System and method for dispensing and revalung cash cards

A cash card dispensing and revaluing system having payment apparatus for receiving and validating payment operating in conjunction with a cash card dispensing assembly for storing a number of cash cards and for dispensing a cash card upon consumer request and payment of a predetermined payment amount. Additionally including in the system a cash card revaluing assembly for revaluing a cash card upon insertion of the card into the revaluing assembly in conjunction with insertion of payment into the payment apparatus. The payment apparatus includes currency accepting and validating systems such as bill validators or, alternatively, credit and debit card validators.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
Following applications assigned to the same assignee are incorporated 
herein by reference: Ser. No. 07/775,798 Entitled "Linear Scanner 
Apparatus for Communicating with a Data Card"; Ser. No. 777,764 now U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,291,003 Entitled "Modular Cash Card System Design"; and Ser. 
No. 07/775,266 now abandoned Entitled "Dispensing Machine with Data Card 
Scanner Apparatus and Enhanced Features" all filed Oct. 11, 1991. 
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to systems and methods for communicating 
with data record stripes on data cards. More particularly, this invention 
relates to a system and method for dispensing prevalued cash cards and 
revaluing the data stripe on cash cards. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The merger of computer technology and financial systems has resulted in a 
lessening of society's reliance upon cash transactions to pay for a 
variety of goods and services. Many goods and services are paid for using 
credit and debit cards; these cards as well as cash cards are used to 
purchase goods from vending machines and cafeterias. Additionally, transit 
systems use cash cards for access to rail and bus services. 
Typically, a cashless transaction using a data card such as a cash card is 
initiated by a consumer purchasing a prevalued card from a salesperson or 
a machine. Subsequently, the cash card is used to purchase the desired 
good or service. For vending machine, cafeteria, or transit system use, 
the card is scanned in some manner by a card scanner, the prevalued amount 
is read, the purchase made, and the new value, i.e., prevalue minus 
purchase cost, is written upon the cash card. After enough purchases are 
made to exhaust the prevalue, the card is discarded. 
A significant drawback to the current cash card systems is that the cards 
are used until exhausted and then discarded. In an environmentally 
conscious society, excess waste should not be tolerated. It would be 
advantageous to provide a system in which the exhausted cash cards could 
be revalued using either cash or credit card as the form of payment. 
Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide new card dispensing and 
exhausted card revaluing at a single convenient location. 
Accordingly it can be readily appreciated that there is a need in the art 
for a cash card dispensing and revaluing system which enables a consumer 
to purchase and revalue cash cards at a single location using cash or 
credit as a form of payment. 
In response to the need defined above, the principal objective of the 
present invention is to provide a single system which dispenses prevalued 
cards and allows revaluing using either cash or credit as payment. 
Alternatively or in addition to cash or credit payment methods, a consumer 
may be able to make payment using a debit card. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In summary, the invention is a cash card dispensing and revaluing system 
having payment apparatus for receiving and validating payment operating in 
conjunction with a cash card dispensing assembly for storing a number of 
cash cards and for dispensing a cash card upon consumer request and 
payment of a predetermined payment amount. Additionally included in the 
system is a data card revaluing assembly for revaluing a cash card upon 
insertion of the card into the revaluing assembly in conjunction with 
insertion of payment into the payment apparatus. The payment apparatus 
includes currency accepting and validating systems such as bill validators 
or, alternatively, credit and/or debit card validators.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the 
art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a 
particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the 
preferred embodiment will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, 
and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other 
embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope 
of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not to be limited to the 
embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with 
the principles and features disclosed herein. 
Referring to FIG. 1, a system for dispensing and revaluing cash cards 100 
in accordance with the invention is depicted. A complete system 100 housed 
in a single assembly 101 contains a cash card scanner assembly 102 for 
reading and writing cash values to cash cards, one or more dispensers 104 
for dispensing cash cards upon request and payment, and a variety of means 
for making payment. At a minimum, a bill validator 106 is used for making 
payment for both a new card or revaluing an old card. However, to ensure 
versatility a credit card reader and validator assembly 108 is used to 
permit credit to be used for revaluing a cash card. Alternatively, the 
credit card reader 108 is adapted to also read and validate debit cards to 
enable debit account funds to be used to revalue a cash card. Each of the 
hardware elements is described below. 
As depicted in FIG. 2, one or more cash card dispensers 104 are connected 
to interface and control circuitry 110 mounted on controller and interface 
printed circuit boards (PCB) of a data card reader/writer assembly 102. 
Data card dispensers 104 available from Asahi Seiko USA, Inc., 4029 South 
Industrial Blvd., Las Vegas, Nev. 89103 as model CD-200 or an equivalent 
type are used. The dispensers 104 store a stack of prevalued cards which 
are vended to consumers upon request and payment. The dispensers 104 are 
enabled and instructed when to dispense by the controller circuitry 110. 
The dispensers 104 have internal sensors which inform the controller 
circuitry 110 when a card is dispensed, when a card is jammed in the 
mechanism, and when the card storage rack is empty. 
One manner in which payment for a new card or revaluing an old card can be 
made is through a commercially available bill validator 106 from Rowe 
International, Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich. 49507, model CBA-4 or an 
equivalent, communicating the amount of currency inserted therein to the 
controller circuitry 110. Additionally, the controller circuitry 110 
enables and disables the bill validator 106 as necessary. The bill 
validator 106 accepts bills in $1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations. For 
each dollar of value, the bill validator 106 sends a digital pulse to the 
controller circuitry 110. For example, customer insertion of a $1 bill 
causes one pulse to be transmitted, a $5 bill sends five pulses, etc. 
Moreover, customer insertion of a series of bills will cause value 
accumulation by the controller circuitry 110 equivalent to the total of 
the value of the bills inserted. This form of bill validator 106 also 
performs a simple escrow function in which the last bill inserted is 
stored and is returned to the customer upon transaction cancellation. 
Other bill validator types are capable of escrowing a series of bills 
which are returned to the customer upon transaction cancellation. However, 
these bill validators are complex and costly. 
