JPH04328694A - Radio communication system using card recording media - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the life of a battery and the electric wave range by constituting a slave machine by coupling card storing media with a wireless communicating means and performing the radio communication with a master machine. CONSTITUTION:Information is inputted by external equipment 19, transferred to an encoder 16 by a controller 15, coded to an arbitrary code, sent to a transmitting part 17, a transmitting signal is generated and transmitted through a duplexer 12 and an antenna 11 to a slave machine 20. At the slave machine 20, the signal is inputted through a duplexer 22 to a receiving part 23, demodulated, decoded by a control part 25, a card interface part 28 is controlled in accordance with this, and data are written to card storing media 29. The controller 25 transfers the data from the card storing media 29 to an encoder 26, codes them, sends to a transmitting part 27 as code information and transmits to a master machine 10. The master machine 10 sends through the duplexer 12 to a receiving part 13, demodulates and removes the original code information.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a wireless communication system for performing wireless communication between a slave unit and a base unit to which a card-shaped recording medium can be detachably attached, and a transmitter used therein. , regarding the receiver.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Card-shaped storage media such as IC cards, magnetic cards, and laser cards have been widely used. Normally, none of these card-shaped storage media has a wireless communication function, and even if they do have a wireless communication function, it uses an electromagnetic induction method, which makes them contactless. , accessing the card-shaped recording medium.

[0003] JP-A-58-154082, JP-A-58-151754, JP-A-58-151572
JP-A No. 59-204265 and the like disclose card-shaped storage media incorporating wireless communication means. However, since the card has a built-in wireless communication means, it is only possible to miniaturize the card to a certain extent, and there are also certain difficulties in making the battery, which is the power source for operating the wireless communication means, thinner and smaller. There are problems with technology, such as the inability to increase the communication distance very much. On the other hand, when miniaturizing devices by using small batteries, a problem arises in that the battery life is short due to power consumption during transmission.

[0004] Furthermore, in order to increase the physical strength of the card-shaped storage medium itself and prevent the built-in wireless communication means from being destroyed when carried, the thickness of the card-shaped storage medium must be increased. , the thinness and portability that are characteristic of card-shaped recording media may be lost.

Furthermore, the card-shaped storage medium itself is easily charged with electricity when carried, and if the card-shaped storage medium has a built-in wireless communication means, the charging of the card-shaped storage medium may hinder communication or damage the built-in wireless communication means. Destruction of the data, changes in the stored contents, errors occurring when writing or reading data, etc. may occur.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and provides a wireless communication system that can wirelessly access a card-shaped recording medium that does not have a wireless communication function, and a card-shaped recording medium that does not have a wireless communication function. It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless communication transmitter/receiver that can be equipped with a storage medium as needed, has a longer communication distance, and has a longer power supply life than conventional ones.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve these objects, the present invention provides a main unit capable of transmitting and receiving signals, a card-shaped storage medium to which it can be detachably attached, and Provided is a wireless communication system in which at least one slave unit capable of transmitting and receiving signals is wirelessly coupled, and the base unit can at least access the card-shaped storage medium attached to the slave unit. do.

[0008] A unique identification signal is given to each of the base unit and the slave unit, a means is provided for the base unit and the slave unit to confirm whether the communication partner is legitimate, and a request from the legitimate party is provided. Data may be written to and read from the card-shaped storage medium only in response to the above.

The present invention also provides a signal receiving section, a signal transmitting section, connected to the signal receiving section and the signal transmitting section, inputting a signal for accessing a card-shaped storage medium and transmitting the signal. A transceiver is provided, comprising: means for processing a signal from the card-shaped storage medium supplied to the card-shaped storage medium and received by the signal receiving section.

[0010] The processing section includes means for supplying its own identification signal to the signal transmitting section, and means for checking whether the communication partner's identification signal received by the signal receiving section is valid. You can prepare.

