JP2000293738A - Card processor and card processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the size and cost of a card processor by suppressing the unauthorized use of cards by the fraudulent alteration, etc., of data and reducing the number of parts as much as possible. SOLUTION: This card processor 1 is provided with a card inserting port 10 into which a prepaid card 4 carrying preprinted usable amount on its front end section is inserted, a card carrying mechanism 14 which pulls the card 4 inserted into the port 10 in the device 1, and an image sensor 18 which reads the usable amount printed on the front end section of the card 4. The processor is also provided with an entrance shutter 19 which discriminates the inserted direction of the card 4 from the detected results of the sensor 18 and, when the shutter 19 discriminates that the inserted direction is wrong, inhibits the card carrying mechanism 14 from pulling the card 4 in the device 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card processing apparatus and a card processing method for performing, for example, magnetic processing or printing processing on a prepaid card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a card processing device is installed at a tollgate on a toll road such as an expressway so that a toll can be settled using a prepaid toll card. The main processing performed by the card processing device is to subtract a predetermined usage fee from the current available amount of the prepaid card when the user of the prepaid card uses the toll road. The contents of this processing include reading the available balance from the prepaid card before the fee is removed, printing the magnetic recording on the prepaid card such as the date of use and the available balance after the fee is removed, and magnetic recording.

As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional card processing apparatus that performs such processing detects that a prepaid card inserted from the outside is a prepaid card of the type to be processed, and detects the inserted prepaid card. A card detection unit 51 for detecting whether the insertion direction of the prepaid card is a predetermined insertion direction, and printing or magnetic printing on a prepaid card conveyed from the card detection unit 51 via, for example, a roller sandwiching type conveyance mechanism 52. Print head 53, bar code head 54, magnetic head 5 for performing processing
5 and the like, and a print verify unit 58 for reading out the content printed by the print head 53 of the card processing unit 56 by the image sensor 57 and verifying (print verifying) that the printing was correctly performed. Is configured.

Here, the card detection unit 51 will be described in detail. The card detection unit 51 includes a card insertion slot 59 provided on the front surface of the apparatus and formed to have an insertion width in which a prepaid card can be inserted only in the longitudinal direction, and a prepaid card inserted from the card insertion slot 59. The sensors 60 and 61 detect the length of the card by detecting the leading end of the prepaid card conveyed at a predetermined conveyance speed, and a bearing for preventing misinsertion of a different kind of card such as a credit card. A thickness detector 62 for restricting the thickness of a prepaid card passing vertically through the card and a barcode recorded on the prepaid card can be read out, so that the card processing unit 56 can process the insertion direction of the prepaid card. And a barcode detection unit 63 for detecting whether or not the insertion is performed in a correct insertion direction.

[0007] As shown in FIG. 6, the barcode detecting section 63 reads barcode data magnetically recorded at one lateral end of one of the front and back surfaces of the prepaid card 64. Barcode heads 65, 66, 6
7, 68 are respectively provided with pad rollers 69, 70 for pressing the card against the head. Therefore, the insertion direction of the prepaid card 64 is determined based on which of the four barcode heads has successfully read the magnetic barcode data. Of course, if the magnetic barcode data could not be read by any of the barcode heads 65, 66, 67, 68, the detected card is determined to be a foreign card.

When it is determined that the inserted direction of the prepaid card 64 is wrong, or when it is determined that the inserted card is a foreign card, the prepaid card 64 is immediately ejected from the card insertion slot 59. At the same time, information that prompts the user to reinsert a card to be processed instead of a different type of card, or information that prompts the user to reinsert the card by correcting the card insertion direction to the correct insertion direction is provided, for example, on the front of the apparatus. Displayed on a display monitor or the like.

[0007]

However, in such a conventional card processing apparatus, as described above, the detection of the insertion direction of the prepaid card 64 inserted from the card insertion slot 59 or the detection of an erroneous insertion of a foreign card is performed. And many components such as a card length detecting sensor 60, 61, a magnetic bar code reading bar code head 65, 66, 67, 68, and a thickness detector 62 for limiting the card thickness. As a result, the size of the device becomes large and there is a problem in terms of manufacturing cost.

