Credit card with magnifying lens

A financial transaction card adapted for use in reading externally stored information includes a substantially non-foldable rigid base and a strip for carrying machine readable information, The rigid base comprises a magnifying lens.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to pocket magnifiers and is specifically 
directed to a credit card having an integral magnifying lens. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
There have long been reading lenses and magnifying glasses available to 
assist people in reading books, documents and the like without the use of 
reading glasses. These are particularly useful when the person encounters 
small print during an activity which makes it inconvenient or difficult to 
stop and put on reading glasses. 
As an example, a book mark such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,883 
issued to R. L. Anthony on Jul. 14, 1964 may be integrally attached to a 
book such as a telephone directory or a dictionary, wherein the end of the 
book mark is provided with a sealed pocket for receiving a plastic 
magnifying lens. The magnifying lens may be moved up and down the page as 
desired to provide magnification of the text in the book. This permits the 
user to read the text without first putting on his eyeglasses. 
A pocket magnifier such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,347 issued to 
R. Vogel on Nov. 5, 1968 includes a pocket pouch adapted to be carried in 
the breast or hip pocket of the user or in a purse or wallet. The lens is 
formed of a transparent plastic sheet material having a substantial degree 
of stiffness and having fresnel lens contours molded into its upper 
surface. The lens unit may be slidably retracted into and extended out of 
the pocket. The pocket magnifier may be easily utilized to magnify small 
print and the like when the user is in a location where it is not feasible 
or desirable to stop an activity in order to put on reading glasses. 
Other examples of special purposes magnifying lens structures are shown, by 
way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,889 entitled "Cosmetic Container 
Including Integrated Lens Structure," issued to S. Orentreich et al. on 
Aug. 30, 1977, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,610 entitled "Card Carrying 
Microfilm and Associated Reading Lens and Process of Forming Same," issued 
to D. Adrian on Jul. 19, 1983. 
With the ever expanding use of credit cards and other financial transaction 
cards, there is an increasing requirement that the card user be able to 
verify a transaction at the point-of-use. This means the user must be able 
to read the card invoice to determine the accuracy of the information 
before he signs the invoice to indicate his acceptance. Since most of the 
information on the invoice is impact printed either on a carbon set or 
carbonless form, the print is not only controlled in size but is often of 
a low contrast With respect to the base form paper. This makes the form 
difficult to read, particularly for those who normally require reading 
glasses. Also, when the transaction card is used, it is often not 
convenient to take the time to put on reading glasses before reviewing the 
card invoice. While the pocket magnifiers of the prior art could be used 
for this purpose, use of such devices requires a separate activity which 
does not provide a great improvement over the use of reading glasses. As a 
result, many credit card users simply do not take the time and effort to 
accurately verify a transaction at the point-of-sale, relying on the sales 
clerk for the accuracy of the information. 
It is, therefore, desirable to provide ready means for immediate 
verification of credit card and other financial card transactions at the 
point-of-sale in a convenient manner not requiring extraneous activity 
such as locating and using a pocket magnifier or taking the time to put on 
reading glasses in order to be able to accurately read the invoice. None 
of the devices of the prior art address this need. 
SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
It is, therefore, an object and feature of the subject invention to provide 
for a credit card having an integral magnifying lens permitting the user 
to immediately verify financial transactions at the point-of-sale without 
first requiring that the user put on reading glasses or the like. 
It is another object and feature of the invention to enhance the use of 
credit cards by permitting immediate verification of credit card 
transactions by users normally having difficulty in reading small print, 
without requiring an additional activity of locating a magnifying lens or 
putting on reading glasses. 
It is another object and feature of the subject invention to provide for a 
credit card having an integral magnifying lens and adapted for enlarging 
the small print generally used in the confined space of the credit card 
transaction form. 
It is yet another object and feature of the invention to provide for an 
integral lens in a financial transaction card wherein the lens does not 
interfere with the machine readable information required on the card in 
order to complete a point-of-sale transaction. 
The subject invention is directed to a financial transaction card such as a 
credit card or the like which incorporates an integral magnifying lens. 
Use of the card of the subject invention automatically places a magnifying 
lens at the disposal of the user, whereby he may immediately verify a 
financial transaction at the point-of-sale without first locating a 
magnifying glass or taking the time and effort to put on reading glasses. 