[0011]Furthermore, the present invention includes a mounting means for removably mounting a card-shaped storage medium, a signal receiving section, and when the card-shaped storage medium is mounted on the mounting means,
reading/writing means for reading data stored in the card-shaped storage medium or writing data to the card-shaped storage medium in response to a signal received by the signal receiving section; and the card-shaped storage medium. A portable transceiver is provided, comprising: a signal transmitter for transmitting the data from the transmitter.

[0012] The portable transceiver includes means for supplying its own identification signal to the signal transmitting section, and means for confirming whether the communication partner's identification signal received by the signal receiving section is valid. The device may further include means.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention provides a main unit capable of transmitting (or receiving) signals and a card-shaped storage medium that can be removably attached thereto, and also capable of receiving (or transmitting) signals. The present invention provides a wireless communication system in which at least one slave device is connected wirelessly to the base device, and the card-shaped storage medium attached to the slave device can be accessed from the base device.

[0014]

[Operation] According to the wireless communication system of the present invention, by wirelessly connecting the base unit and the slave unit equipped with a card-shaped storage medium, the card-shaped storage medium installed in the slave unit from the base unit can be wirelessly connected. The data stored in the card-like storage medium is wirelessly sent from the child device to the parent device.

Further, the transceiver according to the present invention transmits a signal for accessing a card-shaped storage medium, and receives and processes data read from the card-shaped storage medium.

Furthermore, the portable transceiver according to the present invention has the following features:
A card-shaped storage medium is detachably attached, and data is read from or written to the card-shaped storage medium in accordance with a received signal.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a wireless communication system using a portable transceiver according to the present invention. In the figure, the wireless communication system includes base unit 10.
and one or more handsets 20. Base device 10 includes an antenna 11, a duplexer 12, a receiving section 13, a decoder 14, a controller 15, an encoder 16, a transmitting section 17, and an interface section 18. It is connected to the device 19. On the other hand, the handset 20 includes an antenna 21 , a duplexer 22 , a receiving section 23 , a decoder 24 , a controller 25 , an encoder 26 , a transmitting section 27 , and a card interface section 28 . A card-shaped recording medium 29 such as a magnetic card, an IC card, an optical card, etc. is detachably connected to the card interface unit 28 .

Wireless communication is performed between the base unit 10 and the slave unit 20. The operation of this wireless communication system will be explained below.

When sending a signal from the base unit 10 to the slave unit 20,
First, information is input using the external device 19. The input information is transferred by the controller 15 to the encoder 16, encoded into an arbitrary code by the encoder 16, and sent to the transmitter 17 as code information. The transmitter 17 modulates a carrier wave with the received code information to create a transmission signal, and transmits it to the slave device 20 via the duplexer 12 and antenna 11.

In the handset 20, the antenna 21 receives the transmission signal sent from the base unit 10, and the duplexer 22 receives the transmission signal sent from the base unit 10.
The code information is inputted to the receiving section 23 via the , and is demodulated to reproduce the code information. This code information is transferred to the decoder 24 and decoded, and the original information is extracted. The retrieved information is decoded by the controller 25, and the card interface section 28 is controlled accordingly to write data to or read data from the card-shaped recording medium 29.

[0021] It is convenient to provide the slave unit 20 with an alarm means to notify that a signal has arrived from the base unit 10 when the card-shaped recording medium 29 is not attached to the slave unit 20.

In response to the data being read from the card-like recording medium 29, the controller 25 reads out the data from the card-like recording medium 29.
The data is transferred to the encoder 26 to be encoded and sent to the transmitter 27 as code information. The transmitter 27 modulates a carrier wave with this code information to create a transmission signal, and transmits it to the base unit 10 via the duplexer 22 and antenna 21.