Further, the conventional card processing apparatus does not have a sufficient function for suppressing fraudulent acts such as forgery or falsification of the prepaid card and falsification of data, and has a problem in security.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is possible to suppress unauthorized use of a card due to falsification of data and the like, and to reduce the size and cost of the apparatus by minimizing the number of components. It is an object of the present invention to provide a card processing device and a card processing method that can realize the realization.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card processing apparatus in which information on a card is recorded at a predetermined position on a surface. A card processing device for processing a card,
An insertion slot for inserting the card from the outside, a drawing means for pulling the card inserted into the insertion slot into the apparatus, and a card provided in the insertion slot and inserted into the insertion slot. A detecting means for detecting information about the card written in the predetermined position, and judging whether or not the insertion direction of the card is correct from the detection result by the detecting means, and judging that the insertion direction of the card is legitimate. Control means for controlling the drawing means so that the card is drawn into the apparatus.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card processing apparatus comprising: an insertion slot for externally inserting a card having a mark provided at a predetermined position on a surface thereof; Drawing means for drawing the card inserted into the opening into the apparatus; and mark detection provided at the insertion opening and detecting the mark written at the predetermined position from the card inserted into the insertion opening. Means for judging whether or not the insertion direction of the card is correct from the detection result by the mark detection means, and when it is judged that the insertion direction of the card is valid, the retraction means so that the card is drawn into the apparatus. And control means for controlling.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the information relating to the card or the mark is provided on either side of the card. It is characterized in that it is described at any one end of the surface in the longitudinal direction.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the card insertion direction is incorrect by the control means. It is characterized by further comprising a notifying means for generating information prompting correction of the insertion direction of the card inserted into the insertion slot when the judgment is made.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the card insertion direction is incorrect by the control means. It is further characterized in that it further comprises a pull-in preventing means for preventing the card from being drawn into the inside of the device by the pull-in means when judged.

Further, according to the card processing device of the present invention, the available amount information is printed at a predetermined position on the front surface at the time of issuance and is updated at the time of use. What is claimed is: 1. A card processing device for processing a prepaid card on which information is magnetically recorded, comprising: an insertion slot for inserting the prepaid card from the outside; and a draw-in for drawing the prepaid card inserted into the insertion slot into the inside of the device. Means, provided at the insertion slot, for reading the available money amount information printed at the predetermined position of the prepaid card inserted into the insertion slot, and the first reading means From the read result by the above, the correctness of the insertion direction of the prepaid card is determined, and if it is determined that the insertion direction of the prepaid card is correct, the Control means for controlling the drawing-in means so as to be drawn into the device; and the available balance information from the prepaid card which is determined by the control means to be valid in the insertion direction and drawn into the device by the drawing-in means. Second reading means for reading the available amount information, comparing means for comparing the available amount information read by the first reading means with the available remaining amount information read by the second reading means, A warning generating means for generating a warning when the amount of the available balance information exceeds the amount of the available amount information as a result of the comparison by the comparing means.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a card processing method for processing a card having a mark at a predetermined position on a surface thereof by a card processing apparatus. Detecting the mark written at the predetermined position from the card inserted into the insertion slot; determining whether the card is inserted in the correct direction from the mark detection result; A step of drawing the card into the card processing device when the orientation is determined to be correct, and not performing the drawing of the card when the orientation of the card is determined to be incorrect.

According to the card processing apparatus or the card processing method of the present invention, information on the card, for example, money information already printed at a predetermined position when the card is issued or a mark written at a predetermined position on the surface of the card Is detected, the correctness of the insertion direction of the card inserted into the insertion slot can be determined, and whether or not the card is drawn into the apparatus can be controlled according to the determination result of the correctness of the insertion direction of the card. Further, according to the present invention, when it is determined that the insertion direction of the card is incorrect, it is possible to generate information prompting correction of the insertion direction of the card inserted into the insertion slot.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in addition to detecting printed amount information or marks by using an image sensor used for, for example, print verification, etc., and also controlling driving of a transport mechanism for drawing a card into the apparatus. Alternatively, by providing a shutter or the like for preventing transfer of the card to the transport mechanism, detection of the insertion direction of the card inserted from the insertion slot or detection of erroneous insertion of a different type of card can be realized.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the number of components constituting the card processing device can be minimized, and the size and cost of the device can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, for detecting the insertion direction of the card or detecting the erroneous insertion of a different kind of card, for example, the available amount information read from the prepaid card is used,
Since a warning can be issued when the amount of available balance information exceeds the amount of available balance information, unauthorized use of the prepaid card due to data tampering or the like can be suppressed.

[0021]

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

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a card processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the internal structure of the card processing device, and FIG. It is a diagram showing a prepaid card to be performed.

This card processing device 1 processes a prepaid toll-paid card used for toll settlement on a toll road such as an expressway.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, a card processing unit 2 for writing magnetic information on a prepaid card, reading magnetic information from a card, printing on a card, and the like, and printing on a prepaid card correctly by the card processing unit 2. Card detection / print verification unit 3 for detecting whether the prepaid card has been inserted and detecting whether or not the inserted card is a card that can be processed by this apparatus, in addition to confirming whether or not the printing has been performed (print verification). It is mainly composed of

As shown in FIG. 3, the prepaid card 4 to be processed by the card processing apparatus 1 has a usable amount 5 before use at one end in the longitudinal direction of the front surface of the card at the time of purchase. Etc. are pre-printed. Further, the prepaid card 4 is provided with a barcode layer 6 at one end of the front surface of the card along the longitudinal direction, and the barcode layer 6 magnetically records a usable amount at the time of issuing the card. And the card processing device 1
An insertion direction arrow 7 indicating the direction of insertion into the printer is printed.
When the prepaid card 4 is used by the user and the toll collection process is performed by the card processing device 1, the remaining available amount, which is subtracted from the initial available amount by using the toll road, is processed. The date and contents of use are printed and magnetically recorded in the processing information recording section 8.

The card processing apparatus 1 further has a card insertion slot 10 formed in the customer service surface 9 as a front surface of the apparatus so as to have an insertion width in which the prepaid card 4 can be inserted only in the longitudinal direction.
And information that prompts reinsertion by correcting the insertion direction of the prepaid card 4 inserted from the card insertion slot 10 to the correct insertion direction, or information that prompts reinsertion of the prepaid card 4 to be processed instead of a heterogeneous card. Display unit 11 to be
An audio output unit 12 that generates a warning sound when, for example, the amount of the available balance information updated at the time of use exceeds the available amount information 5 preprinted on the prepaid card.
Are provided.

The card processing apparatus 1 also includes a prepaid card 4 inserted into a card insertion slot 10 and an entrance sensor 1.
3, a card transport mechanism 14, which comprises a plurality of transport rollers and the like, which starts driving when detected, and which freely transports the prepaid card 4 between the card detection / print verification unit 3 and the card processing unit 2. Is provided.

The card processing unit 2 includes a barcode head 15 for reading barcode data recorded on the barcode layer 6 of the prepaid card 4, and a prepaid card 4.
A magnetic head 16 for reading and writing magnetic information related to toll collection from the processing information storage unit 8 and a print head 17 such as a thermal head for printing characters such as available balance and date by a thermal printing method. It is configured.

The card detection / print verification unit 3 is provided with an image sensor 18 for reading the content printed by the print head 17 and verifying that the printing has been correctly performed (print verification). When the prepaid card 4 inserted into the card insertion slot 10 is detected by the entrance sensor 13,
The available amount of money 5 pre-printed at one longitudinal end of the surface of the prepaid card 4 is read. Further, the card detection / print verification unit 3 is provided with an entrance shutter 19 at a position facing the card insertion slot 10 with the image sensor 18 interposed therebetween. Shutter solenoid 2
This entrance shutter 19 which is configured to be openable and closable through
Can prevent the card transport mechanism 14 from transporting the card via the shutter solenoid 20. That is, the entrance shutter 19 is controlled to close when the prepaid card 4 is inserted into the card insertion slot 10 and the preprinted usable amount 5 cannot be read by the image scanner 18. On the other hand, when the prepaid card 4 is inserted into the card insertion slot 10 and the preprinted available amount 5 is read by the image sensor 18, the entrance shutter 19 is controlled to be opened. Thus, when the insertion direction of the prepaid card 4 is incorrect or when a different kind of card is inserted, the card transport mechanism 14 prevents the card from being pulled into the apparatus.

Next, a case where a prepaid card is actually processed by the card processing apparatus having such a configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

The prepaid card 4 is inserted through the card slot 10
Is inserted (S2), and when it is detected by the entrance sensor 13 (S4), the image sensor 18 (S6) starts reading available money information that should have been preprinted on the front end of the card (S8). ). If the available amount 5 cannot be read (NO in S9), it is determined that the inserted card is a foreign card or the insertion direction is wrong (S10), Information that prompts reinsertion of the card to be processed instead of the card, or information that prompts reinsertion by correcting the card insertion direction to the correct insertion direction is displayed on the display unit 11 (S12).

On the other hand, if the available amount 5 has been read (YES in S9), it is determined that the inserted card is the card to be processed and the insertion direction is correct, and the entrance shutter 19 is opened (S16). ). At this time, available amount 5
Is stored as data A (S18). The prepaid card 4 is transported to the card processing unit 2 by the card transport mechanism 14, the barcode data is read out by the barcode head 15 (S20), and the magnetic card 16 magnetically records the data in the processing information storage unit 8 (S20). The available balance is read (S22), and the available balance is stored as data B (S24).

Next, the available amount 5 stored as data A is compared with the available remaining amount stored as data B, and if data B exceeds data A (S2
6), it is determined that the magnetic data of the prepaid card 4 has been tampered with, such as falsification (S28), and the sound output unit 12 emits a warning sound. On the other hand, if the data B does not exceed the data A (YES in S26), it is determined that there is no fraudulent activity such as falsification of data (S32), and the available remaining amount after the fee is removed is stored in the processing information storage unit 8. Magnetic recording is performed (S34). At this time, the available balance after the charge is removed is stored as data C (S36). Further, the available balance after the charge is removed is stored in the processing information recording unit 8 by the print head 17.
Is printed (S38). The printed prepaid card 4 is conveyed to the card detection / print verification unit 3 by the card conveying mechanism 14 (S40),
The printed available balance after the charge removal is read by the image sensor 18 (S42) and stored as data D (S44). If the data C, which is magnetic information, matches the printed data D (S46), it means that the card processing has been normally completed (S48), and the prepaid card is ejected out of the apparatus.

As described above, according to the card processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, when the prepaid card 4 is issued, the available money 5 already printed at a predetermined position is detected, and the card is inserted into the card insertion slot 10. It is possible to determine whether or not the insertion direction of the prepaid card 4 is correct, and to control whether or not the card is to be drawn into the apparatus according to the determination result of whether or not the card insertion direction is correct.

Therefore, according to the card processing device 1 of the present embodiment, in addition to detecting the preprinted available amount 5 by diverting the image sensor 18 used for, for example, print verification, the card processing device 1 also includes a card inside the device. The entrance shutter 19 that prevents card transfer by the card transport mechanism 14 that pulls in the card allows detection of the insertion direction of the inserted prepaid card 4 or detection of erroneous insertion of a different kind of card.

Further, according to the card processing apparatus of the present embodiment, the usable amount 5 read from the prepaid card is used for detecting the card insertion direction or the wrong insertion of a different type of card. When the amount of available balance information exceeds the amount of available balance information, a warning can be generated, so that unauthorized use of the prepaid card due to falsification of data can be suppressed.

In the card processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, after detecting the insertion direction of the prepaid card 4, the control of drawing the prepaid card 4 into the apparatus is performed by the entrance shutter 1.
9, the card pull-in control may be performed by turning on / off the driving of the card transport mechanism 14 itself.

Further, in the present embodiment, the available amount preprinted is used for detecting the insertion direction of the prepaid card 4 or detecting the erroneous insertion of a different type of card, but the card insertion direction and the type of the card are specified. If possible, it may simply be a mark.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Information about the card, for example, the amount of money already printed at a predetermined position at the time of issuance of the card or the mark placed at a predetermined position on the surface of the card is detected, so that the insertion direction of the card inserted into the insertion slot is correct or incorrect. Can be determined,
It is possible to control whether or not the card is to be drawn into the apparatus in accordance with the result of the determination as to whether the card is inserted correctly.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in addition to detecting printed money information or marks by using an image sensor used for print verification, for example, the drive control of a transport mechanism for drawing a card into the apparatus is performed. Alternatively, by providing a shutter or the like for preventing transfer of the card to the transport mechanism, detection of the insertion direction of the card inserted from the insertion slot or detection of erroneous insertion of a different type of card can be realized.

