Dispensing system and security card for use therewith

Abstract

Apparatus for dispensing items desired by the user in response to the introduction of a valid security card and additional predetermined information. The apparatus includes means for reading data from the security card, keyboard means for introducing additional information and electronic logic for determining the validity of the card and the validity of the predetermined information. A security card is provided including a first area to record the number of uses of said card and a second area to record the date of the last use. The apparatus includes logic to prevent dispensing and to retain the card if the card has been used more than a predetermined number of times or more than once within a predetermined time interval.

1. Apparatus for authenticating a credit or security card and its use in response to the introduction into said apparatus of said security card and the entering into said apparatus of predetermined information, comprising: means for verifying that a particular security card is valid,   said verifying means including an oscillator and a transducer for quantizing a characteristic of magnetic material deposited on discrete areas of said security card, and means for reading encoded information, representative of said characteristic, and data on said security card,   means for permitting a user of said apparatus to enter personal identification information into said apparatus,   means for determining if said personal identification information corresponds to said data, and   means for authorizing the use of said security card only if the card is verified and if said personal identification information corresponds to   
     
     
       2. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein said information which is present on said security card is magnetically recorded on said security card in a coded or scrambled form, and said means for determining if said personal identification information corresponds to said data includes means for electronically decoding said   
     
     
       3. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, including means for recording on said security card the total number of times said security card has been employed to obtain the dispensed items, and means to permit said apparatus to retain said security card when said security card has been employed for dispensing items a predetermined number of 
     
     
       4. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, including means for normally returning said security card to said user before said items 
     
     
       5. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein said security card includes a body member having a first predetermined area within which there has been applied a random quantity of magnetic material, said security card also including a second predetermined area within which there has been recorded information which is representative of said random quantity of said magnetic material which has been applied within said first predetermined area, said oscillator for energizing said magnetic material and said transducer including associated circuitry for reading the value of the thus energized magnetic material, said information which is read by said reading means being representative of said random quantity of magnetic material, and said verifying means includes means for comparing said recorded information which is representative of said random quantity of magnetic material with the value 
     
     
       6. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein said security card is provided with indicia bearing a randomly-applied amount of magnetic material which is accurately measured before the card is 
     
     
       7. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 1, including means for recording on said security card the date of the most recent successful use of that particular security card and means to permit said apparatus to retain said card when said card is presented within a predetermined time 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for dispensing articles desired by a user of said apparatus in response to the introduction in said apparatus of a valid security card and the entering into said apparatus of a secret memorized personal number, comprising, in combination: means for permitting said user to introduce said security card into said apparatus;   means for reading and checking the data which is magnetically encoded in scrambled form on said security card;   means for determining the validity of said card;   a keyboard for permitting said user to enter into said apparatus said secret memorized personal number;   means for determining the validity or invalidity of said entered personal number by comparing said personal number with the data read from said security card;   said security card being provided with indicia bearing a randomly-applied amount of magnetic material which is accurately measured before the card is issued to said user;   the data representing the accurate measurement of the amount of magnetic material being encoded as part of said data which is present on said security card;   said reading and checking means including means for reading said indicia to obtain a signal representative of the amount of magnetic material borne by said indicia and means for comprising said signal with said data which represents the accurate measurement of the amount of said magnetic material;   means for dispensing said articles desired by said user only after said security card and said secret memorized personal number are both determined by said apparatus to be valid; and   means for permitting said articles to be dispensed to said user only after   
     
     
       9. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 8, including means for retaining said security card and for preventing the return of said security card to said user when said user has failed to enter into said apparatus the correct secret memorized personal number after a 
     
     
       10. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 8, wherein said data is magnetically recorded on said security card in a scrambled or coded arrangement, and wherein said means for determining the validity of said security card which is introduced into said apparatus includes means for electronically decoding said scrambled or coded arrangement of data. 
     
     
       11. An article comprising, in combination: a body member;   a first predetermined area on said body member;   said first predetermined area containing a quantity of material which is capable of being influenced by an electromagnetic field;   a second predetermined area on said body member,   said second predetermined area containing data which is representative of said quantity of said material which lies within certain portions of said   
     
     
       12. An article characterized in accordance with claim 11, wherein said quantity of material within said first predetermined area is capable of being detected and measured after said material is influenced by a predetermined electromagnetic field, and said data within said second predetermined area includes values mathematically related to the detected 
     