The data card reader/writer 112 is one of a number of available types 
currently on the commercial market. Essential elements include transducers 
for detecting the data stored on the cash card, at least one transducer 
for writing data to the cash card, and an assembly for either scanning the 
card past the transducers or scanning the transducers past the card to 
accomplish the read and write functions. Linear motion reader/writer 
mechanisms having fixed transducers are disclosed in patents by Pass, U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,386,753; Pfost et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,325; and Redemacher, 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,607, which are hereby incorporated by reference. A 
rotary reader/writer mechanism is disclosed in application No. 07/697,944, 
filed May 9, 1991, also incorporated herein. Each of the foregoing 
exemplary reader/writer mechanisms are appropriate for a specific 
application where a variety of card thicknesses will not be encountered. 
However, to provide a more versatile system, the reader/writer mechanism 
should communicate with cards of a variety of thicknesses such that 
reconfiguration is not necessary to conform to a customer's needs. 
Therefore, a data card scanner like that which is disclosed in the 
application corresponding to Ser. No. 07/775,738 filed Oct. 11, 1991, 
assigned to the assignee hereof, which is incorporated herein by 
reference, is preferred. Other advantages of this scanner are that it uses 
advanced security measures to thwart fraud, it maintains the card within 
the system during the revalue process and it is compact. Additionally, 
this linear scanner provides a card swallow feature which swallows the 
cash card upon a determination of invalidity, damage or excessive wear. 
As depicted in FIG. 3, the preferred linear scanner referred to above is 
controlled by a microcontroller integrated circuit 200 such as an M37450M2 
manufactured by Mitsubishi, Inc. or an equivalent. It controls the data 
card positioning function, the data card scanning function, processes the 
read data and supplies the write data. The microcontroller 200 has an 
8-bit bidirectional data bus 201, a 16-address bus 203, and 32 I/O ports. 
The control firmware is stored in a 32K external EPROM 202 additionally 8K 
of RAM 204 is supplied. To support the extensive number of external 
functions the microcontroller 200 executes and to provide sufficient I/O 
ports, in a preferred embodiment an I/O port expander integrated circuit 
206 adds 24 extra I/O ports. Approximately 30 of the available ports are 
used by the scanner assembly 102 for general operations. The remainder are 
used to support the present invention. 
The microcontroller 200 sends control and message information to the 
display circuitry 208. A two by sixteen character vacuum fluorescent 
display (Futaba 16-SY-03Z) driven by two twenty bit display driver chips 
(National Semiconductor MM58341) and a high voltage converter chip are 
sufficient to display system requests and information in a dispense and 
revalue application. Expanded display capabilities may be necessary if 
more complex messages are desired. 
The microcontroller 200 is detachably connected to a keypad 210 which 
enables the system 100 owner or technicians to conduct diagnostics or 
configure system parameters. The diagnostic function enables a self test 
to be conducted via the disconnectable keypad 210, also referred to as a 
Handheld Initialization Terminal (HIT). The self-test executes such 
functions as memory diagnostics, display test, keypad test, motor test, 
transducer positioner assembly test, and cable connectivity tests. These 
tests are used for both field service diagnostics and manufacturing 
testing and diagnostics. 
Via the keypad 210, various system parameters may be set, such as a site ID 
for accounting purposes, enable a card swallow function, select an 
interface type from a menu to correspond to a specific application, set a 
price table, set a clock, enable the security track reading circuitry, 
setting the writing density, adjusting timing and other parameters to 
conform to a particular application, among other functions. By providing 
the keypad for communicating with the microcontroller, the card scanner 
described may be uniquely tailored for each site installation. 
As depicted in FIG. 3, the dispense switch signal 212, some of the bill 
validator signals 21.4, and the dispenser control signals 216 pass through 
an interface circuit 218. A schematic of the interface circuitry is 
depicted in FIG. 4. The interface circuitry 218 has a buffer circuit 220 
disposed serially in each signal line from and to the microcontroller 210. 
Additionally, a pull up resistor and filter capacitor combination 222 is 
provided for each line. 
The dispense button 224 pulls the input line to ground when depressed, thus 
signaling the desire of a consumer to receive a card. The same can be said 
about the FUNC A and B switches 226, 227 used for credit card purchases 
discussed below. The digital signals from the dispensers 216 which pass 
through the interface circuitry 218 inform the microcontroller 200 when 
the dispense signal was received (INP SIG OK), when a card jam has 
occurred (CARD-STUCK), and when the cards are exhausted (CARD EMPTY). 
Additionally, the microcontroller 200 enables the dispensers 104 to 
dispense (INPUT SIG) and resets the dispensers after a problem, i.e. stuck 
card, is repaired (S.CANCEL). Via the interface 218, the bill validator 
106 is enabled (ACCEPT ENABLE) and is instructed when to return escrowed 
cash (SEND ESCROW). Additionally, the bill value pulses are transmitted 
through the interface (CREDIT). 
In operation, the linear scanner 102 accepts a cash card through an 
entrance slit 150 shown in FIG. 1. As depicted in FIG. 5, each card 300 
generally includes a data stripe 302 having security information stored 
thereon and an information stripe 304 having the card value and card 
identification information stored thereon. Both tracks on the information 
stripe 304 contain data stored at any data rate which is necessary for a 
particular application. Typically, in a vending machine application, 105 
bits/inch is used, but cards and readers Storing as many as 210 bits/inch 
are available. The linear scanner 102 incorporated herein by reference is 
capable of reading or writing any number of bits per inch merely by 
altering variables which are set within the system controller firmware; 
thus increased density with changes in technology can be accommodated. 
In this example, the encoding technique used is two frequency, coherent 
phase encoding, also referred to as F2F encoding (although other formats 
are also usable). The information is stored as a pattern of flux reversals 
upon the data stripe. There are twice as many flux reversals for a logic 
ONE as there are for a logic ZERO over a fixed length of tape. For 
instance, a track which is written at 105 bits per inch with only ONEs 
would contain 210 flux reversals per inch. In comparison, a card written 
at the same speed with all ZEROs would contain 105 flux reversals per 
inch. This format conforms with the general format used to store data upon 
credit cards except credit card data is written at a standard of 75 bits 
per inch. The credit card standard is found in the American National 
Standard magnetic stripe encoding specification X4.16-1983 which is hereby 
incorporated by reference. That standard is available from the American 
National Standards Institute, Inc., 1430 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10018. 
It should be understood that the invention is not limited to data cards 300 
having two magnetic stripes with two tracks each. The linear scanner 102 
described above can be used, with obvious changes to the transducer 
arrangement and electronics that are within the skill of a person 
knowledgeable in this art, to communicate with any number of data stripes 
in combination with any number of data tracks. 
