JP2001256446A - Non-contact ic card reader/writer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a non-contact IC card reader/writer capable of improving communication accuracy between a non-contact IC card and an antenna and reliably performing data update processing. SOLUTION: The IC card carrying path 10 of the non-contact IC card reader/ writer 2 consists of a lower guide 11, side plates 12 and 13 and a pair of upper guides 14 and 15. The lower guide 11 constructs a card extracting part 16 by bending the end part of a straight carrying part to the right or the left. The antenna 19 is also provided under the carrying end part of the guide 11. The non-contact IC card 3 is inserted from the carrying inlet of the path 10, carried manually to be abutted on a guide 18 for temporary stop at the end part of the carrying path and subsequently extracted from the part 16 with its carrying direction changed. The card 3 being in the middle of being carried goes into the communication range of the antenna 19 in the vicinity of reaching the guide 18 and updates stored data by communication with the antenna 19.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a non-contact IC card reader / writer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, for example, in toll collection on a multi-section toll road, a system using a non-contact IC card as a toll has been considered. For example, when a non-contact IC card reader / writer is installed in a booth of a toll booth and a vehicle enters the toll booth, the collection staff uses the non-contact IC card reader / writer to transmit information as a toll ticket to the non-contact IC card, for example, entry time. After writing the name of the entrance toll booth, the type of vehicle, etc., the non-contact IC card is handed over to the driver of the entering vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an antenna section 31 of the conventional non-contact IC card reader / writer. The antenna unit 31 of the non-contact IC card reader / writer is
An antenna cover 32 made of a member, for example, a synthetic resin or the like, through which a radio wave easily transmits outside a communication antenna (not shown).
And a mark 33 such as a seal is provided at the center of the upper surface.

When data is updated between the non-contact IC card 34 and the antenna section 31, the receiving person holds the non-contact IC card 34 over the mark 33 shown on the antenna cover 32 as a guide. Make communication. In this case, the non-contact IC card 34 is
The communication is started when the communication range is reached, and the data is updated.

[0005]

As described above, in the conventional non-contact IC card reader / writer, data is updated by holding the IC card 34 over the antenna cover 32.
If a deviation, a tilt, a distance, a passing speed, or the like of the center of 4 exceeds a certain range, a communication error occurs. The factors in which these communication errors occur vary among individuals, and the communication error occurrence rates differ from person to person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to improve the communication accuracy between a non-contact IC card and an antenna and to reliably update data. The purpose is to provide a writer.

[0007]

A non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a first aspect of the present invention is provided at an IC card transport path for manually transporting a non-contact IC card, and at an end of the IC card transport path. A temporary stop guide for temporarily stopping the non-contact IC card being transported, and an antenna provided to face a surface near the end of the IC card transport path and wirelessly communicating with the non-contact IC card being transported. And the I
A card take-out section provided at the side of the terminal end of the C card transport path, for guiding the side of the non-contact IC card, which has come into contact with the temporary stop guide and temporarily stopped, to the outside to be taken out. It is characterized by.

[0008] A non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a second aspect of the present invention provides an IC card reader / writer for manually transporting a non-contact IC card.
A C card transport path, a projection provided at the end of the IC card transport path, for temporarily stopping the non-contact IC card being transported, and a surface near the end of the IC card transport path. A movable guide provided in the movable guide, an antenna provided in the movable guide and wirelessly communicating with the non-contact IC card being conveyed, and a spring movably holding the movable guide; A non-contact IC card which has been brought into contact with the temporary stop projection and which has been temporarily stopped, together with the movable guide, and a card take-out portion for taking out the card to the outside.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration in a case where a non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a first embodiment of the present invention and an IC card supply section are combined, (a) is a plan view, b) is a side view. 2 shows only the non-contact IC card reader / writer in FIG. 1, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1 (a), and (c) is It is a left side view.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an IC card supply unit;
Denotes a non-contact IC card reader / writer. Note that the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 indicates a card transport portion. The IC card supply unit 1 and the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 are installed, for example, in a booth at an entrance tollgate on a toll road.

The IC card supply unit 1 includes, for example, an IC card storage 4 for storing the non-contact IC cards 3 in a stacked state, a ball screw support 5 connected to the IC card storage 4, and a rotation of the ball screw support 5. The motor 6 is driven to move the IC card housing 4 in the vertical direction. The IC card storage table 4 has a guide (not shown) surrounding the non-contact IC card 3 so as not to collapse. Further, the IC card supply unit 1 has a sensor (not shown) for detecting that the non-contact IC card 3 has risen to a preset height position, and based on a detection signal of this sensor. The motor 6 is driven to move the IC card housing 4 up to a height at which the uppermost non-contact IC card 3 can be easily taken out along the ball screw support 5.