     
       13. An article, such as a security card, a credit card or an identification card, comprising, in combination: a body member;   a first predetermined area on said body member;   said first predetermined area containing a randomly-applied quantity of magnetic material;   a second predetermined area on said body member; and   said second predetermined area containing data which is representative of said quantity of said magnetic material which lies within said first   
     
     
       14. An article characterized in accordance with claim 13, including a third predetermined area on said body member, said third predetermined area providing a visiblle indication of the total number of times said article 
     
     
       15. A security card for use in conjunction with an apparatus for dispensing items desired by a user of said apparatus, comprising, in combination: a body member having a first predetermined area in the shape of an arrow for indicating the correct direction for inserting said security card into said apparatus;   said arrow containing a randomly distributed quantity of magnetic material portions of which are accurately measured before said security card is issued to said user;   said body member having a second predetermined area within which is encoded various recorded data;   and said recorded data includes information which is mathematically related   
     
     
       16. A security card characterized in accordance with claim 15, wherein said recorded data also includes information which corresponds to a personal number which is memorized by said user and which is required to be entered into said apparatus by said user before said apparatus will dispense the 
     
     
       17. A security card characterized in accordance with claim 15, including a third predetermined area on said body member wherein there is provided a visible indication of the total number of times said security card has 
     
     
       18. An apparatus for verifying that a particular credit card is authorized for use, comprising: a credit card including discrete areas of magnetic material deposited thereon and information encoded thereon which is mathematically related to a security value of the deposited magnetic material,   means including an oscillator and a transducer for determining the security value of the magnetic material deposited on said card,   means for reading the encoded information on said card,   means for comparing the security value and the encoded information and for   
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said transducer and oscillator determine said security value by measuring a predetermined plurality of 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said magnetic material is randomly 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said encoded information is in a scrambled form and said means for reading includes electronically unscrambling said information. .Iadd. 22. Apparatus which authenticates a credit, identification, or security card or the like and authorizes its use in the apparatus, comprising: means for verifying that a particular card is valid;   said verifying means including a transducer for evaluating, after said card is introduced into the apparatus for use, a unique characteristic of magnetic material deposited on said card;   said verifying means further including means for reading information encoded on said card representative of said unique characteristic of said energized magnetic material, obtained by a prior evaluation of said magnetic material, and means for comparing said information and the evaluation of the unique characteristic of said magnetic material, after the card has been introduced into the apparatus for use, in order to determine if the unique characteristic evaluated after the card is introduced corresponds to the unique characteristic obtained by said prior evaluation; and   means for authorizing the use of said security card only if the card is verified by determining a valid comparison of said unique characteristic which has been evaluated after the card is introduced into the apparatus for use and said representative information of the unique characteristic obtained by said prior evaluation. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 23. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 22, wherein said security card includes a body member having a first predetermined area within which there has been applied a magnetic material, which has a unique characteristic value, said security card also including a second predetermined area within which there has been recorded information which is representative of said unique characteristic value of said magnetic material which has been applied within said first predetermined area, said transducer including associated circuitry for reading the magnetic material to determine the value of said unique characteristic, and   said verifying means includes means for comparing said recorded information which is representative of said unique characteristic of magnetic material with the value of said unique characteristic obtained by reading said magnetic material..Iaddend..Iadd. 24. An apparatus characterized in accordance with claim 22, wherein said security card is provided with indicia bearing randomly-applied magnetic material which is evaluated before the card is issued to said user to determine the value of said unique characteristic..Iaddend. .Iadd. 25. An apparatus for dispensing articles desired by a user of said apparatus in response to the introduction into said apparatus of a valid security card, said security card being provided with magnetic material applied in an area of the card which may be scanned by a transducer, which magnetic material has been accurately measured to derive and establish a characteristic thereof, before the card is issued to said user, which characteristic is unique with said security card and distinct from other characteristics of other like cards intended for use in the apparatus, and in response to entering into said apparatus of a secret memorized personal number, comprising in combination:   means for receiving said security card into said apparatus; and,   a transducer for reading an area of the magnetic material on the card to obtain a signal representative of the unique characteristic of such magnetic material after said card has been introduced into said apparatus; and,   means for reading and checking data which is present and magnetically encoded in scrambled form on said card when said card is introduced, at least some of said encoded data representing the prior accurate measurement of the unique characteristic of magnetic material which is present on said security card;   means for determining the validity of said card including means for comparing said representative signal with said encoded data which is representative of the unique characteristic derived from said card at a prior reading of the magnetic material; and   means for said user to enter into said apparatus a secret memorized personal number;   means for determining the validity or invalidity of said entered personal number by comparing said personal number with other information associated with said security card; and   means for dispensing said articles desired by said user only after said security card and said secret memorized personal number are both   
     
