Device and method for handling objects

Description

The present invention refers to devices and methods for handling objects, which are capable of bringing objects into a plurality of receiving positions and of taking them from this receiving position. In particular, the present invention can find an application when flat objects, for example smart cards, identity cards in the form of a card, passport books or also plug-ins, e.g. SIM cards, are to be handled, for example are to be temporarily stored in a buffer or are to be personalised.

Smart cards and similar objects must be personalised before their use, which means that personal characteristics are inserted into the smart card. These can be electronic data, which are written into a memory by means of electrical signals. They can however also be magnetic data, which are written on a magnetic track. Likewise, writing in plain text or by means of embossed characters in a personalisation station is also possible. The personalisation occurs in so-called personalisation stations, which apply the characteristics on the objects.

There are known personalisation plants, which permit writing in parallel on smart cards, the smart cards being supplied and evacuated by a transport system.

For example, in EP 0 266 926 A2 is described a system for the personalisation of smart cards with a conveyer system that brings the cards into personalisation stations, which are arranged circularly and are moved in a circle. The ring turns from the input station to the output station with a signal element timing such that the maximum time needed for the personalisation is maintained. This system can work only with a fixed number of personalisation stations and

cannot react to individual personalisation times. It always operates with the slowest necessary signal element timing. Furthermore, all the circularly arranged personalisation stations are continuously accelerated and decelerated, which is complex and reduces the system's reliability. A disadvantage is furthermore the fact that a data transmission to the personalisation stations should occur through sliding contacts or an expensive wireless transmission, since, in the case of a data transmission through fixed contacts, large wire strips would also have to be displaced, which, on the one hand, considerably increases the complexity and, on the other hand, gives rise to problems regarding the reliability of the electrical contacts. Comparable problems also arise with the other known solutions, which are outlined hereinafter, in which the personalisation stations are displaced.

From DE 197 09 561 C2 is known a plant for processing smart and/or magnetic-strip cards, which conveys a card magazine, two or more smart and/or magnetic-strip processing stations, at least one card-body processing station for applying non-modifiable data onto the card body and a card- conveying system, which conveys the cards from the card magazine to the smart and/or magnetic-strip processing station and afterwards to the card-body processing station or stations and from there to a further destination. According to this document, it is necessary to go through the personalisation stations in a predetermined way, wherefore a flexible operation is not possible. Furthermore, this plant is of a complex design and requires much operating space.

From DE 102 52 555 Al is known a coding device for smart cards, in which a conveying path is divided into several conveying sections, a first conveying-path section of which is arranged in a first elevator, thereafter several magazine sections are arranged above each other in a magazine, and thereafter a further path section is arranged

in a second elevator. In each of the magazine path-sections is arranged a contact set, which is mutually brought into contact, in activated state, with an associated transport roller, when first control means at the first path section has pushed it into contact, until second control means at the second path section has disconnected it and activated the associated transport roller for conveying. The coding device described in this document is complex, since two elevator mechanisms are provided, which require separate drives. Furthermore, the respective magazine compartments in which the cards are coded are complex, since each of them should include a path section with an associated drive mechanism.

From DE 600 22 073 T2 is known a card-generation system having a plurality of modules, at least two of them having a first and a second IC-card programming module, the first and the second IC-card programming module having a card path, card-transporting means for transporting a card along the card path and means for moving a plurality of card- programming stations along an axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the card path. Each programming station has a place for holding the card while the same is programmed, the means being formed so as to selectively align the places of the programming stations with the card path, so that a card can penetrate into a programming station and be pushed out of the latter, each card- programming station being formed so as to permit that a card can pass through it without programming and without any action on the card. According to this document, programming stations are thus moved in order to bring them into a card path, which is also complex and diminishes the reliability of the system.

Finally, from DE 199 43 285 Al is known a device for performing multiple contacting of smart cards, which has transport means stepwise transporting the smart cards and several work stations combined into a working unit. Next to

the transport means is arranged a cyclically vertically displaceable contacting tower, which contains several superimposed levels of work stations combined into working units, the levels of the work stations being arranged parallel to the level of the transport means and the contacting tower being formed open at least on one side. Smart-card blanks are transported by first transport means next to the contacting tower and entered by transfer means into a first level of the latter, smart cards present at this level and already processed being brought from this level to second transport means. Then the contacting tower is displaced by one level and this next level is equipped in the same way. After completion of the equipping of the entire contacting tower, the entire contacting tower is quickly brought into the starting position. At this time, at least the contacting of the chips at the first level must be completed. DE 199 43 285 Al thus teaches a processing in parallel of smart cards, however according to a fixed predetermined scheme, which does not permit a flexible operation. Furthermore, according to this document, the work stations are also moved, which is again complex and reduces the reliability of the system.

