JP2006201826A - Memory sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a memory card of which memory information is extremely difficult to read and alter in an unauthorized manner. <P>SOLUTION: The memory card 10 comprises an IC memory 17 and an optical memory 13 and, if accessed from outside, inner authentication information carried by the optical memory 13 consisting of a number of optical waveguides 12 is used to determine whether it is allowed to access the IC memory 17 or not. The carried information of the optical memory 13 is read in the memory card by a built-in luminescent part 15 and a light-receiving part 16 and it is impossible to read the carried information out to outside. Hence, it is impossible to access the IC memory 17 from outside without having outside authentication information which is coordinated to the inner authentication information carried by the optical memory 13 beforehand. Thus, it is possible to prevent the information carried by the IC memory 17 from being read or altered in an unauthorized manner. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a memory sheet that can carry information by an optical waveguide, and more particularly to a highly safe memory sheet that is difficult to forge and tamper.

  Conventionally, in order to increase the reliability of a magnetic card, a memory card in which an optical fiber is built in the magnetic card has been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In a memory card with this configuration, a large number of optical fibers are embedded in the card, and by cutting or crushing some of these, an optical storage area consisting of a combination of light transmission and blocking is formed. ing. In addition, a core material is formed by aligning a plurality of optical fibers having a circular or square cross-sectional shape on a plane and integrating them with an adhesive, and a plastic protective sheet is bonded to both surfaces of the core material. It has a structure.

On the other hand, as a memory card, an IC card having a configuration in which an IC memory chip having a large storage capacity is embedded is widely used. In particular, non-contact type IC cards having a transmission / reception function are capable of reading the information carried only by being brought close to the sensor, and are beginning to spread widely for convenience.
Japanese Patent No. 2682542 Japanese Patent No. 2737841

  However, the conventional memory card having an optical fiber has the following problems. First, it is difficult to bond and fix a large number of about 30 to 200 optical fibers in a single card in a state where they are accurately aligned in the plane direction at an equal pitch. Therefore, the production efficiency of the memory card is poor, and it is difficult to increase the storage capacity using a larger number of optical fibers. Moreover, since the joint strength between optical fibers depends on the adhesive strength, there is a high possibility that the joint strength of optical fibers will be insufficient in practice. In particular, when a force that causes bending deformation of the memory card is applied, the core material having a structure in which the optical fiber is bonded and fixed in the planar direction is easily broken. Furthermore, the optical fiber is generally expensive, and a memory card in which an optical storage area is formed by using a large number of optical fibers becomes expensive and impractical.

  In addition to these problems, since information is carried by transmission and non-transmission of light, there is a problem that the carried information can be easily read by passing light through the optical fiber.

  On the other hand, although the IC card has a large storage capacity, there is a risk that stored information may be falsified electrically or magnetically from the outside.

  In view of these points, an object of the present invention is to propose a memory sheet in which stored information is difficult to read or tamper with by illegal acts.

In order to solve the above problems, the memory sheet of the present invention is
The seat body,
An optical memory comprising at least one optical waveguide formed inside the sheet body;
In order to make light incident on the optical waveguide, a light emitting unit built in the sheet main body,
In order to receive light emitted from the optical waveguide, a light receiving unit built in the sheet body,
An IC memory built in the sheet body;
It is determined whether or not at least one processing operation is possible among a write operation to the IC memory from the outside, an output operation of information stored in the IC memory to the outside, and a rewrite operation of stored information in the IC memory. And a control unit built in the card body,
Upon receiving an external command, the control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light, reads the internal authentication information carried on the optical waveguide through the light receiving unit, and is included in the internal authentication information and the external command. It is characterized in that the processing operation is made possible only when collation is performed with the external authentication information that has been collated.

  In the memory sheet of the present invention, when an IC memory and an optical memory are combined and accessed from the outside, whether or not the IC memory can be accessed is determined using internal authentication information carried in the optical memory. Reading of the holding information of the optical memory is performed inside the memory sheet, and it is impossible to read the holding information to the outside. Therefore, the IC memory cannot be accessed from the outside unless the external authentication information associated in advance with the internal authentication information carried in the optical memory is possessed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent information carried in the IC memory from being illegally read or tampered with.

  Here, it is preferable that the sheet main body includes a plastic sheet having a predetermined thickness, and the optical waveguide is formed by optically partitioning the plastic sheet. If this configuration is adopted, an optical memory can be configured at a lower cost and more easily than in the case where optical fibers are arranged in parallel in the plane direction.

