JPH08297723A - Ic card reading and writing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To check the contact state between the contact of an IC card and an IC card reading/writing device. CONSTITUTION: An IC card reading/writing device is provided with a voltage detection means 24 which detects the voltage of contact pins 15 and 17 connected to the terminals 40 and 42 that supply the operating voltage to an IC card, and a decision means 25 which compares the voltage detected by the means 24 with the prescribed reference value and outputs a signal to an access control means 21 to stop the access to the IC card when the detected voltage is deviated from the reference value. If a nonstandardized IC card is inserted and also no normal contact is secured to the IC card, the voltage detected between both terminals 40 and 42 is deviated from the reference level. Thus, the access to the IC card is stopped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an IC card reading / writing apparatus for reading data from a card-shaped storage medium having a semiconductor memory circuit built therein and writing data in the medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 4A, a card-shaped storage medium having a semiconductor storage circuit, a so-called IC card 30, has a semiconductor storage device 31, such as an EEPROM, and an I.
A control device 32 for performing control for reading and writing data from the semiconductor storage device 31 by communicating with the C card reading / writing device is molded with plastic to form a plate-shaped base 33. ,
A plurality of contacts 35, 36, 37, 3 which come into contact with the contacts of the contact head of the IC card reader / writer on the surface.
8, 39, 40, 41, 42 are provided.

FIG. 4B shows an embodiment of the above-mentioned IC card, which includes a CPU 43 for receiving a clock pulse and a reset signal via contacts 35, 36, a contact 37,
EEP receiving data and timing signals via 38
The EEPR is controlled by the CPU 43 and the bias voltage via the ROM control means 44 and the terminal 39.
An EEPROM control means 46 for accessing the OM 45 is provided, and power is supplied from an operating voltage supply terminal of the contact head and a power supply terminal 40 and a ground terminal 42 connected to the ground terminal.

In the figure, reference numerals 47 and 48 respectively represent C.
A ROM storing a program for controlling the PU 43 and a RAM configuring a work area are shown.

By the way, the contacts 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 4 provided on such an IC card 30.
Since 0, 41, 42 and the contact pins of the IC card reading / writing device are extremely small in size, there is a problem that a short circuit or a contact failure is likely to occur. Even so, the contacts of the IC card are exposed to the outside, so it is possible to easily clean the contacts with a cloth, but the contact pins of the IC card reader / writer are located inside the case. For example, it has been proposed to perform a contact recovery operation using a cleaning member as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-15887, but such an operation is performed when the contact is damaged. Can not secure a normal contact. In addition, there are various types of IC cards, and there is a possibility that a non-standard IC card may be erroneously inserted.

Not only when a non-standard IC cart is inserted, but even if it conforms to the standard, a normal contact cannot be ensured and the IC card is accessed to read or write data. If so, there is a problem that an error is mixed in the data and the data and circuit means of the IC card, the reading / writing device are destroyed.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to insert an authentic IC card into and insert it into an IC card.
IC only when the connection with the C card is done normally
IC card reading that can access the card
A writing device is provided.

[0008]

In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, a contact head having a contact pin for contacting a contact of an IC card and an access control means for controlling communication with the IC card. I with and
In the C card reading / writing device, voltage detecting means for detecting the voltage of a contact pin connected to two terminals for supplying an operating voltage to the IC card, and the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means and a predetermined reference. A value is compared with the value, and if the value deviates from the reference value, the access control means is provided with a determination means for outputting a signal for stopping the access to the IC card. If a non-standard IC card is inserted or if the IC card is not properly contacted, the voltage between the terminals deviates from the reference value, and this is detected and access to the IC card is stopped. Let

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an IC card reading / writing apparatus, in which reference numeral 1 is I
In the C card conveying means, a motor 5 which is operated by a signal from an IC card detecting means 4 provided in the vicinity of the card insertion opening 3 of the conveying path 2 and a roller 6 which is connected to the motor 5 are provided. Roller 6 with spring 8 around 7
Is always urged toward the conveyance path 2 side.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a contact head, which is a contact point 35 of the IC card 30 when the IC card stands still at a predetermined position.
To a plurality of contact pins 10 and 1 at positions facing each other.
17 are provided, and when the detector 18 detects that the IC card has reached a predetermined position, the contact pins 10 to 1 are driven by a driving means 19 such as a solenoid.
7 is elastically contacted with the contacts 35 to 42 of the IC card 30.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of an IC card reading / writing device. In the figure, reference numeral 20 is an operating voltage supply means, which is a contact pin 40 of the IC card 30 and a contact pin 15 contacting a terminal 42. A constant voltage suitable for driving the IC card 30 is supplied to 17.

Reference numeral 21 is an access control means, and when a signal from a contact inspection means 23 described later is not inputted,
C of the IC card 30 is attached to the contact pins 10 to 14 connected to the terminals 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 of the IC card.
A clock pulse, a reset signal, a timing signal, and a bias voltage are supplied to the PU 43 for access, data is read from the semiconductor memory means 45, data is written to the semiconductor memory means 45, and a signal from the contact inspection means 23 is input. If it does, access to the IC card is stopped.