The object of the present invention is to create a device and a method for handling objects, which allow a high degree of flexibility, require a reduced floor space and provide high reliability.

This object is solved by a device for handling objects according to claim 1 and a method for handling objects according to claim 31.

The present invention creates a device for handling objects, with:

a plurality of receiving positions, which are designed, each, so as to receive an object;

at least one transportation module, which has at least one first object-storage area, at least one second object- storage area and means for loading a first object from the first object-storage area into a receiving position and for simultaneously unloading a second object from the receiving position into the second object-storage area, the transportation module being movable with respect to the plurality of receiving positions; and

driving means for moving the transportation module with respect to the plurality of receiving positions, in order to thereby position the first and the second object-storage area and the means for loading the first object and unloading the second object into a loading/unloading position with respect to one of the receiving positions.

Furthermore, the present invention creates a method for handling objects, with the following steps:

moving a transportation module, which has at least one first object-storage area, at least one second object- storage area and means for loading a first object from the first object-storage area into a receiving position and for simultaneously unloading a second object from the receiving position into the second object-storage area, with respect to a plurality of receiving positions into a loading/ unloading position with respect to one of the plurality of receiving positions, so that the first and the second object-storage area and the means for loading the first object and unloading the second object are positioned in the loading/unloading position with respect to the receiving position; and

cause the means for loading and unloading to operate, so that the first object is loaded from the first object- storage area into the receiving position and the second object is simultaneously unloaded from the receiving position into the second object-storage area.

According to the present invention, there is provided a transportation module, which has at least two object- storage areas and means for moving objects between these object-storage areas and a receiving position. According to the invention, both the object-storage areas and the means for loading and unloading are thus positioned with respect to a receiving position, which permits that corresponding loading/unloading means do not have to be provided for each receiving position. According to the invention, the receiving positions can be arranged in a fixed position, vertically above each other or horizontally next to each other. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, processing stations and in particular personalisation stations are associated to each of the receiving positions, whereby the latter can also be arranged in a fixed position, so that complex driving means for the latter, which diminish the reliability, can be avoided.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the driving means is formed so as to move the transportation module along a linear displacement path, which permits a simple construction of the driving means. In further exemplary embodiments, the driving means can have means (linear unit) fixing such a linear displacement path, e.g. a rail, and a driving motor, in order to move the transportation module along this means. Furthermore, several driving means can be provided, in order to move several transportation modules along the linear unit. Alternatively, one or more driving means can be provided, which permits or permit a free movement of one or more transportation modules with respect to a plurality of receiving positions, which provides the highest possible flexibility.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the several receiving position form a pile of receiving positions, which has receiving positions arranged vertically above each other. Several such receiving piles arranged next to

each other can be provided. A transportation module with associated driving means can be provided for each receiving pile. Alternatively, a transportation module can be provided with such driving means, which also permits a movement between piles of receiving positions, so that all receiving positions of several piles of receiving positions can be reached by a transportation module.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the driving means is formed so as to move the transportation module from a position at which the first object is transferred by an upstream station of an object-processing plant to the first object-storage area and at which the second object is transferred from the second object-storage area to a downstream station of an object-processing plant, and the loading/unloading position with respect to a receiving position. At the first-mentioned position, the transportation module is preferably located at an object- transportation level of an object-processing plant, so that the objects can be easily transferred to the upstream and downstream stations of the object-processing plant.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the driving means is formed so as to position the transportation module in the loading/unloading position of a freely selectable one of several receiving positions. The driving means has, in exemplary embodiments, a control unit, which is formed so as to select the freely selectable receiving position depending on control signals, which indicate whether an object can be taken off the corresponding receiving position. For example, the control signals can indicate that an object located in the corresponding receiving position has been personalised. Thus, the present invention permits to equip the receiving positions, which can include in particular processing stations or personalisation stations, as soon as a processing or a personalisation has been completed, which allows an object to be directly taken

