Abstract:
A multiple card reading modules apparatus includes a first card reading module and a second card reading module. The first card reading module includes a card receiving structure. The first card reading module reads a first card signal based on a control signal through the card receiving structure. The second card reading module is combined with the first card reading module through a combination device for sharing the card receiving structure to read a second card signal and generate the control signal based on the content of the second card signal.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a multiple card reading modules apparatus, and more particularly to a multiple card reading modules apparatus of which different card reading modules share a common card receiving structure. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    As contactless cards become increasingly popular, people get used to the tremendous convenience of this kind of cards such as credit cards or cash cards, and we no longer need to carry too much cash. As long as a store or a vending machine has a card reader, we can make purchases by the restored dollar amount of a card or the credit limit of a credit card. However, the present cards can read the content of data in the cards only, but cannot identify user&#39;s identity. If a user purchases a product that has a minimum age requirement, such as alcohols or cigarettes, then the card reader will not be able to provide the related information, and thus a storekeeper have to determine whether or not a consumer exceeds the minimum age requirement by the consumer&#39;s appearance or request the consumer to show an identity card. For vending machines, it will be unable to identify a consumer&#39;s age. At present, the multi-card reader capable of reading contactless cards and the identity data usually comes with a high price, and thus much cost is incurred to update all of the card readers to have capability of identification of identity cards. 
         [0003]    In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a multiple card reading modules apparatus in accordance with the invention to overcome the foregoing shortcomings. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a multiple card reading modules apparatus of which different card reading modules are coupled by a combination device for sharing the card input slot and the card transport channel to improve the convenience of expending the card reader. 
         [0005]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide a multiple card reading modules apparatus that comprises a first card reading module and a second card reading module. The first card reading module has a card receiving structure for obtaining a first card, and the second card reading module is connected to the first card reading module by a combination device for sharing the card receiving structure to obtain a second card. 
         [0006]    A further objective of the present invention is to provide a multiple card reading modules apparatus that comprises a first card reading module and a second card reading module. The first card reading module has a card receiving structure for obtaining a first card signal according to a control signal, and the second card reading module is connected to the first card reading module by a combination device for sharing a card receiving structure to obtain a second card signal and generate a control signal according to the content of the second card signal. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a multiple card reading modules apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a multiple card reading modules apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a multiple card reading modules apparatus according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a multiple card reading modules apparatus according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0011]    To make it easier for our examiner to understand the present invention, a detail description of a preferred embodiment of the multiple card reading modules apparatus with reference to the accompanying drawings is given, wherein the same elements in the following embodiment bear the same respective numerals. 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 1  for the block diagram of a multiple card reading modules apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple card reading modules apparatus  1  comprises a first card reading module  10  and a second card reading module  11 . The first card reading module  10  has a card receiving structure  12  for reading a first card  13 , and the second card reading module  11  is coupled to the first card reading module  10  by a combination device  14  for sharing the card receiving structure  12  to read a second card  15 . The first card reading module  10  and second card reading module  11  have separate sensors and processors. 
         [0013]    In  FIG. 1 , the first card reading module  10  includes a first sensor  16  and a first processor  17 . The first sensor  16  is provided for detecting and reading the data of the first card  13 , and the first processor  17  processes the data read by the first sensor  16 . The second card reading module  11  includes a second sensor  18  and a second processor  19 , and the second sensor  18  is provided for detecting and reading the data of the second card  16 , and the second processor  19  processes the data read by the second sensor  18 . 
         [0014]    The card receiving structure  12  includes a card input slot and a card transport channel, and the card input slot is provided for inputting a card by a user, and the card transport channel is provided for transporting a card, such that the first sensor and the second sensor can detect and read the data of the card. 
         [0015]    The first card reading module is preferably a credit card reader, and the first card is preferably a credit card, a financial card or a stored value card. The second card reading module is preferably a card reader, and the second card preferably comprises a card having an identity data such as an identity card, a passport or a driver&#39;s license, etc. The identity data could be a name, a sex, a nationality, an age or a residential address. The combination device is preferably a latch device or a lock device. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2  for a schematic view of a multiple card reading modules apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple card reading modules apparatus  2  comprises a credit card reader  20  and a card reader  21 . The credit card reader  20  includes a card input slot  22  and a card transport channel  23 , and users can input a credit card  24  into the card input slot  22 , and the card transport channel  23  is provided for transporting the credit card  24  into the credit card reader  20  to read the data of the credit card  24 . The card reader  21  is connected to the credit card reader  20  by the latch device  251 ,  252  (as shown in the dotted circles in the figure), so that the credit card reader  20  can share the card input slot  22  and the card transport channel  23 . Users can input an identity data card  26  such as an identity card, a passport or a driver&#39;s license into the card input slot  22 , and the card reader  21  can read the data of the identity data card  26  when the identity data card  26  is transported in the card transport channel  23 . 