The control circuitry 110 shown in FIG. 3 are specific to the present 
preferred embodiment of the card scanner in a revaluing environment using 
a particular form of card security which is available for license from 
Rand McNally Corporation and is generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 
4,837,426 and 4,906,988, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated 
by reference. Other forms of card security could also be readily 
implemented in the overall system of this invention and would require some 
hardware and software alterations which are within the skill of the art to 
a person who is familiar with the disclosure herein. 
The identification track 310 typically includes information which limits 
the scope of the card's use, e.g., a site restrictive code. For instance, 
a card 300 dispensed for factory cafeteria use is encoded with an ID which 
allows the card 300 to work at the cafeteria lunch counter, but not in a 
turnstile at the subway station. 
The value track 312 information is both read by the scanner and written by 
the scanner. Thus, the card's initial value can be increased, i.e., 
revalued, using the invention. 
In its simplest form, a system 100 for dispensing and revaluing a cash card 
102 contains the above described components, i.e., data card scanner 102, 
bill validator 106, and cash card dispenser 104. However, to improve 
versatility and in accordance with another aspect of the invention, a 
credit card validation system 108 is used in conjunction with the 
previously described cash only system. The credit card validation system 
108 is based upon known technology. A number of manufactures supply 
automatic credit card scanning and processing apparatus. One such system 
is the TRANZ.TM. 330 manufactured by Verifone, Inc. of Redwood City, 
Calif. A similar system is described in a patent by Chang et al., U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,019,696, issued May 28, 1991 which is hereby incorporated by 
reference. 
The TRANZ.TM. 330 as well as most other credit card validators must be 
slightly modified to function in the present invention. Typically, the 
card reader is an integral component of the card validator system; 
however, to function in the present invention, the card reading mechanism 
240 must be separated from the data processor 242 to permit the card 
reader 240 to be mounted on the outside of a housing 100 enclosing the 
various mechanical elements of the invention as shown in FIG. 1. 
The remote positioning of the card reader 240 permits the user to insert 
and retrieve their own credit card. The type of reader 240 can be varied 
according to need. Most simply a card swipe type of reader, as described 
in the above referenced Chang et al. '696 patent, is used. However, more 
advanced and more secure types of readers based upon the data card scanner 
technology discussed with respect to the cash card scanner assembly, such 
as fixed head linear scanners, and moving head linear scanners are useful. 
The only requirement is that the reader is able to accurately pick up the 
information stored on the credit card data stripe. 
An example of circuitry for reading the credit card data and conditioning 
the analog signal for the card validator circuitry is depicted in FIG. 6. 
The magnetic read head 320 is influenced by the magnetic flux transitions 
on the data stripe to produce a voltage. An amplifier 322, a voltage 
comparator 324, and a level shifter 326 convert the very low level voltage 
from the head 320 into a TTL compatible signal representative of the flux 
transitions on the data stripe. The TTL signal which has encoded in it the 
credit card number and expiration date is processed by the CPU 328. 
In addition to apparatus 240 for reading the credit card, apparatus is 
provided to enable the consumer to request a value which they desire to be 
transferred onto their cash card 300 and charged to their credit card. The 
value is entered by depressing one of two value buttons, i.e., FUNCTION A 
and B, valued at $10 or $20, referred to in FIG. 2 as 226 and 227. The 
number of buttons could be increased to provide any assortment of values. 
Alternatively, a numeric keypad could be provided to enable the consumer 
to enter the desired value. 
The reproduced credit card information is processed by the validator 
processing system 242 depicted in FIG. 6. In the exemplary TRANZ.TM. 330, 
this is a Z-80 CPU 328 which processes and decodes the card information, 
then validates the credit card by automatically dialing and communicating 
with a host computer (not shown) via an internal modem 330. The host 
computer will validate the card or reject it based upon a comparison with 
its database information and the amount of credit desired. To support the 
CPU 328, the card validator 242 includes data and program memory 332 
consisting of ROM for storing the control firmware and RAM for short term 
memory storage. A programmable I/O port 334 drives a display 336 and 
accepts commands from a keypad assembly 338. The keypad 338 and display 
336 are not accessible to the consumer, but are used for diagnostic and 
programming purposes. 
Alternatively, a debit card can be read and validated in the same manner as 
a credit card. A front panel keypad must be added to the system to permit 
the customer to enter their personal identification number (PIN) to access 
their debit account. A PIN entry keypad such as Model 101 or 201 
manufactured by Verifone, Inc. of Redwood City, Calif. or an equivalent 
keypad would be sufficient. Its standard encoded output signals are 
transmitted to the TRANZ.TM. 330 card validator 242. The desired cash 
value will be written to the value card 300 and the debit card (bank) 
account associated with the debit card used will be decreased 
appropriately through contact with the appropriate bank via the modem 330. 
As depicted in FIG. 3 and 6, the card validator 242 and the microcontroller 
200 of the data card scanner 102 are coupled together by an RS-232 
interface 340. The firmware controlling each processor 200, 328 is task 
oriented such that each assembly sends and receives command packets which 
cause the assemblies to accomplish specific tasks. The data structure of 
the packets have the following form: 
TABLE I 
______________________________________ 
&lt;STX&gt; [TYPE] [A] [MSG1] 
&lt;FS&gt; [MSG2] &lt;ETX&gt; {LRC} 
TYPE FIELD LENGTH DESCRIPTION 
______________________________________ 
&lt;STX&gt; Start of 1 character 
Value = 02 
Packet 
[TYPE] Packet Type 
4 characters 
Alphanumeric 
Command Identifier 
[A] Packet Variable Alphanumeric Data 
Parameter Necessary to Perform 
Command 
[MSG1] Packet Variable Alphanumeric Message 
Parameter 
&lt;FS&gt; Field 1 character 
Value = 1C 
Separator 
[MSG2] Packet Variable Alphanumeric Message 
Parameter 
&lt;ETX&gt; End of 1 character 
Value = 03 
Packet 
{LRC} Block Code 1 character 
Longitudinal 
Check redundancy code 
______________________________________ 
Subsequent processing utilizes the End of Packet and Start of Packet 
characters to determine the beginning and end of a command structure. The 
TYPE field executes a subroutine in the packet receiving system, i.e., 
card validator or microcontroller circuitry. The A field contains 
information necessary in executing the subroutine. Additionally, for some 
packets, alphanumeric messages are transferred for display. The number of 
message fields separated by field separator characters can vary from 1 to 
N, as necessary. For example, a packet relaying the validity of a credit 
card from the card validator 242 to the controller circuitry 110 contains 
an alphanumeric packet type indicator, such as TC03, followed by a 
parameter of ONE or ZERO to indicate either validity or invalidity of the 
credit card, respectively. The message fields will contain either an 
"INVALID CARD" or "CREDIT APPROVED" character strings. Which message is 
displayed depends upon the A field information. Lastly, a longitudinal 
redundancy code is checked for accuracy before the packet is used by the 
receiving system. 