  The optical waveguide preferably includes first and second optical waveguides having different transmission characteristics for polarized light and / or transmission characteristics for light of a predetermined wavelength. In a conventional optical memory, information is stored in the form of whether or not light passes through an optical fiber. In this case, when light passes through each optical fiber, the carrier information is easily understood. If the transmission characteristics with respect to the predetermined polarized light or the light with the predetermined wavelength are changed, there is an advantage that the carried information cannot be easily understood.

  For example, the light emitted from the light emitting unit may be polarized light, and the transmittance of the first and second optical waveguides with respect to the polarized light may be different from each other.

  In this case, if the plastic sheet is formed from a heat-sensitive resin, the transmission characteristics of the polarized light of the optical waveguide can be changed by applying thermal pressure to at least one of the optical waveguides.

  Next, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit can be arranged to face each other via the optical waveguide. Alternatively, the light receiving unit may receive return light that is reflected after passing through the optical waveguide and then returns again through the optical waveguide.

  The IC memory is preferably a non-contact type that is easy to handle.

  Meanwhile, the sheet main body includes the plastic sheet, a surface protection sheet laminated on the surface of the plastic sheet via an adhesive layer, and a back surface protection sheet laminated on the back surface of the plastic sheet via an adhesive layer. It can be set as the structure provided with. Further, in this case, grooves having a predetermined depth from the surface side are formed in the plastic sheet at regular intervals, and each groove is filled with an adhesive forming the adhesive layer. The partition portion of the plastic sheet partitioned by can function as the optical waveguide.

  In this case, as the plastic sheet, the central portion in the thickness direction is a transparent core layer having a predetermined thickness, and the front side portion and the back side portion of the core layer have a refractive index different from that of the core layer. A structure having a clad layer and a back-side clad layer can be used. In this case, the partition portions of the core layer partitioned by the grooves function as optical waveguides.

Next, the memory sheet of the present invention is
A plastic sheet of a predetermined thickness;
An optical memory comprising at least one optical waveguide formed by optically partitioning the plastic sheet;
The optical waveguide is characterized in that the transmittance with respect to polarized light and / or the transmittance with respect to the wavelength of light can be changed.

  In the memory sheet having this configuration, information carried in the optical memory cannot be read simply by passing light. Therefore, a memory sheet with higher security can be realized as compared with a memory card made of a conventional optical fiber.

  Here, the plastic sheet is formed from a heat-sensitive resin, and thermal pressure is applied to the optical waveguide to change and / or change the transmission characteristics of the optical waveguide with respect to polarized light.

  Further, the plastic sheet has a surface protective sheet laminated on the surface of the plastic sheet via an adhesive layer, and a back surface protective sheet laminated on the back surface of the plastic sheet via an adhesive layer, Grooves having a predetermined depth from the surface side are formed at regular intervals, each groove is filled with the adhesive forming the adhesive layer, and the partition portion of the plastic sheet partitioned by each groove The optical waveguide can be configured to function.

  Further, the plastic sheet has a transparent core layer with a central portion in the thickness direction having a predetermined thickness, and a surface side clad having a refractive index different from that of the core layer on a front side portion and a back side portion of the core layer. A partition portion of the core layer which is a layer and a back side cladding layer and is partitioned by the groove may function as an optical waveguide.

  The memory sheet of the present invention is a combination of an IC memory and an optical memory, and collates internal authentication information of an optical memory read using a built-in light emitting unit and light receiving unit with external authentication information input from the outside. The IC memory cannot be accessed from the outside unless it is confirmed that they have a predetermined correspondence relationship. Since it is impossible to read the internal authentication information held in the built-in optical memory from the outside, it is possible to realize an extremely safe memory sheet in which unauthorized reading or alteration of the information held in the IC memory is difficult. .

  In the memory sheet of the present invention, an optical memory is configured using optical waveguides having different light transmission characteristics with respect to predetermined polarized light or light of a predetermined wavelength. Therefore, it is possible to realize a highly safe memory sheet in which it is extremely difficult to illegally read and falsify the carried information as compared with the case where the information is carried only by light transmission and non-transmission as in the prior art.

  Embodiments of a memory sheet to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a card system using a memory card to which the present invention is applied. The card system 1 of this example includes a non-contact type memory card 10 and an IC card reader / writer 20. The memory card 10 has a rectangular card body 11 having a constant thickness. The card body 11 is formed with an optical memory 13 including a plurality of optical waveguides 12 and a non-contact type IC memory chip 14. Is embedded. Further, a light emitting unit 15 having a configuration in which light emitting elements such as LEDs 15a are arranged and a light receiving unit 16 having a configuration in which light receiving elements such as photodiodes 16a are arranged are embedded. In this example, predetermined polarized light is emitted from each LED 15 a of the light emitting unit 15.