The invention is particularly useful when making credit card transactions 
during an activity where the user would not normally be wearing his 
reading glasses. For example, during sports activities or other types of 
activities where a person does not normally encounter reading material, it 
may be desirable to make a credit card transaction in order to pay for 
rental of equipment or user fees or the like. By using the credit card of 
the subject invention, the user can immediately read and verify the 
financial transaction at the point-of-sale by placing the magnifying lens 
incorporated in the credit card over the printed material on the 
transaction form. Thus, the print is magnified with the card used for the 
transaction, eliminating the need to locate a pocket magnifier or the time 
and effort required to put on reading glasses in order to verify the 
transaction. 
In a preferred form of the invention, a typical credit card blank is 
subdivided into a plurality of zones, specifically a data zone and a 
non-data zone. The data zone is adapted for receiving and carrying machine 
readable information, preferably in the form of a strip such as a magnetic 
strip including magnetically encoded information, and embossed alpha 
numeric lettering for creating an imprint on the credit card transaction 
form. The non-data zone is generally free of any information required to 
be machine read, although this zone often includes identifying indicia, 
logo types and other information relating to the issuing institution. In 
one preferred form of the invention, a portion of the non-data zone 
includes an integral magnifying lens carried in and forming a part of the 
credit card. It has been found that a substantially rigid, transparent 
plastic material of a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the 
credit card base may be incorporated in a window provided in the base. In 
a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transparent plastic includes 
fresnel lens contours on the top surface for defining a magnifying lens. 
By placing the lens in the non-data zone, the lens does not interfere with 
the machine transactions required in order to use the credit card at a 
point-of-sale. 
In a more specific embodiment of the invention, the lens is an elongated 
rectangle generally placed in parallel with the magnetic strip which is 
commonly attached to the back of the credit card. In this embodiment, 
there is no alteration of the data zone as commonly incorporated on credit 
cards. 
A second embodiment of the invention incorporates a lens with a larger 
usable area. However, this particular embodiment requires alteration of 
the data zone. Depending on the issuing institution, one embodiment may be 
more desirable over the other, depending on the flexibility of the 
location and format of the data zones on the card. 
In a typical credit card, the base is made of a substantially rigid plastic 
material which is laminated with a thin printed material on both the top 
surface and the bottom surface thereof, including identifying indicia, 
logo types and the like on the top, the magnetic strip, a signature strip 
and various terms and conditions on the bottom. In one embodiment of the 
invention, the lens may be placed in the credit card prior to the 
laminating process, whereby the laminate cover materials may be used to 
overlap the edge of the lens and help retain it in the credit card. The 
lens may be sonic welded, adhesively secured or otherwise mounted in a 
window in the credit case base, with or without utilizing the laminate 
material to assist in framing and mounting the lens in the credit card. 
In another preferred embodiment, the lens is integral with the credit card 
base. In this embodiment, the credit card base is formed from a 
transparent material, most preferably an amorphous plastic. The stamped 
credit card base can be overprinted, laminated with printed material, etc. 
Thereafter, fresnel lens contours are stamped on the top surface of the 
blank in a selected area to define the magnifying lens. A hologram may 
also be added after the lamination. 
In another particularly preferred embodiment, the inventive card comprises 
a substantially non-foldable rigid base. The rigid base comprises a 
magnifying lens. The card further comprises a strip, such as a magnetic 
tape strip, for carrying machine readable information, and optionally 
other features such as a signature strip or hologram patch. 
The rigid base can be a laminate formed from a plurality of layers, or can 
be a single layer. The magnifying lens preferably is formed by stamping 
fresnel contours directly onto the top surface of the top layer of the 
rigid laminate, or the top surface of the single layer. The fresnel 
contours are stamped into a transparent area of the laminate or single 
layer, and together with the transparent area form the magnifying lens. 
In a more specific embodiment, the rigid laminate comprises a top layer, a 
bottom layer and a core sandwiched between the top and bottom layers. The 
core can comprise a single layer, or can comprise two or more layers 
(i.e., a "split core"). All of the layers are comprised of a transparent 
material, preferably the same transparent material. The top and bottom 
layers, and optionally the core, are colored, for example by printing, 
over their entire surfaces with the exception of aligned areas which 
remains transparent. Fresnel contours are stamped into the top surface of 
the top layer in the aligned transparent area thereof. The fresnel 
contours, together with the aligned transparent areas, produce the 
magnifying lens. 
In another more specific embodiment, the rigid layer comprises a core layer 
and a bottom layer. The "top" layer in this embodiment is thus analogous 
to the core layer of the preceding embodiment. The top layer can be 
colored as described above, or optionally can remain transparent. The 
bottom layer is colored, for example by printing, on one or both sides. 