         [0017]    The latch device  252  includes an indented device  255  disposed on a casing of the credit card reader  20  and a protruding device  256  disposed on the casing of the card reader  21 . The latch device  251  includes a cylindrical device  254  disposed on the casing of the credit card reader  20  and a hook  253  disposed on the casing of the card reader  21 , and the hook  253  is equipped with an elastic element, such that when the hook  253  is moved in a direction A, the elastic element will produce a pulling force in a direction B. When the credit card reader  20  and the card reader  21  are going to be connected, the indented device  255  and the protruding device  256  are connected first, and then the hook  253  is pulled along the direction A to latch the hook  253  to the cylindrical device  254 , such that the card reader  21  can be fixed onto the credit card reader  20 . Further, the casing of the credit card reader  20  has screw holes disposed on the card reader  21  for securing the credit card reader  20  and the card reader  21  by screws. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 3  for a block diagram of a multiple card reading modules apparatus according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple card reading modules apparatus  3  comprises a first card reading module  30  and a second card reading module  31 . The first card reading module  30  includes a card receiving structure  32  for obtaining a first card signal  34  according to a control signal  33 . The second card reading module  31  is connected to the first card reading module  30  by a combination device  35  for sharing the card receiving structure  32  to obtain a second card signal  36  and producing a control signal  33  according to the content of the second card signal  36 . The first card signal  34  and second card signal  36  could come from the same card  37  or could be read from different cards. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the second card reading module  31  includes a second sensor  311  and a second processor  312 . The second sensor  312  is provided for reading the second card signal  36  of the card  37 , and the second processor  19  performs a computation according to the content of the second card signal  36  to produce a control signal  33 . The first card reading module  30  includes a first sensor  301  and a first processor  302 , and the first sensor  301  is provided for reading the first card signal  34  of the card  37 , and the first processor  302  determines whether or not to compute the content of the first card signal  34  according to the control signal  33 . 
         [0020]    The first card reading module  30  is preferably a credit card reader, and the first card signal  34  comes from a credit card, a financial card or a stored value card. The second card reading module  31  is preferably a card reader, and the second card signal  36  comprises a card with an identity data such as an identity card, a passport or a driver&#39;s license, etc. The identity data could be a name, a sex, a nationality, an age or a residential address. The combination device  35  is preferably a latch device or a lock device. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 4  for a block diagram of a multiple card reading modules apparatus of another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple card reading modules apparatus  4  comprises a credit card reader  40  and a card reader  41 . The credit card reader  40  includes a card receiving structure  42 , a first sensor  401  and a first processor  402 . The card reader  41  includes a second sensor  411  and a second processor  412 , and the card reader  41  is connected to the credit card reader  40  by a latch device  45 . The second sensor  411  is provided for reading a driver license card signal  46  of a driver license card  471 . It is noteworthy to point out that the data of the driver license card  471  is actually read after the card is inputted into the card receiving structure  42 , so that the driver license card  471  is drawn outside the card receiving structure  42  as shown in  FIG. 4  to indicate the different input time of the different cards. 
         [0022]    The second processor  412  compares the driver license card signal  46  with data pre-stored in the database  48  such as comparing the age or nationality of a user to confirm whether or not the user&#39;s identity match the requirements of purchasing a product. The second processor  412  generates a control signal  43  according on the comparison result and sends the control signal  43  to the first processor  402 . The first sensor  40  is provided for reading the credit card information  44  of the credit card  472 . The first processor  402  determines whether or not to process the credit card information  44  according to the control signal  43 . 
         [0023]    If a user starts inputting the credit card  472  to purchase cigarettes and the second sensor  411  cannot read the identity data from the credit card  472 , the second processor  412  will produce a control signal  43  to prohibit the first processor  402  from processing the credit card information  44 . Now, the multiple card reading modules apparatus  4  will issue a reminder signal to remind the user to input an identity card, a passport or a driver&#39;s license to confirm the user&#39;s identity for purchasing cigarettes. The second processor  412  will produce a control signal  43  to allow the first processor  402  to process the credit card information  44 , so that the user can use the credit limit remained in the credit card  472  to purchase cigarettes. 
         [0024]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.