JP2001101354A - Card reader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an easy-to-use card reader which improves the degree of freedom of an installing place by making a compact card reader so as to be installed at a small place, etc., where the card reader cannot be installed before to avoid choosing the installing place. SOLUTION: The feature of this card reader is being capable of executing communication between an antenna part 1 and a card A by being provided with a main body case B, a card slot part 4 formed at the case B for inserting the card A, the antenna part 1 as a radio communication means provided within the case B and a control circuit board 2 as a communication control means capable of communicating between the part 1 and the card A by inserting the card A into the part 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card reader capable of reading data from a card at least in a non-contact manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 9 is an external perspective view showing a conventional card reader. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 100 denotes a main body of the card reader. The main body 100 includes an antenna unit 101 for exchanging signals with the outside, a control circuit board 102, a power supply board unit 103 of each unit, and the like.

When a card A (with an antenna unit and an IC inside) is brought close to the main body 100, the main body 100
Signals are exchanged by a magnetic field between the antenna unit 101 built in the card and the antenna unit 101 built in the card, and the data in the memory in the IC built in the card is converted. Delete or delete
For example, data from 0 is stored in an IC in the card.

The card reader having the above-described structure can rewrite the data of the card simply by disposing the card near the card reader main body. Therefore, for example, the input / output of a system using a commuter pass, a prepaid card, etc. It is used as a means.

[0005] Further, as another conventional card reader,
As shown in FIG. 10, a card transport path is built in, the card A is moved in the card transport path by a transport roller or the like, and the card A is arranged at a predetermined position. A signal has been exchanged between the antenna unit 201 and the antenna unit 20 built in the card A.

[0006]

In many cases, the location of the card reader cannot be specified, and the card reader must be installed in a very narrow place on a desk, or must be installed on a wall instead of on a desk. There is.

[0007] In the conventional card reader configuration, the size of the card reader body becomes large, and it is necessary to install the card reader in a very narrow place on a desk or to install it on a wall instead of on a desk. Had a problem that it could not be installed.

Further, in the configuration of the conventional card reader as shown in FIG. 9, communication between the card A and the main body 100 is performed only by bringing the card A close to the main body 100.
In some cases, it is very convenient. However, on the other hand, if it is necessary to keep the card A close to the main body 100 of the card reader in order to process the data between the card reader and the card, the card A is moved to the main body 1 of the card reader.
There is no part to keep at 00 and until data processing is completed
There was a problem that the user had to keep the card in his hand.

Further, in the conventional configuration of the card reader, the currently stored data is not visually displayed. For example, in the case of a system using a prepaid card or the like, the remaining balance or the like is visually determined. Since the card or the card reader itself could not be seen, the usability was very poor.

In the case of a card reader having a card transport path as shown in FIG. 10, although visible information can be stored in the card, it takes time to transport the card, and the time between the card and the card reader becomes large. The exchange of data did not go smoothly, and when applied to commuter passes, there was a problem that a time loss occurred.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. The present invention aims at reducing the size of a card reader, and can be installed in a narrow place or the like which could not be installed conventionally. It is an object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-use card reader with improved performance.

[0012] Further, by providing the card reader with a portion capable of holding the card, conventionally, when processing the data between the card reader and the card, the card must be brought closer to the card reader, and the processing is terminated. Until you do
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problem that the user must maintain the state held in his hand.

Further, for example, in the case of a system using a prepaid card or the like, it is another object of the present invention to provide a card reader which is very easy to use so that the balance and the like can be visually observed on the card reader body side.

[0014]

According to the present invention, there is provided a main body case, an antenna section as wireless communication means, and a control circuit board as communication control means in the main body case. A card slot for inserting and holding a card is provided in the main body case between the antenna section and the control circuit board so as to face each other, and the antenna section and the control circuit board are at right angles to a horizontal surface on a desk and are upright. Configuration. The distance between the antenna section and the control circuit board and the slot width of the card slot section are optimized.

Further, the main body case is provided with a mounting portion having a hinge structure, so that the posture and angle of the main body can be freely set.

