JP2009266062A - Ic card reader device and antenna - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent communication ranges of a plurality of antennas communicated with an IC card from being overlapped with each other even when installed adjacent to each other, to maintain a sufficient communication distance to the card just above a predetermined antenna, to associate each antenna with each application, and to select the application corresponding to the antenna having established communication. <P>SOLUTION: A conductor is provided between the antennas of an IC card reader/writer. In particular, a loop of the conductor is formed between the antennas, to be arranged alternately with the antennas. The respective communication ranges are prevented from being overlapped with each other even when the antennas are close to each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an IC card reader device that communicates with an IC card, a non-contact type IC card, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), etc. to read information or write information and communicate with the IC card, and an antenna for the IC card reader device About.

A memory for holding identification information (ID) and the like, an integrated circuit equipped with a wireless communication function, an IC card integrated with an antenna or a wireless IC tag (RFID tag) are used for various purposes such as authentication and settlement. Proposed.
There are widely known readers and writers having a writing function or a reader that performs processing such as authentication and settlement by performing wireless communication with such a contactless IC card. The IC card reader device in this specification relates to such a reader or reader / writer.
At the time of this decision, as shown in the cited document 1, there is known a vending machine that selects a product by an antenna that holds an IC card.
JP 2000-268239 A

However, when one antenna is selected from a large number of antennas and the distance between the antennas is narrowed, two or more antennas may receive signals from the IC card and one antenna may not be identified. There is. On the other hand, there is a demand that the distance between antennas is set as narrow as possible due to ease of operation and restrictions on arrangement.
As a response to these demands, it is conceivable to weaken the radio wave output from the reader / writer. This is because, as compared with the case where the modulated signal from the IC card receives sufficient radio waves, the reception state changes greatly depending on the position, and the influence on the adjacent antenna is reduced.
However, if the radio wave from the IC card reader device is weakened, depending on the state of the IC card, there arises a problem that it does not react even if it is held directly above the antenna. For example, an IC card is stored in a wallet, and a radio wave from the IC card reader device is obstructed by a coin or the like.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an IC card reader device and an antenna that have a plurality of antennas and can clarify which antenna communicates with the IC card. Objective.

The IC card reader device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of antennas arranged for communication with the IC card, a conductor provided between the plurality of antennas, and a communication unit that communicates with the IC card; It becomes more.

Thereby, the space | interval between several antennas can be reduced.
The IC card reader device according to claim 2 is a control means for controlling the plurality of antennas, a plurality of antennas arranged for communication with the IC card, a conductor provided between the plurality of antennas. A communication unit that communicates with the IC card, an application selection unit that stores a plurality of applications and that is selected by an instruction from the control unit, an application execution unit that executes or sends the selected application, the communication unit, The control unit controls the antenna control unit and the application selection unit.
Thus, an application can be selected and executed by holding the IC card over each antenna.
The IC card reader / writer device according to claim 3 is an IC card reader device in which the conductor is a loop conductor.
When the conductor is formed in a loop shape, the communication range with the IC card can be narrowed down just above the antenna than when the conductor is simply installed between the antennas.

According to the present invention, even when a plurality of antennas are installed close to each other, each antenna maintains sufficient sensitivity while reducing the influence on adjacent antennas, so that it is easy to identify an antenna communicating with an IC card. Can be done.
Furthermore, when an IC card reader device having a plurality of applications selects an application in association with an antenna when switching the application, it calls and executes the necessary application without specially operating a switch or the like. It is possible to provide an IC card reader device capable of

