Patent ID: 7017818

Claim:
An improved card scanner for imaging and decoding indica on a side surface of a card, comprising: means to communicate electrical power to components of said card scanner; means to maintain a card bearing indica on at least one side surface, in a defined path into and out of said card scanner; said defined path having a beginning point and a termination point; means to capture an electronic image of said indicia as said card travels in said defined path; means to trigger said means to capture electronic images to capture a first image of said indicia, when said card translates in said defined path from said beginning point toward said termination point; means to detect said card reaching said termination point; means to examine said first image and determine if said first image yields a captured image in a complete state or in an incomplete state; means to communicate said captured image if in said complete state, to a decoder to extract data contained therein; means to detect the presence of a magnetic strip on said at least one side surface of said card as said card travels in said defined path; and means to read data encoded upon said magnetic strip when the presence of said magnetic strip is detected.