The base unit 10 receives the signal transmitted from the slave unit 20 using the antenna 11, and transmits the signal to the duplexer 12.
The code information is sent to the receiving unit 13 via the receiver and demodulated, and the original code information is extracted. This is decoded by the decoder 14 to generate a signal corresponding to the data read from the card-shaped recording medium 29 of the handset 20 and transferred to the controller 15. The controller 15 supplies the transferred signal to the external device 19 via the interface section 18 and causes it to be displayed and/or recorded there.

[0024] When sending a signal from the handset 20 to the base unit 10,
When the card-shaped recording medium 29 is attached to the slave unit, the controller 25 instructs the card interface section 28 to read the data stored in the card-shaped recording medium 29 and transfer this data to the encoder 26. . The subsequent transmission operation in the handset 20 and reception operation in the base unit 10 are as described above, so their explanation will be omitted here.

Next, when the base unit 10 is given an identification number I unique to it, and the slave unit 20 is given an identification number I' unique to it (for example, if the identification signal I' is given to the card-shaped storage medium 29), is stored). When the base unit 10 calls the slave unit 20, the controller 15 of the base unit 10 operates according to the operation of the external device 19 (for example, key operation), and transmits an inquiry command A for the slave unit 20 from the base unit 10. do. In the handset 20 that has received the inquiry command A, the controller 25 determines that the received signal is the inquiry command A, and reads out the unique identification number I' of this handset 20 from, for example, a card-shaped recording medium 29. and transmits it to the base unit 10. The master unit 10 is the slave unit 20
It is determined whether the identification number I' sent from the communication partner is from the communication partner's handset, and if it is from the communication partner's handset, the unique identification number of the base unit 10 is sent to the handset 20. Send number I.

[0026] As described above, the slave unit 20 and then the base unit 10 respond to a predetermined inquiry from the base unit 10, thereby confirming that they are legitimate communication partners, and then switching to a wireless channel. Establish. If necessary, the other party's identification number may be recorded as a communication record.

After that, the master unit 10 transmits a data read command R to the slave unit 20 that has been confirmed as a valid partner. The controller 25 of the handset 20 that receives this decodes the read command R, reads the data requested by the base unit 10 from the card-shaped recording medium 29, and transmits the read data to the base unit 10. .

Alternatively, the base unit 10 transmits the write command W and the write data to the slave unit 20 that has been confirmed as a legitimate partner. In response to this, the controller 2 of the slave unit 20
5 decodes the write command W and causes the received write data to be written on the card-shaped recording medium 29. Furthermore, if necessary, the written data is read from the card-shaped recording medium 29 and transmitted to the base unit 10, and the base unit 10 checks whether the received data matches the transmitted written data.

[0029] If the external device 19 connected to the base unit 10 is a device that can write and read data,
Similarly to the above, by transmitting a data read command or data write command and write data from the slave unit 20 to the base unit 10, the slave unit receives data from the base unit 10 or sends the data to the base unit 10. Data can be written.

Another method for confirming that the base unit 10 and slave unit 20 are legitimate parties is to send the received identification number back to the other party, and to compare the returned identification number with the own identification number. By comparing the two, you can improve the accuracy of opponent confirmation. That is, when the base unit 10 wants to set a wireless channel with the slave unit 20, the controller 1 of the base unit 10
5 operates to cause the base unit 10 to transmit an inquiry command A and its own identification number I. The controller 25 of the handset 20, which has received the inquiry command A and the identification number I, returns its own identification number I' and the received identification number I to the base device 10. Next, the base device 10 returns the received identification number I' to the slave device 20.

Similarly, when the slave unit 20 wants to establish a wireless channel with the base unit 10, the controller 25 of the slave unit 20 operates and sends an inquiry command A' and its own information from the slave unit 20 to the base unit 10. The identification number I' is transmitted. In response to this, base unit 10
The controller 15 uses its own identification number I and the received identification number I.
' is sent to the handset 20. Next, the controller 25 of the handset 20 sends the received identification number I back to the base device 10.

