JPS63100587A - Method for detecting insertion of ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need of a detector for detecting the insertion of an IC card, by outputting periodically a reset signal, so that an answer signal can be detected immediately, when the IC card is inserted. CONSTITUTION:A microcomputer 3 has a function for outputting a reset signal for initializing the internal state of an IC card 2, and inputs it to the IC card 2 through an IC card connector 9. Also, an I/O line 4 for inputting an answer signal from the IC card 2 is connected to the IC card connector 9. The reset signal is outputted at a prescribed time interval, and for this prescribed time, the answer signal is detected, therefore, when the IC card is inserted, the answer signal is detected immediately.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an IC card, and particularly to a method for detecting whether or not an IC card is inserted into a reading device or the like.

(Prior Art) A dedicated read/write device is used in an IC card capable of reading and writing a large amount of information. IC
For example, there is a mechanical interface module that holds the card and connects it to the read/write device. Conventionally, this mechanical interface module has been provided with one or two detectors to detect whether or not an IC card has been properly inserted.

3. Detailed Description of the Invention However, in the conventional example described above, the mechanical interface module becomes expensive because it is equipped with a detector.

Also, for the detector there is an I
There were problems in that 10 ports had to be allocated and an input/output signal sequence had to be created in order to use this detector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting insertion of an IC card that can be easily used and solves the problems of the prior art.

(Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, the gist of the present invention is to output a reset signal that initializes the internal state of an IC card, and to detect a response signal from the IC card in response to the reset signal. After that, in an IC card read/write device that reads or writes to the IC card, the reset signal is output at predetermined time intervals, and the presence or absence of the response signal is detected for the predetermined time, and the response signal is detected. The purpose is to determine whether or not the IC card is inserted based on its presence or absence.

(Function) Therefore, a reset signal is output at predetermined time intervals,
Since the response signal is detected during this predetermined time, the IC
When the card is inserted, a response signal is detected immediately, and therefore the above-mentioned problem can be achieved.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a reading/writing device for an IC card 2. As shown in FIG. This read/write device 1 has a built-in well-known microcomputer 3, and reads and writes data to and from the IC card 2 under the control of the microcomputer 3 via a circuit portion (not shown).

The microcomputer 3 has a function of outputting a reset signal for initializing the internal state of the IC card 2, and is input to the IC card 2 via an IC card connector 9, which will be described later. Further, an I10 line 4 is connected to an IC card connector 9 for inputting a response signal from the IC card 2.

5 is a light emitting diode (LED), and transistor 6
is connected to one of the I10 ports of the microcomputer 3 via the I10 port of the microcomputer 3. The light is turned on by a signal output from the microcomputer 3.

7a and 7b are buffer NAND gate circuits for connecting an external device (not shown) to the other I10 port of the microcomputer 3.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a reference clock generation circuit, which generates a reference clock necessary for the operation of the microcomputer 3 mentioned above. This reference clock is also input to the IC card 2 via an IC card connector 9 which will be described later.

9 is an IC card connector, which is shown in Figures 2 and 3.
This will be explained with reference to the figures. This IC card connector 9 is equipped with a card holder 10, and a pair of card guides 11 are provided on both sides of the card holder 10 for guiding and positioning both sides of the IC card 2. is formed integrally with.

12 is a card stopper formed on the card holder.

An overhang 13 is formed at the opposite end of the card holder 10 from which the IC card 2 is inserted and taken out, and a printed board 14 is rotatably provided on the overhang 13 as will be described later. . Overhang part 1 of card holder 10
A support column 15 is fixed to the upper surface of 3. On the other hand, a bracket 16 is fixed to the lower surface of the printed board 14, and this bracket 16 is connected to the support 1 by a shaft 17.
5 is rotatably connected. Further, a coil spring 18 is provided between the printed board 14 and the projecting portion 13, and urges the printed board 14 to rotate clockwise in FIG. 3.

Furthermore, the flat part 16 of the bracket 16 is attached to the projecting part 13.
A stopper 19 is fixed at a position corresponding to a, and when this stopper 19 hits the bracket 16, rotation of the printed board 14 in the clockwise direction is restricted.

A plurality of conductive parts 20 made of, for example, copper foil are printed on the upper surface of the printed board 14, and one end thereof is connected to a plurality of conductive pins 21 provided through one end of the printed board 14.

Furthermore, input/output lines for the above-mentioned reset signal, response signal, clock signal, etc. are connected to the other end of the conductive portion 21.

One end of a contactor 22 made of a thin leaf spring is attached to the aforementioned conductive pin 21 on the lower surface of the printed board 14. The other end of this contactor 22 is adapted to come into contact with a terminal portion (not shown) of the IC card 2.

To insert the IC card 2 into the IC card connector 9, the printed board 14 is first pushed down toward the protrusion 13 of the card holder 10, and the contacts 22 are separated from the card holder 10.

Next, insert the IC card 2 into the card holder 10 and the card guide 1.
1 and push it in until it hits the card stop 12.

Next, when the pressing force on the printed board 14 is released, the printed board 14 rotates due to the elastic force of the coil spring 18 until it hits the stopper 19. As a result, one end of the contactor 22 comes into contact with a terminal portion (not shown) of the IC card 2.

IC card insertion detection in the IC card read/write device 1 is performed as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, when the power switch (not shown) of the IC card read/write device 1 is turned on, The microcomputer 3 starts execution from step 100 and proceeds to step 110.

At step 110, at the same time as outputting the reset signal, a lighting signal is output to the I10 port to which the light emitting diode 5 is connected, and the light emitting diode 5 is turned on. Then, the process proceeds to step 120.

In step 120, the output interval time of the reset signal is measured, and at the same time as this measurement starts, the light emitting diode 5 is turned on, and the process proceeds to step 130.

In step 130, it is detected whether or not a predetermined response signal has been output from the IC card 2. If a response signal is detected (YES), the process proceeds to step 140; if not (No), the process proceeds to step 150.

In step 140, the light emitting diode 5 turned on in step 120 is cleared, and then the routine proceeds to read and write to the IC card 2.

On the other hand, in step 150, it is determined whether the time measurement has reached a predetermined time for detecting a response signal.

As a result of the determination, if the predetermined time has been reached (YES), the process returns to step 110 described above, and the same operations as described above are repeated. If the predetermined time is not reached (No), the process returns to step 130 described above, and detection of the response signal is repeated.

In this embodiment, a clip-type IC card connector 9 is used, but this part may be a mechanical card holder.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, a reset signal is output periodically so that when an IC card is inserted, a response signal can be detected immediately. I
No need for a detector to detect insertion of a C card,
Moreover, it is easy to use. In addition, since a detector is not required, the number of I10 ports is reduced accordingly, and the IC
This has the effect of simplifying the interface circuit of the card reading/writing device and saving mechanical space.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the method according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an IC card reading/writing device in which the above method is used, and FIG. 3 is an IC card reading/writing device in which the above method is used. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an IC card connector used in the device. 2...IC card, 3...microcomputer,
9...IC card connector.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an IC card read/write device that outputs a reset signal that initializes the internal state of an IC card, and after detecting a response signal from the IC card in response to the reset signal, reads or writes to the IC card, the reset IC card insertion detection characterized by outputting a signal at predetermined time intervals, detecting the presence or absence of the response signal during the predetermined time, and determining whether or not the IC card is inserted based on the presence or absence of the response signal. Method.