Further, input means for inputting data and the like to the main body case and display means for displaying information such as the current time, the user's ID number, the number of points, and the data stored in the card are provided to facilitate use.

[0017]

The invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that the main body case, a card slot portion for inserting a card provided in the main body case, a wireless communication means provided in the main body case, Communication control means for performing communication between the wireless communication means and the card by inserting a card into the slot portion, and allowing the user to insert the card into the card slot portion by performing communication between the wireless communication means and the card; It can be deferred, making it very easy to use.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, an antenna unit as the wireless communication unit and a control circuit board as a communication control unit are provided in the main body case, and the antenna unit and the control circuit board are opposed to each other. By doing so, in particular, the depth of the device can be reduced, so that the main body case can be made compact.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first and second aspects, the antenna section as the wireless communication means provided in the main body case and the control circuit board as the communication control means are arranged on a horizontal surface on a desk. On the other hand, by being right-angled and having an upright surface, the depth of the device can be particularly reduced, so that the main body case can be made compact.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects, the gap between the antenna portion provided in the main body case and the control circuit board is separated by 3 mm or more to avoid interference of the control circuit board with the antenna portion. You can do it. Preferably by separating at least 3 mm and not more than 60 mm
Especially since the depth of the device can be reduced,
The body case can be made compact.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fourth aspects, a card slot portion for inserting a card is provided on an external portion of the main body case between the antenna portion provided in the main body case and the control circuit board. As a result, the user can insert the card into the slot and keep the card stationary.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the user easily inserts the card into the card slot by setting the minimum slot width of the card slot into which the card is inserted to be 5 mm or more. Can do things. By making it preferably 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less,
Especially since the depth of the device can be reduced,
The body case can be made compact. 5-50
By securing mm, for example, the user can insert the wallet into the card slot and leave the card in the wallet while keeping the card in the wallet.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the communication between the antenna unit and the card of the wireless communication means provided in the main body case is performed on the surface of the main body case on which the antenna unit is built. This can be done even with the card close to it. The user can communicate without inserting the card into the card slot, and one antenna unit can communicate both with the card from the surface of the main body case and with the card from the card slot side. It can be done and is easy to use.

In the invention according to claim 8, in claim 1 to 7, the user inserts the card into the card slot portion and keeps the card as it is, since the antenna portion as the wireless communication means is opposed to the wall surface of the card slot portion. In this case, the card and the antenna as the wireless communication means face each other,
Communication between the card and the card reader can be reliably performed.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the first to eighth aspects, a card having an antenna unit and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna unit is used, and the wireless communication provided in a main body case of a card reader. By using an antenna unit as means and performing communication by a magnetic field between the antenna unit of the card and the antenna unit of the card reader, simple and reliable communication between the card and the card reader can be performed.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the first to ninth aspects, the main body case has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and both the bottom surface having a small area and the first back surface having a large area can be used as installation surfaces. Since the card reader can be installed in various styles depending on the arrangement location, the card reader can be installed according to the extremely convenient installation location.

The eleventh aspect of the present invention relates to the first to tenth aspects.
, The surface on which the main body case is installed is provided with at least one cable escape groove when the communication cable or the power cable connected to the card reader main body is provided, so that the cable can be easily drawn and the usability is improved. Become.

The invention according to claim 12 is the invention according to claims 1 to 11
In, the body case is equipped with a hinged mounting part, so that the posture and angle of the card reader body can be freely set,
Depending on the location, it can be installed in various styles,
It is possible to install a card reader according to an extremely convenient installation location.

The invention according to claim 13 is the invention according to claims 1 to 12
In the above, the surface of the main body case on the side facing the card slot portion is located near the card with the antenna portion as the wireless communication means interposed therebetween, so that the user can perform communication without inserting the card into the card slot portion. A single antenna unit can perform both communication with the card from the front surface side of the main body case and communication with the card from the card slot side, which is convenient.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the thirteenth aspect, the card proximity portion is visually different from other main body case surface portions, so that a user can easily recognize the card proximity portion and use the card proximity portion. It is easy for a user to bring the card close to or in contact with the card proximity portion, and there is almost no possibility that a data communication error or the like occurs.