[0032] In this way, the inquiring side transmits an inquiry command and its own unique identification number, and the inquired side, which receives this, returns its own identification number and the received identification number to the other party. In response to this, the inquiring party resends the received identification number to the inquired party. Through these steps, the base unit 10 and the slave unit 20
, each party can compare their own identification number with the identification number received and returned by the other party.
You can check whether the other party has received your identification number without error.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the wireless communication system according to the present invention. In addition, in this figure, the same reference numerals are attached to the same components as in FIG. 1. This embodiment uses light instead of radio waves, and the base unit 10 includes a light emitter 11t and a light receiver 11r, and the slave unit 20 includes a light emitter 21t and a light receiver 21r. The transmitting units 17 and 27 with the slave unit 20 have built-in electro-optical converters, and the receiving units 13 and 27 with the base unit 10 and the slave unit 20,
23 contains a photo-electrical converter. The operation of the wireless communication system according to this embodiment is clear from the above description of the embodiment of FIG. 1, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0034] In the wireless communication system described above, not only a dedicated handset but also a magnetic recording/reproducing device, an electronic notebook, a radio, a telephone, a pager, etc. commonly used for portable devices are improved to have transmitting/receiving functions. It is possible to use a handset equipped with a function for attaching and detaching a card-like storage medium. In addition, the card-shaped storage medium can be used as a normal storage means,
It can be carried using a holding means.

Furthermore, in the above description, both the base unit and the slave unit have both the transmitting and receiving functions, but depending on the application, they may have only one of the transmitting and receiving functions.

[0036] Therefore, by attaching a card-shaped storage medium to such a slave unit when necessary, the required communication with the base unit can be performed, and the present invention can be applied to various uses such as the following. Can be done.

(1) A base unit is installed on the side of the money recipient at a place where monetary payments are required (sales floor, ticket sales counter, etc.), and the person paying the money attaches a card-like storage medium to his/her slave unit and uses the base unit. By communicating with the master device, the master device rewrites the stored contents of the card-shaped storage medium of the slave device, and thereby the payer can complete the payment using the card.

(2) A base unit is installed at the entrance of a building or room, and a person who wishes to enter or exit is required to attach his or her card-shaped storage medium to the slave unit and send his or her identification number to the base unit. By doing this, the main unit opens and closes the door, gives permission to enter and exit the room, and identifies the person entering and exiting the room, and also creates a management system that records the time of entry and exit, number of times of entry and exit, etc. on the card-like storage medium of the person who entered and exited the room. Can be built.

(3) By installing a slave device on the panel of a vehicle such as a passenger car and installing the parent device in a parking lot or expressway booth, drivers can pay parking fees and expressway tolls with a card. .

(4) All factories such as assembly factories, machine processing factories, chemical factories, automated warehouses, cafeterias, kitchens, shops,
It can be used as a control/instruction means for automatically controlling operations in places such as department stores, processing/assembly workshops, etc. where it is necessary to control various environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure. For example, the child machine is installed on the transfer robot, the master machine is installed on the processing machine, and on the card ■type and quantity of raw materials to be machined or parts from the previous process, ■processing conditions, ■processed intermediate products are displayed on the card. By recording the various conditions such as the time for transport to the process and the classification of the intermediate product in advance, and attaching this card to the slave unit of the transport robot, the transport will be performed based on the data recorded on the card. The robot can automatically load the necessary raw materials and parts, respond to signals sent from the processing machine, reach the processing machine in the shortest distance, and automatically supply the raw materials and parts to the processing machine. Furthermore,
The processing machine can send commands to the transport robot, have the transport robot transmit the contents recorded on the card, and perform work accordingly. After processing is completed, the parts are transported to the next process in the same way.

Although the present invention has been described in detail using some embodiments above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and modifications can be made. For example, the master unit and slave unit may be equipped with input devices such as switches, keyboards, LCDs,
A display device such as a lamp, a sound generating device, a printing device, etc. can be provided.

