KR20040073760A - Loop antenna having enhanced sensible area and credit card reader mounting thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A loop antenna extending a detectable area and a credit card reader equipped with the same are provided to utilize a contact/contactless card by equipping with the loop antenna and an RF(Radio Frequency) recognition module without largely changing a structure of a contact type card reader. CONSTITUTION: An exterior box part(140) forms an exterior box of the credit card reader. A separable cover part(150) forms a part of the exterior box part by being combined to the exterior box part, includes a part of an upper/side part of the exterior box part, and is attached/detached from the exterior box part. A loop antenna part(162) is placed to the inside of the separable cover part and forms a loop along the outer wall of the separable cover if the separable cover part is combined to the exterior box part, and has a bent shape in order to make the loop placed to the upper/side part of the separable cover part.

Description

Loop antenna with extended detectable area and credit card reader equipped with it {LOOP ANTENNA HAVING ENHANCED SENSIBLE AREA AND CREDIT CARD READER MOUNTING THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a loop antenna having an extended detectable area and a credit card reader equipped with the same. More particularly, the present invention has a high sensitivity over a wider spatial area and at the same time can be easily changed without changing the structure of a conventional credit card reader. It is to provide a loop antenna that can be easily mounted, and a credit card reader capable of payment using a contactless card mounted thereon.

In addition to contact cards such as magnetic cards, which have conventionally been used as a payment means such as credit cards, a large number of non-contact cards such as traffic cards have been used in recent years. A commonly used traffic card is a contactless wireless identification card that is similar in size to a credit card with a contactless RF electronic chip and a loop antenna.

In addition, in consideration of the widespread use of personal mobile communication terminals in recent years, in order to reduce the inconvenience of always carrying such a wireless recognition card separately from the personal mobile communication terminal, the movement of PCS phones, mobile phones, PDAs, etc. Contactless RF wireless recognition cards are widely used to store personal card information in a terminal and wirelessly transmit the stored card information in the form of an RF signal during a credit transaction.

However, contactless cards, such as RF wireless recognition cards, are not yet widely used, and contact credit cards are still used in commerce, and most businesses still use conventional contact card readers. Apart from the inconvenience of having a non-contact card reader.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a composite card reader that can be used together with a contactless card and a contact card by embedding a loop antenna and RF radio recognition module.

In addition, the present invention, when mounting a wireless recognition module such as a loop antenna in order to have the function of such a contactless card reader, a loop antenna of a new structure that can be easily mounted without greatly modifying the structure of the existing contact card reader. It is to provide.

In addition, the present invention is not only easy to mount, but also to further extend the wireless recognition possible range to provide a loop antenna that can recognize a high sensitivity over a wider spatial area and a card reader equipped with the same.

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a card reader of the present invention as seen from the outside.

2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a loop antenna of the present invention and a card reader equipped with the same.

3 illustrates a configuration of a card reader in a state where the loop antenna of the present invention is mounted.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of a card reader equipped with a loop antenna of the present invention.

5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the loop antenna of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: card reader 110: key input unit

120: display unit 130: contact leader

140: enclosure 150: cutter support

152: cutter 162: antenna unit

164: RF processing unit 166: antenna side connection

167: device side connection portion 168: signal processing portion

180: output unit 182: output paper

C: Connector part

200: card reader 210: key input unit

220: display unit 230: contact leader

250: control unit 255: interface unit

262: antenna unit 264: RF processing unit

268: signal processor 300: contact card

400: cell phone 500: contactless card

S: Substrate

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a credit card reader having a function of recognizing a contactless card in addition to a function of recognizing a contact card. Enclosure portion constituting; A separation cover part coupled to the enclosure to form a part of the enclosure, including at least a portion of an upper surface and a side of the enclosure, and detachable from the enclosure; And a loop located along the outer side of the separation cover part when the separation cover part is coupled to the enclosure, and bent such that the loop is positioned over the top and side surfaces of the separation cover part. It includes a loop antenna portion having a shape.