The invention according to claim 15 is the invention according to claims 13 and 1
In 4, the card proximity portion is marked with printing, a sticker, or the like, so that the card proximity portion can be recognized without performing any special processing on the main body case. Will be very good.

The invention according to claim 16 is the invention according to claims 1 to 15
In the above, since the card slot portion is marked with printing, a seal, or the like, the card slot portion can be recognized without performing special processing on the main body case, so that the main body case does not have a complicated structure, and appearance is improved. Will be very good.

[0033] The invention according to claim 17 is the invention according to claims 1 to 16.
, An input means for inputting data and the like into the main body case and a display means for displaying information such as the current time, the user's ID number, the number of points, and data stored in the card, so that The operability of the card reader can be improved, and the operability of the card reader can also be improved.

The invention according to claim 18 is the invention according to claims 1 to 17
, The main body case is provided with at least one LED as a display means so that the communication state between the wireless communication means and the card can be visually confirmed, so that the user can complete communication between the card and the antenna section of the card reader. , And communication errors can be easily visually recognized.

The invention according to claim 19 is the invention according to claims 1 to 18.
In the main body case, at least one communication state between the wireless communication means and the card can be checked audibly.
By providing a sound generator such as two buzzers, the user can easily and audibly recognize the completion of communication between the card and the antenna section of the card reader and the communication error.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card reader comprising a wireless communication means and a communication control means, wherein the wireless communication means and the communication control means are opposed to each other. By inserting a card into the space between the wireless communication means and the communication control means, communication can be performed, and the card reader can be made compact.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising:
A card reader comprising wireless communication means and communication control means in the main body case, wherein the card reader is provided with a card slot in the main body case,
The user can insert the card into the card slot and keep the card stationary, which greatly enhances usability.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are an external perspective perspective view and an external perspective view showing a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, A is a card, and B is a main body case of a card reader. Here, it is preferable that the main body case B is made of a material having no magnetic shielding effect or a material that is not charged. That is, when the signal exchange with the card A is performed by electromagnetic induction as described later, if the main body case B is made of a material having a magnetic shielding effect or a charged material, the signal exchange may not be performed well. It is. However, when the intensity of the magnetic field to be generated is strong, a constituent material is selected in consideration of workability, cost, or strength, and the constituent material may have a certain magnetic shielding effect and a certain charge. . As a constituent material of the main body case B,
For example, plastic, synthetic resin and the like are particularly preferably used in terms of workability and cost, and resins such as acryl, vinyl chloride and epoxy resin are used as specific materials.

1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an antenna unit, 2 denotes a control circuit board, 3 denotes a power supply board unit, and 4 denotes a card slot unit.

The antenna unit 1 provided in the main body case B
Since the control circuit board 2 and the control circuit board 2 are opposed to each other, in particular, the depth of the apparatus can be reduced, so that the main body case is configured to be compact. Also, by making the antenna unit 1 and the control circuit board 2 provided in the main body case B perpendicular to the horizontal surface on the desk and making them upright,
Especially since the depth of the device can be reduced,
The main body case B is configured to be compact.

The main body case B is provided with a card slot section 4 so that the card A can be inserted and held. Further, the card reader of the present invention has a configuration in which signals can be exchanged even when the card A is close to the surface of the main body case B on which the antenna unit 1 is built. A card proximity portion f to be in proximity to or in contact with is provided. In addition, by providing markings 5a and 5b such as printing and stickers on the card slot portion 4 or the card proximity portion f, the insertion position of the card A and the card proximity position can be clarified for the user. preferable. Further, in order to clarify the position of the card proximity portion f, the card proximity portion f may be stepped. For example, the user can clearly recognize the card proximity portion f by making the card proximity portion f bulge with respect to the other front surface so as to be visually different.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 denotes a communication cable or a power cable connected to the control circuit board 2 or the power board section 3 in the card reader main body. Reference numeral 8 denotes a cable escape groove for routing a communication cable or a power supply cable connected to the card reader. The provision of the escape groove facilitates the routing of the cable and improves the usability.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, a distance X is a gap distance between the antenna unit 1 and the control circuit board 2 provided in the main body case.
By setting the gap distance at least 3 mm, interference of the control circuit board 2 with the antenna unit 1 is avoided, and stable communication with the card A is enabled. By setting the gap distance to be preferably 3 mm or more and 60 mm or less, the depth of the apparatus can be particularly small, and the main body case can be made compact. If the air gap distance is smaller than 3 mm, the control circuit board 2 is too close to the antenna section 1, so that the resonance frequency of the antenna changes and communication with the card becomes unstable. On the other hand, if the gap distance is larger than 60 mm, the depth of the device becomes large, and the main body case cannot be made compact.

