JP4447271B2 - IC card reader / writer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention stores a plurality of application programs (hereinafter simply referred to as applications) in a rewritable non-volatile memory, and implements a plurality of functions by switching and executing the applications, and a reader for an IC card of a multi-application IC card. Regarding the writer , in particular, it relates to the display of the occupancy status and free capacity of the rewritable nonvolatile memory of the multi-application IC card.

  In recent years, a plurality of applications are stored in an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory: hereinafter referred to simply as a memory), and each application is switched and executed. Multi-application IC cards that can have functions have become widespread.

In general, an IC card displays the name and provider of the installed application and information read from the memory on a display unit provided in the IC card. The IC card built in the mobile phone has a free memory capacity. There has been proposed a mechanism for confirming information stored in an IC chip, which is normally impossible to visually confirm, such as displaying on a display unit of a telephone (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-39445. Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-30384. JP 2002-374327 A.

  However, in a multi-application IC card in which an application can be added to the memory, the occupied state of the memory or the free capacity cannot be known, so that it is not possible to know whether the application can be added to the memory. is there.

  In addition, when a display device such as a liquid crystal display is provided, it is necessary to mount a liquid crystal display and a control means for the liquid crystal display, and there is a problem that the cost per IC card increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and means for allowing a user to visually check the occupation status and free space of a multi-application IC card without preparing a special display for display. an object of the present invention is to provide an I C card reader-writer in Ru can be presented.

This onset Ming stores a plurality of application programs in a rewritable nonvolatile memory, and realizes a plurality of functions by executing switching the plurality of application programs, the at least one one side of the front and back surfaces, said An IC card reader / writer for reading and writing data to and from a multi-application compatible IC card having a memory status display unit for displaying the memory occupation status and free space of an application program recorded in a nonvolatile memory , the memory read and print heads for printing / erasing occupancy status of the nonvolatile memory before Symbol IC card in the memory status display unit, the nonvolatile each application name stored in the memory, and the occupancy of the memory of each application Status reading means and said read From the memory occupancy status of the application, the total number of applications, the total memory occupancy, the memory occupancy calculation means for calculating the free capacity, the memory occupancy status of each read application, the calculated total memory occupancy, and the free space A graph creation means for creating a graph of the memory occupancy status from the capacity; a character information printing means for printing the total number of applications, the total memory occupancy, the free capacity, and the application name by the print head; and the created graph. Graph printing means for printing by the print head; and erasing means for erasing the contents already printed on the memory status display section by the print head before printing the character information and the graph. is there.

By the present invention lever, without adding a device to become a factor of cost increase such as a display device, it is possible to display the occupation status of the memory (mounted status of the application) to the surface of the IC card, the memory only by said IC card It is possible to visually check the occupation state and the free space of each.

  Further, since the memory occupancy status is displayed as a graph indicating the memory occupancy amount for each application in addition to the characters, the memory occupancy status and the free space can be understood more visually.

  Moreover, since the free space can be visually understood, it is possible to easily select a new application that can be added.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is an external view of an IC card 1 of the present invention.

  The IC card 1 includes a memory status display unit 3 and a contact terminal 4 on at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the base material portion 2.

  The memory status display unit 3 includes a thermal rewritable panel that can be rewritten by heat using a material such as leuco dye, and a panel that can rewrite the display contents by changing the direction of the magnetic material.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the memory status display unit 3. The memory status display unit 3 is a character information display unit 5 that displays the total number of installed applications, the total memory usage and free space, and the name of the installed application in characters. A graph display unit 6 is provided for displaying a memory occupation state for each application as a graph having an area corresponding to the occupation amount.

  FIG. 3 is a top view and a front view of the IC card reader / writer 7. The IC card reader / writer 7 includes an insertion port 8 and an IC contact terminal 9 and a print head 10 inside.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the inside of the IC card reader / writer 7, particularly in the vicinity of the print head 10.

  The IC contact terminal 9 is an electrical interface that reads / writes data from / to the IC card 1 by contacting the contact terminal 4 installed on the surface of the IC card 1.