off a receiving position, as soon as the processing or personalisation of the same has been completed.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention, a first plurality of receiving positions, which have means for acting on an object in a first way, can be provided with an associated transportation module, and a second plurality of receiving positions, which have means for acting on an object in a second way, which can differ from the first way, can be provided with an associated transportation module. Means can be provided for transferring an object from the transportation module associated with the first plurality to the transportation module associated with the second plurality. In other words, in exemplary embodiments of the invention, several arrangements of personalisation stations can be arranged in cascade behind each other, in order to thus increase the throughput of personalisation operations in a plant. It can be advantageous to proceed in the respective arrangements to different kinds of personalisation. Thus, there can be proceeded to an electrical personalisation of smart cards in a first arrangement, while there can be proceeded to their laser writing in a second arrangement. In different processing modes, a number of processing stations can advantageously be determined in a respective arrangement by the relative duration of the respective treatment. For the processing mode with the largest processing time can be provided most processing stations, while for the other processing modes with shorter processing times can be provided fewer processing stations. A uniform throughput in the entire plant can thus be achieved.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the receiving positions can represent pure buffer positions, i.e. intermediate storage positions, in order to form a card- buffer station. Thus, the present invention could be used for example between two systems for transferring objects between the systems, for example in order to buffer varying

clock cycles of the systems or short stops of one of the systems, without reducing the throughput of others.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention permit that the receiving positions or processing stations, in which objects are to be supplied or from which objects are to be taken are determined by a control unit independently from each other, no sequence having to be observed. Furthermore, exemplary embodiments of the invention permit that objects, which do not require a respective type of processing are simply pushed through the corresponding processing station, so that a uniform flow can be maintained for several objects that require different processing.

The present invention thus permits in a flexible way an effective execution in parallel of operations of buffering, processing or personalisation of objects. In particular, the invention is suitable for handling flat objects, in particular smart cards, plug-ins (such as SIM cards), magnetic-strip cards, identification documents such as identity cards in the form of a card or passport books and the like, and in particular for handling such documents, in order to achieve a personalisation of the same. To this end, adequate personalisation means can be associated with the respective receiving positions, for example in order to personalise an object by means of electrical signals via contact pins, contactless or by means of laser writing. For example, the personalisation stations could also be formed so as to write magnetic data on a magnetic track.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present application are described in more detail, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a device according to invention;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic side view of an exemplary embodiment of a device according to invention;

Fig. 3 shows an isometric view from below of an exemplary embodiment of a personalisation station;

Fig. 4 shows an isometric view from above of the personalisation station shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 schematically shows an arrangement in cascade of two devices as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a device according to invention; and

Fig. Ia-Ic show schematic representations of different exemplary embodiments of the invention.

In the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments, the present invention is described based on smart cards and personalisation stations, whereby it is however clear that the present invention is also applicable to other objects and receiving positions.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a personalisation plant for smart cards in plan view, while in Fig. 2 is shown a side view of the same.

Several personalisation stations, two of which are designated in Fig. 2 by way of an example by reference numeral 10, are arranged vertically above each other on a support 12. A transportation module 14 and driving means 16 are provided, the driving means 16 permitting a vertical displacement of the transportation module 14, in order to position the same in a loading/unloading position with respect to one of the personalisation stations 10. In Fig.

2, the transportation module is arranged in the loading/

unloading position with respect to the lowest personalisation station 10.