The non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 is configured as shown in FIG. In FIG.
Reference numeral 10 denotes an IC card transport path of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2, a lower guide 11 for guiding the manual transport of the non-contact IC card 3, and side plates 12 provided on both sides thereof.
3. A pair of upper guides 14, 15 mounted on the inside of the side plates 12, 13 so as to maintain a predetermined interval above the lower guide 11. The upper part of the lower guide 11 is held open between the upper guides 14 and 15, and the non-contact IC card 3 is
Can be transported manually. At least the lower guide 11 constituting the IC card transport path 10 is formed using a member that easily transmits radio waves.

The lower guide 11 is a non-contact IC card 3
Constitutes an L-shaped transport path by bending the end of the linear transport section having a width corresponding to the short side of the right or left side,
The bent portion is formed wider than the long side of the non-contact IC card 3 to constitute the card take-out portion 16. The card take-out section 16 has a semicircular cutout 17 formed at the center of the front end to facilitate taking out the non-contact IC card 3.

The lower guide 11 is provided with a temporary stop guide 18 for temporarily stopping the non-contact IC card 3 above the end of the linear transport section. That is, IC
The non-contact IC card 3 inserted into the start end of the card transfer path 10 is manually conveyed, and abuts on the temporary stop guide 18 at the end to temporarily stop. The non-contact IC card 3 temporarily stopped at the end of the IC card transport path 10,
The card is taken out of the card take-out section 16 by changing the carrying direction by 90 °.

In addition, a radio communication antenna 19 is disposed at the lower end of the lower guide 11 so as to face the surface of the lower guide 11 in this case. The antenna 19 is
The position is set near the contact of the non-contact IC card 3 with the temporary stop guide 18 so that communication with the non-contact IC card 3 is optimized. The antenna 19 is connected to a data processing device (not shown), and reads information of the non-contact IC card 3 through communication with the non-contact IC card 3 and updates stored data as necessary.

In the above configuration, when the vehicle enters the toll booth, the toll-receiving member sends the non-contact IC from the IC card supply section 1 to the toll gate.
The card 3 is taken out, inserted into the gap between the lower guide 11 and the upper guides 14 and 15 from the transport entrance of the IC card transport path 10, and is manually transported in the direction shown by the arrow a to temporarily stop the terminal end of the transport path. The card is brought into contact with the guide 18, and then the card is taken out of the card take-out section 16 while changing the transport direction in the direction shown by the arrow b. The non-contact IC card 3 being transported is guided by being sandwiched between the lower guide 11, the side plates 12, 13 and the upper guides 14, 15 of the IC card transport path 10.

The non-contact IC card 3 manually conveyed on the IC card conveyance path 10 enters the communication area of the antenna 19 near the conveyance end portion, that is, near the temporary stop guide 18, and is connected to the antenna 19. And the stored data is updated. For example, at the entrance tollgate, the noncontact IC card reader / writer 2 writes the entry time, entrance tollgate name, vehicle type, and the like as passport information in the noncontact IC card 3.

The non-contact IC card 3 which has been manually conveyed on the IC card conveyance path 10 as described above is in communication with the antenna 19 in the vicinity of contact with the temporary stop guide 18, that is, always under constant conditions. Is performed, stable communication can always be performed.

Although the non-contact IC card 3 is manually conveyed, there is a slight error in the conveying speed.
Since the above variation in the passing speed is suppressed, a communication error can be reliably prevented.

(Second Embodiment) FIGS. 3 and 4 show the configuration of a non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view and FIG. Figure 3
(B) is a left side sectional view when the IC card is taken out.

An IC is provided for the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2.
The card transport path 10 is a non-contact IC similar to the first embodiment.
A lower guide 11 for guiding the manual conveyance of the card 3; side plates 12 and 13 provided on both sides of the lower guide 11;
1, the side plate 12 so as to maintain a predetermined interval above the
The upper guides 14 and 15 have a pair of upper guides 14 and 15 mounted on the inside thereof. The upper guides 14 and 15 are provided with card stopping projections 21 at their ends and a movable guide 22 at the end of the linear transport unit. Provided. The antenna 19 is provided in the movable guide 22, and is provided near the non-contact IC card 3 in contact with the card stop projection 21.
The position is set so that communication with the card 3 is optimized. The movable guide 22 is formed using a member that easily transmits radio waves.

The movable guide 22 is held by a holding mechanism 23 so as to be vertically movable. The above holding mechanism 2
3 holds the movable guide 22 movably in the up-down direction by a spring 24. In this case, the movable guide 22
Usually, it is at a position pushed up by the spring 24, and the upper surface is the same position as the upper surface of the lower guide 11. Also, below the movable guide 22, the movable guide 2
Stopper 2 that regulates its position when it is pushed down
5 are provided.

The movable guide 22 is provided with the upper guide 1.
It is formed so as to protrude further than the terminal ends of 4 and 15, and a card removal guide 26 is disposed on this protruding portion. The card removal guide 26 has a non-contact IC
To facilitate removal of the card 3, a semicircular notch 27 is provided at the center on the front end side.

