The present invention relates to a method of transferring informa¬ tion from a computer to a magnetic card and a corresponding informa¬ tion carrier wherein information is recorded in the magnetic field of the magnetic card in machine-readable form by a reading head and information is transferred to the information carrier in visually legible form.

In connection with central issuance of tickets for means of trans¬ port, e.g. airline and ferry tickets, which ticket issuing is typically made by air line companies, shipping companies and agents of such transport companies, 5-10,000 tickets will typically be issued per day.

In connection with the ticket issuing, information as to the cu¬ stomer and the booked transport service, including travelling destination, seat/cabin number, price, etc., will be recorded on the ticket. Furthermore, the ticket issuing procedure comprises regi¬ stration and check of the ticket as well as putting it into an envelope and delivering the envelope with its contents to the post office.

In recent years the ticket issuing procedure has been facilitated by the introduction of computers, said computers being used for re¬ cording all relevant information concerning the desired transport service and for transferring relevant information to the ticket blank to create the finished ticket which is subsequently mailed to the customer.

International patent publication No. 089/03098 discloses a ticket issuing system based on the use of tickets in the form of magnetic cards. In the use of the prior art ticket issuing system a central computer is used which communicates with a number of ticket issuing stations, each of which communicates with a unit for the transfer of relevant information to the magnetic card. The information is recorded on the magnetic card partly in machine-readable form and

partly as printed information on a suitable portion of the magnetic card.

In mailing the ticket to the customer the ticket will normally be put in an envelope, optionally accompanied by a covering letter. In this last operation it may happen that the ticket is not accompanied by the proper covering letter or it may be put in a wrong envelope for which reason the customer does not receive the correct ticket.

A further disadvantage of the prior art ticket issuing system is that the check on whether the customer receives the correct ticket and the work in connection with putting the ticket into an envelope is time- and work-consuming.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the problems of the type described above in cases where information is to be transferred to a magnetic card as well as to a corresponding information carrier, e.g. in the form of a covering letter or an envelope.

According to the invention this object is obtained with a method which is characterized in that at least part of the recording/read¬ ing out of information is carried out while the magnetic card is secured to the information carrier, and that the reading head during the recording/reading out of information on the magnetic field of the magnetic card is positioned directly dependent on the position of the magnetic card.

The invention is based on the realization that the transfer of ma¬ chine-readable information to the magnetic field of a magnetic card and visually legible information to the information carrier and optionally also to the magnetic card requires apparatuses operating at different rhythms.

Thus, the recording and printing of machine-readable information will normally take place while the magnetic card is advanced at an even speed while the transfer of visually legible information, which is normally effected in a printing proces, takes place stepwise.

Hence it will be necessary to perform said operations separately. If

the information carrier is e.g. an endless paper web of form mem¬ bers, it will thus be necessary to allow the paper web to form a loose loop between the apparatuses used to perform the above men¬ tioned operations. Thus, there will exist a considerable risk of the transfer members getting out of register with the magnetic card and the information carrier which may result in that the recording/- printing of the machine-readable information on the magnetic card becomes inaccurate and/or that the visually legible information is not placed at the desired places.

Furthermore, the invention is based on the realization that while it is impossible to effect a sufficiently precise recording of the information in the magnetic field of the magnetic card so as to make it possible to decode the magnetic card so recorded by conventional decoders by controlling the movement of the reading head in relation to the information carrier, e.g. in relation to one of the edges thereof, this problem is overcome by controlling the reading head in relation to the magnetic card thereby making it possible to record information on the magnetic card while it is secured to the infor- mation carrier.

By securing the magnetic card to the information carrier during at least part of the procedure for recording information it is ensured that there is full agreement between the information transferred to the magnetic card and the information transferred to the information carrier.

For instance, if the encoding of information in the magnetic field is effected first, it will e.g. be possible to ensure by simul- taneous recording of a control code in the magnetic field that the information which e.g. is transferred to the information carrier by printing corresponds to the information in the magnetic field.

A preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention furthermore comprises a transfer of information to the magneti card in a visually legible form. The magnetic card may e.g. have aι ₍ area intended for printing of visually legible information.

For further explanation of the possibilities and advantages

obtainable by providing a magnetic card to be used as a ticket with machine-readable information as well as with visually legible information reference is made to the specification of the above- identified international patent publication No. WO 89/03098.

This will usually be necessary when the method according to the invention is used for ticket issuance.

The securing of the magnetic card is preferably effected by gluing, but other methods of securing can also be used.

The gluing must be sufficiently strong to fix the magnetic card relative to the information carrier. On the other hand it is pre¬ ferred that the attachment is so weak that the receiver of the ticket may easily remove the magnetic card from the information carrier without damaging the magnetic card. It is particularly preferred to use a glue of the latex type, as such glue may be com¬ posed in such a way that the glue remains on the paper sheet after removal of the magnetic card so that it does not interfere with the subsequent use of the magnetic card.

For the sake of clarity the method according to the invention will be described below with reference to a ticket issuing procedure, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to this use, but that it may also be used in connection with the issue and forwarding of other types of magnetic cards, e.g. identification cards, drivers' licenses, credit cards, lending cards and similar cards, on which information has been recorded in machine-readable and optionally also in visually legible form.