The interval Y is the slot width of the card slot section 4 for inserting a card, and the minimum width of this slot width is 5
By setting the length to mm or more, the user can easily insert the card into the card slot section 4. Preferably 5
By setting the length to not less than mm and not more than 50 mm, in particular, the depth of the device can be reduced, so that the main body case can be made compact. By securing 5 to 50 mm, for example, the user can insert the wallet into the card slot section 4 and leave the card in the wallet while keeping the card in the wallet.

Here, when the gap X, which is the gap distance between the antenna section 1 and the control circuit board 2, is set in the range of 3 mm to 5 mm, the gap Y, which is the slot width of the card slot section 4, is smaller than the range. Set smaller. In this case, a card thinner than the set range or its enclosure is inserted into the card slot section 4.

The interval Y may be set larger than the interval X. In this case, the antenna section 1 and the control circuit board 2 are located inside the card slot section 4. The card slot section 4 functions as a guide for roughly guiding the card when inserting the card, and the guided card is inserted between the antenna section 1 and the control circuit board 2.

The gap X, which is the gap distance between the antenna section 1 and the control circuit board 2, and the gap Y, which is the slot width of the card slot section 4, are both set to 5 mm or more. , And stable communication with the card A is enabled, and the user can easily insert the card into the card slot section 4.
Furthermore, if the distances X and Y are both set to 50 mm or 60 mm or less, it goes without saying that the depth of the apparatus can be reduced and the main body case can be made compact.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, F is the front face of the card reader main body, W is the bottom face of the card reader main body, and Z is the back face of the card reader main body. The main body case has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and it is possible to use both the small bottom surface W and the large back surface Z as the installation surface, and it can be installed in various styles depending on the installation location, so it is a very convenient installation location A card reader can be installed according to the conditions.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing a card reader according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 9 denotes a hinge-structured mounting part. Since the main body case is provided with a hinge-shaped mounting portion, the posture and angle of the card reader main body can be freely set as shown in FIGS. 5 (a), 5 (b), 5 (c) and 5 (d). Therefore, the card reader can be installed in various styles, so that the card reader can be installed according to an extremely convenient installation location.

Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the structure of the card A is such that an antenna section 14 formed as a loop-shaped coil and a connection to the antenna section 14 are provided in a base made of a resin material or the like. Integrated circuit 13 embedded therein. When an external magnetic field generated from the card reader enters the loop coil serving as the antenna unit 14, an induced current flows through the loop coil serving as the antenna unit 14 due to the external magnetic field, and the induced current causes the integrated circuit 1 to operate.
In addition to performing conversion, rewriting, or erasing of data in the memory of No. 3, the induced current can also serve as a power source for the integrated circuit 13.

As shown in FIG. 6, a keyboard 11 and a display unit 10 for inputting predetermined data may be provided in the main body case B. From the keyboard 11, for example, data such as a management number of a used product, a management number of a user, a date, and a purchase price are input. In the present embodiment, the keyboard 11 is used as a data input device, but a PDA, a touch panel, a voice input device, or the like for handwriting input may be used instead.

The display section 10 displays the user's name,
The D number, the current time, the name of the purchased product, the current number of points, and the like are displayed. The display unit 10 includes a liquid crystal display,
An organic EL display, an EL display, a CRT display, or the like can be used.