There are also provided methods of producing a financial transaction card 
as described above. A preferred method comprises the steps of forming a 
substantially non-foldable rigid base having a transparent area, for 
example, a laminate formed from a plurality of layers having aligned 
transparent areas; affixing to the base a strip for carrying machine 
readable information; and forming fresnel contour lines on a surface of 
the rigid base which together with the transparent area form a magnifying 
lens. 
Another preferred method comprises the steps of providing a substantially 
non-foldable rigid base having defined therein a window; securing a 
magnifying lens within the window; and affixing to the base a strip for 
carrying machine readable information. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed 
description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed 
description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments 
of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not 
limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present 
invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the 
invention includes all such modifications.

Like elements are numbered alike throughout the drawings. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
A typical financial transaction card such as the credit card 10 is shown in 
FIG. 1 and includes, as is common, embossed lettering at 12, which is 
machine readable for permitting the credit card to be imprinted at a 
point-of-sale transaction. As is shown in FIG. 2, most credit cards now 
contain a strip 14 for carrying machine readable information, for example 
a magnetic strip material which includes magnetically encoded information 
readable by computer terminals utilized in many point-of-sale terminals. 
Also included is a signature strip 16 which is on the back of the card and 
which typically is adapted for receiving a manually applied signature to 
be applied by the user of the card. 
The magnetic strip 14 and embossed lettering 12, along with the signature 
strip 16, identify a data zone on the card. This data zone is generally 
controlled by financial institutions in an effort to standardize the cards 
so that various cards issued by a multiplicity of institutions may be used 
on standardized terminals the point-of-sale. For example, the placement of 
the magnetic strip 14 relative to the top edge 18 of the card is 
standardized, as is the width of the strip 14 in order to permit ready 
readability of the magnetically coded information by any typical 
point-of-sale magnetic reader. Likewise, the font, size and position of 
the embossed lettering 12 is controlled to assure machine readability of 
the information imprinted from the card when a point-of-sale transaction 
is made on a typical credit card imprinter. Only the position of the 
signature strip 16 can be altered without interfering with the machine 
readability of the card. 
Today, many cards also include identifying indicia such as logo types and 
the like as indicated at 20 for identifying the issuing institution. An 
increasing number of cards also include a hologram patch 22 which includes 
issuing institution indicia. The hologram panel 22 is generally located in 
or near the portion of the data zone including the embossed lettering 12. 
In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a magnifying 
lens 24 is positioned in a window 25 provided in the base 11 of the card 
10 such that it is in noninterfering relationship with the magnetic strip 
14 and the embossed lettering 12. The magnifying lens 24 is an elongate, 
rectangular lens mounted parallel to the magnetic strip 14 in the space 
between the magnetic strip and the embossed lettering. This space is 
generally sufficient in size to accommodate the lens 24 since it is 
required that the embossed lettering 12 be spaced sufficiently from the 
magnetic strip 14 to assure that the embossing of the card does not in any 
way alter the functionality of the magnetic strip. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lens member 24 comprises a 
substantially rigid, transparent plastic element having approximately the 
same rigidity as the credit card base. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the 
credit card base 11 includes a window 25 having a top edge 30, a bottom 
edge 31 and side edges 32 and 33. The lens element 24 is adapted to be 
placed in the window 25 and has outer edges common with the window edges 
30-33. The lens may then be sonic welded or adhesively secured to the 
credit card base 11 in the manner well known to those who are skilled in 
the art. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the lens 24 is of a 
thickness corresponding to the thickness of the credit card base 11, 
assuring that the presence of the lens in the credit card does not 
interfere in any manner with the machine readability of the information 
contained in the embossed lettering 12 or in the magnetic strip 14. 
A fresnel-type contour lens has been found to be particularly useful for 
this type of application. The fresnel contour lines 36 or ribs are 
typically contained on the top side of the lens, or the front of the 
credit card as shown in FIG. 1. This permits the credit card to be held 
with the front side up in typical manner, when utilizing the magnifying 
lens. 
An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
There, the lens element 124 is of a substantially square cross section 
utilizing a fresnel lens comprising the concentric circle configuration 
shown at 60, and mounted in a complementary window 125 in the base 11. 
This particular configuration of the invention is useful when it is 
possible to alter the shape of the data zone and the placement of the 
embossed lettering 112. As terminal encoders come more widely accepted, 
and the magnetic encoding strip 14 (FIG. 4) more commonly used as the 
source for machine readable information, the importance of the embossed 
lettering is becoming diminished. This will permit alteration of the 
placement of the embossed lettering on the card without interfering with 
the machine readability of the card at the point of sale. This permits the 
embossed lens element 124 to be customized to varying desires and taste 
without interfering with the overall machine readability of the credit 
card. 