When the movable guide 22 is pushed down until the movable guide 22 comes into contact with the stopper 25 as shown in FIG.
Is set to be the same height as the upper surface of the. When the movable guide 22 is pressed down, a gap 28 having a thickness equal to or larger than the thickness of the non-contact IC card 3 is formed between the upper surface of the movable guide 22 and the card stopping projections 21 provided on the upper guides 14 and 15. It is configured so that:

In the non-contact IC card reader / writer configured as described above, the collection member picks up the non-contact IC card 3 taken out of the hopper from the transport entrance of the IC card transport path 10 through the lower guide 11 and the upper guide 14. , 15 in the direction indicated by arrow a. When the non-contact IC card 3 comes into contact with the card stopping projection 21 at the end of the transport path, the receiving member indicates the movable guide 22 together with the non-contact IC card 3 by an arrow b against the repulsive force of the spring 24. As described above, when the non-contact IC card 3 comes into contact with the stopper 25 and stops, the non-contact IC card 3 is slid in the direction of the card removal guide 26 as shown by an arrow c to be removed.

The non-contact IC card 3 manually conveyed on the IC card conveyance path 10 enters the communication area of the antenna 19 near the end of the conveyance, that is, near the stopper 25, and communicates with the antenna 19. Then, the stored data is updated. The non-contact IC card 3 is pushed down together with the movable guide 22 after coming into contact with the card stopping projection 21. By this operation, a sufficient processing time in the data update processing can be obtained. By these operations, errors in the manual conveyance speed can be absorbed, and occurrence of a communication error can be prevented.

In the above embodiment, the IC card supply unit 1 and the non-contact IC card reader /
Although the case where the writer 2 is provided in combination is shown, at the exit tollgate, instead of the IC card supply unit 1,
An IC card accumulation unit is provided on the card take-out side of the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2. That is, the tollgate at the exit pays a non-contact I received from the driver of the entering vehicle.
The C card 3 is subjected to data processing by the non-contact IC card reader / writer 2 and, for example, toll ticket information recorded at an entrance tollgate is read and toll collection processing is carried out. The contact IC card 3 is accumulated in the IC card accumulating unit and prepared for the next use.

[0028]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a non-contact IC card is manually conveyed on an IC card conveying path, and communication is performed with a communication antenna provided near a conveying end. Then, the non-contact IC card is turned rightward or leftward from the transfer end portion and taken out, so that the center of the non-contact IC card and the antenna can be matched, and the The inclination and the distance can also be kept constant, and stable communication can be performed. In addition, non-contact IC cards have some differences in the transport speed due to manual transport,
By temporarily stopping by contacting the temporary stop guide provided at the transport end portion, variations in the passing speed on the antenna can be suppressed, and communication errors can be reliably prevented.

Further, according to the present invention, a movable guide which can be moved in the vertical direction is provided at the transfer end, and the non-contact IC card which has reached the transfer end is pushed down together with the movable guide and then taken out. It is possible to obtain a sufficient processing time for the data update processing between the non-contact IC card and the antenna that has reached the vicinity of the transfer end, to absorb a manual transfer speed error, and to prevent a communication error from occurring. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A shows a non-contact type I according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
The top view which shows schematic structure at the time of combining a C card reader / writer and an IC card supply part, (b) is the same side view.

2A is a plan view showing only a non-contact IC card reader / writer in the embodiment, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 2C is a left side view.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration of a non-contact IC card reader / writer according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

4 (a) is a left side sectional view of FIG. 3, and FIG. 4 (b) is a left side sectional view when a non-contact IC card is taken out.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an antenna unit of a conventional non-contact IC card reader / writer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 IC card supply part 2 Non-contact IC card reader / writer 3 Non-contact IC card 4 IC card storage base 5 Ball screw support 6 Motor 10 IC card conveyance path 11 Lower guide 12, 13 Side plate 14, 15 Upper guide 16 Card take-out part 17 Notch 18 Temporary stop guide 19 Antenna 21 Card stopping protrusion 22 Movable guide 23 Holding mechanism 24 Spring 25 Stopper 26 Card removal guide 27 Notch 28 Gap

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An IC card transport path for manually transporting a non-contact IC card, a temporary stop guide provided at an end of the IC card transport path for temporarily stopping a non-contact IC card being transported, An antenna that is provided opposite to a surface near the end of the IC card transport path and wirelessly communicates with the non-contact IC card being transported; A non-contact IC card reader / writer, comprising: a card take-out portion for guiding the non-contact IC card, which has come into contact with the stop guide and temporarily stopped, to the side to take out the non-contact IC card. 2. An IC card transport path for manually transporting a non-contact IC card, a temporary stop projection provided at an end of the IC card transport path for temporarily stopping a non-contact IC card being transported, A movable guide that is provided facing a surface near the end of the IC card transport path and is movable in the facing direction; and a wireless guide that is provided in the movable guide and communicates with the non-contact IC card being transported. An antenna, a spring for movably holding the movable guide, and a card take-out part for pushing out the non-contact IC card, which is in contact with the temporary stop projection and temporarily stopped, together with the movable guide and takes it out. Non-contact IC card reader / writer characterized by the above-mentioned.