WO2014019156A1

WO2014019156A1 - Variable erase for thermally rewritable cards

Info

Publication number: WO2014019156A1
Application number: PCT/CN2012/079471
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carl MOHRLANT; Jianyong MAO
Original assignee: Datacard Corporation
Priority date: 2012-08-01
Filing date: 2012-08-01
Publication date: 2014-02-06

Abstract

A system and method are described that allows a user to select the number of thermal erase passes that a thermally rewritable card will undergo in a rewritable card printer. The number of thermal erase passes can be from zero up to any desired number n (0 to n). In one exemplary embodiment, n equals 2, and the user is able to select 0, 1 or 2 erase passes.

Description

VARIABLE ERASE FOR THERMALLY REWRITABLE CARDS

Field

This disclosure relates to thermally rewritable cards, and more particularly to allowing a user to select the number of erase passes the rewritable card undergoes in a card printer.

Background

Thermally rewritable cards are well known. Thermally rewritable cards typically feature a substrate and a heat sensitive layer on the substrate. The application of heat to the heat sensitive layer at the correct temperature colors the heat sensitive layers, thereby allowing the application of writing to the card using heat. To erase the writing, heat is applied to the heat sensitive layer at a second, different temperature. This reverses the coloring of the heat sensitive layer, thereby erasing the applied writing. This process of writing and erasing can be performed a large number of times on a single card, allowing the card to be reused.

Erasing and rewriting of the cards is typically performed in a rewritable card printer. The card printer can include a thermal print/erase head that performs the heating for both erasing and writing. An example of a rewritable card printer is the DataCard SP25 Plus card printer available from DataCard Corporation of Minnetonka, Minnesota. Some rewritable card printers include a thermal erase head to perform erasing and a separate thermal write head to perform writing. See U.S. Patent No. 6,152,620.

When it is desired to erase writing on a thermally rewritable card, the standard practice is to pass the card past the suitably heated thermal head a single time, the assumption being that a single pass results in adequate erasure of the writing. However, if the single pass fails to result in adequate erasure, and the card subsequently written over the inadequate erasure, the inadequate erasure may not be discovered and the poorly written card given to a customer, or may not be discovered until after the card has been rewritten on by the thermal head and the card discharged from the printer, at which point the card has to be reintroduced into the card printer for reprocessing. In addition, brand new thermally rewritable cards that do not need a thermal erase pass may be introduced into the rewritable card printer. If the card printer is required to perform a thermal erase pass, then such an erase pass on brand new thermally rewritable cards is unnecessary and slows down processing time on those cards.

There is a need for a user of a rewritable card printer to have the ability to choose the number of thermal erase passes to be performed for a write job.

Summary

A system and method are described that allows a user to select the number of thermal erase passes that a thermally rewritable card will undergo in a rewritable card printer. The number of thermal erase passes can be from zero up to any desired number n (0 to n). In one exemplary embodiment, n equals 2, so the user is able to select 0, 1 or 2 erase passes. This is an example only, and the upper limit on the erase passes can be any number.

The specific rewritable card printer used is not critical to the system and the method as long as the card printer has the ability to thermally erase and thermally write on the thermally rewritable card. Therefore, the card printer can include a single thermal write/erase head that performs the heating for both erasing and writing, such as in the SP25 Plus printer, or separate thermal erase and thermal write heads can be used.

The user is presented with the ability to select the desired number of erase passes to be performed. In one exemplary embodiment, the user is presented with a drop down list on a graphical user interface of a computer that is suitably interfaced with the card printer. The drop down list presents to the user a list of available erase passes that can be selected. However, it is possible that instead of a drop down list, the user is simply permitted the ability to enter the desired number of thermal erase passes. In either case, the programming for presenting the drop down list or other erase pass selection capability could reside in the printer driver for the card printer in the computer.

In addition, it is possible that the drop down list or other erase pass selection is provided on a user interface directly on the card printer itself. In this case, the programming for presenting the drop down list or other erase pass selection could reside in the card printer firmware.

By being able to select the number of erase passes, users can choose to speed up write jobs or increase erase quality depending upon their needs.

In one embodiment, a processing method for a thermally rewritable card within a rewritable card printer includes allowing a user to select a number of thermal erase passes to be performed on the thermally rewritable card within the rewritable card printer, the number of thermal erase passes ranging from 0 to n, with n being greater than or equal to 1 , and configuring the rewritable card printer to perform the number of thermal erase passes selected by the user.

In one embodiment, the number of thermal erase passes is presented to the user in a form of a drop down list.

The drop down list can be presented on a user interface of a computer that is interfaced with the rewritable card printer, or on a user interface on the rewritable card printer.

In one example, the number of thermal erase passes ranges from 0 to 2.

The rewritable card printer has a reversible card transport mechanism and a thermal head. If the number of erase passes selected by the user is greater than 1, the method includes passing the thermally rewritable card past the thermal head in a first direction in a first pass, reversing the card transport mechanism to pass the rewritable card past the thermal head in a second direction in a second pass, and reversing the card transport mechanism to pass the rewritable card past the thermal head in the first direction in a third pass.