  The print head 10 is a printing device such as a thermal rewrite head or a stamp, and prints the memory occupation status of the IC card 1 on the memory status display unit 3 of the IC card 1 or erases the contents already printed before printing. To do.

  Further, the IC card reader / writer 7 is not shown as one of the control programs, but the memory status reading means, the memory occupation amount calculating means, the graph creating means, the character information printing means, the graph printing means, and the erasing means. It has.

  Next, based on the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 5, the display of the memory occupation status of the IC card according to the present invention will be described by taking two cases as an example when the IC card is initially issued and when it is used after the IC card is issued.

  First, various operations related to issuance of an IC card, such as loading of a cryptographic processing key, and writing (installation) of the three applications shown in FIG. .

  Next, personal information such as an ID for identifying a user, application setting information, and the like is recorded in the IC card 1 for each application, thereby completing the issuing operation of the IC card 1.

  When the issued IC card 1 is inserted into the insertion port 8 of the IC card reader / writer 7, the memory status reading means reads the application name of each application stored in the memory from the IC card 1 and each application. Get the memory occupancy of.

  Next, the memory occupation amount calculation means calculates the total number of applications, the total memory occupation amount, and the free space from the read application name and the memory occupation amount for each application.

  Further, the graph creation means calculates the occupation ratio of the memory occupancy for each application with respect to the total memory capacity, and creates a graph in a format in which the memory occupancy status can be discriminated by the size of the area.

  Before printing the character information and the graph, after the contents already printed on the memory status display unit 3 are erased by the erasing means, the character information printing means is configured to display the total number of applications, the total memory occupation amount, the free capacity, and Each application name is printed on the character information display unit 5, and the graph printing unit prints the created memory occupation state graph on the graph display unit 6.

  The IC card 1 passes over to the user and normally uses a function mounted on the IC card 1, for example, a bank A cash card.

  The user can always check the graph indicating the total number of applications, the total memory occupancy, the free space, each application name, and the memory occupancy by looking at the memory status display unit 3.

  Since the memory occupancy status can always be confirmed visually, when adding an application, a list of applications can be obtained at an ATM where a dedicated IC card reader / writer 7 is installed or at a card service center. From the display, you can easily select a new application that is smaller than the available memory.

  Further, when the selected new application is added to the IC card 1, a graph indicating the total number of applications, the total memory occupation amount, the free space, each application name, and the memory occupation status is newly displayed on the character information display unit 5 and Printing on the graph display unit 6.

It is an external view of the IC card of the present invention. It is an enlarged view of the memory condition display part of the IC card of the present invention. It is the top view and front view of the reader / writer for IC cards of this invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the vicinity of a print head inside an IC card reader / writer according to the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the processing content until the memory occupation status display of the IC card of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 IC card 2 Base material part 3 Memory status display part 4 Contact terminal 5 Character information display part 6 Graph display part 7 IC card reader / writer 8 Insertion slot 9 IC contact terminal 10 Print head

Claims (1)

A plurality of application programs are stored in a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a plurality of functions are realized by switching and executing the plurality of application programs, and recorded in the nonvolatile memory on at least one of the front and back surfaces An IC card reader / writer for reading / writing data from / to a multi-application compatible IC card having a memory status display unit for displaying the memory occupation status and free space of the selected application program ,
A print head for printing / erasing occupancy status of the nonvolatile memory before Symbol IC card in the memory status display unit,
Memory status reading means for reading each application name recorded in the nonvolatile memory and the memory occupation status of each application;
Memory occupancy calculation means for calculating the total number of applications, the total memory occupancy, and the free space from the read memory occupancy status of each application;
A graph creation means for creating a graph of the memory occupation status from the memory occupation status of each read application, the total of the calculated memory occupation amount, and the free capacity;
Character information printing means for printing the total number of applications, the total memory occupancy, the free space, and the application name by the print head;
Graph printing means for printing the created graph by the print head;
An erasing unit for erasing the contents already printed on the memory status display unit by the print head before printing the character information and the graph;
An IC card reader / writer characterized by comprising:

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