     
         7 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 3 , including an actuator for radially moving said head across the surface of said card.  
     
     
         8 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 4 , including a pivotal actuator for moving said head across the surface of said card, the pivot axis of said actuator being located substantially aligned with the center axis of said platen.  
     
     
         9 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 4  including a pivotal actuator for moving said head in an arc across the surface of said card, the pivot axis of said actuator being located off-center from the center axis of said platen so that when at the mid-point of its movement, said arcuate path of said head is centered substantially midway over the radius of the recording area of said card.  
     
     
         10 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said platen locating apparatus includes an electro-mechanical actuator.  
     
     
         11 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said actuator includes a solenoid driving an actuator.  
     
     
         12 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said actuator is a movable projection engaging notch in the periphery of said platen.  
     
     
         13 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said actuator is a moveable projection engaging the underside of said platen.  
     
     
         14 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said card is located substantially symmetrical to the axis of rotation of said platen while data is stored or read from said card.  
     
     
         15 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said recess for said card is located off-center from the axis of rotation of said platen and said platen is counterbalanced to compensate for the off-center location of said recess and card.  
     
     
         16 . A method for recording and/or reading on a recordable medium provided on a rectangular card similar in size to a credit card, comprising: 
 placing said card on a rotatable platen substantially symmetrical to the axis of rotation of said platen and adjacent to a read and/or write head;    rotating said platen and incrementally moving said head with respect to said card without crossing an interface between the recording surface of the card and the surface of the platen.    
     
     
         17 . A method for recording and/or reading on a recordable medium provided on a rectangular card similar in size to a credit card, comprising: 
 placing said card on a platen adjacent to a read and/or write head;    rotating said platen and incrementally moving said head with respect to said card.    
     
     
         18 . A method for recording and/or reading on a recordable medium provided on a rectangular card similar in size to a credit card, comprising: 
 placing said card on a platen adjacent to a read and/or write head;    rotating said platen and incrementally moving said head along a path radial with respect to the geometric center of said platen.    
     
     
         19 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a card slot;    a driven rotatable platen having a channel in its surface approximately the width of said card and large enough to accept the card into said channel;    card retainer apparatus;    a movable read head located proximate the surface of said platen;    head actuator apparatus coupled to drive said head incrementally across the surface of said card; and    platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal to position said channel in juxtaposition with said card slot.    
     
     
         20 . The actuator of  claim 19 , wherein said actuator is located inline with a diameter of said platen.  
     
     
         21 . The actuator of  claim 20 , wherein said actuator is located offset from a diameter of the platen.  
     
     
         22 . The card reader of  claim 20 , wherein said locating platen apparatus is located below said platen.  
     
     
         23 . The card reader of  claim 20  further comprising a second read head located proximate to the opposite surface of said first read head.  
     
     
         24 . The card reader of  claim 23  further comprising a head actuator apparatus coupled to drive said second head incrementally across the surface of said card.  
     
     
         25 . The card reader of  claim 24 , wherein said actuator drives said head in a linear fashion.  
     
     
         26 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a rotatable platen having a channel having approximately the correct length and width to locate a memory card concentrically with said platen;    card retainer apparatus;    an incrementally movable read head located proximate the surface of said platen; and    platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal.    
     
     
         27 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said card is approximately the size of a credit or business card.  
     
     
         28 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said card is the size of a credit card, adhering to ISO standard  2894 .  
     
     
         29 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said card retainer apparatus includes one or more projection ears about the surface of said channel.  
     
     
         30 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 26 , including an actuator for incrementally moving said head through an arc across the surface of said card.  
     
     
         31 . The card reader apparatus of  claim 26 , including an actuator for radially moving said head across the surface of said card.  
     
     
         32 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a rotatable platen having a channel having approximately the correct length and width to locate a memory card concentrically with said platen;    card retainer apparatus;    an incrementally movable read head located proximate the surface of said platen;    head actuator apparatus located off set from a diameter of said platen and coupled to drive said head incrementally in an arc across the surface of said card; and    a platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal.    
     
     
         33 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a card slot;    a rotatable platen having a channel having approximately the correct length and width to locate a memory card concentrically with said platen;    card retainer apparatus;    an incrementally movable read head located proximate the surface of said platen; and    a platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal.    
     
     
         34 . The card reader of  claim 33  further comprising a linear actuator coupled to said read head allowing said head to move radially from the geometric center of said platen.  
     
     
         35 . The card reader of  claim 33  further comprising a second read head located proximate to the opposite surface of said first read head.  
     
     
         36 . The card reader of  claim 35  further comprising a head actuator apparatus coupled to drive said second head incrementally across the surface of said card.  
     
     
         37 . The card reader of  claim 33 , wherein said locating device is located beneath said platen on said housing.  
     
     
         38 . The card reader of  claim 33 , wherein said channel will locate said card in such a fashion as to locate the recordable media present on said card concentrically with said platen.  
     
     
         39 . A high density card reader apparatus comprising: 
 a housing having a card slot;    a rotatable platen having a channel having approximately the correct length and width to locate a memory card concentrically with said platen;    card retainer apparatus;    a multiplicity of incrementally movable read heads, coupled to an actuator, located proximate the surface of said platen; and    a platen locating apparatus responsive to card entry or card withdrawal.    
     
     
         40 . The card reader of  claim 39 , further comprising a second set of multiple read heads coupled to a second actuator, located proximate to the opposite surface of said surface of said platen.  
     
     
         41 . The card reader of  claim 39  or  claim 40 , wherein said actuator enables said multiplicity of head to be moved in an arc across aid surface of said platen.  
     
     
         42 . The card reader of  claim 39  or  claim 40 , wherein said actuator enables said multiplicity of said heads to be moved linearly across said surface of said platen.