US4945217A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hand-held wand for reading electronic tokens
Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products Inc
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Filing: 1989-05-15
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Granted: 1990-07-31
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Expires: 2009-05-15
Abstract
Abstract A wand which provides rapid contact to a two-terminal electronic token data module. The wand includes one contact which will make contact to the periphery of an electronic token which the wand is pressed against, and one contact which will make contact to the center of the token. Preferably the wand includes a base portion which is shaped to be worn on the second joint of a user's finger. This wand can be used for very rapid manual contacting of electronic tokens in various physical positions. This can be very advantageous in a variety of data collection/updating applications such as retail checkout, or tracking work-in-progress in a computer-assisted-manufacturing environment.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael L. Bolan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:33
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C8/00; G11C8/20; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F3/038; G06F3/0383; G06F3/048; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0489; G06F3/04897; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/04; G06K19/041; G06K19/047; G06K19/06; G06K19/067; G06K19/07; G06K19/0701; G06K19/0702; G06K19/0706; G06K19/077; G06K19/07743; G06K7/00; G06K7/0013; G06K7/0021; G06K7/0086; G11C5/00; G11C5/06; G11C5/066; G11C7/00; G11C7/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A wand for rapidly manually contacting two-terminal thin round electronic token data modules, comprising: a base shaped to be firmly supported by the hand of a user; a surface positioned so that a user can bring said surface into contact with the token to be contacted, said surface including a recess therein which is shaped to mate with the token to be contacted, the inner perimeter of said recess being bordered by a conductive ring of conductive material, said ring of conductive material being connected to a first lead wire; an additional exposed contact, positioned substantially in the middle of said recess, said additional contact being connected to a second lead wire; whereby said first and second lead wires can be connected to a host computer to provide a data interface to randomly positioned tokens, as quickly as a user can make contact between said recess and the respective tokens.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
150 words
A wand for rapidly manually contacting two-terminal thin round electronic token data modules, comprising: a base shaped to be firmly supported by the hand of a user; a surface positioned so that a user can bring said surface into contact with the token to be contacted, said surface including a recess therein which is shaped to mate with the token to be contacted, the inner perimeter of said recess being bordered by a conductive ring of conductive material, said ring of conductive material being connected to a first lead wire; an additional exposed contact, positioned substantially in the middle of said recess, said additional contact being connected to a second lead wire; whereby said first and second lead wires can be connected to a host computer to provide a data interface to randomly positioned tokens, as quickly as a user can make contact between said recess and the respective tokens.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The wand of claim 1, wherein said base is shaped to be worn on a user's finger as a ring.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The wand of claim 1, wherein said base is shaped to be worn on the second joint of a user's finger as a ring.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4780707A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-07-30 | 1994-01-29 | 1994-07-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-07-30 | 1998-01-29 | 1998-07-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-07-30 | 2002-01-29 | 2002-07-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |