Abstract:
A system and method is provided for entering data from a marked card into a central processing unit and for producing a receipt on which is displayed the entered data in alpha-numeric characters and a unique transaction code in machine readable form. The system utilizes a plurality of dispersed card reader-printers, each with data storage and processing capabilities, in communication with a local terminal on a sequential polling basis. The local terminal is, in turn, in communication with the central processing unit which stores the data read from the cards and assigns the transaction code to it. The system allows the data stored in the CPU to be verified against that read by the card reader-printer and allows the printed transaction code to be verified against that assigned by the central processing unit.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to card readers, and more particularly, to a card reader system which incorporates the capability for reading, storing, transmitting, receiving, printing and verifying data. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Card reader units capable of reading data marked on paper cards and transmitting such data to a remote central processing unit, hereinafter CPU, have been in widespread use in the electronic data processing and communications area for some years. In many applications, such as lotteries, sports betting or casino player tracking, a plurality of dispersed one-at-a-time card readers are utilized, each having the capability of reading and transmitting data from marked cards to a CPU. However, in such applications, it would be desirable, in addition to reading the data, to provide the user entering the data with a record, such as a printed receipt, of the data stored by the CPU. It would also be desirable to verify that the data as stored by the CPU agrees with that read and/or printed by the card reader and notify the user should there be a discrepancy. While separate devices, also in communication with the CPU, can be used to provide a printed receipt for the user, they cannot detect (1) discrepancies between the data as read by the card reader and the data transmitted by the CPU for printing on the receipt, nor (2) discrepancies between the data transmitted by the CPU for printing on the receipt and the data actually printed in the user&#39;s receipt. These are serious drawbacks, especially in betting applications such as those mentioned above, wherein discrepancies of the first type deprive the user of the benefit of his chosen bet and discrepancies of the second type prevent the user from verifying the authenticity of his bet receipt. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the current invention to provide a method and system for reading information marked on a card by the user, transmitting the information to a remote CPU, and providing the user with a printed receipt of the information. 
     It is another object of the invention to include in the printed receipt a unique transaction code assigned by the CPU for identification purposes and stored by the CPU along with the information read from the card. According to the invention the transaction code is printed on the card in machine readable form to allow verification that the correct transaction code was printed on the receipt prior to furnishing the receipt to th user. 
     It is still another object of the invention to allow the reading of cards and printing of receipts from a plurality of dispersed locations. 
     In accordance with the above objectives, there is provided a card reader-printer system capable of reading, storing, transmitting, receiving, printing and verifying data and in which a plurality of card reader-printer units are utilized, each of which is in communication with a local terminal which, in turn, is in communication with the CPU. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of the card reader-printer unit in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the primary components of the card reader-printer/CPU system. 
     FIG. 3A is a plan view of a card, with typically marked data, for use in lottery betting. 
     FIG. 3B is a plan view of the card of FIG. 3A after the printing of the receipt. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     There is shown in FIG. 1 the card reader-printer, hereinafter CRP, of the invention. The major components of the device are the transport, reader and printer mechanisms and the data processing and control electronics, which includes a microprocessor (not shown). Data entry is begun by the user placing marks on a reflective card in predetermined locations, the locations of the marks indicating the data to be entered. A typical card, used for lottery betting, is shown in FIG. 3A. The card is divided into data entry and receipt portions. The data entry portion is pre-formatted for four wagers, each wager consisting of six numbers. The reader mechanism is capable of scanning 13 rows of data, a separate optical scanner being dedicated to each data row. In the card shown in FIG. 3A, row 1 is reserved for reading the clock marks associated with the printed transaction code, to be discussed below. A mark in row 2 notifies the CRP that the user, in this case the bettor, has opted to have the CRP select his wager numbers. Marks in rows 4-11 indicate the wager numbers. A mark in Row 12 notifies the CRP to void the wager should an error have been made. Row 13 contains the clock marks which notify the CRP when a mark is to be expected, thereby eliminating the possibility that stray marks located between columns will be inadvertently read. 
     After marking the card, the user enters it into the CRP via an input throat, shown in FIG. 1. Insertion of the card into the input throat interrupts a beam of light which informs the CRP&#39;s microprocessor that a card has been entered. Thereupon the microprocessor turns on the motor transporting the card via drive and pinch rollers toward the reader. The transport mechanism may be of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,606, assigned to the assignee of the current invention and incorporated herein by reference. As shown in the card in FIG. 3A, an arrow directs the card to be entered with the receipt portion entering first. When the card has been transported a predetermined distance into the CRP, the leading edge of the card interrupts a second beam of light and informs the reader that data entry is to begin. 
