Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Another type of scanner used in many businesses is a
magnetic card
reader
, shown in Figure 3.11. You use one of these every time you swipe
a credit card to pay for a purchase, for example. Magnetic card readers
read the encoded data on the magnetic strip on the back of your credit
card or ID card and transfer that data into a computer. Some credit
cards have a
radio frequency identification (RFID) chip
in them that
enables you to pass them in front of a radio frequency card reader to read
the card's data without it physically touching a reader. RFID chips are
also used in security systems to allow employees access to secure areas of
a building if they are wearing an RFID-equipped ID badge.
magnetic card reader
A scanner that reads
and deciphers the information on the magnetic
strip on a credit card or other ID card.
radio frequency identification (RFID) chip
A computer chip that communicates wirelessly
with a device to authenticate a user.
© iStockphoto.com/ugurhan
Figure.3 11
A magnetic card reader.
Fingerprint Readers
A fingerprint reader is a type of biometric scanner—
that is, a scanner that scans something about a
human body that is used to identify that person.
Many computer systems use fingerprint readers as
a form of user authentication. The fingerprint of the
person logging in is compared to a database of pic-
tures of the fingerprints of authorized users. Other
types of biometric scanners include facial recogni-
tion, voice recognition, and retina scanners.
© iStockphoto.com/LongHa2006
Certain industries use specialized scanners to simplify data entry. For
example, companies that grade standardized testing use an
optical mark
recognition (OMR)
system that detects the presence of a pencil or ink
mark on certain spots on a standardized form. Banking institutions save
time and cut down on entry errors by using a
magnetic-ink character
recognition (MICR)
system to read the routing and account numbers
on checks and deposit slips, as in Figure 3.12.
optical mark recognition
A scanner that
detects the presence of a pencil or ink mark on
certain areas of a standardized form.
magnetic-ink character recognition
(MICR)
The scanning system used in the banking
industry to read routing and account numbers on
checks and deposit slips.