As an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for selecting an application over a non-contact type IC card is shown in FIG. Examples of applications include those for selecting each application for payment in dollars, pounds, euros, and yen. However, the application is not limited to this, and includes selection of a card company, selection of various prepaid cards, selection of merchandise, and the like.
First, a schematic configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an IC card reader device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal structure of an antenna portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In the IC card reader device of this embodiment, four antennas are arranged close to each other as shown in FIG. 2, and a copper plate or a copper wire loop is arranged between the antennas. Although FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the case of four antennas, the configuration is the same regardless of the number of antennas. The four antennas are connected to the communication unit 14 by a scanning operation that is sequentially switched by the antenna control unit 13. This scanning operation is controlled by the control unit 18, and the stop of scanning and the order of scanning can be changed by an instruction from the control unit 18.
The application selection unit 14 stores applications for making payments in dollars, pounds, euros, and yens. When communication between the antenna 1 and the IC card is established, the control unit 18 performs communication between the antenna 1 and the IC card. An application for locking and paying in dollars corresponding to the antenna 1 is selected from the application selection unit 15, and the application execution unit 17 executes the selected application. Similarly, when communication between the antenna 2 and the IC card is established, an application for executing a sterling payment is established. When communication between the antenna 3 and the IC card is established, an application for executing a payment in euro is established between the antenna 4 and the IC card. When communication is established, an application that executes payment in yen is executed.
Copper wire loops 11a, 11b, and 11c are installed between the antennas 1 to 4, and each antenna is arranged so that the reception range does not reach the adjacent antenna.
As shown in FIG. 2, the antennas 1 to 4 are constituted by loop antennas, and symbols 6 to 9 representing the respective applications are drawn at the center positions of the respective loops. For example, when the user wishes to pay in yen with a credit card of the A credit company, the user can pay by holding the A credit card owned by the user over the symbol 9 of the yen.
Next, the structure of the antenna portion will be described with reference to FIG. The panel 5 on which the symbol is drawn transmits an electromagnetic wave such as plastic, and each symbol (6 to 9) is drawn as shown in FIG. 2, and the display units (10a to 10d) indicating the selected antenna are shown. Above the symbol. The panel is preferably made of a single compatible plastic and is combined with the antenna base 7 to provide a waterproof structure. With such a structure, installation to an outdoor coin parking or the like is facilitated.
In addition, display units 10a to 10d using LED lights that are turned on by the display control unit 12 are provided in the vicinity of each antenna (preferably the upper part of the antenna). When the application to be used is determined, the display of the upper part of the corresponding antenna is displayed. The instrument lights up. The control unit 18 controls the antenna control unit 13, the communication unit 14, the display control unit 12, the application selection unit 15, and the application execution unit 17.
Next, details of the antenna control unit 13, the antennas (1, 2), the conductor installed between the antennas (copper wire loop 11 a in FIG. 3), and the antenna control unit 13 will be described using FIG. 3. The antenna control unit receives a transmission signal 34 from the communication unit 14 and returns a reception signal 35 from the antenna. Here, for the transmission signal 34 and the reception signal 35, a predetermined carrier may be transmitted from the loop antenna 1 or the antenna 2, and the communication unit 14 may process the modulated signal modulated by the IC in the card as the reception signal.
Switching between the antenna 1 and the antenna 2 is performed by an antenna control signal 36. When an antenna control signal for selecting the antenna 1 is received. SW3a is opened by the antenna control signal, and SW1a and SW2a are simultaneously turned on. At this time, in the antenna 2, SW3b is turned on, the loop of the antenna 2 is short-circuited, and SW1b and SW2b are opened. As a result, the communication unit is connected to the antenna 1. In the antenna 1, the transmission signal 34 is a carrier signal that excites the IC card that is directly above the antenna 1, and the reception signal is a signal that is modulated by the IC card.
The switches SW1a and SW2a are provided for the transmission signal and the reception signal, respectively, in order to ensure that the antenna is turned on and open.
Although FIG. 3 shows switching of two antennas, the same can be done when three or more antennas are controlled.
Next, results of experiments on the effect of the conductor provided between the antennas will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 4 shows a vertical axis and a horizontal axis of a graph showing a communication establishment distance between the antenna and the card, and a positional relationship between the actual antenna and the card. The test subjects were N and S, which are IC cards from different manufacturers, and P, which is a wallet mobile phone with a built-in IC card.
An experiment was conducted in which three conditions were compared with the conditions such as carrier transmission output of the IC card reader fixed at a predetermined value that is normally used. The antenna is a loop antenna formed on a printed circuit board, and the antenna loop is formed to the full size of the printed circuit board of 75 mm × 60 mm. An IC card N, S mobile phone P (in which an IC card of the same type as N, S is built) is shown as a card 39 in FIG. 4, and the antenna has a size of 85 mm × 55 mm and is built in the mobile phone P. In the case of an IC card, the size of the antenna is 30 mm × 30 mm.
The card 39 is moved on the center line of the antenna substrate 37 in parallel with the antenna with the center of the card aligned. The measurement is performed by measuring the distance between the center of the antenna board and the center of the card, measuring the position where communication is established with the lateral distance X being the same plane as the card board and Y being the direction perpendicular to the antenna. did.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6 and subsequent figures, in order to approach the mounting state, the same antenna substrate was placed 20 mm apart from the antenna 37 and measured.
FIG. 5 shows the communication distance of the antenna 1 measured in a state where the antenna 2 substrate having the same shape is installed 20 mm apart from the antenna 1 substrate 37 and nothing is installed between the antenna 1 substrate and the antenna 2 substrate.
When the center of the card 39 passes the end of the antenna 37, the communication distance in the Y direction suddenly decreases. However, when the card 39 is further moved, the communication distance increases again. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in the card N.
FIG. 6 shows a case where a copper plate as a conductor is installed between the antenna 1 substrate and the antenna 2 substrate. The antenna is a loop antenna formed on a printed circuit board, and the antenna loop is formed to the full size of the printed circuit board of 75 mm × 60 mm, and is the same as when nothing is installed between the antennas. The IC card N and S mobile phone P (in which an IC card of the same type as N and S is built in) is the same as FIG.
As is apparent from FIG. 7, when a copper plate is installed, the communication distance of the side lobe is reduced as an advantage, so the distance between the antenna surface and the touch surface of the card can be shortened. Further, the side lobe generation distance tends to increase, and depending on the specification state, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the panel 5 by increasing the distance between the antennas.
Next, FIG. 8 shows a case where a copper plate which is a loop conductor having a size of 20 mm × 75 mm and a width of 1 mm is installed between the antenna 1 substrate and the antenna 2 substrate. The antenna, the IC card N, and the S mobile phone P (in which an IC card of the same type as N and S is built in) have the same conditions as those shown in FIGS.
FIG. 9 shows the measurement result of the communication distance under this condition. Apparently the side lobe is shortened by the looped copper plate. For this reason, even if it shortens between antennas, it does not cause mutual interference.