The transportation module 14 includes a continuous conveyer belt 18, on which are fixed catch pins 20, which can be referred to as cams. The cams 20 can for example be welded to the continuous conveyer belt 18. The conveyer belt 18 is guided on rollers 22, at least one of which can be driven, in order to thus cause a displacement of the continuous conveyer belt 18 and, hence of the catch pins 20. The transportation module includes, furthermore, smart card storage areas 24 and 26, the storage area 24 representing a storage area for supplying a smart card into the personalisation station 10 and the storage area 26 representing a storage area for taking a smart card from the personalisation station 10. The smart card storage areas 24 and 26 have respective rollers 28, through which smart cards can be transported. For example, the smart cards can be held and guided in the roller gap between opposite rollers, which are adequately pre-tensioned against each other. The smart card storage areas 24 and 26 as well as the rollers 22, which, together with the continuous conveyer belt 18 and the catch pins 20, form a cam drive, are adequately maintained on a support 30 of the transportation module, through which the transportation module can be displaced vertically by the driving means 16. Alternatively, the transportation module can have, instead of the guiding rollers, e.g. spring-loaded guides into which the cards are inserted, and by which the cards are held while the transportation module is moved.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the personalisation stations 10 include, each, opposite guiding grooves 32, which are adapted for receiving a smart card 34, for inserting it into the personalisation station and for maintaining it in the latter. The Personalisation stations include, furthermore, a contact head 36, which is vertically movable in the personalisation station, so that the latter can be

lowered onto the smart card 34, in order to perform, through respective contacts of the latter, contacts on the smart card.

In operation, the transportation module 14 is first moved by means of the driving means 16 into a position, in which a smart card can be taken from a preceding station or a preceding module of a card-processing path. To this end, the transportation module 14 is brought at the card transportation level of the card-processing path, whereby the card-transportation level can for example be located under the pile of personalisation stations 10 shown in Fig. 2. In this position, a card is transferred from a module arranged upstream in the card path, for example in that the continuous conveyer belt 18 is operated so that the card is transported, by means of a catch pin 20, from a preceding module onto the smart-card storage area 24. This operation is shown in Fig. 1 by the card positions 34a, 34b and 34c, the card being in the position 34c on the smart-card storage area 24. The transfer of the smart card from the preceding module can occur e.g. in that the preceding module pushes the smart card into a position in which it can be engaged by one of the catch pins 20 and pushed onto the storage area 24.

At the same time, at this position, a smart card, which is at position 34d, can be transferred to a following module of the card-processing path, as shown by the card positions 34d and 34e in Fig. 1. To this end, one of the catch pins 20 engages the card present at the position 34d and pushes it off the storage area 26, whereupon the card can be taken over by a suitable catch pin of a following module. The arrows in Fig. 1 represent a card-displacement direction between the card positions.

Thus, a smart card received from the preceding module is located in the storage area 24, while the storage area 26 is empty. The transportation module 14 is then moved

vertically by means of the driving means 16, which can be formed for example by an elevator, and the smart card present in the storage area 24 is brought to the level of the personalisation station into which the smart card is to be inserted. During this movement, the two smart-card storage areas 24 and 26 and the continuous conveyer belt 18, the catch pins 20 and the rollers 22 are brought together into a loading/unloading position with respect to the corresponding personalisation station 10, since all these components are carried by the transportation module.

In the loading/unloading position, the continuous conveyer belt 18 is activated, so that one of the catch pins 20 pushes the smart card present at the storage area 24 from the rollers 28 into the personalisation station 10. At the same time, another catch pin 20 pushes a card present in the personalisation station, which is indicated in Fig. 1 by the position 34f, onto the rollers 28 of the smart-card storage area 26. Thus, a smart card not yet personalised was pushed from the storage area 24 into the personalisation station, while a personalised smart card was pushed from the personalisation station 10 onto the storage area 26.

Afterwards, the transportation module 14 is again moved vertically by the driving means into the position in which the card present in the storage area 26 can be transferred to a following module and another card to be personalised can be taken over from a preceding module.

As soon as a card has been brought into a personalisation station and the personalisation has begun, the transportation module can thus, by means of the driving means, be moved again to the card-transportation level, in order to receive the next card. When all the personalisation stations are equipped with cards and the personalisation in the first filled unit has been completed, the transportation module can, as a matter of

fact, again be moved with a new received card to this station, in order to take the personalised card from the personalisation station and to insert the new card into the same .