  The optical waveguides 12 extend in parallel with the short side direction of the memory card 1 and are arranged at regular intervals along the long side direction of the memory card 10 to form a rectangular optical memory 13 as a whole. In the light emitting section 15, each LED 15 a faces one end face of each optical waveguide 12, and in the light receiving section 16, each photodiode 16 a faces the other end face of each optical waveguide 12. The non-contact type IC memory chip 14 includes an IC memory 17, a transmission / reception unit 18 for performing wireless communication with the outside, and a control unit for performing information writing, reading, and rewriting operations on the IC memory 17. 19.

  At the time of writing, reading, or rewriting to the memory card 10, a command signal to that effect and external authentication information are transmitted from the IC card reader / writer 20. In writing and rewriting, in addition to these information, writing information and rewriting information are transmitted. When the control unit 19 of the memory card 10 receives the external command having such a configuration via the transmission / reception unit 18, first, the internal authentication information carried in the optical memory 13 is caused by causing each LED 15 a of the light emitting unit 15 to emit light. Is read through each photodiode 16 a of the light receiving unit 16. Then, only when the internal authentication information and external authentication information included in the external command are collated and collated, and it is confirmed that there is a predetermined relationship, from the outside. Access to the IC memory 8 is permitted. After the access is permitted, the IC card reader / writer 20 performs writing, reading, or rewriting operation on the IC memory 17 as in the case of a general IC card system.

  2A is a plan view showing an optical memory portion of the memory card 10, FIG. 2B is a side view of the memory card 10, and FIG. 2C is a partially enlarged sectional view thereof. The memory card 10 of this example includes a rectangular plastic sheet 31 having a certain thickness, a surface protection sheet 33 laminated on the surface of the plastic sheet 31 via an adhesive layer 32, and an adhesive layer on the back surface of the plastic sheet 31. And a back surface protection sheet 35 laminated through 34. Further, a coating film 36 made of a magnetic paint and two protective films 37 and 38 are laminated on the surface of the back surface protection sheet 35.

  V-grooves 39 having a predetermined depth from the surface side are formed in the plastic sheet 31 at regular intervals, and each V-groove 39 is filled with an adhesive forming an adhesive layer 32. Each section of the plastic sheet 31 partitioned by each V groove 39 functions as the optical waveguide 12. That is, the refractive index of the plastic sheet 31 is different from that of the adhesive layers 32 and 34 on the front and back sides, and each partition portion surrounded by the adhesive layers 32 and 34 and the adhesive filled in the V-groove 39 is It is in an optically partitioned state and functions as the optical waveguide 12.

  In this example, the plastic sheet 31 is formed from a heat-sensitive resin. Therefore, when a thermal pressure is applied to the optical waveguide 12, the transmission characteristic with respect to the polarized light of the optical waveguide 12 changes. Each optical waveguide 12 is selectively applied with a thermal pressure, and the optical waveguide to which the thermal pressure is applied has a significantly low transmittance with respect to the polarized light emitted from the LED 15a. Therefore, the predetermined internal authentication information is carried in the optical memory 13 by the combination of the optical waveguide 12A having a high transmittance without application of thermal pressure and the optical waveguide 12B having an extremely low transmittance with application of thermal pressure. Yes. In the example shown in the figure, the optical waveguides 12A and the optical waveguides 12B (parts indicated by oblique lines) are alternately formed.

  In this example, the internal authentication information is carried in the optical memory 13 due to the difference in transmittance with respect to the polarized light. Instead of this, or together with this, the transmittance for light of a predetermined wavelength may be changed.

  Further, as the plastic sheet 31, the central portion in the thickness direction is a transparent core layer having a predetermined thickness, and the front side portion and the back side portion of the core layer have a refractive index different from that of the core layer. The thing of the structure used as the layer and the back side cladding layer can also be used.

  Further, in the portion of the plastic sheet 31 other than the optical memory 13, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, a groove 40 for blocking stray light is formed in a state extending in a direction different from the optical waveguide 12. It is desirable to keep it.

  Next, in this example, the light emitting unit 15 and the light receiving unit 16 are disposed to face each other with the optical waveguide 12 interposed therebetween. Instead, the light emitting unit 15 and the light receiving unit 16 are arranged on the same side with respect to the optical waveguide 12, and a reflection surface is formed on the opposite end of the optical waveguide 12, so that each photodiode 16 a of the light receiving unit 16 The return light reflected after passing through the optical waveguide 12 and returning through the optical waveguide 12 may be received.

