SE363814

1304555 Credit card systems; vending machines OMRON TATEISI ELECTRONICS CO 16 Nov 1970 [20 Nov 1969 17 Jan 1970] 54417/70 Headings G4V and G4X A credit card system has means for receiving a predetermined portion of a living human body and means for establishing that the portion is living and belongs to the correct user of a credit card inserted in the system. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, a hand H placed as shown covers a photosensitive device 36 and blocks light from a source 35. The blocked area is given a digital value by an analogue-to-digital converter 39 and this is passed to gate 41. Simultaneously light from a source 37 is reflected by a finger tip to a photosensor 38, consequent pulsations in the output of the photosensor being characteristic of those of a living human body. A corresponding pulsating output of an amplifier (46), Fig. 2 (not shown), produces an output from switching circuit (49) which acts as a further signal at gate 41. The output now obtained from gate 41 is compared with a value representing the area of the palm of the true owner of the card derived from the card placed in reader 43. If the values are equal the comparator delivers a suitable output signal. Instead of palm area, fingerprint characteristics may be used by replacing device 36 by a well known fingerprint detector. In the embodiment of Fig. 3 (not shown), the resistance of a finger is measured by electrodes (13); it is stated that a living finger has a typical resistance between 500 ohms and 1 megohm. Mention is made of the system being used in conjunction with an automatic vending machine or an automatic cash dispenser.