As shown in FIG. 6 (or FIGS. 1, 2, and 4), a display as a first display unit is provided on the main body case B so that the communication state between the wireless communication means and the card can be visually confirmed. In addition to the unit 10, a display unit 6 may be provided as a second display unit. The display means 6 includes at least one L
ED can be used. For example, by using a green LED and a red LED, the card A and the antenna 1
The green LED blinks while the communication between the units continues, and the green LED flashes when the communication between the card A and the antenna unit 1 is completed successfully.
Lights up, and when the communication between the card A and the antenna 1 has an error, the user completes the communication between the card A and the antenna 1 so that the green LED is turned off and the red LED is turned on. In addition, communication errors can be easily visually recognized.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, at least one of the main body case B and the main body case B is provided so that the communication state between the wireless communication means and the card can be checked audibly.
Voice generating means 7 may be provided. For example, at least one buzzer can be used as the sound generating means. For example, the buzzer does not sound when the communication between the card A and the antenna 1 is successfully completed, and the buzzer sounds when the communication between the card A and the antenna 1 has an error. The completion of communication between the card A and the antenna 1 and the communication error can be easily and audibly recognized.

The operation of the card reader configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIG.

First, the IC memory read / write control unit 17
A current is applied to the antenna unit 1 to generate a magnetic field, and the magnetic field is generated from the antenna 1 by the antenna unit 14 provided in the card A inserted into the card slot unit 4 or provided in the card A close to or in contact with the card proximity unit F. The received magnetic field is received, and the data stored in the memory in the integrated circuit 13 is erased, updated, and the like. In some cases, information from the integrated circuit 13 is transmitted to the antenna unit 1 through the antenna unit 14 to perform control. It transfers predetermined information or data to the CPU 15 provided on the circuit board 2. At this time, the CPU 15 transfers the read data and the like to the host computer 16, and the host computer 16 performs operations such as totalizing the read data. When writing data from the host computer 16 to the integrated circuit 13 of the card A, CP
U15 transmits a signal corresponding to the data to the IC memory read / write control unit 17, generates a predetermined magnetic field in the antenna unit 1, and writes the data to the integrated circuit 13 in the card A.

The transmission and reception of signals are performed in this manner.
The IC memory read / write control unit 17 detects that at least one of the operation of recording data on the card A and the operation of reproducing a signal from the card A has been completed. The IC memory read / write control unit 17 recognizes whether communication with the card A has been successfully completed or an error has occurred based on the detected signal. IC
The memory read / write control unit 17 transmits the recognized data to the CPU 1
5 to determine the information (whether the communication has been successfully completed or a communication error) sent to the CPU 15 that has received the signal, and sends data to be displayed to the second display control unit 20;
It is displayed on the second display means 6. Further, the CPU 15 sends data to the sound generating means 7 and causes the sound generating means 7 to generate sound.

The data input from the keyboard 11 is sent from the designation input processing unit 18 to the CPU 15 and
The data is determined by the PU 15 and the host computer 1
6, if it is necessary to send the data to the host computer 16, and if it is necessary to send the data to the integrated circuit 13 in the card A, the data is sent to the IC memory read / write control unit 17, The magnetic field accompanying the signal is output from the antenna unit 1 and the integrated circuit 13 in the card A is output.
Record the data.

Further, the CPU 15 determines the information (data from the keyboard 11, data from the host computer 16 and the like) sent to the CPU 15, and displays the information which needs to be displayed on the first display control unit 19. Data to be transmitted and displayed on the first display unit 10.

The above operation has been described by way of example. However, it is needless to say that other operations can be executed, and each operation differs greatly depending on the system using the card A. There is a need.

[0065]