By way of example, the packets will cause the microcontroller 200 to 
display certain messages, enable and disable the bill validator 106 and 
card dispensers 104, and read and write data to a cash card via the card 
scanner assembly 102. Additionally, the card validator 242 can be made to 
enable and disable the credit card reader 240, dial the host computer via 
the modem 330, and store transaction data in memory 332. Packets are also 
used to transfer information such as credit card numbers, card values, 
desired credit value, etc. between the CPUs 328, 200. Note that packets 
are transferred bidirectionally on the RS-232 link between the card 
validator 242 and the microcontroller 200. 
A special feature of the TRANZ.TM. 330 or an equivalent style system is 
that it accumulates transaction data in a buffer over long periods of 
time, i.e., typically the information is removed once per day.. A record 
of each transaction accomplished by the system 100 is transmitted via the 
RS-232 link 340 to the TRANZ.TM. unit 242 for storage. Subsequently, a 
host computer can call the TRANZ.TM. modem 330 and retrieve the 
transaction data for analysis. During this data retrieval period, a 
lock-out signal is sent via the RS-232 link to the controller 110 to 
reject all new transactions. The buffer is of finite length; consequently, 
once per day the buffer is transferred from its active storage area to an 
upload storage area to await recovery via modem or other means. If 
recovery is not accomplished, the new data is simply written over the old. 
Typically, each prevalued dispensable card 300 is valued at $1.00. 
Therefore, a card request and insertion of a dollar bill are necessary to 
receive a cash card 300. Value can then be added to the card 200 via the 
cash card revaluing process described below. However, a number of card 
dispensers 104 can be installed in a parallel manner and have each 
dispenser 104 store prevalued cards of various values. A consumer request 
for a card 300 and insertion of an amount of currency equivalent to a 
card's prevalue causes dispensing of an appropriately valued card. For 
instance, dispensers for $1, $5, and $10 cards are accessible by 
requesting a card and inserting a $5 bill into the bill validator 106 to 
receive a $5 card. 
It is foreseeable that prevalued cards 300 could be purchased by credit or 
debit cards. The process for checking card validity and receiving 
transaction authorization prior to dispensing a card would be accomplished 
as described below in reference to revaluing a cash card using a credit or 
debit card as a means for payment. 
In operation, a main routine 500 depicted as a flow chart in FIG. 7 is 
stored in memory of the controller circuitry 110. The routine 500 
repeatedly queries whether the dispense button has been depressed 502, 
whether an incoming call has been detected by the modem 504, whether a 
cash card has been inserted into the data card scanner 506, or whether the 
batch memory that stores the transaction information is full 508. During 
this query period the front panel display is repeating the message "PRESS 
DISPENSE TO BUY CARD OR INSERT CARD" at step 510. If any of the queries 
are answered affirmatively, the routine attached to the query is executed. 
For the following example, the system 100 is configured as shown in FIG. 2. 
There are two dispensers 104 having $1.00 cards stored in both, a bill 
validator 106, a swipe-type credit card reader 240 capable of crediting 
$10 or $20, and a linear cash card reader 102. 
Assume the dispense button 224 is depressed. The DISPENSE routine 512 of 
FIG. 8 will be executed. The microcontroller 200 checks to see if cards 
are available, i.e., the CARD EMPTY flag is not set on either dispenser 
104, at step 514. If both card storage racks are empty the system will 
display the message "OUT OF CARDS PLEASE TRY LATER" 516 and then return to 
the main routine 518. 
If cards are available, a command is sent to the credit card validator to 
deactivate the credit card reader for security purposes 520. A subsequent 
signal is sent to activate the bill validator at step 522 and the message 
"INSERT $1.00" is displayed 524. The system waits 10 seconds for a valid 
bill to be inserted at steps 526 and 528 before the bill validator is 
deactivated 530. After deactivating the bill validator the system returns 
to the MAIN routine at step 532. 
If a dollar bill is inserted and validated as such, the transaction report 
is sent to the credit card validator along with a status signal which 
indicates that the transaction is complete 534. Subsequently, the bill 
validator is deactivated 536, the display indicates the card's value 538, 
the card is dispensed 540, and finally the program returns to the MAIN 
routine 542. 
It is foreseeable that the credit card validation routine described below 
could be used to purchase prevalued cards. However, practically speaking, 
$1.00 charges are not generally welcome by the credit card companies. The 
use of a credit card purchasing arrangement of prevalued cards becomes 
practical when the cards are valued at ten or more dollars. 
Assume that a telephone line ring is detected by the credit card 
validator's modem at step 504 in the MAIN routine. Consequently, the SEND 
INFO routine is initiated 600. The credit card validator manages all of 
the telecommunications routines without interaction from the rest of the 
system. However, the processor in the credit card validator can not be 
utilized by the revalue system while its performing the telecommunications 
function. Therefore, the dispense and revalue system must be deactivated 
during this period. 
With the foregoing in mind, steps 602, 604, 606, and 608 deactivate the 
data card scanner, the card dispensers, the bill validator, and the credit 
card reader, respectively. The display shows the "PROCESSING PLEASE WAIT" 
message 610. After all the system functions are deactivated, the modem and 
credit card validator microprocessor begin communicating 612, 614, 616. 
Through the telecommunications link, the system can have new software 
installed or the system can forward the prerecorded transaction 
information from memory. Additionally, system diagnostics can be executed 
by the remote link to test the systems functionality. 