In one embodiment, the thermal head is heated to perform erasure on the thermally rewritable card on the first pass and on the third pass, or on the first pass and on the second pass.

In another embodiment, the thermal head is heated to perform writing on the thermally rewritable card. Alternatively, separate erase and write heads can be provided.

In one embodiment, a system for processing a thermally rewritable card includes a rewritable card printer having a reversible card transport mechanism and a thermal head, and a computer is interfaced with the rewritable card printer. The computer includes a user interface and a printer driver that is programmed to present to a user on the user interface a user selectable number of thermal erase passes to be performed on the thermally rewritable card within the rewritable card printer, the number of thermal erase passes ranging from 0 to n, with n being greater than or equal to 1.

The number of thermal erase passes can be presented to the user on the user interface in the form of a drop down list.

In one embodiment of the system, the number of thermal erase passes ranges from

O to 2.

In one embodiment of the system, the thermal head is configured to perform both erasure and writing on the thermally rewritable card.

Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates a system described herein.

Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary drop list for selecting the number of thermal erase passes.

Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary process flow of an erase and write method described herein.

Figures 4a-c diagrammatically illustrate a number of passes of the rewritable card past the thermal head of the card printer.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 illustrates a system 10 for processing thermally rewritable cards 12. The system 10 includes a rewritable card printer 14 and a computer 16 that is interfaced with the rewritable card printer.

The thermally rewritable card 12 can be any type of known card having a heat sensitive layer that can be written on by heating the heat sensitive layer at a first temperature, and thermally erased by heating the heat sensitive layer at a second, different temperature, to reverse the coloring of the heat sensitive layer, thereby erasing the applied writing. This process of writing and erasing can be performed a large number of times on the card, allowing the card to be reused.

The card printer 14 can be any rewriteable card printer having a reversible card transport mechanism and a thermal head 18 (illustrated schematically in Figures 4a-c). In the illustrated embodiment, the thermal head 18 is designed to perform both thermal erasure and thermal writing on the thermally rewritable card. One example of a suitable rewritable card printer is the SP25 Plus printer. However, it is also possible that separate thermal heads be provided for the erasure and writing. In some circumstances, the card printer 14 may also have a user interface 20, for example a display screen and/or user actuatable buttons, for displaying information to the user and allowing the user to input user selections.

Cards to be processed (i.e. thermally erased and written) can be introduced into the printer one-by-one manually or via an input hopper mechanism known in the art. After each card is processed, it is discharged from the printer to an outlet suitably located on the printer, for example at a front end of the printer.

The computer 16 can be any type of computer that can suitably interface with the card printer 14. For example, the computer 16 can be a general purpose personal computer, a computer specially design to interface with the card printer, a laptop computer, a mobile device such as handheld devices, handheld computers or handhelds, and tablet computers, and any other device that is capable of performing the functions of the computer 16 described herein.

The computer 16 includes a user interface, for example a display screen that can be a touchscreen display for entering commands by touching the screen. Alternatively, the display screen is for display only and a user enters commands via a mouse/cursor arrangement and/or via a keyboard.

The computer 16 can interface with the card printer 14 via wired connection or wirelessly using techniques well known in the art.

The computer 16 is provided with printer driver software that is configured to allow the user to select a number of thermal erase passes to be performed on the thermally rewritable card 12 within the rewritable card printer 14. The number of thermal erase passes that can be selected by the user ranges from 0 to n, with n being greater than or equal to 1. In one example, the number of thermal erase passes that can be selected by the user ranges from 0 to 2. However, n can be larger or smaller than 2 if desired. Also, in one embodiment, the lower limit of erase passes is not limited to 0 and could be 1.

The number of thermal erase passes can be presented to the user in a number of suitable forms, as long as the user is able to select the desired number of erase passes. In one exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, the user is presented with a drop down list 22 on the graphical user interface of the computer 16 allowing the user to select 0 erase passes, 1 erase pass or 2 erase passes. Selection is made by, for example, clicking on the desired number using a cursor and mouse or by using a finger to touch the desired number in the case of a touchscreen. Another form of a user selection is a list with a radio button next to each of the available erase passes to be selected. Another option is to require the user to enter the desired number of thermal erase passes into an available field.

Although the computer 16 has been described as being provided with printer driver software that is configured to allow the user to select a number of thermal erase passes to be performed, it is possible that the number of thermal erase passes is selected by the user using the user interface 20 on the card printer 14. In this case, the user interface 20 could display the drop down list 22 or other user selection option to permit selection and entry of the number of erase passes to be performed. In this case, the printer firmware would be programmed for presenting the user selection option via the user interface 20.

With reference to Figure 3, a portion of the process flow of a thermal erase and write method is illustrated. The option to select the number of erase passes and the process flow of Figure 3 would be performed as part of the write job set-up when it is desired to write on the card 12. Thus, in addition to allowing the user to enter data relating to the writing that is to be performed on the card 12 for the write job, at step 30 the user is allowed to select the number of thermal erase passes to be performed by the printer 14. The process then proceeds to step 32 where it is determined whether or not the selected number of erase passes equals 0. Zero erase passes may be selected when new thermally rewritable cards are to be written on, or when new writing is to be added to a previously thermally written card without erasing any previously written subject matter.

