Card printer automat for producing unique plastic cards

Abstract

The card-printing vending machine (10) comprises a processor-based control unit (12), a touch-screen (14) electronically connected thereto, a card-printing unit (16) provided with a card holder (17) for storing a plurality of unprinted plastic cards, and a bank card reading unit (18), which are all arranged in a house. A communication interface (20) for establishing an interconnection with a remote database storing a plurality of card designs is electronically connected to the control unit (12).

Claims

1. A card-printing vending machine (10), comprising a processor-based control unit (12), a touch-screen (14) electronically connected thereto, a card-printing unit (16) provided with a card holder (17) for storing a plurality of unprinted plastic cards, and a bank card reading unit (18), which are all arranged in a house, characterized in that a communication interface (20) for establishing an interconnection with a remote database storing a plurality of card designs is electronically connected to said control unit (12).

2. The card-printing vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a paper card printer is electronically connected to the control unit (12).

3. The card-printing vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a receipt printing unit is electronically connected to the control unit (12).

4. The card-printing vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a sticker printer, preferably for printing a single-row sticker band, is electronically connected to the control unit (12).

5. The card-printing vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a scanner is electronically connected to the control unit (12).

6. The card-printing vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the house (30) is equipped with an LCD display, preferably at the upper part thereof.

Description

[0009] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of the card-printing vending machine according to the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 2 depicts a functional block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the card-printing vending machine according to the present invention.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, a card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention comprises a processor-based control unit 12, a touch-screen 14, a printing unit 16, a bank card reading unit 18 and a communication interface 20. These components are arranged in an ergonomic, vandal-resistant house.

[0013] The touch-screen 14, the printing unit 16, the bank card reading unit 18 and the communication interface 20 are electronically connected to the processor-based control unit 12.

[0014] The touch-screen 14 forms a data input-output device which allows the user to use the card-printing vending machine 10. Preferably, the touch-screen 14 provides a color graphical user interface to access the functions of the card-printing vending machine. By means of the application displayed on the touch-screen 14 the user can browse, according to different criteria, among a plurality of unique card designs stored in a central database 21 and then he or she can print any number of copies of the plastic card presenting the selected card design.

[0015] The plastic cards are printed by the printing unit 16, which has a card holder 17 for storing blank (unprinted) plastic cards. The operation of the printing unit 16 is preferably based on a re-transfer printing technique.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention is further provided with a paper card printer 40, which also allows the production of paper-based gift cards. The paper card printer 40 is electronically connected to the control unit 12.

[0017] Preferably, the card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention further comprises a receipt printing unit 42 which allows printing, for example, a receipt or an invoice at payment on the spot.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the receipt printing unit 42 is electronically connected to the control unit 12 too.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention may optionally comprise a sticker printer 44 (preferably for printing a single-row sticker band), which is electronically connected to the control unit 12. In addition to the production of new cards, the sticker printer 44 may also be adapted for printing unique validating stickers for plastic cards which can be validated or revalidated by such stickers.

[0020] A preferred embodiment of the card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 2 may further comprise a scanner 46, which allows, for example, reading of a bar code or a QR code. This function may be of importance when the user has previously selected a card design (for example on his/her own computer via the internet) and after payment the plastic card with a selected and already paid card design can be printed by means of the card-printing vending machine according to the present invention using said code. The scanner 46 is additionally suitable for reading other visual identification information (e.g. bar code of a membership card) relating to the user in order to identify the user. The scanner 46 is also electronically connected to the control unit 12.

[0021] To allow a user to pay on the spot for a prepared plastic card, the card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention allows the payment with a bank card through the bank card reading unit 18.

[0022] The card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention establishes a communication interconnection through the communication interface 20, preferably via the internet, with a remote server 22 of a financial institute at payment with a bank card, and with the central database 21 during a search among the card designs. The communication interface 20 may be adapted for establishing either wired or wireless (e.g. GSM) connection.

[0023] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the card-printing vending machine according to the present invention, the house of the vending machine is equipped with an LCD display, preferably at the upper part of the house, said display having a substantially large surface. Such a display may be used primarily as an advertising surface.

[0024] In addition to the above mentioned units, the card-printing vending machine 10 according to the present invention further comprises numerous other common units (not shown in the drawings), including, for example, a power supply, a loudspeaker, etc., the way of use of which and the connections of which to the above parts are well-known for a skilled person, therefore their detailed description is omitted here.

[0025] The advantage of the card-printing vending machine according to the present invention is that it allows downloading a ready-to-use card design from an online database and the local and immediate printing of the plastic card, optionally with providing the card with unique information given by the customer (or information previously associated with customer, once the customer has already been identified).