After the telecommunications link is severed, the system reactivates the 
data card scanner 618 and the card dispensers 620. Finally, it returns to 
the MAIN routine 622. At each RETURN function, the microcontroller always 
informs the credit card validator CPU of the current status of the system 
by sending status information across the RS-232 link. 
Assume that a cash card is inserted into the data card scanner at step 506 
and the REVALUE routine 700 is executed. The cash card may be either a 
used card or a new card which was Just dispensed having a $1.00 value on 
it. In either case, the card security information, identification, and 
value, is read by the card scanner 702 and the microcontroller processes 
the information. If the card is invalid as determined by the 
microcontroller, an appropriate message is displayed 704 and the EJECT 
routine is initiated 706. The card can be invalid for having a value 
greater that $59.99 (or another arbitrary, large number) as well as having 
an improper ID or security code. 
If the card is deemed valid at step 708, the current card value is 
displayed 710. Subsequently, the system prompts the consumer for payment 
by displaying the message "INSERT CASH OR SWIPE CARD" 712. Both the bill 
validator and credit card reader are activated 714, 716. A 10 second 
period is waited at steps 718, 720, 722 for either cash or credit to be 
used. If payment is not made in time, the bill validator and the credit 
card reader are both deactivated 724 and the EJECT routine (FIG. 12) is 
initiated 726. 
However, if a credit card is swiped in the reader and an image is captured, 
the image is checked to see if it is accurate, i.e., correct number of 
bits, LRC correct, etc. 728. If an improper reading was detected, the 
consumer is requested to swipe the card again 730 until the third swipe is 
attempted 732. At that point a message stating "UNREADABLE CARD" is posted 
734 and the EJECT routine is initiated 736. 
If the swipe was found to be proper at step 728, the check sum, or Luhn 
check, is tested 738. This ensures that the card is a major credit card 
and/or does not have a damaged data stripe. If the check sum is not proper 
the "INVALID CREDIT CARD" message is displayed 740 and the EJECT routine 
is initiated 742. 
At step 744, the credit card number is checked against a list of credit 
card numbers used in the last three minutes. Each valid credit card number 
is temporarily stored in a buffer for 3 minutes at step 746. If a match is 
determined, the display indicates "PLEASE TRY LATER" 748 and the EJECT 
routine is begun 750. The three minute waiting period between credit card 
uses is a banking industry standard. 
At this point, the credit card has passed all the initial tests of 
validity. The credit card reader and bill validator are deactivated at 
step 752. The consumer is prompted to select either a $10 or $20 value 
754. The system waits for a decision for 10 seconds 756, 758 before 
ejecting the card 760. 
Once a decision is made, a "PROCESSING PLEASE WAIT" message is displayed 
762 and the credit card validator telephones the appropriate host computer 
to receive authorization to accept the credit card 764. If the 
authorization is not achieved the "INVALID CARD" message is shown 766 and 
the EJECT routine is initiated 768. However, if the authorization is 
forthcoming at step 770, the display reads "CREDIT APPROVED" 772 and the 
requested credit value is added to the existing value of the cash card. 
The new value is written on the value track of the card 774. The new value 
is displayed 776 and the data card scanner is caused to eject the card 
778. The consumer is prompted to remove the revalued card 790 and the 
system returns to the MAIN routine. 
If, at step 720, valid cash is inserted into the bill validator, both the 
credit card reader and the bill validator are subsequently deactivated 
794. The cash amount inserted is written to the cash card 794 and the new 
value is displayed 796. The cash card is expelled form the data card 
scanner 798 and the consumer is prompted to remove the card 799. The 
system returns to the MAIN routine thereafter 795. 
At the end of each transaction, the transaction record is sent to the 
credit card validator for storage in a special buffer. When this buffer 
becomes full, the data must be transferred to a new buffer to await 
retrieval by the host computer via the modem or some other means. Transfer 
is also accomplished at the start of each new period, typically at 
midnight of each day, whether the batch memory is full or not. The 
transfer process utilizes the CPU in the credit card validator and, like 
the SEND INFO routine, the system must be deactivated during the transfer 
process. Consequently, when the BATCH FULL flag is set, the MAIN routine 
500 is halted at step 508 and the BATCH FULL routine 900 is executed at 
FIG. 11. 
The system is I/O assemblies are deactivated at steps 902, 904, 906, and 
908. The "PROCESSING PLEASE WAIT" message is displayed while the transfer 
is accomplished 910. Any data in the UPLOAD buffer is written over at step 
912. However, if the SEND INFO routine was recently executed, the UPLOAD 
buffer should be empty. Once complete, the data card scanner and the 
dispensers are reactivated 914, 916 and the system reverts to the MAIN 
routine 918. 
The EJECT routine is depicted in FIG. 12. This routine is only called when 
a cash card is to be ejected prior to a new value being available to be 
written thereon. Because the method of reading of some data card scanners 
removes the value information from the card during processing, the old 
value must be written to the card before it is ejected 950. The card is 
subsequently ejected 952 and the consumer is prompted to remove the card 
954. The system then returns to the MAIN routine 956. 
As an alternative or as a supplement to the credit card validation process, 
a debit card validation process can be added by adapting the firmware of 
the system to accomplish the additional tasks. A debit card is validated 
and authorized using essentially the same steps as described in connection 
with the credit card authorization process. Thus, adaptation is a 
duplicative process wherein, essentially the only variation is that a 
different telephone number is dialed for authorization and billing, and 
the consumer must enter an appropriate PIN via a front panel mounted 
keypad. 
In summary and in reference to FIG. 1, the cash card dispensing and 
revaluing system 100 responds to a consumer request for a card 224 and the 
subsequent insertion of payment 106 by dispensing a prevalued card from 
the dispenser mechanism 104 having a value equivalent to the payment, 
usually $1.00. That card, or a previously purchased card, can be inserted 
in the data card scanner assembly 102 portion of the system to have its 
value increased. The mode of payment for the increased value can be either 
cash 106, credit 108, or debit 108. Payments by credit or debit are 
authorized by the internal credit/debit validation assembly 108 prior to 
the increased value being written to the cash card. Subsequent to 
revaluing, the cash card is expelled from the data card scanner assembly 
for the consumer's retrieval. 
In the context of the present invention, the terms vending machine or 
dispensing machine are intended to equivalently mean any unattended point 
of sale of product and/or service, and are not intended to be restricted 
to traditional vending machine concepts. In this regard, the ten 
dispensing machine is used in preference to the ten vending machine to 
encompass the anticipated broader scope of unattended sales that may 
result from technological advances, including this invention. 
FIG. 13 is an illustrative drawing which shows an embodiment of a 
dispensing machine. This embodiment of a dispensing machine 430 comprises 
a machine housing 431, a product or service display area 432, including a 
plurality of product 433, a means for selecting product 434, a means for 
accepting coins 435, and a means for scanning a data card 436. The 
dispensing machine also comprises means for dispensing product, means for 
controlling dispensing, and means for interfacing which are generally 
internal to the dispensing machine housing 431 and are not shown in FIG. 
13. 
Means for selecting product 434 is conventionally some type of product 
selection apparatus 434 which the customer interacts with. Common examples 
are individual push buttons for each product, an alpha numeric keypad 
which associates an alphanumeric code with a product location, or some 
similar type of push button or touch-pad input device. 
Means for accepting coins 435 is conventionally a coin acceptor device of 
which there are many types. An example of a common coin changer apparatus 
is the MC5 Coin Changer manufactured by Mars Electronics. The means for 
accepting coins such as a coin changer or the means for accepting bills 
(described below) provide a means for accepting cash payment. Both the 
coin acceptor and bill validator generate electrical signals indicative of 
the amount of cash accepted. 
Means for dispensing product 437 is conventionally an electro-mechanical 
product dispensing apparatus which comprise devices such as motors, 
solenoids, or other mechanical actuators which respond to electronic 
signals. These product dispensing apparatus generally either move a 
product or allows a product to move from a storage location internal to 
the dispensing machine and present it to the customer. The 
electro-mechanical devices generally receive activating signals from the 
means for controlling dispensing 438. A common example of product 
dispensing apparatus are spiral lead screw type devices which rotate a 
certain number of turns under the control of an electric motor and move a 
product a linear distance to the end of a shelf associated with the lead 
screw, at which point the product is free to fall off of a storage shelf 
into a bin accessible to the customer. Another common example of such a 
product dispensing apparatus is a slidable or hinged access door wherein 
access is controlled by a solenoid type look. Another example is a 
dispensing machine wherein product is stacked, such a beverage cans, and 
an electrical signal allows one item to fall into an access bin where it 
may be retrieved by a customer. 
Means for controlling dispensing 438 is conventionally a dispensing 
controller which may be implemented by simple switches and electromagnetic 
relays. These switches and relays may receive activating signals or 
activating power after product has been selected and sufficient payment 
has been received and supply the product dispensing apparatus 438 with 
activating power to actually dispense the product. The signals received by 
the dispensing controller 438 may be supplied directly by a coin change: 
438 in some applications, by means for data card scanning 436, or from a 
means for interfacing 439 in a more sophisticated vending machine 
applications. The actual circuitry required by this dispensing controller 
is dependent on the application and may be as simple as electrical wires 
which conduct power to a motor or solenoid after an electronic switch or 
electromagnetic relay has opened or closed. 
Means for scanning a data card 436 is conventionally a data card scanner 
apparatus and any required electronic interfaces, including firmware and 
software that may be required. The data card scanner apparatus 436 may 
generally be one of a number of types currently available on the 
commercial market, although not all will provide the same level of 
performance or enhanced features. Essential characteristics include 
transducers for detecting the data stored on the data card, at least one 
transducer for writing data to the data card, and an assembly for either 
scanning the card past the transducer or scanning the transducers past the 
card to accomplish the read and write functions. The transducers are 
conventionally of the type that transform electrical signals to magnetic 
fields or magnetic fields to electrical signals. Linear motion 
reader/writer mechanisms having fixed transducers are disclosed in patents 
by Pass, U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,753; Pfost et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,325; 
and Redemacher, U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,607, which are hereby incorporated by 
reference. A rotary reader/writer mechanism is disclosed in U.S. patent 
application No. 07/679,944, filed May 9, 1991, also incorporated herein by 
reference. Each of the foregoing exemplary reader/writer mechanisms are 
appropriate for specific application where a variety of card thicknesses 
will not be encountered. However, to provide a more versatile system, the 
reader/writer mechanism should communicate with cards of a variety of 
thicknesses such that reconfiguration is not necessary to conform to a 
customer's needs. Therefore, a data card such as that which is disclosed 
in the application corresponding to Attorney Docket Number A55552/JAS, 
filed Oct. 11, 1991, assigned to the assignee hereof, which is 
incorporated by reference, is preferred. Other advantages of this scanner 
are that it uses advanced security measures to thwart fraud, it maintains 
the card within the system during the revolve process, and it is compact. 
Thee linear scanner also provides a card swallow feature which swallows 
the data card upon the determination of invalidity, damage, or excessive 
wear. 
Means for interfacing 439 is conventionally an electrical interface which 
receives electrical signals from an apparatus such as a coin changer 435 
or data card scanner 436, and processes the signals in an appropriate 
manner so as to present them to the vending machine dispensing circuitry, 
generally the dispensing controller 438, in a format that can be 
understood and deed by the dispensing controller 438 to carry out the 
intended functions, such as dispensing a particular product. Common 
examples of interfaces are electrical wires, optical communications links, 
interfaces that provide electrical buffering and amplification, and 
interfaces that perform logical operations on the received signals. 
FIG. 14 an illustrative drawing which shows a block diagram of the major 
vending machine elements and their relationship in an embodiment of a 
dispensing machine according to this invention as illustrated in FIG. 13. 
It diagrammatically illustrates a product selection apparatus 434, a coin 
acceptor 435, a data card scanner 436, a product dispensing apparatus 437, 
dispensing controller 438, and a scanner interface 439 and the 
connectivity between them. 
In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the 
scanner interface 439 is interposed between a coin acceptor 435 and a 
dispensing controller 438 of the conventional configuration thereby 
replacing the direct connection between these elements in the conventional 
configuration. 
Inclusion of a coin acceptor 435, a bill validator 441, and a data card 
scanner 436 including scanner interface 439 provides a very flexible 
multi-payment accepting dispensing machine. 
FIG. 15 is an illustrative drawing which shows a dispensing machine similar 
to that shown in FIG. 14 except for the addition of means for accepting a 
bill 441. Means for accepting a bill 441 is conventionally a bill 
validator, or bill acceptor apparatus one dominant bill validator model is 
manufactured by Rowe International, Incorporated of Grand Rapids, Mich. 