In the described exemplary embodiment, the rollers 28 facilitate the pushing of the respective card from and onto the storage areas 24 and 26. In the personalisation station, the respective card 34 is guided and held by the grooves 32. While the smart card 34 is present in the personalisation station 10, the contact head 36 is lowered in order to come into contact with the smart card and to personalise it, i.e. in order to insert characteristics related to a person into the smart card or to apply them on the same. Such personalisation can occur in any known way, for example in that electrical signals are written into a memory, or in that magnetic data are written on a magnetic track. This can occur both through contact and contactless. Furthermore, in the personalisation .station can take place a writing in plain text or through embossed characters. As soon as the personalisation is completed, the smart card can again be removed from the personalisation station. A control unit (not shown) can have knowledge of the respective personalisation time and, based on this knowledge, control the transportation module, in order to remove, as efficiently as possible, personalised cards from the respective personalisation stations 10 and to bring new cards to be personalised into the latter. The control unit can furthermore be formed so as to adjust the transportation speed of the transportation module 14 for an efficient operation. The individual personalisation stations can, furthermore, deliver control signals to the control unit, which indicate that the personalisation of an object has been completed, so that the control unit controls, based on these control signals, the movement of the transportation module and thus the selection of a personalisation station 10.

Fig. 3 represents a view from below of a personalisation station 10, while Fig. 4 represents a view from above of the same. The personalisation station 10 includes the guiding grooves 32 and the contact head 36, which is provided with contacts 38. A lever 40 is provided in order to raise and lower the contact head 36 or the contact pins 38 of the same, in order to allow performing the contacting of a smart card. A stop 42 is provided, which can be pivoted about a pivoting axis 44, in order to move the same into and from a card path. A smart card 34 is represented in Fig. 3 transparent and with a broken line.

A smart card is pushed by one of the catch pins 20 along a card path, which is fixed by the grooves 32, into the personalisation station, until it reaches the stop 42. The smart card is now in the position for a personalisation, so that the contact pins 38 are lowered, through the lever 40, onto the smart card and contact and personalise the latter. After the personalisation, the stop 42 is pivoted out of the card path and the card 34 is engaged by one of the catch pins 20 and pushed onto the storage area 26. In Fig. 4 are represented, furthermore, sliding bearings 46 through which the contact head 36 is guided in parallel, in order to enter into contact with a smart card.

In Fig. 5 are represented in cascade two devices according to Fig. 1, identical elements in both devices being designated with the same reference numerals. A card path through the devices in cascade is represented in Fig. 5 by the respective card positions and arrows. Each of the two devices in cascade 50 and 52 includes the transportation module 14 through which cards can be moved horizontally, thus perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the transportation module, by means of the continuous conveyer belt 18 and the catch pins 20. Arranged between the transportation modules in cascade is a card guide 54, which has rollers 56 by means of which a card is transferred from the device 52 to the device 50. In the arrangement shown,

the position 34a associated with the device 50 and the position 34e associated with the device 52 coincide. In this exemplary embodiment in cascade, the device 52 thus represents a preceding module from which the transportation module 14 of the device 50 receives a smart card. Alternatively, the transportation modules can be formed so as to permit a direct transfer of objects between them, the transportation modules having, in such case, corresponding transfer means.

In preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a personalisation of smart cards occurs in a fixed tower takes place in which personalisation units are arranged vertically above each other. For example, 30 personalisation stations or personalisation units can be arranged in such a tower or pile, whereby the distance of the cards between the individual units can be of about 30 mm, so that an overall height of 900 mm would be obtained. Linear driving means for moving an associated transportation module would be somewhat longer, due to the necessary connection points at the ends, so that the overall height would be somewhat larger.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention, the transportation module can include a roller drive, which receives a card from a preceding module and transports it until the driving pulley of the same moves freely. Fig. 6 shows a schematic view in which such a roller drive is schematically represented as block 60. The cam drive described, which has the continuous conveyer belt 18, the catch pins 20 and the rollers 22, is schematically represented in Fig. 6 by blocks 62. After a card has been positioned by the roller drive 60, it is transported by the cam drive 62 into the personalisation unit, whereby it can be transported further, after successful personalisation, by the cam drive and transferred in the card-transportation level to a following module. Optionally, a further roller drive can also be provided here, as indicated by reference

numeral 64 in Fig. 6. In the example shown in Fig. 6 is provided a supporting tower 66 by which can be held a plurality of personalisation stations 68, which are shown separately in Fig. 6 for representation purposes. The tower 66 is formed so as to hold an arrangement 68a to 68f of 5 personalisation stations. Furthermore, in Fig. 6 is schematically shown a control module 70, also separately for representation purposes, which contains the electronic components for performing the control of all drives and actuators, which are necessary for the operation of the device or for the execution of the method.

