Patent ID: 7988061

Claim:
A portable encoded memory card adapted to interact with a data processing station, said portable encoded memory card comprising: a hollow substrate defining a slot-like hollow area in the card having an opening; and a storage member having at least one layer of storage material for storing information, wherein said storage member and the slot-like hollow area are cooperatively formed such that the storage member is transportable relative to the substrate by said data processing station through said opening between a first position in which the at least one layer of storage material is fully enclosed within the slot-like hollow area, and a second position in which at least a portion of said at least one layer of storage material is removed from and exposed outside of said slot-like hollow area to facilitate processing of stored information by said data processing station when the material is exposed, wherein said at least one storage material layer is formed of a high density, high coercivity magnetic material having a predetermined magnetic field orientation and wherein said protective coating has at least one layer which includes a magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material, and wherein said storage device further includes a non-magnetic exchange break layer positioned between the protective coating and said at least one storage material layer, said magnetically permeable, magnetically saturable material being responsive through said non-magnetic exchange break layer to produce a magnetic image field in a direction opposite to said predetermined magnetic field orientation.