     
        determined by said apparatus to be valid..Iaddend. .Iadd. 26.  A series of articles, such as security cards, credit cards or identification cards, each of which comprises in combination: a body member;   a first predetermined area containing magnetic material having a unique characteristic associated with said specific card, which differs from similar but different characteristics of other like cards of the series; and   a second predetermined area on said body member containing data which is representative of said unique characteristic of said magnetic material contained in said first predetermined area of said body member..Iaddend..Iadd. 27. An article according to claim 26 wherein said magnetic material is randomly positioned due to a random application of a quantity of magnetic material to said first predetermined area..Iaddend..Iadd. 28. An article characterized in accordance with claim 27, wherein said randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material of said first predetermined area comprise two or more magnetic spots which are randomly applied in said area during manufacture..Iaddend..Iadd. 29. An article according to claim 26 wherein said data is encoded and has a functional relationship with a number which may be derived from the magnetic material in said first predetermined area when said magnetic material has been energized by an electromagnetic field..Iaddend. .Iadd. 30. An article according to claim 26 wherein the data contained in said second predetermined area is derived by counting discrete areas of magnetic material in said first predetermined areas..Iaddend..Iadd. 31. An article according to claim 26 wherein said data contained in said second predetermined area includes a number representative of a count of discrete magnetic areas of said first predetermined area, which number has undergone a mathematical transformation before being recorded on said article in said first predetermined area, said mathematical transformation making possible comparison of said data and a reading of said magnetical material of said first predetermined area for correspondence when said article is presented for use to determine whether use of said article is authorized..Iaddend. .Iadd. 32. An article characterized in accordance with claim 26, wherein said quantity of material within said first predetermined area is capable of being detected and measured after said material is influenced by a predetermined electromagnetic field, and said data within said second predetermined area includes values mathematically related to the detected or measured quantity of material..Iaddend. .Iadd. 33. An article comprising in combination:   a body member;   a predetermined area on said body member;   said predetermined area containing a plurality of randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material which is adapted to be read to determine a number unique to said article, as compared with other like articles, by evaluation of said magnetic material by reading and obtaining a measure of the plurality of randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material to derive said unique number which is measurably associated with the areas read and which is adapted to be stored data on the card, such that a subsequent derivation of said number can be compared with said unique number at the subsequent time it is derived; and,   a second predetermined area on said body member, said second predetermined area containing said stored data which is representative of said unique number and measurably associated with a count of said randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material which lie within certain positions of said first predetermined area on said body member and which stored data has been derived by a prior reading of said randomly-positioned areas of said other first predetermined area and recorded in said second predetermined area for use in said comparison at said subsequent time..Iaddend..Iadd. 34. An article characterized in accordance with claim 33, wherein said randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material of said first predetermined area are electromagnetically energized..Iaddend..Iadd. 35. An article characterized in accordance with claim 33, wherein said number which is measurably associated with said randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material of said first predetermined area is functionally related to said representative stored data of said second predetermined area via a predetermined mathematical transformation..Iaddend..Iadd. 36. An article characterized in accordance with claim 35, wherein said unique number is subjected to said predetermined mathematical transformation to obtain said stored data which is measurably associated with said randomly-positioned areas of said first predetermined area such that said representative stored data can be compared to said unique number when said unique number falls within predetermined parameters for said representative stored data..Iaddend..Iadd. 37. An article characterized in accordance with claim 33, wherein said randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material of said predetermined area comprise two or more magnetic spots which are randomly applied in said area during manufacture..Iaddend. .Iadd. 38. An article characterized in accordance with claim 33, including a third predetermined area on said body member, said third predetermined area providing a visible indication of the total number of times said article has been employed for its intended purpose..Iaddend..Iadd. 39. An apparatus for verifying authorized use of a particular credit card or the like having deposited thereon magnetic material which has a unique characteristic associated with said particular card and which may be derived therefrom by measurement and which card has information encoded thereon which is mathematically related to said measured characteristic of the deposited magnetic material, comprising:   means including a transducer for determining a measure of the characteristic of the magnetic material deposited on said card;   means for reading the encoded information on said card;   means for comparing the measure of the particular characteristic of said card and the encoded information read from the card, and for ascertaining the validity of said card by determining that a mathematical relationship exists between said characteristic and said encoded information..Iaddend. .Iadd. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said transducer is used to determine said security value by measuring a predetermined plurality of said discrete areas of magnetic material and provides its output to a comparator..Iaddend. .Iadd. 41. An apparatus for dispensing one or more items desired by a user of said apparatus in response to the introduction into said apparatus of a security card and the entering separately into said apparatus of predetermined information, comprising, in combination:   means for receiving a security card into said apparatus, each said security card having associated therewith a number recorded on the card and having two different data representations of the number;   means for reading the two recorded data representations of said number on the card and means for determining the validity or invalidity of the card by comparing the two data representations of the number which are recorded on the card;   means for reading data which is magnetically recorded on said security card in a coded or scrambled form;   means for permitting said user to enter separately into said apparatus said predetermined information;   means for determining the validity or invalidity of said entered predetermined information by electronically decoding said coded or scrambled form of data and comparing the decoded data with said predetermined information; and   means for dispensing said items desired by said user only if said security card and said predetermined information are both determined by said apparatus to be valid..Iaddend. .Iadd. 42. Apparatus as claimed in claim 41 for dispensing currency desired by a user of said apparatus in response to the introduction into said apparatus of a valid security card and the entering separately into said apparatus by said user of a secret memorized personal number, wherein said means for reading said two recorded data representations includes means for energizing a predetermined area of said security card, which area contains randomly-positioned magnetic material constituting one data representation of said number, and this reading means also includes means for counting the energized magnetic material, and said means for determining the validity or invalidity of the introduced security card includes means for comparing a number derived by said count of energized magnetic material with a value constituting the other data representation and that was encoded on said security card before said security card was issued to said user, and said means for permitting said user to enter into said apparatus said predetermined information is for entering said secret memorized personal number..Iaddend. .Iadd. 43. Apparatus as claimed in claim 42 including means for recording on said security card the total number of times said security card has been employed to obtain the dispensed items, and means to permit said apparatus to retain said security card when said security card has been employed for dispensing items a predetermined total number of times..Iaddend. .Iadd. 44. Apparatus as claimed in claim 41 and arranged to receive from a user said security card which includes a body member having a first predetermined area which may be read by a transducer within which there has been randomly-applied areas of magnetic material, said security card also including a second predetermined area within which there has been recorded data which is representative of a characteristic of said magnetic material which has been randomly applied within said first predetermined area, wherein said means for reading said recorded data representations includes a means for energizing said magnetic material and a magnetic reading head with associated counting circuitry for counting and reading the thus energized magnetic material and deriving a random number therefrom and representative thereof, and said means for determining the validity or invalidity of said security card includes means for comparing said recorded data which is representative of said randomly-applied magnetic material with the amount obtained from said energized magnetic material..Iaddend. .Iadd. 45. Apparatus as claimed in claim 41 and arranged to receive from a user said security card provided with randomly-applied magnetic material in a data track which data track was accurately measured before the card was issued to said user..Iaddend. .Iadd. 46. A series of articles, such as security cards, credit cards or identification cards, each of which comprises in combination:   a body member;   a first predetermined area containing magnetic material having a unique characteristic associated with said specific card, which differs from similar but different characteristics of other like cards of the series, said magnetic material is randomly positioned due to random application of magnetic material to said first predetermined area; and   a second predetermined area on said body member containing data which is representative of said unique characteristic of said magnetic material contained in said first predetermined area of said body member..Iaddend. .Iadd. 47. An article according to claim 46 wherein said data is encoded and has a functional relationship with a number which may be derived from the magnetic material in said first predetermined area when said magnetic material has been energized by an electromagnetic field..Iaddend..Iadd. 48. An article according to claim 46 wherein the data contained in said second predetermined area is derived by counting discrete areas of magnetic material in said first predetermined areas..Iaddend..Iadd. 49. An article according to claim 46 wherein said data contained in said second predetermined area includes a number representative of a count of discrete magnetic areas of said first predetermined area, which number has undergone a mathematical transformation before being recorded on said article in said first predetermined area, said mathematical transformation making possible comparison of said data and a reading of said magnetic material of said first predetermined area for correspondence when said article is presented for use to determine whether use of said article is authorized..Iaddend. .Iadd. 50. An article characterized in accordance with claim 46 wherein said magnetic material within said first predetermined area is capable of being detected and measured after said material is influenced by a predetermined electro-magnetic field, and said data within said second predetermined area includes values mathematically related to the detected or measured magnetic material of said first predetermined area..Iaddend..Iadd. 51. An article characterized in accordance with claim 46 wherein said randomly-positioned areas of magnetic material of said first predetermined area comprise two or more magnetic spots which are randomly applied in said area during manufacture..Iaddend.