49507. The Rowe Model CBA-4 is generally characteristic of the standard 
size, electrical interface characteristics, and mechanical mounting method 
for dispensing machine bill validators 441. The inclusion of a bill 
validator 441 somewhat changes the configuration of the elements but the 
operational principles remain substantially the same. 
FIG. 16 is an illustration which shows a block diagram of the configuration 
of the elements of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15. The bill 
validator 441 is connected to dispensing controller 438. The other 
elements and their configuration may be substantially the same as in the 
embodiment of FIG. 14. It is also possible for the bill validator 441 to 
be connected to or through the coin acceptor 435 instead of directly to 
the dispensing controller 438. 
The dispensing machine elements and their connectivity are illustrative of 
a possible method of connection. Other elements may be added, and the 
connectivity altered without departing from the scope of the invention. 
Some elements may also be removed without making the system inoperable. 
For example, the bill validator 441 and/or the coin acceptor 435 may be 
eliminated from the dispensing machine system without effecting the 
operability of the vending machine through the data card scanner 436. Such 
operation may be desirable if a cash free installation is desired or 
represent an operable resulting configuration in the event of a failure of 
either the bill validator 441 or coin acceptor 435. FIG. 17 is an 
illustration which shows an embodiment of the invention which includes 
neither a coin acceptor 435 nor a bill validator 441. The connectivity of 
the elements is illustrated in FIG. 18. 
Referring to FIG. 19, a linear scanner apparatus 100 in accordance with 
this invention is adapted for reading and writing data from/to a data card 
102. The scanner apparatus 100 accepts the data card 102 upon user 
insertion of the card 102 into entrance slit 104. The insertion of the 
card 102 triggers sensor apparatus which engages a mechanism that pulls 
the card through the entrance slit 104 and positions it within the 
mechanism for subsequent data reading and writing. 
Depicted in FIG. 20A is an exemplary data card formed from a thin, flexible 
medium, e.g, paper stock, plastic, mylar, etc. having leading 106 and 
trailing 108 edges. Generally, data cards vary in thickness between 8 and 
40 mils depending upon the type of material used as base stock. However, 
the inventive concepts disclosed herein can be adapted by persons skilled 
in the art to accommodate date cards of any thickness. Data cards may vary 
in dimensions, but typically the cards are about the size of a credit or 
debit card, e.g., 3.375 by 2.125 inches. 
Between and perpendicular to card edges 104, 108 is disposed a pair of 
parallel magnetic data stripes or tapes 110, 112. Each stripe contains one 
or more data storage tracks. FIG. 20B depicts a card 102 having two 
stripes 110, 112 with two data tricks 114, 116, 118, 120 each. Typically, 
on a card which is used in a prepaid environment, i.e., for vending 
machine access, stripe 110 will contain security information in a form 
consistent with that which is available by license from Rand McNally 
corporation and is generally disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,837,426 and 
4,906,988, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
Other forms of card security technology could also be readily implemented 
in the overall system of this invention. 
In the vending machine application, stripe 112 will store card 
identification information on one track 120 and the card value is stored 
on the other track 118. Data stripe 112 contains data stored at any data 
rate which is necessary for a particular application. In a vending machine 
application, 105 bits/inch is used, but cards and readers storing as many 
as 210 bits/inch are available. Conceptually, the data card scanner 
disclosed herein is capable of writing any number of bits per inch by 
altering variables which are set within the system controller firmware. 
However, the hardware and firmware disclosed herein has a practical limit 
of approximately 210 bits/inch. Lesser bit rates are controlled by varying 
a variable in the firmware. Higher rates must be accommodated by making 
appropriate changes in the hardware and firmware which would be obvious to 
those skilled in the art. 
It should be understood that the invention is not limited to data cards 
having two magnetic stripes with two tracks each. The linear scanner of 
the invention can be used, with changes to the transducer arrangement and 
electronics that are readily understood by those skilled in the art, to 
communicate with any number of data stripes in combination with any number 
of data tracks. Additionally, it is foreseeable that the inventive 
arrangement described below could be used to read optically encoded data 
on a data card, e.g., bar coded data. 
The basic elements of a linear data card scanner in accordance with the 
invention are encased in a plastic and sheet metal housing as depicted in 
FIG. 19. The overalI dimensions of the apparatus is approximately 6.4 by 
3.42 by 8.22 (L, W, H) inches and weighs approximately 2 lbs., 11 oz. As 
depicted in FIG. 21, the housing consists of four basic elements; base and 
back plates 122, a front panel 124, a main housing 126, and a hinged 
access cover 128. 
As depicted in FIG. 21, the basic assemblies of the linear data card 
scanner 100 include a data card positioning assembly 130 for driving the 
data card 102 through an entrance slit 104 and into a card guide 134 and 
for positioning the data card in a prearranged position within the card 
guide 134, a transducer positioning assembly 136 for scanning the 
transducers along the data card 102 in a linear fashion, a plurality of 
circuit boards containing system control electronics 138, 140, 142, a 
display electronics assembly 144, and a user accessible interrupt button 
assembly 146. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, to simplify 
manufacturing and maintain low production costs, a majority of the 
structural components of the foregoing assemblies are constructed of 
injection molded plastic. 
In accordance with the general principals of operation of the invention and 
referring to FIG. 22, a data card 102 of any thickness between 8 and 40 
mils is inserted into the entrance slit 104 and triggers a electro-optic 
sensor 148 that engages the card positioning assembly 130. The card 102 is 
drawn into a card guide 134 with a force of approximately 6 oz. and is 
positioned therein at a prearranged position. The transducer positioning 
assembly 136 scans transducers 150 in a linear fashion along the data 
stripes 110, 112 on the card 102. The data stored on the stripes 110, 112 
is processed to determine the card's validity, identification and value. 
If the linear data card scanner 100 is used in a vending machine, the 
user's item selection is processed by the vending machine control system 
and the value of the item selected is deducted from the value currently 
stored on the data card 102. A new value is written on the card 102 and 
the card 102 is subsequently expelled from the entrance slit 104 by the 
card positioning assembly 130 such that the user may easily retrieve the 
card 102. 