If it is determined that the number of erase passes selected equals 0, then the process skips to step 34 and the writing is performed on the card by passing the card past the suitably heated thermal head 18.

If it is determined that the number of erase passes selected does not equal 0, then the process proceeds to step 36 where the thermal erase passes are performed by passing the card past the suitably heated thermal head as discussed below with respect to Figures 4a-c. Once the erase passes are performed, the process proceeds to step 34 to perform the writing, followed by discharging the card from the card printer 14 at step 38.

Figures 4a-c diagrammatically illustrate passing the rewritable card 12 past the thermal head 18 of the card printer. Figure 4a shows the card 12 initially upstream of the thermal head 18 and being transported by the card transport mechanism of the printer in a forward (or downstream) transport direction past the thermal head. During this pass, the head 18 can be heated to the first temperature to perform writing on the card (for example when 0 erase passes has been selected) or the head 18 can be heated to the second, different temperature to perform erasing (for example when the number of erase passes selected is greater than 0).

Figure 4b shows the card 12 (at the end of Figure 4a) initially downstream of the thermal head 18 and being transported by the card transport mechanism of the printer in a reverse (or upstream) transport direction past the thermal head. In one embodiment, during this pass, the head 18 is not heated and the card 12 simply passes without erasing or writing. In another embodiment, the head 18 can be heated during this reverse pass to perform erasing or writing.

Figure 4c shows the card 12 (at the end of Figure 4b) initially upstream of the thermal head 18 and being transported by the card transport mechanism of the printer in the forward (or downstream) transport direction past the thermal head. In one embodiment, during this pass, the head 18 is heated to the first temperature to perform writing on the card (for example when 1 erase pass has been selected and erasing is not performed in the reverse pass of Figure 4b), or the head 18 can be heated to the second, different temperature to perform erasing (for example when the number of erase passes selected is 2 and erasing is not performed in in the reverse pass of Figure 4b).

Thus, when 0 erase passes is selected, the card 12 is transported past the head 18

(Figure 4a) which is heated to the temperature to perform writing on the card.

However, as evident from Figures 4a-c, whenever at least 1 erase pass is selected, and a single head 18 that performs both erasing and writing is used, the thermally rewritable card is transported past the thermal head in a first downstream direction in a first pass (Figure 4a), the card is reversed and transported past the thermal head in a second upstream direction in a second pass (Figure 4b), and the card is again reversed and transported past the thermal head in the first downstream direction in a third pass (Figure 4c). Further passes may be required depending upon the number of erase passes selected, and whether or not the head performs erasing on the reverse pass in Figure 4b.

In one embodiment, the thermal head is heated to the second temperature to perform erasure on the thermally rewritable card on the first pass (Figure 4a) and on the third pass (Figure 4c). In another possible embodiment, the thermal head is heated to the second temperature to perform erasure on the thermally rewritable card on the first pass (Figure 4a) and on the second pass (Figure 4b).

The embodiments disclosed in this application are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limitative. The scope of the claimed invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A processing method for a thermally rewritable card within a rewritable card printer, comprising:

allowing a user to select a number of thermal erase passes to be performed on the thermally rewritable card within the rewritable card printer, the number of thermal erase passes ranging from 0 to n, with n being greater than or equal to 1 ; and

configuring the rewritable card printer to perform the number of thermal erase passes selected by the user.

2. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the number of thermal erase passes is presented to the user in a form of a drop down list.

3. The processing method of claim 2, wherein the drop down list is presented on a graphical user interface of a computer that is interfaced with the rewritable card printer, or on a graphical user interface on the rewritable card printer.

4. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the number of thermal erase passes ranges from 0 to 2.

5. The processing method of claim 1, wherein the rewritable card printer has a reversible card transport mechanism and a thermal head, and if the number of erase passes selected by the user is greater than 1 , passing the thermally rewritable card past the thermal head in a first direction in a first pass, reversing the card transport mechanism to pass the rewritable card past the thermal head in a second direction in a second pass, and reversing the card transport mechanism to pass the rewritable card past the thermal head in the first direction in a third pass .

6. The processing method of claim 5, comprising heating the thermal head to perform erasure on the thermally rewritable card on the first pass and on the third pass, or on the first pass and on the second pass.

7. The processing method of claim 6, further comprising heating the thermal head to perform writing on the thermally rewritable card.

8. A system for processing a thermally rewritable card, comprising:

a rewritable card printer having a reversible card transport mechanism and a thermal head;

a computer interfaced with the rewritable card printer, the computer including a graphical user interface and a printer driver that is programmed to present to a user on the graphical user interface a user selectable number of thermal erase passes to be performed on the thermally rewritable card within the rewritable card printer, the number of thermal erase passes ranging from 0 to n, with n being greater than or equal to 1.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the number of thermal erase passes is presented to the user on the graphical user interface in the form of a drop down list.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the number of thermal erase passes ranges from 0 to 2.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the thermal head is configured to perform both erasure and writing on the thermally rewritable card.