Document-coding method and apparatus

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 including the step of printing the generated signal on a permanent record for storage in said system.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 including the step of generating a second sense signal when the data in said first means bears a relation of a second sense to the data in said second means, and rejecting the coded document in response to a second sense signal.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 including the step of dispensing an object identified by the independently generated data.

Claim 6

In an article-dispensing system actuated by a coded document, comprising: a reader for sensing a credit limit from encoded data on said document and for generating a credit limit code, means for generating an article code representing an article selected to be dispensed, means for comparing the credit limit code with the generated article code and producing an article-dispensing signal where the credit limit code exceeds the article code, means responsive to the article-dispensing signal for subtracting the article code from the credit limit code to reflect the selected article and thereby reduce the credit limit, means for recoding said document with the encoded data repreSenting the reduced credit limit, and means responsive to the article-dispensing signal to release the selected article from the dispensing system.

Claim 7

In an article-dispensing system actuated by a coded document, comprising: a reader for sensing a credit limit from encoded data on said document and for generating a credit limit code, means for generating an article code representing an article selected to be dispensed, means for comparing the credit limit code with the generated article code and producing an article-dispensing signal where the credit limit code exceeds the article code, means responsive to the article-dispensing signal for subtracting the article code from the credit limit code to reflect the selected article and thereby reduce the credit limit, means for recoding said document with the encoded data repreSenting the reduced credit limit, and means responsive to the article-dispensing signal to release the selected article from the dispensing system.

Claim 8

In an article-dispensing system as set forth in claim 5 including: means for generating a reject signal when a comparison of the credit limit code with the generated article code bears a relationship such that the article value exceeds the credit limit value, and means responsive to the reject signal to indicate said document is not acceptable to the system.

Claim 9

In an article-dispensing system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said reader is sensitive to magnetic data encoded on said document.

Claim 10

In an article-dispensing system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said reader is light responsive and the data on said document is in the form of punched holes.

Claim 11

In an article-dispensing system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the modified data is applied to a document in the form of a series of punched holes.

Claim 12

In an article-dispensing system actuated by a coded document, comprising: a reader for sensing a credit limit from encoded data on said document and for generating a credit limit code, means for storing the credit limit code from said reader, means for generating an article code representing an article selected to be dispensed independently of said document, means for storing the generated article code introduced into said system independently of said document, means for comparing the contents of said first and second storing means and producing an article-dispensing signal when the credit limit exceeds the article value, means responsive to the article-dispensing signal for subtracting the article code in the second storing means from the credit limit code in the first storing means to reflect the selected article value to thereby reduce the credit limit, means responsive to the article-dispensing signal for applying encoded data representing the new credit limit to said document and for releasing said document from the system, and means responsive to the article-dispensing signal to release the selected article from the dispensing signal.

Claim 13

In an article-dispensing system actuated by a coded document, comprising: a reader for sensing a credit limit from encoded data on said document and for generating a credit limit code, means for storing the credit limit code from said reader, means for generating an article code representing an article selected to be dispensed independently of said document, means for storing the generated article code introduced into said system independently of said document, means for comparing the contents of said first and second storing means and producing an article-dispensing signal when the credit limit exceeds the article value, means responsive to the article-dispensing signal for subtracting the article code in the second storing means from the credit limit code in the first storing means to reflect the selected article value to thereby reduce the credit limit, means responsive to the article-dispensing signal for applying encoded data representing the new credit limit to said document and for releasing said document from the system, and means responsive to the article-dispensing signal to release the selected article from the dispensing signal.

Claim 14

In an article-dispensing system as set forth in claim 10 including: means for generating a reject signal when the code in said second storing means representing the value of an article selected is greater than a code in said first storing means representing a credit limit value, and means responsive to the reject signal to indicate the document is unacceptable to the system.

Claim 15

In an article-dispensing system as set forth in claim 10 including means for permanently storing in the system data from said first and second storing means.