GB2127604A

GB2127604A - Card security apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2127604A
Application number: GB08324972A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Augustus Weston
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-09-17
Filing date: 1983-09-19
Publication date: 1984-04-11
Also published as: GB8324972D0

Abstract

Security apparatus for credit or other security cards is adapted to receive the card in any one of a large number of different positions and orientations each generating a specific control signal which is compared with a code known by the user or implanted on the card to indicate invalid or valid use of the card.

Description

SPECIFICATION Security as related to the identification of credit card and security pass users in general This invention relates to credit cards of the 'Visa', 'Access', 'American Express' type and to Security Passes, in particular but not exclusively, and, concerns their vulnerability to misuse should they be lost or stolen.

An object of the present invention is therefore to reduce the possibility of misuse of such cards and passes to a minimum by making 'lost' or 'stolen' cards useless to the 'finder' or 'thief'.

Whilst at present steps are taken to protect users of credit cards and passes which have been lost or stolen, this can only be done after the loss or theft has been reported.

The present invention is therefore intended to secure the card or pass against misuse from the time at which it is lost or stolen regardless of whether or not the owner knows of his loss or whether or not such has been reported.

It is therefore a most important extension of a present security system which is, briefly, as follows.

Before a credit card or pass is accepted as valid it may be examined by a checking unit which may signal the cards code to a computer which, in return, signals information to the operator of the checking unit as to the card's validity.

It must here be noted that unless a lost or stolen card has been reported as such and the computer fed with this information, it is not possible for the computer to relay such information, and therefore, the card holder may be given credit, or allowed to pass, without question until such time as the theft or loss is reported and recorded.

It is to be noted that a code is normally imprinted on credit cards and passes and this may be used, or, an extra or additional code or codes could be implanted for the new purpose now to be explained.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a security apparatus for a credit or security card comprising positioning means whereby the card is precisely located within the apparatus such as to generate a predetermined control signal, said control signal being compared with a code supplied by the user or implanted on the card such as to indicate valid or invalid use of the card.

When the card or pass is to be 'examined' by the checking unit it is located in a certain specific predetermined position on the unit.

If the card is not correctly located it will be rejected and advice will be signalled that all is not well and that credit or entrance should be refused.

It is also to be noted that whilst there are various methods by which this invention can be determined all of them depend upon the rightful user of the card presenting it, and, at the same time, using a code which will be known only to him or her.

It is the combination of the knowledge of this code, plus the user's signature, which will determine whether or not the card or pass is acceptable.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatical drawings, in which: Fig. 1 depicts a circular or otherwise shape, Disc (1) which is divided up into a plurality of sections (2) and has its dividing lines (3) numbered and/or lettered and has at its central point or at another predetermined point (4) a location on which Fig. 2 can be secured; Fig. 2 (1) depicts a second circular or otherwise shaped disc which is also divided into a plurality of sections (2) and has a method by which (3) a credit card or security pass Fig. 3 can be exactly located and securely held in a predetermined position. Fig. 2 has a predetermined point (5) by which it can be located on Fig. 1 at Fig. (4).

A plurality of points are marked on Fig. 2 (6); Fig. 3 depicts a credit card or security pass which can be located as previously described within Fig. 2 (3) and may be marked "Side A" and "Side B" Fig. 3 (2).

Fig. (1) is the base on which Fig. (1) is located in such a manner that Fig. 2 is turnable in either direction through 3600.

Fig. 3 is located on Fig. 2 either side upwards to give two predetermined positions. For description, the combination of Figs.1,2 and 3 may now be called "the unit".

It can now be seen that if Fig. 2, on which Fig.

3 is located, is turned through the full circle of 3600 and, for example, if the sections (2) on Fig.

1 were marked off at 1 apart, a point marked on Fig. 2 Fig. 2 (6) could be lined up at any section dividing line Fig. (3) giving 360 locations. This would means that there were 360 different locations for the credit card or pass (Fig. 3) when it was located on Fig. 2 each way up i.e. 720 locations. Again, the card or pass Fig. 3 may be located vertically or horizontally giving 4 positions for each side, i.e. 8x360=2280 locations.

Further, 4 points may be marked on the disc, Fig.

2 (6), and the number of locations increased to 11 520.

It is an object of the invention that only in the correct predetermined position will the credit card or pass give the correct signal to the operator to advise that the card or pass is valid to the particular user and only if the user knows the correct code for locating the card or pass on Fig. 2 and then turning Fig. 2 to the correct location on Fig. 1 will the correct 'valid' signal be given.

In the example before given there would be 11,520 chances to one of an unauthorised user of the card or pass correctly locating the card and therefore being given credit or being passed into a security establishment.

The code which the valid user would have to remember could consist of only three parts, for example, the card or pass may be placed either side up-giving two chances A or B. The location of the points on each side of the card say North, South, East and West would give four chances and by turning the disc Fig. 2 on the disc Fig. 1 each line of Fig. (3) would give 360 locations, i.e. 2880 locations.It is to be noted that only as an example for clear description the plurality of sections Fig. (2) were noted to be equally divided at 1 apart, but, this would not be so in the actual usable invention as each section is divided off so that at no position could any one of the points, Fig. 2 (3) be in line with a numbered divider line on Fig. 1 at the same time as any other point was lined up with any other line.

The method of signalling that a card or pass has been located correctly or otherwise is not described as there are various known methods of doing this, for example, by electrical contact being made to show the location of the card or pass upon which advice the computer would immediately reject or clear.

Also, it is not important as to how the card or pass Fig. 3 is located on the disc 2-this may be by ledges or pins to hold it in position at its sides or by holes in the card to pass over pins or as shown in Fig. 2 by an indentation in the disc (2) into which the card or pass would locate.

A considerable advantage of this method of security is that you may choose your own code out of a variety of given codes and that you may have this changed if desired. The code would be simple to remember having only three sections.

For example, your dog's name "Ben" or your birth date "24/2/1 7" also, if you had a number of credit cards or security passes it could be arranged that they would ail be valid using the same code number.

Modifications and improvements may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A security apparatus for a credit or security card comprising positioning means whereby the card is precisely located within the apparatus such as to generate a predetermined control signal, said control signal being compared with a code supplied by the user or implanted on the card such as to indicate valid or invalid use of the card.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the card may be placed within the apparatus in any one of a plurality of rotational positions.

3. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the card may be placed within the apparatus with either of its sides facing outwards.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.