  On the other hand, the above example is an example in which the memory sheet of the present invention is embodied as a memory card, but the memory sheet may be used in a shape other than the card. For example, it can be used as a back cover of a bankbook, passport, pension book or a health insurance card.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of the card system to which this invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an optical memory portion of the memory card of FIG. 1, a side view of the memory card, and an enlarged partial cross-sectional view.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Card system 10 Memory card 11 Card main body 12 Optical waveguide 13 Optical memory 14 IC memory chip 15 Light emission part 15a LED
16 Photodetector 16a Photo diode 17 IC memory 18 Transmitter / receiver 19 Controller 20 IC card reader / writer 31 Plastic sheet 32, 34 Adhesive layer 33 Surface protective sheet 35 Back surface protective sheet 39 V groove

Claims (14)

The seat body,
An optical memory comprising at least one optical waveguide formed inside the sheet body;
In order to make light incident on the optical waveguide, a light emitting unit built in the sheet main body,
In order to receive light emitted from the optical waveguide, a light receiving unit built in the sheet body,
IC memory built in the sheet body;
It is determined whether or not at least one processing operation is possible among a write operation to the IC memory from the outside, an output operation of information stored in the IC memory to the outside, and a rewrite operation of stored information in the IC memory. And a control unit built in the card body,
Upon receiving an external command, the control unit causes the light emitting unit to emit light, reads the internal authentication information carried on the optical waveguide through the light receiving unit, and is included in the internal authentication information and the external command. The memory sheet is characterized in that the processing operation can be performed only when the external authentication information is collated and the collation is obtained. In claim 1,
The sheet body includes a plastic sheet having a predetermined thickness,
The memory sheet, wherein the optical waveguide is formed by optically partitioning the plastic sheet. In claim 2,
The memory sheet, wherein the optical waveguide includes first and second optical waveguides having different transmission characteristics for polarized light and / or transmission characteristics for light of a predetermined wavelength. In claim 3,
The light emitted from the light emitting unit is polarized light,
The memory sheet according to claim 1, wherein the first and second optical waveguides have different transmittances with respect to the polarized light. In claim 4,
The plastic sheet is formed from a heat-sensitive resin,
At least one of the optical waveguides has a transmission characteristic of the polarized light that is changed by applying a thermal pressure. In claim 1,
The memory sheet, wherein the light emitting part and the light receiving part are arranged to face each other through the optical waveguide. In claim 1,
The memory sheet according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit receives return light that is reflected after passing through the optical waveguide and returns again through the optical waveguide. In claim 1,
The memory sheet according to claim 1, wherein the IC memory is a non-contact type having a transmission / reception unit. In claim 2,
The seat body is
The plastic sheet;
A surface protective sheet laminated on the surface of the plastic sheet via an adhesive layer;
A back surface protective sheet laminated on the back surface of the plastic sheet via an adhesive layer,
In the plastic sheet, grooves having a predetermined depth are formed at regular intervals from the surface side, and each groove is filled with an adhesive forming the adhesive layer,
A memory sheet, wherein a section of the plastic sheet partitioned by each groove functions as the optical waveguide. In claim 9,
The plastic sheet has a transparent core layer with a central portion in the thickness direction having a predetermined thickness, and a surface side clad layer having a refractive index different from that of the core layer on the front side portion and the back side portion of the core layer, and It is the back side cladding layer,
A memory sheet, wherein each of the partition portions of the core layer partitioned by the grooves functions as an optical waveguide. A plastic sheet of a predetermined thickness;
An optical memory comprising at least one optical waveguide formed by optically partitioning the plastic sheet;
The said optical waveguide can change the transmittance | permeability with respect to polarized light, and / or the transmittance | permeability with respect to the wavelength of light. In claim 11,
The plastic sheet is formed from a heat-sensitive resin,
A memory sheet, wherein a transmission characteristic of polarized light of the optical waveguide is changed and / or changeable by applying thermal pressure to the optical waveguide. In claim 12,
A surface protective sheet laminated on the surface of the plastic sheet via an adhesive layer;
It has a back surface protective sheet laminated via an adhesive layer on the back surface of the plastic sheet,
In the plastic sheet, grooves having a predetermined depth are formed at regular intervals from the surface side, and each groove is filled with an adhesive forming the adhesive layer,
A memory sheet, wherein a section of the plastic sheet partitioned by each groove functions as the optical waveguide. In claim 13,
The plastic sheet has a transparent core layer with a central portion in the thickness direction having a predetermined thickness, and a surface side clad layer having a refractive index different from that of the core layer on the front side portion and the back side portion of the core layer, and It is the back side cladding layer,
A memory sheet, wherein each of the partition portions of the core layer partitioned by the grooves functions as an optical waveguide.

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