     The reader mechanism may be of the conventional type and comprised of a series, in this case thirteen, light emitting devices, such as light emitting diodes, each paired with a sensor, such as a light sensitive semi-conductor. The light signal generated by each light emitter is directed to a predetermined portion of the card corresponding to a data row. The presence or absence of marks is determined by the intensity of reflected light detected by the sensors. The sensors convert these variations in light intensity into electrical form. The principles of optical data reading applicable to the reader of the invention are described in U.S. Pats. Nos. 4,088,265 and 3,896,294, assigned to the assignor of the current invention and incorporated herein by reference. After the entire card has been transported past the reader and all of the rows of data have been read, the aforementioned second beam of light becomes uncovered indicating the inbound cycle of the transport mechanism has been completed. At this time the motor is shut off, leaving the receipt portion of the card, which as previously mentioned was entered first, parked under the print nozzles. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, which shows the flow of the marked card and its data through the system&#39;s components, it can be seen that after the marked card has entered the input throat 16, it is carried by the transport mechanism 1 past the reader 2 and the sequentially read mark sense data from the card is entered into a data storage unit 4, such as an RAM memory, by the microprocessor. Since the electronic signals produced by the reader are not in a form suitable for transmission, they are inputted into a data converter 5. In the preferred embodiment the data is converted, using methods well known in the art, from Hollerith code to another code, which can be ASCII or binary image code, and the parallel lines of data (each parallel line representative of the data from one of the light signals) are converted to a serial bit stream and inputted into a data transmitter 6 for transmission to a local terminal 9. 
     In the CRP/CPU system a plurality of locally dispersed CRP units are utilized, each accepting cards on a random basis and communicating with a central processing unit 10 through a local terminal. In addition, depending on the size and character of the area in which the system is deployed, there may be a number of similar local terminals, each linking a plurality of CRP units with the CPU. For example, in a lottery betting system deployed in a supermarket, a CRP is placed at each cashier station and multiplexed to a traditional lottery terminal in the store. The lottery terminal communicates via telephone lines with a remote lottery central computer. 
     As indicated in FIG. 2, interface communication is controlled by assigning each CRP an address and having the local terminal sequentially poll each CRP. When a CRP which has read a card receives its address, the address comparator 7 enables the data transmitter 6 and the data, i.e. wagers in the case of a lottery system, are transmitted to the local terminal. The local terminal then encodes and transmits the data to the CPU where it is stored along with a unique transaction code assigned by the CPU. This transaction code can be used in the future to verify the authenticity of the data; in the case of a lottery, the transaction code allows authentication of the winning wager receipt. 
     After processing, the CPU retransmits the received data, together with the transaction code, denoted TC in FIG. 2, to the local terminal. When the CRP which originally read the data is again addressed by the local terminal, its data receiver 8 is enabled and the local terminal retransmits the data, together with the transaction code, to the CRP. The techniques for data conversion and transmission applicable to such CRP systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,662, assigned to the assignee of the current invention and incorporated herein by reference. 
     Still referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that, after the retransmitted data is received by the CRP, it is inputted to a data comparator 12 along with the originally read data retrieved from storage 4. Discrepancies between the two data groups results in activation of an alarm 15, such as an audible tone and LED indicators, which notifies the user of the discrepancy, and the transaction is cancelled. If the data agrees, the transport mechanism 1 is reactivated with the motor drive in reverse so that the card begins an outbound cycle, and the printing controller 13 is enabled. In the preferred embodiment, the printer mechanism 3 is comprised of four ink jet nozzles, as shown in FIG. 1. As the receipt portion of the card passes under the nozzles on the outbound cycle the microprocessor compares the ASCII characters in the received data with the dot-matrix representation of those characters stored in a ROM memory look-up table 11 and pulses the ink jet dot trajectory drivers on a dot pair basis, thereby forming alpha-numeric characters on the receipt. This printed information documents for the user the data as stored in the CPU. In the case of lotteries, the alpha-numeric printed information states the wagers entered, as well as other information such as date and selling agent. FIG. 3B shows this printed information, on print lines 2 and 3, as formed on the receipt portion of the card shown in FIG. 3A. 
     As indicated in FIG. 2, the transaction code transmitted along with the retransmitted data is entered into the data storage unit 4 when received by the CRP. The transaction code is comprised of at least forty binary bits and is printed on the receipt portion of the card in mark sense machine-readable code along with clock marks. In the card shown in FIG. 3B, the clock marks are indicated on print line 1 and the transaction code on print line 4. On the outbound cycle, after the receipt portion of the card leaves the printer it is transported under the reader where the transaction code is read. As indicated in FIG. 2, the as-read transaction code is inputted into a comparator 14 along with the as received transaction code retrieved from storage. A discrepancy between the read and stored transaction codes, indicating an error in printing, activates the alarm 15 and cancels the transaction. This verification step insures that the receipt displays the correct transaction code for the data stored in the CPU. 
     After reading and verification, the transport mechanism continues the outbound cycle until the trailing edge of the card clears the reader, whereupon the microprocessor shuts off the motor, allowing the drive system inertia to carry the card to the edge of the first set of drive rollers, whereupon the user may withdraw the card. Subsequently, the card can be re entered into any of the CRP units within the system for verification of the transaction code, for example should the wager be a winning one in the lottery application.