Further, according to the present invention, the available amount information read from, for example, a prepaid card is used for detecting a card insertion direction or detecting an erroneous insertion of a different kind of card.
Since a warning can be generated when the amount of the available balance information exceeds the amount of the available balance information, unauthorized use of the prepaid card due to falsification of data can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a card processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal structure of the card processing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a prepaid card processed by the card processing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing of a prepaid card by the card processing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a conventional card processing device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a barcode detection unit of the card processing device of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Card processing apparatus 2 ... Card processing unit 3 ... Card detection / print verify unit 4 ... Prepaid card 5 ... Available amount 7 ... Insertion direction arrow 8 ... Process information recording unit 10 ... Card insertion Port 11: Display unit 12: Audio output unit 14: Card transport mechanism 18: Image sensor 19: Entrance shutter 20: Shutter solenoid

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G06K 17/00 G06K 17/00 NS G07B 15/00 G07B 15/00 RF Term (Reference) 2C087 AA09 BB11 BB13 DA07 DA16 3E044 AA20 BA06 CC06 DA10 DB02 DB11 5B023 GA01 GA02 GA06 JA05 5B058 CA31 KA01 KA05 KA12 KA13 KA22 KA32 YA06 5B072 AA03 CC02 CC12 CC24 CC27 DD01 DD04 GG06 LL18 MM09

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A card processing apparatus for processing a card in which information on the card is written at a predetermined position on a front surface, comprising: an insertion slot for inserting the card from outside; and an insertion slot inserted into the insertion slot. Drawing means for drawing the card into the device; detecting means provided at the insertion slot, for detecting information about the card written at the predetermined position from the card inserted into the insertion slot; Control means for judging whether or not the insertion direction of the card is correct from the detection result by the detection means, and controlling the drawing means so that the card is drawn into the apparatus when it is determined that the insertion direction of the card is valid; A card processing device comprising: 2. An insertion slot for inserting a card having a mark at a predetermined position on the surface from outside, a drawing unit for drawing the card inserted into the insertion slot into the inside of the apparatus, and Mark detection means provided in the insertion slot, for detecting the mark written at the predetermined position from the card inserted in the insertion slot, and determining whether the card is inserted correctly from the detection result by the mark detection means. A card processing device comprising: control means for controlling the drawing means so that the card is drawn into the apparatus when the card is inserted in the card when the card is properly inserted. 3. The card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the information on the card or the mark is written at one end in the longitudinal direction of one of the front and back surfaces of the card. Characterized card processing device. 4. The card processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit determines that the insertion direction of the card is invalid, the correction of the insertion direction of the card inserted into the insertion slot is performed. A card processing device further comprising a notifying means for generating information for prompting the user. 5. The card processing device according to claim 1, wherein the card is prevented from being pulled into the device by the drawing means when the control means determines that the card is not inserted correctly. A card processing device, further comprising a pull-in preventing means. 6. A card processing apparatus for processing a prepaid card in which available amount information has already been printed at a predetermined position on the front side at the time of issuance and magnetically recorded available remaining amount information which can be updated at the time of use, An insertion slot for inserting a prepaid card from the outside, a drawing unit for drawing the prepaid card inserted into the insertion slot into the apparatus, and the prepaid card provided in the insertion slot and inserted into the insertion slot First reading means for reading the available amount information printed at the predetermined position on the card; and determining whether the prepaid card is inserted correctly from the read result by the first reading means. Control means for controlling the drawing means so that the prepaid card is drawn into the apparatus when it is determined that the insertion direction of the card is valid; Control means by the insertion direction and the second reads the available balance information from the prepaid card drawn into the apparatus by to and the pull means determined to be legitimate
Reading means; comparing means for comparing the available amount information read by the first reading means with the available remaining amount information read by the second reading means; As a result, a card processing device comprising: warning generation means for generating a warning when the amount of the available balance information exceeds the amount of the available amount information. 7. A card processing method for processing a card having a mark provided at a predetermined position on a surface by a card processing apparatus, wherein the card inserted into the insertion slot is recorded at the predetermined position. Detecting the mark, and judging whether or not the insertion direction of the card is correct from the detection result of the mark, and if it is determined that the insertion direction of the card is correct, draw the card into the card processing device; A step of not inserting the card when it is determined that the insertion direction of the card is not correct.