The loop antenna module according to another aspect of the present invention is a loop antenna module for mounting on a credit card reader having a function of recognizing a contactless card, in addition to a function of recognizing a contact card. Coupled to the enclosure constituting the enclosure of the card reader constitutes a part of the enclosure and includes at least a portion of the upper surface and a side portion of the enclosure and can be mounted on a detachable cover that is detachable to the enclosure, wherein the detachable cover is When coupled to the enclosure, the loop is formed inside the separation cover part and forms a loop along the outer edge of the separation cover part, and has a shape bent such that the loop is located over the top and side surfaces of the separation cover part. A loop antenna module including an antenna unit.

Here, preferably, the loop antenna module further includes a connection unit for transmitting a signal of the loop antenna, and the loop antenna unit and the connection unit may be integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connection unit. .

Preferably, the loop antenna module may include: an RF processor connected to the loop antenna unit to process a high frequency signal and output a digital signal; And a connection unit configured to transmit an output signal of the RF processor, wherein the loop antenna unit, the RF processor, and the connection unit are integrally formed to be detachable from the credit card reader through the connection unit.

Preferably, the loop antenna module may include: an RF processor connected to the loop antenna unit to process a high frequency signal and output a digital signal; A signal processor which processes the digital signal; And a connection unit for transmitting an output signal of the signal processing unit, wherein the loop antenna unit, the RF processing unit, the signal processing unit and the connection unit are integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connection unit.

In addition, the contactless card is preferably a remote contactless card such as a mobile phone, smart card, and the like may be to use RF as a carrier frequency.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, preferred embodiment of this invention is described in detail with reference to an accompanying drawing.

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a card reader of the present invention as seen from the outside. As shown in Fig. 1, the card reader 100 of the present invention has the same appearance and basic configuration as a conventional contact card reader.

In the case of using a contact card, the credit card information is read through the contact reader 130 in the same manner as the contact card reader of the related art, the dial number is input from the outside through the key input unit 110, and the display unit is displayed. Through 120, it is possible to recognize various information such as transaction status from the outside.

In addition, the receipt according to the transaction result is output so that the traders can receive in the form of a document through the output unit 180. At this time, the detachable cutter unit 150 is provided in order to exchange the output paper and cut and use it to a suitable size from the outside, and the cutter unit 150 is provided with a cutter blade 152. The output paper 182 is discharged to the outside through slots adjacent to the cutter blade 152.

Since the operation of the above contact card reader is the same as that of the prior art card reader, further detailed discussion is avoided.

The buyer who makes a credit transaction will generally stand on the side adjacent to the side on which the cutter unit 150 is provided, and the vendor will be on the opposite side. Therefore, when the cutter unit 150 is used for transactions using a contactless card, the present invention focuses on the fact that it is possible to provide a contactless card reader mounted card reader having a higher sensitivity without significantly changing the existing structure. Derived.

The card reader of the present invention mounts a loop antenna using the structure of the cutter unit 150 above. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a loop antenna of the present invention and a card reader equipped with the same.

As shown in FIG. 2, the loop antenna module of the present invention includes an antenna unit 162, an RF processor 164, and a connection unit 166. The antenna unit 162 is formed of a conventional loop antenna, and has a configuration that is bent in a "-" shape as a whole, unlike a general loop antenna configured only on a simple plane.

This bent shape of the antenna unit 162 makes the antenna unit 162 easy to mount on the inner surface of the cutter unit 150. Accordingly, it is possible to easily mount without changing the structure of the existing cutter unit 150.

The antenna unit 162 includes a loop antenna and is connected to the RF processor 164 as shown in FIG. 2. The RF processor 164 is generally configured in the form of a single chip, but may be formed of a set of one or more separate modules. The RF processor 164 receives an RF signal recognized by the antenna unit 162 and converts the RF signal into a digital signal. Output through For example, an RF signal having a high frequency signal of about 13.56 MHz is generally used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna unit 162 and the RF processing unit 164 are directly connected integrally to process an RF signal, and a digital signal output at a rear end thereof is provided inside the apparatus through the connection unit 166. It is preferable that the configuration is transmitted to the signal processing unit 168. Through this configuration, various problems related to the processing of the high frequency signal, which may occur due to the RF signal being transferred into the device, may be prevented. However, if necessary, the antenna unit 162 may be mounted only on the cutter unit 150, and the connecting unit 166 may be directly installed at the rear end thereof, whereby other parts such as the RF processing unit 164 may be placed inside the reader. . It is obvious that such modifications are also within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

3 illustrates a configuration of the card reader 100 in which the loop antenna of the present invention is mounted. 3 is a view illustrating only the configuration of a non-contact card reader without omitting other parts of the card reader 100 of the present invention.

The connection portion 166 protruding from the bottom of the cutter portion is coupled to the signal processing portion 168 by being coupled to the device side connection portion 167 mounted on the reader body opposite thereto, and connected to the signal processing portion 168 by the connector C. Well known means, etc. may be employed, and any modification for other connections and connections is possible.

The signal processor 168 may be configured in the form of a single substrate as illustrated in FIG. 3, or may be formed by a combination of modules configured on a plurality of substrates, or may be configured together on a circuit board of a conventional contact card reader. May be

The loop antenna of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 has a structure bent in the letter “a”, which is easy to mount on existing contact card readers, and further expands the radio recognition range to provide a wider spatial area. High sensitivity can be recognized. That is, the contactless card reader of the prior art has a loop antenna formed in a single plane, and this structure has the advantage of being simple and easy to manufacture in a single sheet-like thin plate structure, but opposed to the plane on which the loop antenna is formed There was a problem in that it has a high sensitivity only when the contactless card or the like is located on the side.

However, since the loop antenna of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 has a bent structure, it is easy to mount, and a card reader equipped with the loop antenna is high even when a contactless card or the like is placed on the top and front of the device. Sensitivity can be recognized and thus the spatial recognition area of the contactless card reader can be further extended.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the construction of one embodiment of a card reader of the present invention. The card reader 200 of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 4 is a display unit 220 for displaying an operation state by a display unit such as a contact reader 230 that recognizes a conventional contact card 300 and a monitor installed outside the apparatus. ), An output unit 280 for outputting a result in the form of a document such as a receipt to the outside of the device, a key input unit 210, an interface unit 255 provided with an external communication port, etc., a control unit 250 for controlling the operation of each unit And an antenna unit 262 for recognizing contactless payment means such as a contactless card 500 or a mobile phone 400, an RF processor 264 for processing a wireless signal detected by the antenna unit, and a digital signal. And a signal processor 268.

5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the loop antenna of the present invention. The antenna unit 162 and the RF processor 164 of the loop antenna of the present invention may be configured on a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) as shown in FIG.

The flexible printed circuit board may be made of, for example, polyimide resin or polyester (PET), and may be manufactured and bent through general exposure, development, and etching processes.

In the case of using such a flexible PCB, the antenna unit 162 and the RF processor 164 connected thereto have an advantage of providing an appropriate mechanical strength and facilitating the integral formation. However, the antenna unit 162 is not necessarily formed in such a structure, and the antenna unit 162 is formed of only the conductors without a separate substrate, and only the RF processing unit 164 and the connection unit 166 are formed on the small substrate. It is also possible to modify the manner of connecting to.

In addition, the shape of the antenna unit 162 is not necessarily a structure formed by bending it on the basis of a rectangular shape having a structure as shown in FIG. 5, and the shape before bending is mounted with a cutter unit 150 or other loop antenna unit. Depending on the shape of the part to be made, it may be modified and manufactured to be easily inserted therein. In this case, it is preferable to bend the letter "a" in order to be more easily recognized even when a contactless card or the like is placed on the top or side of the reader. The bending angle can vary depending on the enclosure structure of the device, and generally can be applied in the range of about 45 degrees to 135 degrees.

The RF processor 164 is connected to the signal processor 168 formed in the reader body through the connector 166. In this case, since the power supply voltage Vcc, the ground voltage GND, the reception signal RX, and the transmission signal TX should be transmitted to the RF processor 164 according to a conventional method, the connection unit 166 may transfer these signals. It is desirable to have independent terminals that can.

The contactless card 400 suitable for the application of the present invention may be a conventional remote type microwave (RF) contactless card, and this type of card does not need to be in close contact with or inserted into a card reader, thus causing mechanical wear. There is no concern such as static electricity, moisture, pollution, etc., there is an advantage that can be used almost semi-permanently. These cards have their standards and protocols set by the ISO (ISO7816, ISO14443, etc.), smart cards, memory cards, chip-in cards or intelligent cards, etc. It is called by various names. Mifare type smart cards, which are widely used for the use of traffic cards, fall into this category, and a wireless contactless card reader having a function of reading such a card is provided by the present invention.

As described above, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but it should be taken as exemplary, and various modifications not described above are possible without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the loop antenna bent by using the cutter unit 150 is mounted has been described, but it is not necessary to necessarily use the cutter unit, and the proper portion of the enclosure 140 of the reader is detached. It can also be separated so that the loop antenna can be mounted.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the claims below, but also by the equivalents of the claims.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a complex card reader in which a loop antenna, an RF wireless recognition module, and the like are embedded to enable the use of a contactless card and a contact card together. In addition, the present invention provides a loop antenna that can be easily mounted without significantly modifying the structure of a conventional contact card reader and can recognize a high sensitivity over a wider spatial area by further extending the wireless recognition range. It is possible to provide a mounted card reader.

Claims (10)

In addition to the function of recognizing a contact card, a credit card reader equipped with a function to recognize a contactless card, An enclosure constituting an enclosure of the credit card reader; A separation cover part coupled to the enclosure to form a part of the enclosure, including at least a portion of an upper surface and a side of the enclosure, and detachable from the enclosure; And When the separation cover part is coupled to the enclosure, it is located inside the separation cover part and forms a loop along the outer edge of the separation cover part, and the loop is bent to be positioned over the top and side surfaces of the separation cover part. Credit card reader comprising a loop antenna portion having a shape. The method of claim 1, Further comprising a connection for transmitting a signal of the loop antenna, And the loop antenna unit and the connection unit are integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connection unit. The method of claim 1, An RF processor connected to the loop antenna unit to process a high frequency signal and output a digital signal; And Further comprising a connection for transmitting the output signal of the RF processing unit, And the loop antenna unit, the RF processing unit and the connection unit are integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connection unit. The method of claim 1, An RF processor connected to the loop antenna unit to process a high frequency signal and output a digital signal; A signal processor which processes the digital signal; And Further comprising a connection for transmitting the output signal of the signal processor, And the loop antenna unit, the RF processing unit, the signal processing unit and the connecting unit are integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connecting unit. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The contactless card is a remote contactless card, such as a mobile phone or a smart card, and uses a RF as a carrier frequency credit card reader. A loop antenna module for mounting on a credit card reader equipped with a function of recognizing a contactless card, in addition to a function of recognizing a contact card, It is coupled to the enclosure constituting the enclosure of the credit card reader constituting a part of the enclosure and includes at least a portion of the upper surface and a side portion of the enclosure can be mounted on the detachable cover portion detachable to the enclosure, When the separation cover part is coupled to the enclosure, it is located inside the separation cover part and forms a loop along the outer edge of the separation cover part, and the loop is bent to be positioned over the top and side surfaces of the separation cover part. Loop antenna module including a loop antenna having a shape. The method of claim 6, Further comprising a connection for transmitting a signal of the loop antenna, And the loop antenna unit and the connection unit are integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connection unit. The method of claim 6, An RF processor connected to the loop antenna unit to process a high frequency signal and output a digital signal; And Further comprising a connection for transmitting the output signal of the RF processing unit, And the loop antenna unit, the RF processing unit and the connection unit are integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connection unit. The method of claim 6, An RF processor connected to the loop antenna unit to process a high frequency signal and output a digital signal; A signal processor which processes the digital signal; And Further comprising a connection for transmitting the output signal of the signal processor, And the loop antenna unit, the RF processing unit, the signal processing unit and the connecting unit are integrally formed and detachable from the credit card reader through the connecting unit. The loop antenna module according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the contactless card is a remote contactless card such as a mobile phone or a smart card and uses RF as a carrier frequency.