Furthermore, in Fig. 6 is shown a mounting plate 72 on which can be mounted the components of the device represented. Furthermore, in Fig. 6 can be seen that the driving means has a rail 74, which provided a linear movement for the transportation module.

In exemplary embodiments of the invention can be provided two systems according to Fig. 6, which are arranged in a mirror-image arrangement with respect to each other, in that their mounting plates 66 are facing each other, so that a user located between the two systems has access to both systems, without being hindered by the rails of the driving means. The card-movement direction would be the same for both systems. Furthermore, a double card path could be provided at the inlet, one system receiving cards from a first card path and the other system receiving cards from a second card path. After personalisation of the cards by the two systems, the latter could then be transferred into a common card path at the outlet.

Figs. 7a to 7c show only schematically how flexibly the present invention can be used.

Thus, Fig. 7a shows two piles of personalisation stations 80 and 82 arranged next to each other and a transportation module 84, which can be moved in at least two directions

perpendicular to each other with respect to the piles 80 and 82, as shown by the arrows 86 in Fig. 7a. Thus, each personalisation station of the two piles 80 and 82 can be reached by the transportation module.

According to Fig. 7b, two piles of personalisation stations 80 and 82 are provided, to each of them being however associated one single transportation module 84, which are each movable only linearly in one direction, as indicated by arrows 86 in Fig. 7b.

Finally, Fig. 7c shows a variant in which to one of the piles of personalisation stations 80 are associated two transportation modules 84, which are each movable linearly in one direction, see arrows 86. In this exemplary embodiment can be used for example a linear unit with a linear motor on which can be moved several transportation modules movable independently from each other. The upper transportation module can supply personalisation stations above a system card-path level 90, while the lower transportation module can supply personalisation stations below the system card-path level. In such an exemplary embodiment, it is preferably ensured by the control unit that no unintentional meeting of the two transportation modules occurs. The system card-path level can, as shown, be arranged centrically with respect to the rail or can be offset upward or downward, so that there is no symmetrical division of the receiving positions with respect to the system card-path level.

The present invention permits a vertical or horizontal arrangement of the receiving positions or personalisation stations. Alternatively, the latter can however also be arranged according to arbitrary angles or irregularly, for example at different distances.

Alternatively to the exemplary embodiment described, each transportation module can have more than 2 card-storage

areas. Then, means can be provided for moving an object between the object-storage areas. For example, two objects could be received, before one of these objects is brought into a receiving position by the transportation module. In the same way, two objects could be taken from receiving positions, before they are transferred to a downstream module. Furthermore, cards arranged on two storage areas of the transportation module could simultaneously be transferred to the receiving positions of two piles of personalisation stations arranged next to each other, while two cards are simultaneously received from the receiving positions in two further storage areas of the transportation module, so that two cards can be transferred to personalisation stations and taken from the same with one displacement operation of the transportation module.

The present invention also allows passing objects or cards through receiving positions, without buffering, processing or personalising them. Such passing through can preferably occur in the card-transportation level, since it is then easily possible to pass for example a card identified as being defect, without having to personalise it, so that useless expenses can be avoided here.

The solution approach according to invention is characterised by a simple construction of the system, a good retrofitting possibility on the site, the use of known technologies, many repeated parts, high transportation speed of the elevator, a good manufacturing cost-effective scalability, a good extension in the event of changed personalisation times and high flexibility. Thanks to a simple construction of the system using a known linear technique, the operation risk can be minimized and high reliability can be ensured. Furthermore, thanks to the reduced number of components required and the use of many identical parts, the cost can be reduced. The good retrofitting possibility on the site is provided by the good scalability of the mounting plate, for example the

mounting plate 66 in Fig. 6. Such a mounting plate can, furthermore, have a basic unit without contacts at card- transportation level, which serves only for the transportation of cards, as shown in the centre of the mounting plate 66 of Fig. 6.

According to the invention, a device can have a first number of receiving positions, however not all of which are activated, so that a transportation module is moved only between a subset of the receiving positions. For example, the entire first number of receiving positions does not have to be reached if a second number of receiving positions, which is smaller than the first number, is enough to reach a determined throughput. Furthermore, for example receiving positions identified as being defect and associated processing stations can be deactivated, so that they are no longer reached.