As is shown in FIG. 5, the typical credit card base 11 is a laminated 
composite member including a solid core material as shown at 48 with a 
thin plastic laminate 50 on the top surface and a similar thin plastic 
material 52 laminated on the bottom surface. The term "thin" herein 
denotes that thicknesses of the plastic laminates 50 and 52 are small 
relative to the thickness of core 48. If desired, the core 48 and plastic 
laminates 50 and 52 can have any relative thicknesses. The laminates 50 
and 52 are generally printed in a four-color format. permitting attractive 
logotypes identifying the financial institution and permitting customized 
color schemes for the card. The laminate materials 50 and 52 also carry 
the magnetic encoding strip 14, the signature strip 16 and the hologram 
panel 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the fresnel lens element 124 is located in 
the window 125 of the credit card and may be secured therein by sonic 
welding, adhesives or the like along the side edges of the window, as at 
60. Where the laminated card is used, the laminate material 50 and 52 may 
overlap the edges 62, 64 of the window and the lens 124 may include a 
peripheral lip or rim 58 for holding the lens in place. Of course, the 
lens may also be of a rectangular cross section and sonically welded or 
adhesively secured to the base 48 with or without use of the laminates 50 
and 52. 
It will be understood that the lens could be incorporated in the card a 
variety of ways, including being an integral, unitary member of the card 
base. Integral, unitary lenses can be formed in a number of ways, such as 
by molding or casting a transparent material into a window of a rigid 
base, or by stamping a transparent area of a rigid base. FIGS. 6 and 7 
illustrate one such alternative embodiment of the invention in which the 
lens is integral with the card base. A core 48 comprises a substantially 
transparent plastic material. Preferably, the material is an amorphous 
plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, polyester or any 
other similar material. Lens 24 is formed in the core 48 by, for example, 
stamping the desired fresnel contour lines 36 onto the top surface 
thereof. Embossed lettering (not shown) can be formed in the base 
simultaneously, or can be formed before or after the fresnel contour lines 
36 are stamped onto the core 48. Plastic laminates 50 and 52 can 
optionally also be applied to the top and bottom surfaces of the core 48. 
The order in which the foregoing stamping, embossing and laminating steps 
are carried out is a matter of routine design choice. In a preferred 
embodiment, the fresnel contours 36 are stamped last, after all other 
embossing and laminating has been carried out. 
As with the preceding embodiments, magnetic strips, signature strips, 
hologram patches, etc. can also be added in the conventional manner. For 
example, in FIG. 8, an embodiment of a card 10 includes a lens 24 which 
horizontally extends partially across credit card base 11. Card 10 also 
includes hologram patch 22. If desired, plastic laminates 50 and 52 can be 
omitted, and strips, patches, etc. can be applied directly to core 48. 
Another embodiment, shown in FIG. 9, includes a vertically-oriented lens 24 
stamped on one side of credit card base 11, with hologram patch 22 
disposed near the opposite side of credit card base 11. Such an embodiment 
can, of course, also be produced by mounting a separate lens 24 in a 
credit card base 11 in a manner similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. 
A particularly preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 10. Credit card core 
48 and bottom and top plastic laminates 50 and 52 comprise a substantially 
transparent plastic material, such as the amorphous plastics described 
above. Credit card core 48 can be comprised of a single layer, as shown, 
or can comprise multiple layers (a "split core"). Top and bottom plastic 
laminates 50 and 52 are laminated to core 48, forming top and bottom 
layers around a core layer. The structure thus forms a rigid and 
substantially non-foldable base. Lens 24 (not shown) is subsequently 
formed by stamping the desired fresnel contour lines 36 onto the top 
surface of top layer 52. Depending on the relative thicknesses of core 48 
and top layer 52, fresnel contours 36 may be impressed into core 48 as 
well as top layer 52. 
Preferably, core 48 and bottom and top plastic laminates 50 and 52 comprise 
the same substantially transparent plastic material. Bottom and top 
plastic laminates 50 and 52 preferably are colored over substantially all 
of their outer surfaces (areas 70 and 72), such as by printing, except for 
window areas 74 and 76. Core 48 can remain transparent, or can also be 
colored over substantially all of its lateral surfaces (areas 78 on either 
side of core 48), except for window area 80. The edges of core 48 can also 
optionally be colored. Window areas 74, 76 and 80 are located such that 
they are aligned when the laminate structure is formed. Together with 
fresnel contours 36, aligned window areas 74, 76 and 80 thus form 
magnifying lens 24. 