Reference numeral 23 denotes the above-mentioned contact inspection means, which is a contact pin 15 which comes into contact with the terminals 40 and 42 of the IC card.
A voltage detecting means 24 for detecting the voltage of 17 and a judging means 25 for judging whether or not the voltage is a predetermined voltage and outputting a signal to the access control means 21 when the voltage is equal to or lower than the predetermined voltage.
And an inspection signal output means 26 for operating the determination means 25 by outputting a signal at the time of inspection, for example, immediately after the IC card is inserted.

In this embodiment, the IC card 30 is inserted and the contact pins 10 and 1 of the contact head 9 are inserted.
1 ... 17 are contacts 35, 36 ... 4 of the IC card 30.
When 2 is elastically contacted, the operating voltage is supplied from the operating voltage supply means 20 to the IC card 30.

In this state, the contact pin 1 is detected by the voltage detecting means 24 based on the signal from the inspection signal outputting means 26.
The voltage between 5 and 17 is detected, and this voltage is determined by the judging means 25.
Is compared with the reference value.

When the inserted IC card is authentic and the contact pins 10 to 17 and the contacts 35 to 42 of the IC card are normally in contact with each other, the terminal 15,
Since the voltage between 17 becomes a specified value, the contact inspection means 23
No signal is output from the IC card 30, and the access control unit 21 reads data from the IC card 30 or writes data to the IC card 30.

On the other hand, the inserted IC card is not authentic, or the contact pin 1 of the contact head 9
If the contacts 0 to 17 and the contacts 35 to 42 of the IC card 30 are not normally in contact with each other and are short-circuited, the voltage between the contact pins 15 and 17 deviates from the reference value. Signal is output from. Therefore, the access control means 21 stops the access to the IC card 30 and prevents the destruction of the data or the circuit due to the writing or reading of the nonstandard data.

In the above embodiment, the voltage between the terminals 40 and 42 for supplying the operating voltage is inspected. However, as shown in FIG. 3, at least the connection to the contact of the IC card 30 is required. A load resistance 28 is connected between one contact pin 14 and the access control means 21, and the voltage of the load resistance 28 is detected by the voltage detection means 24 on the basis of the operation signal from the inspection signal output means 26, and the determination means 25 is determined. Even if the determination is made according to, the same operation is achieved.

That is, the inserted IC card conforms to the standard, and the contact pins 10 to 17 of the contact head 9 have the contacts 35 to 42 of the IC card 30.
Each contact pin 10
Since a specified current flows through to 17, a specified voltage is generated in the load resistor 28, but if the IC card is out of specification, the contact is bad, or other terminals are short-circuited. If so, the current becomes small, or an abnormally large current flows, so that the voltage of the load resistor 28 deviates from the specified value.

Further, in the above embodiment, the inspection signal is output immediately after the IC card is inserted, but it may be output when the access to the data is stopped.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the IC card reading is provided with the contact head having the contact pin for contacting the contact of the IC card and the access control means for controlling the communication with the IC card. In the writing device, the voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the contact pin connected to the two terminals for supplying the operating voltage to the IC card is compared with the voltage detected by the voltage detection means and the predetermined reference value. Since the access control means is provided with a judging means for outputting a signal for stopping the access to the IC card when the deviation from the reference value, the IC card conforming to the standard is inserted, and the contact head and the IC Access only when there is a reliable contact with the card to prevent access under abnormal conditions and prevent data or circuit damage Door can be.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an IC card reading / writing device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

4A and 4B are a partial cross-sectional view and a block diagram showing an example of an IC card, respectively.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9 contact head 10-17 contact pin 23 contact inspection means 30 IC card 35-42 contact

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An IC card reading / writing apparatus comprising a contact head having a contact pin for contacting a contact of the IC card, and an access control means for controlling communication with the IC card. The voltage detected by the voltage detecting means for detecting the voltage of the contact pin connected to the two terminals for supplying the voltage and the voltage detected by the voltage detecting means are compared with a predetermined reference value, and deviates from the reference value. In this case, the access control means is provided with a judging means for outputting a signal for stopping the access to the IC card. 2. An IC card reading / writing apparatus comprising a contact head having a contact pin for contacting a contact of the IC card, and an access control means for controlling communication with the IC card, the IC card being connected to the IC card. A load resistance connected between at least one of the contact pins and the access control means, a voltage detection means for detecting the voltage of the load resistance, a voltage detected by the voltage detection means, and a predetermined reference value. And a judging means for outputting a signal for stopping the access to the IC card to the access control means when the value deviates from the reference value. 3. The IC card reading / writing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising inspection signal output means, wherein the determination means is activated by a signal from the inspection signal output means.