For the sake of clarity the information carrier will be referred to below as the paper sheet, but it is to be understood that the information carrier need not be made of paper and that it need not have the shape of a sheet proper, but may e.g. be an envelope or a member which after suitable folding forms an envelope.

In issuing a ticket in the form of a magnetic card by the method according to the invention it will typically be desirable to carry out the following five operations:

(1) securing the magnetic card to the paper sheet;

(2) recording information in the magnetic field of the magnetic card in machine-readable form;

(3) optionally printing information in visually legible form onto a suitable portion of the magnetic card;

(4) printing the customer's name and address onto the paper sheet and optionally other information of importance to the custo¬ mer's use of the ticket, and

(5) putting the ticket into an envelope or converting of the paper sheet into an envelope.

Among these operations the operations 1, 2, 3 and 4 may be carried out in different orders, e.g.:

In some instances, viz. where the information already recorded in the magnetic field forms the basis of the transfer of information to another portion of the magnetic card or to the information carrier, the following further orders of operation may occur:

It will usually be preferable to glue the magnetic card onto the paper sheet before information is transferred to paper sheets and magnetic cards. This corresponds to one the operation orders denoted A, B, C, D, E and F.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention is a method which corresponds to operation order A and which is characterized in that the magnetic card is secured to the information carrier by gluing, that machine-readable travel informa¬ tion is recorded in the magnetic field of the magnetic card, that visually legible travel information is printed on the magnetic card, and that a text, such as the customer's name and address, is printed on the information carrier in visually legible form.

The operation orders mentioned above need not be carried out without interruptions. Thus, a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that for recording information in machine-readable form on the magnetic cards and for transferring information in visually legible form to the magnetic card and the information carrier premade members consisting of blank or preprin¬ ted information carriers with blank magnetic cards glued thereon are used. Thus, by separating the production of the members and the transfer of information thereto a higher degree of flexibility and a higher production rate on the point of use may be obtained.

Instead of printing the texts onto the magnetic cards and the paper sheet in separate operations it may sometimes be desirable to carry out these operations in one step and by using the same printer. It will e.g. be possible to carry out the operations 3 and 4 simulta¬ neously.

In connection with the above described embodiment it may be

preferable to introduce a control code in the machine-readable text so as to ensure that the information which is subsequently transferred to the magnetic card and information carrier corresponds to the machine-readable text recorded.

In some instances it may be desirable to print name and address on the paper in an initial printing operation and then glue the magne¬ tic card onto the paper sheet and subsequently record information in the magnetic field of the magnetic card in machine-readable form and transfer information in visually readable form to another portion of the magnetic card.

In this case, which corresponds to the operation orders G, H, J and S, it may be desirable to provide the paper sheet with a block or pin code which ensures that the information transferred to the magnetic card after gluing corresponds to the text printed on the paper sheet if the transfer of information to the magnetic card is not effected in direct continuation of the printing of the text on the paper sheet, e.g. in connection with a breakdown.

The control of the position of the reading head in direct dependency of the position of the magnetic card may take place in a number of ways.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention the magnetic card and the paper sheet are interconnected in a zone around the middle of the magnetic card, and the magnetic card is held in tracks during the recording of information in its magnetic field, said tracks surrounding the opposite side or end edges of the magnetic card. Thereby, the portions of the paper sheet which are not connected to the magnetic sheet are caused to depend from the guide track, and it is avoided that the paper sheet interferes with the control of the reading head in relation to the magnetic card.

In another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention a magnetic card is used with at least two positioning holes, and the magnetic card is fixed during the recording of infor¬ mation in its magnetic field by positioning means which are located in said holes and which fix the magnetic card in relation to the

reading head.

The positioning means are preferably pins each comprising two or more parts and being constructed so that the two parts may be caused to move away from each other and thereby abut firmly against the hole edges so as to obtain a firm fixation of the magnetic card.

In the above described two embodiments a stationary reading head is preferably used, and the magnetic card is moved relative to the reading head.

However, it is also possible to use a movable reading head and a stationary magnetic card by recording the position of the magnetic card and by controlling the movement of the reading head in depen- dency on the recorded position of the magnetic card.

The registration of the position of the magnetic card and the control of the reading head may e.g. be carried out electronically during the recording.

The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the above described method. The apparatus according to the invention comprises a reading head for recording information in the magnetic field of a magnetic card in machine-readable form and a printer for printing information in visually legible form on an information carrier, and the apparatus is characterized in that it further comprises means for controlling, during the recording of information in the magnetic field of the magnetic card, the position of the reading head in direct dependency on the position of the magnetic card, while secured to the information carrier.