The transparent material forming core 48 and top and bottom plastic 
laminates 50 and 52 should be chosen to display refractive properties such 
that, together with appropriately designed fresnel contour lines 36, a 
magnifying lens 24 having the desired magnification is produced. Selection 
of suitable plastic materials, and design of appropriate fresnel contours, 
is a matter of routine design choice to those skilled in the art. 
Card 10 can include embossed lettering (not shown), as described 
previously, in addition to a magnetic strip and optionally a signature 
strip. A hologram patch can also be included. Other desired graphical 
features such as symbols, logos, pictorial representations, etc., can also 
be provided if desired. The magnetic strip, signature strip and/or 
hologram patch can be on either side of the card 10. That is, these 
features can be disposed on the same side of the card as the fresnel 
contours 36 are stamped on, or on the opposite side, in any desired 
combination, Placement of the various strips and patches in any embodiment 
of the instant invention is a matter of routine design choice. 
However, in the foregoing embodiment it is preferable that no lamination 
steps are carried out after fresnel contour lines 36 have been formed, or 
at the least no lamination steps over the entire surface of card 10 
including fresnel contour lines 36. This is because such subsequent 
lamination steps may fill in or flatten the fresnel contour lines 36 and 
thus render magnifying lens 24 inoperative. 
Fresnel contour lines 36 can be stamped into top plastic laminate 52 in any 
desired orientation, such as horizontally, vertically, etc., and can be of 
any desired shape, such as rectangular, square, triangular, circular, 
oval, elliptical, star-shaped, diamond-shaped, etc. Round and triangular 
lenses are illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. Similarly to the lenses 24 
described previously. 
Selection of a particular embodiment from those described herein can be 
made by the individual manufacturer taking into account factors such as 
manufacturing capability, ease of manufacture, cost, etc. 
Another preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 11. Here, credit card core 48 
functions as a "top" layer, while bottom plastic laminate 50 comprises the 
"bottom" layer. Core 48 and bottom plastic laminate 50 again comprise a 
substantially transparent plastic material. Bottom plastic laminate 50 is 
laminated to core 48, forming top and bottom layers. The two layers 
together form a rigid, substantially non-foldable laminate structure. Lens 
24 (not shown) is subsequently formed in core 48 by stamping the desired 
fresnel contour lines 36 onto the top surface thereof. 
As with the preceding embodiment, core 48 and bottom plastic laminate 50 
preferably comprise the same substantially transparent plastic material. 
Bottom plastic laminate 50 preferably is colored over substantially all of 
one or both of its sides (areas 70), such as by printing, except for 
window area 74. When both sides are so colored, core 48 can remain 
transparent, thus allowing printed information on the inner surface of 
bottom plastic laminate 50 (the side to which core 48 is laminated) to be 
read through the transparent plastic material. In the alternative, core 48 
can also be colored over substantially all of the surface opposite the 
surface to which it is laminated with bottom layer 50 (areas 78 on the 
outer side of core 48), except for window area 80. Window areas 74 and 80 
are located such that they are aligned when the laminate structure is 
formed. Together with fresnel contours 36, aligned window areas 74 and 80 
form magnifying lens 24. 
A variant of the foregoing preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 12. Here, 
credit card core 48 functions as a "bottom" layer, while top plastic 
laminate 52 comprises the "top" layer. Core 48 and top plastic laminate 52 
again comprise a substantially transparent plastic material. Top plastic 
laminate 52 is laminated to core 48, forming top and bottom layers. The 
two layers together form a rigid, substantially non-foldable laminate 
structure. Lens 24 (not shown) is subsequently formed in top payer 52 by 
stamping the desired fresnel contour lines 36 onto the top surface 
thereof. 
Core 48 and top plastic laminate 52 preferably comprise the same 
substantially transparent plastic material. Top plastic laminate 52 
preferably is colored over substantially all of one or both of its sides 
(areas 72), such as by printing, except for window area 76. When both 
sides are so colored, core 48 can remain transparent, thus allowing 
printed information on the inner surface of top plastic laminate 52 (the 
side to which core 48 is laminated) to be read through the transparent 
plastic material. In the alternative, core 48 can also be colored over 
substantially all of the surface opposite the surface to which it is 
laminated with top layer 52 (areas 78 on the outer side of core 48), 
except for window area 80. Window areas 76 and 80 are located such that 
they are aligned when the laminate structure is formed. Together with 
fresnel contours 36, aligned window areas 76 and 80 form magnifying lens 
24.