According to the present invention, there is provided a main body case, an antenna section as wireless communication means in the main body case, and a control circuit board as communication control means. A card slot for inserting and holding a card is provided in the main body case between the control circuit boards, and the antenna section and the control circuit board are at right angles to a horizontal surface on a desk, and have an upright surface. Further, the distance between the antenna section and the control circuit board and the slot width of the card slot section are optimized. In addition, the main body case is provided with a hinged mounting portion so that the posture and angle of the main body can be freely changed, so that the size of the main body of the conventional card reader is large, so that the card reader can be very easily placed on a desk. It solves the conventional problem that it cannot be installed in a narrow place and cannot be installed on a wall, not on a desk.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the card reader according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing a card reader according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a card reader according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a card reader according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a card suitably used for the card reader according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a card reader according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a conventional card reader.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of another conventional card reader.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Card B Body case F Card reader body front f Card proximity W card reader body bottom Z Card reader body back 1 Antenna 2 Control circuit board 3 Power supply board 4 Card slot 5a, 5b Marking of printing, sticker, etc. 6 LED (Display Means) 7 Buzzer (Sound Generation Means) 8 Cable Relief Groove 9 Hinge Structure Attachment Parts 10 Display Unit 11 Keyboard 12 Communication or Power Cable 13 Integrated Circuit 14 Antenna Unit (Loop Coil) 15 CPU 16 Host Computer 17 IC Memory read / write control unit 18 designation input processing unit 19 first display control unit 20 second display control unit 100 main body 101, 201 antenna unit 102, 202 control circuit board 103, 203 power supply board

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kuniei Kuroki 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masashi Furuno 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5B058 CA17 KA40

Claims (21)

[Claims] A main body case; a card slot provided in the main body case for inserting a card; a wireless communication means provided in the main body case; A card reader comprising communication control means for performing communication between a communication means and a card, and capable of performing communication between the wireless communication means and the card. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an antenna section serving as said wireless communication means and a control circuit board serving as communication control means in a main body case, wherein said antenna section and said control circuit board are opposed to each other. Card reader. 3. The wireless communication device according to claim 2, wherein the antenna unit serving as the wireless communication unit and the control circuit board serving as the communication control unit are perpendicular to a horizontal plane on a desk and are upright. 3. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein: 4. A distance between an antenna section as said wireless communication means and a control circuit board as said communication control means is 3 mm or more, preferably 3 mm or more and 60 m or more in a main body case.
The card reader according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the number is set to m or less. 5. The card slot for inserting the card is provided between the antenna unit serving as the wireless communication unit and the control circuit board serving as the communication control unit on an external portion of a main body case. Any one of claims 1 to 4
The card reader as described. 6. A card reader according to claim 5, wherein a slot width of said card slot portion for inserting said card is 5 mm or more, preferably 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less in a minimum slot width. . 7. The communication between the wireless communication means provided in the main body case and the card is performed by bringing the card close to the surface of the main body case on the side of the main body case on which the antenna section serving as the wireless communication means is built. 2. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the card reader can be operated even in a state in which the card reader is turned on. 8. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein an antenna section as said wireless communication means is opposed to a wall surface of a card slot section. 9. An antenna for a card using a card having an antenna unit and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna unit, and using an antenna unit as the wireless communication means provided in a main body case of a card reader. 9. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein communication is performed by a magnetic field between the unit and an antenna unit of the card reader. 10. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the main body case has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and both the bottom surface having a small area and the first back surface having a large area can be used as installation surfaces. 11. A surface on which the main body case is provided has at least one cable escape groove for routing a communication cable or a power cable connected to the card reader main body. 10. The card reader according to any one of 10 above. 12. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the main body case is provided with a mounting portion having a hinge structure. 13. A card proximity portion on the side of the main body case facing the card slot portion with the antenna portion serving as the wireless communication means interposed therebetween.
2. The card reader according to any one of 2. 14. The card reader according to claim 13, wherein said card proximity portion is visually different from other main body case surface portions. 15. The card reader according to claim 13, wherein a marking such as printing, a sticker, or the like is provided on the card proximity portion. 16. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the card slot is provided with markings such as printing and stickers. 17. An input device for inputting data and the like to a main body case, and display means for displaying information such as a current time, a user's ID number, the number of points, and data stored in a card. The card reader according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein 18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one LED is provided as a display means on the main body case so that a communication state between said wireless communication means and said card can be visually confirmed. Card reader. 19. A main body case comprising at least one sound generator such as a buzzer so that a communication state between the wireless communication means and the card can be checked audibly. The card reader according to any one of the above. 20. A card reader comprising wireless communication means and communication control means, wherein said wireless communication means and said communication control means are opposed to each other. 21. A card reader comprising a main body case, a wireless communication means and a communication control means in the main body case, wherein a card slot portion is provided in the main body case.