In accordance with one aspect of the invention and as depicted in FIG. 23, 
a data card positioning means 130 is provided in assembly form having an 
entrance slit 104 with width and height dimensions slightly larger than 
the card 102, a drive means 152 for pulling the card 102 through the 
entrance slit and positioning it within a card guide means 154 for 
orienting the card such that the transducers 150 can detect the data 
stored thereon. The guide means 154 defines a card guide path 134 between 
a base plate portion 156 and a card positioning assembly frame 158 that 
will accommodate various thickness cards. The base plate portion 156 has 
two parallel raised walls 157 spaced such that a data card 102 will fit 
between them. The positioning assembly frame 158 defines a centrally 
located opening 170 and has a flat portion 159 surrounding the opening 
which rests against the raised walls 157. The base plate portion is 
attached to the positioning assembly frame by four corner screws 161. The 
base plate portion 156, the raised walls 157, and the flat portion of the 
positioning assembly frame 159 define the guide path 134 through which the 
card 102 travels. 
To lessen the friction between the data card 102 and the base plate portion 
156 which forms the bottom of the guide path 134, five parallel ribs 560 
run substantially the length of the base plate portion 156. Two of the 
ribs 560 are depicted in FIG. 23. The data card 102 slides along the ribs 
560 as it is pulled into the card positioning assembly 130. 
Additionally, the card 102 is guided by a pressure plate assembly 160 shown 
in FIG. 23 as consisting of two parallel ski-shaped elements 162, 164 
mounted on a pair of shafts 166, 168. The ends of each shaft are captured 
by the positioning assembly frame 158 at each end and the ski-shaped 
elements 162, 164 are disposed within centrally located opening 170. 
As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, the transducers 150 are, in the preferred 
embodiment, a pair of industry standard C-size metal cans 309, each 
housing two magnetic heads. The first stripe 110, storing security 
information, is accessed by a pair of read-only heads 241. In contrast, 
the second can contains a read head 243 and a read/write head 245. As is 
obvious to a person skilled in the art, a number of transducer types are 
available and useful for reading magnetic tape. 
In accordance with one aspect of the invention and depicted in FIGS. 22 and 
23, a shutter assembly 300 is provided to enhance system security. The 
shutter assembly for selectably covering the card guide path 134 consists 
of a shutter 302 which covers the guide path and two arms 304, 306, each 
extending in a parallel fashion from each end of the shutter 302. The arms 
304, 306 pivot upon the slave pulley shaft 181 which extends through the 
card positioner frame 158 at both ends. Fixed to the shaft 181, but 
external to the frame 158 is a plastic sleeve 310 forming a holder for a 
disk 312 made of a ferrous material such as steel. Correspondingly, 
attached in a fixed manner to one shutter arm 306 is a small magnet 314 
near which the slave pulley shaft rotatably passes. In operation, the 
magnetic flux of the magnet 314 couples to the ferrous disk 312 such that 
when the disk 312 rotates, i.e., the slave pulley 180 rotates, the shutter 
assembly is caused to pivot and open or close the shutter 302 covering the 
entrance to the card guide path 134 depending upon the direction of 
rotation of the slave pulley 180. In this embodiment, when the card 
positioner assembly 136 operates to draw a card 102 into the system, the 
shutter 302 closes. An Opto-electric sensor 320 detects when the shutter 
302 is in the closed position and enables the controller circuitry to 
begin the card scanning process. If the shutter 302 is pried open during 
the scanning process, the sensor 320 will instruct the electronics of the 
occurrence, the scan process will be stopped and the card ejected. The 
magnetic coupling mechanism opens the shutter 302 when the drive belt is 
rotated in the expel direction. 
Vibration and gravity may cause the shutter 302 to fall to the closed 
position over time. To ensure that the shutter remains open without 
periodic counter rotation of the drive belt 176, a counter weight screw 
322 and nut 324 are provided to maintain the shutter 320 in the open 
position. The counter weight force is easily overcome by the rotational 
coupling force when the drive belt 176 is rotated causing the shutter 302 
to close. 
The linear data card scanner 100 of the invention is controlled by a single 
micro-controller integrated circuit such as an M37450M2 manufactured by 
Mitsubishi, Inc. 
The microcontroller 400 has an 8-bit bidirectional data bus, a 16-address 
bus, and 32 I/O ports. 
Four ports are assigned to the keypad connector which enables the system 
owner to conduct diagnostics or configure system parameters. The 
diagnostic function enables a self test to be conducted via a 
disconnectable keypad 490, also referred to as a Handheld Initialization 
Terminal (HIT). The self-test executes such functions as memory 
diagnostics, display test, keypad test, motor test, transducer positioner 
assembly test, and cable connectivity tests. These tests are for both 
field service diagnostics and manufacturing testing and diagnostics. 
Via the keypad 490, various system parameters may be programmed; such as a 
site ID for accounting purposes, enable the card swallow function, select 
an interface type from a menu to correspond to a specific application, set 
a price table, set a clock, enable the security reading circuitry, setting 
the writing density, adjusting timing and other parameters to conform to a 
particular application, among other functions. 
In an alternative embodiment, a card swallowing feature is incorporated 
into the system. In accordance with this aspect of the invention and 
referring to FIG. 21, a rectangular slot 950 is opened in the rear of the 
housing 122. A data card 102 may be swallowed by the system by passing it 
through the card positioner assembly 130 and out of the rear slot 950 into 
a card collecting basket (not shown). The card swallow option can be used 
for promotional purposes, for example, promotional cards can be given to 
customers to enable them to receive a specific product one or more times 
either for free or at a reduced cost. The nature of the card would be 
encoded upon the ID track. After the promotional card is used for the 
promotional purpose, the card is swallowed by the system and an 
appropriate message is displayed. Thus, the producer can track the 
purchase patterns of the consumers by collecting the promotional cards and 
tabulating their geographical distribution. 
Another use for the swallow feature is to remove invalid or stolen cards 
from circulation. If, for instance, the card scanner is used in a credit 
or debit card validation system, the card number can be compared to a list 
of invalid or stolen cards. If the card is listed, it is swallowed and an 
appropriate message is displayed. The same process can be used for 
removing invalid building access cards from circulation. 
The cash card dispense and revalue system of this invention has been 
described above in various embodiments as examples of the principles of 
the invention, and it should be understood that numerous additional 
modifications could be made without departing from the scope of this 
invention as claimed in the following claims.