The invention further relates to a member comprising a blank magne¬ tic card secured to an information carrier which is optionally provided with a general preprinted text.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, where

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a ticket issuing

procedure using an embodiment of the method according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a magnetic card to be used in connection with the embodiment according to the invention illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows the ticket obtained in accordance with the method according to Fig. 1 and with a corresponding accompanying letter;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of a movable positioning means to be used when positioning a magnetic card;

Fig. 5 shows an end view of the positioning means shown in Fig. 4 and with positioning pin members located close to one another;

Fig. 6 shows an end view of the positioning member shown in Fig. 4 and with separated positioning pin members;

Fig. 7 shows a top view of two guide tracks for the guide pins of the positioning means shown in Figs. 4-6.,

Fig. 8 shows a diagrammatical side view of an apparatus for produ¬ cing and advancing members consisting of a paper sheet with magnetic cards fixed thereto and comprising the positioning means shown in Figs. 4-6 and the track configuration shown in Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 shows a vertical cross-section of a further positioning means on a paper sheet having a magnetic card glued thereto.

In Fig. 1 the reference numeral 1 denotes a supply for a web 2 of paper sheets 3, which are connected along transverse perforation lines 4. The web 1 is guided around a roller 5 and further under a glue dispenser 6 to deposit glue spots on the web 2 at predetermined intervals. The web 2 then passes under a supply 7 for magnetic cards

8, and from the supply 7 a magnetic card 8 is released every time a glue spot passes under the supply 7. The web 2 with the magnetic cards 8 glued thereon is then guided into a recording apparatus 9, wherein a machine-readable test is recorded in the magnetic field of the magnetic card. Then the web 2 with the magnetic cards is succes¬ sively guided through a first printer 10 printing a visually legible text on the magnetic cards and a second printer 11 printing name and address on the paper sheets and optionally any further information desired. After having left the second printer 11 the web is guided into a check and separation apparatus 12, which both checks that the magnetic card 8 is provided with the desired machine-readable text and carries out a separation of the paper sheets 3. The separated paper sheets 3 with their magnetic cards are then guided to a packing station 13, in which the paper sheets 3 with magnetic cards 8 are folded and put into envelopes so as to form finished letters 14.

The above mentioned operations are controlled by a computer 15, from which information is output to the recording apparatus 9, the first printer 10 and the second printer 11 to record a machine-readable text on the magnetic cards 8 and a visually legible text on the magnetic cards 8 as well as the paper sheets 3.

The computer 15 further receives registration data from the check and separation apparatus 12.

The magnetic card shown in Fig. 2 comprises a magnetic field 20 and a portion 21 for visually legible text 22. Additionally, the magne¬ tic card has four positioning holes 23.

The paper sheet shown in Fig. 3 has a name and address field 25, a magnetic card field 26, in which a magnetic card glued onto the paper sheet is arranged, and a text field 27 with a text 28, which may be preprinted, or which is printed simultaneously with the printing of the name and address in the field 25.

The movable positioning means shown in Figs. 4-6 consist of two guide pins 30 and 31, which are mounted on a common shaft 32, and which are each connected with a pin part 33, 34, which form a

positioning pin 35 having a circular cross-section (cf. Figs. 4 and 5), when the guide pins 30 and 31 are moved away from each other, and which are moved towards each other when the guide pins are moved away from each other and consequently are caused to abut against the edges of a hole in a magnetic card.

During the movement of the positioning means the guide pins are placed in guide tracks 36 and 37, cf. Fig. 7.

During the part of the movement where the requirements to the posi¬ tioning of the magnetic card arranged on the positioning pin 35 are not strict, the distance between the guide tracks 36 and 37 is such, cf. Fig. 5, that the pin members 33 and 34 are aligned, while in an area 38, where an accurate positioning of the magnetic card is required, the pin members 33 and 34 are close to each other, cf. Figs. 6 and 7. As will appear from Fig. 6, the guide pins 30 and 31 are maintained in position under the influence of spring-loaded blocks 39 in the area 38.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 8 comprises two chain wheels 50 for advancing a chain, which is not shown, and to which positioning means 51 of the type described under Figs. 4-6 are secured. The apparatus further comprises a roller 52 for advancing a paper web 53 with holes arranged in pairs at a distance corresponding to the distance between the positioning holes m the magnetic cards intro¬ duced on the paper web 53 from a supply 57 placed over the roller 52, the magnetic cards being arranged in such a way on the paper web 53 that the positioning holes in the magnetic cards are in registra¬ tion with the paper web 53. This has the effect that the pins 35 of the positioning means 51 during the advancing movement of the chain are guided up through said holes, and after the positioning means 51 have passed the area where the magnetic cards are encoded by means of a reading head, which is not shown, they are again removed from the holes by lifting the paper web 53 from the chain to an endless conveyor 54, which is mounted around two supporting rollers 55 and 56. During the advancing movement of the conveyor 54 the magnetic cards as well as the paper web may be provided with a print by means of printers not shown.

Fig. 9 shows a paper sheet 60 which by gluing is connected with a central portion 61 of a magnetic card 62 in such a way that the side edges of the paper sheet 60 are hanging freely below a double-sided guide bracket 63 for the magnetic card 62. During the advancing movement of the magnetic card in the guide bracket 63 the magnetic card can only move slightly sidewards, and it will therefore be possible to carry out an exact recording of information in the magnetic field of the magnetic card by means of a reading head not shown, which may be arranged stationarily over the guide bracket 63.