According to the present invention, in an IC card reader device having a plurality of antennas installed in a vending machine or the like, the distance between the antennas can be set narrow, and the overall size of the device can be reduced. Further, since more antennas can be installed with the same size, it is useful for a multi-I application IC card reader device installed in an unattended device such as a vending machine or a coin parking lot.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the IC card reader apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the structure of the antenna part of the IC card reader apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the structure of the antenna part which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and an antenna control part The figure which shows the position of the antenna and card | curd at the time of the communication distance measurement experiment between the antenna which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and IC card The figure which shows the result of the communication distance experiment when there is nothing between the antennas concerning embodiment of this invention Schematic diagram when a conductor is installed between antennas according to an embodiment of the present invention The figure which shows the result of the communication distance experiment when a conductor is installed between the antennas concerning embodiment of this invention Schematic diagram when a conductor loop is installed between antennas according to an embodiment of the present invention The figure which shows the result of the communication distance experiment when a conductor is installed between the antennas concerning embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

1 Antenna 1
2 Antenna 2
3 Antenna 3
4 Antenna 4
5 Panel 6 Application symbol 1
10a, 10b, 10c, 10d Display unit
11a Loop 1
11b Loop 2
11c Loop 3
12 Display Control Unit 13 Antenna Control Unit 14 Communication Unit 15 Application Selection Unit 16 Output Unit 17 Application Execution Unit 18 Control Unit 31a Switch 1a
31b switch 1b
32a switch 2a
32b switch 2b
33a Switch 3a
33b Switch 3b

Claims (7)

An IC card reader device that communicates with an IC card using electromagnetic waves,
A plurality of antennas arranged for communication with the IC card;
A conductor provided between the plurality of antennas;
The IC card reader device comprising a communication unit for communicating with the IC card. An IC card reader device that communicates with an IC card using electromagnetic waves,
A plurality of antennas arranged for communication with the IC card;
A conductor provided between the plurality of antennas;
Control means for controlling the plurality of antennas;
A communication unit for communicating with the IC card;
An application selection unit that stores a plurality of applications and selects according to an instruction from the control unit;
An application execution unit that executes or sends the selected application; and
The IC card reader device comprising the control unit that controls the communication unit, the antenna control unit, and the application selection unit. The IC card reader device according to claim 1, wherein the conductor is a loop-shaped conductor. A plurality of the antennas are loop antennas;
4. The IC card reader device according to claim 1, wherein the loop-shaped conductor has a width of 1/3 of the loop antenna. An antenna for an IC card reader device that communicates with an IC card by electromagnetic waves,
The said antenna which provided the conductor between the some antenna arrange | positioned for communication with the said IC card. The antenna according to claim 5, wherein the conductor is a loop-shaped conductor. The antenna according to claim 6, wherein the loop-shaped conductor has a width of 1/3 of the loop antenna.

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