[0042]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, various card-shaped storage media such as magnetic cards, prepaid cards, IC cards, and laser cards, which are indispensable in the current market, can be combined with wireless communication means. By configuring the slave unit to enable wireless communication with the base unit, the base unit can access the card-shaped storage medium wirelessly, write data to the card-shaped storage medium, or write data to the card-shaped storage medium. It becomes possible to transmit the contents stored in the storage medium to the base unit. Furthermore, since the handset can be manufactured independently of the card-like storage medium, it is freed from the constraints imposed on the design of wireless communication systems that use card-like storage media, and the portability of the handset can be improved. It is now possible to construct a wireless communication system that is suitable for a wide range of uses, depending on conditions such as quality, battery life of the handset, radio range between the base unit and handset, and type of card-shaped recording medium. Become.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a wireless communication system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the wireless communication system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Base unit 20 Child machine 12, 22 Duplexer 13, 23 Receiving section 14, 24 decoder 15, 25 Controller 16, 26 encoder 17, 27 Transmission section 18, 28 Interface section 19 External equipment 29 Card-shaped storage medium 11r, 21r Photo receiver 11t, 21t Light emitter

Claims (10)

[Claims] Claim 1: A master unit capable of transmitting and receiving signals, and at least one slave unit to which a card-shaped storage medium can be removably attached and capable of transmitting and receiving signals. are wirelessly coupled, and the card-shaped storage medium attached to the child device can be accessed from the parent device. 2. A unique identification signal is given to the base unit and the slave unit, and means is provided for the base unit and the slave unit to confirm whether the communication partner is legitimate, so that the base unit and the slave unit are provided with means for confirming whether the communication partner is legitimate. 2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein data is written to and read from the card-shaped storage medium only in response to a request from the card-shaped storage medium. 3. A signal receiving section, a signal transmitting section, and a signal receiving section connected to the signal receiving section and the signal transmitting section, inputting a signal for accessing a card-shaped storage medium and supplying the signal to the signal transmitting section. and a processing section that processes a signal from the card-shaped storage medium received by the signal receiving section. 4. The processing unit includes means for supplying its own identification signal to the signal transmitting unit, and means for checking whether the communication partner's identification signal received by the signal receiving unit is valid. The transceiver according to claim 3, comprising: 5. A mounting means for removably mounting a card-shaped storage medium, a signal receiving section, and a signal receiving section that receives a signal received by the signal receiving section when the card-shaped storage medium is mounted on the mounting means. read/write means for reading data stored on the card-like storage medium or writing data to the card-like storage medium in response to a signal; and for transmitting the data from the card-like storage medium. A portable transmitter/receiver comprising a signal transmitter and a signal transmitter. 6. The communication device further comprises: means for supplying one's own identification signal to the signal transmitter; and means for checking whether the communication partner's identification signal received by the signal receiver is valid. The portable transceiver according to claim 5. [Claim 7] A base unit capable of transmitting a signal;
At least one child device to which a card-like storage medium can be detachably attached and which can receive signals is wirelessly coupled, and the card-like device attached from the parent device to the child device A wireless communication system that can access storage media. 8. Mounting means for removably mounting a card-shaped storage medium, a signal receiving section, and a card-shaped memory mounted on the mounting means in response to a signal received by the signal receiving section. A portable receiver comprising: a writing means for writing data to a medium. [Claim 9] A base unit capable of receiving signals;
At least one handset to which a card-shaped storage medium can be detachably attached and to which signals can be transmitted is wirelessly coupled, and the card-shaped storage medium attached to the slave unit is connected to the base unit by radio. A wireless communication system capable of transmitting data stored on a storage medium. 10. Mounting means for detachably mounting a card-shaped storage medium, reading means for reading data stored in the card-shaped storage medium, and transmitting the data from the card-shaped storage medium. A portable transmitter comprising: a signal transmitter for transmitting a signal;