CAPACITIVELY COUPLED IDENTITY VERIFICATION AND ESCORT MEMORY APPARATUS

摘要

The invention provides a control system (14) responsive to a data-bearing record that has two electrodes (24, 26) configured so that one of the two is either in physical contact with, or is at least more nearly proximate, a reader plate (20) than is the other electrode. The reader portion of the system may use a pulsed capacitive apparatus both to sense the object or user's (16) proximity and thereafter for data communication with the escort apparatus, e.g., to receive data representative of a bearer's identity. A preferred data bearing escort apparatus (14) is powered by electrical voltage pulses generated by the reader (12). This preferred escort apparatus (14) comprises a microcomputer and a non-volatile escort memory, but does not contain a battery. Moreover, because the electrodes disposed on the data bearing record (24, 26) can be very thin, as well as being proscribed in lateral extent, the data-bearing record may be conveniently small.