JP2012014644A - Information card management apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information card management apparatus having a simple configuration capable of correctly and simultaneously communicating with a large number of information cards stored by being stacked therein.SOLUTION: An information card management apparatus 1 manages plural information cards 10 each of which includes a coil in which at least a part of a conductor is cut and a capacitor which forms a resonance circuit with the coil. The information card management apparatus 1 comprises: a storage cassette 9 that stores plural information cards 10 while stacking the same therein, and has a take-out port 9a for the information cards 10; an antenna 2 provided adjacent to the take-out port 9a of the storage cassette 9, which emits an electromagnetic wave of a frequency enabling communication with the information cards 10 when the information cards 10 are stacked therein, and a mounting table 11 and a drive unit 13 that move an information card to be taken out from the information cards 10 stored in the storage cassette 9 to the take-out port.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information card management apparatus that manages information cards.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for communication systems using information cards that communicate identification information in a non-contact manner. Such an information card generally includes a coil that functions as an antenna, a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit together with the coil, and an IC chip that has a memory that stores identification information and controls communication of the information card. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). When this information card is brought close to a reader / writer that emits electromagnetic waves for transmission and reception, in the information card, the coil and the capacitor resonate, an induced electromotive force is generated, and an induced current flows through the coil. As a result, in the information card, the IC chip operates, and the identification information stored in the memory is transmitted to the reader / writer via the coil functioning as an antenna. As described above, communication is performed between the information card and the reader / writer by electromagnetic coupling between the reader / writer and the coil of the information card.

JP 2001-34725 A

  By the way, in the conventional information card, when a plurality of information cards are overlapped, coils in each information card interfere with each other, and communication processing cannot be performed accurately. For this reason, in the case of a management device that accommodates conventional information cards in a stacked state, the number of supplies and the number of discharges are counted to calculate the accommodation number, or by measuring the weight and dimensions of the entire information card Indirectly asked for the number of information cards accommodated. However, in the method of obtaining the information card accommodation number indirectly as described above, when a large number of information cards are accommodated in units of 100, the accuracy of the quantity count and the variation of each individual are greatly affected, and the correct accommodation number is obtained. I couldn't.

  Although there is a method of measuring the number of information cards accommodated using an optical sensor, there is a problem that a space for moving the optical sensor itself must be secured. In addition, there is a method of collectively recognizing the number of information cards accommodated by camera shooting, but there is a problem that the apparatus configuration is complicated because it is necessary to provide an image processing apparatus.

  And since conventional information cards cannot perform communication processing in a stacked state, there is a method of using a barcode together when individual authentication of the information card is required, but there is a space for moving the barcode reader. There is a problem that the device configuration becomes complicated.

  In addition, even when information cards that can communicate even in a stacked state are used, the quantity that can be processed in one batch is limited. For example, when a large number of information cards of 100 sheets or more are stored in a stacked state, it is necessary to process a plurality of times with a limited quantity or to move the reader antenna. On the other hand, batch processing could not be performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is an information card management device capable of accurately communicating collectively with a large number of information cards accommodated in a stacked state and having a simple device configuration. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an information card management apparatus according to the present invention includes a first coil in which at least a part of a conducting wire is cut, and a first circuit that forms a resonance circuit with the first coil. An information card management apparatus for managing an information card having one capacitor, wherein a plurality of the information cards are stacked and stored, a storage container having an opening for extracting the information card, and a storage container An information card that is provided in the vicinity of the opening and emits electromagnetic waves having a frequency that enables communication with the information card when the information cards are stacked, and an information card to be taken out of the information card stored in the storage container And a moving mechanism for moving the to the extraction opening.

  An information card management apparatus according to the present invention manages an information card having a first coil in which at least a part of a conducting wire is cut, and a first capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the first coil. It is a management device, and a plurality of the information cards are stacked and accommodated, and an opening for taking out the information card and at least a part of a side surface of the information card opened along the stacking direction of the information card An antenna having an exposure opening to be exposed, and an antenna that emits an electromagnetic wave having a frequency that can be communicated with the information card when the information card is stacked, provided close to the exposure opening of the storage container And a moving mechanism for moving the information card to be taken out of the information cards contained in the containing container to the take-out opening. .

  The information card management apparatus according to the present invention further includes an auxiliary card having a second coil and a second capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the second coil.

  In the information card management device according to the present invention, the first coil has a self-inductance that enables communication at a frequency of an electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna when a plurality of the information cards are stacked. And

  Moreover, the information card management device according to the present invention is such that the moving mechanism includes a mounting table on which the plurality of stacked information cards are mounted, and a moving unit that moves the mounting table, wherein the auxiliary card is It is attached to the mounting table described above.

  Further, the information card management device according to the present invention is formed by conducting wires routed in a loop shape, and is distributed over a part or the whole of the main routing pattern forming the loop shape. An information card management device for managing an information card having a coil having a winding pattern formed by the conducting wire so that a winding shape becomes small in comparison, and a capacitor forming a resonance circuit with the coil, A plurality of the information cards are stacked and accommodated, and an opening for taking out the information card and an opening for exposing at least a part of the side surface of the information card by opening along the information card stacking direction A receiving container, an antenna that emits an electromagnetic wave having a frequency that is communicable with the information card, and the receiving container. Characterized in that the information card is the subject extraction of information cards contained in the container provided with a moving mechanism for moving the take-out opening.

  The information card management device according to the present invention includes a coil formed by winding a conducting wire, a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the coil, and an inductance that is connected in series with the coil and that is locally concentrated. An information card management apparatus for managing an information card having a lumped constant inductor that mainly forms an inductance of the resonance circuit, wherein a plurality of the information cards are stacked and accommodated, and the information card is taken out A storage container having an opening, an exposure opening that opens along the stacking direction of the information card and exposes at least a part of a side surface of the information card, and is close to the exposure opening of the storage container An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves having a frequency that is communicable with the information card, and an information card accommodated in the container. Wherein a moving mechanism for moving the information card is then subject to the take-out opening, further comprising a.

  The information card management apparatus according to the present invention further includes an auxiliary card having a second coil and a second capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the second coil.

  The information card management apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the container is made of metal.

  The information card management apparatus according to the present invention further includes a reading device that reads information on the information card based on communication between the antenna and the information card.

  The information card management device according to the present invention uses an information card that can communicate even when stacked, and by providing an antenna that communicates with the information card at an optimum position, the stacked state can be maintained with a simple device configuration. Enables accurate communication processing for a large amount of information cards accommodated in

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the information card management apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the storage cassette shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information card shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the auxiliary card shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an information card management method in the information card management apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating another configuration of the accommodation cassette and the antenna illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the information card management device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the storage cassette shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an information card management method in the information card management apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another schematic configuration of the information card in the first and second embodiments. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the information card management device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information card shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another schematic configuration of the information card in the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another schematic configuration of the information card in the third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating another schematic configuration of the information card management apparatus according to the third embodiment.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, each drawing only schematically shows the shape, size, and positional relationship to the extent that the contents of the present invention can be understood. Therefore, the present invention is illustrated in each drawing. It is not limited to only the shape, size, and positional relationship. In the description of the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
The information card management apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the information card management apparatus according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the information card management apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment accommodates a plurality of information cards 10 having substantially the same shape that communicate identification information and the like in a non-contact manner.

  The information card management device 1 includes a plurality of antennas 2, an antenna switching unit 3, a reader / writer unit 4, a control unit 5, an input unit 6, an output unit 7, a storage unit 8, a plurality of storage cassettes 9, a plurality of mounting tables 11, and A plurality of drive units 13 are provided. The antenna 2, the mounting table 11, and the driving unit 13 are provided corresponding to each storage cassette 9.

  The antenna 2 emits electromagnetic waves having a frequency that enables communication with the information card 10 when the information cards 10 are stacked, and transmits and receives information to and from the information card 10. The antenna 2 emits an electromagnetic wave to the information card 10 in the corresponding accommodating cassette 9.

  The antenna switching unit 3 includes a switching switch inside, and performs connection switching between each antenna 2 and the reader / writer unit 4. Among the plurality of antennas 2, the antenna 2 connected to the reader / writer unit 4 by the switch of the antenna switching unit 3 emits an electromagnetic wave having a predetermined frequency.

  The reader / writer unit 4 processes information transmitted / received to / from the information card 10 based on a communication result by the connected antenna 2. The reader / writer unit 4 has an anti-collision function and transmits / receives information to / from a plurality of information cards at once. The reader / writer unit 4 obtains information to be transmitted / received to / from each information card 10 based on, for example, a temporal change in electromagnetic wave intensity of a predetermined frequency emitted from the antenna 2.

  The control unit 5 controls each component of the information card management device 1. The control unit 5 causes the antenna switching unit 3 to switch connection to the communication target antenna 2. The input unit 6 receives input of various information related to management of the information card 10. The output unit 7 outputs information processed by the reader / writer unit 4. The storage unit 8 stores various types of information including identification information transmitted from the information card 10 and processed by the reader / writer unit 4.

  The storage cassette 9 (storage container) stores a plurality of information cards 10 in a stacked manner. In one storage cassette 9, for example, 100 or more information cards 10 are stored in a stacked state. As shown in FIG. 2, the storage cassette 9 has a box shape in which a storage space 9 c is provided so that a plurality of information cards 10 can be stored, and the upper surface, the lower surface, and a part of the side surface are open. Have. The opening on the upper surface functions as an extraction opening 9a from which the information card 10 is taken out. Each antenna 2 is provided close to the extraction opening 9 a of the corresponding accommodating cassette 9. If no opening is provided on the side surface of the housing cassette 9, the housing cassette 9 itself becomes a loop when the inside of the housing cassette 9 is viewed from the position of the antenna 2, and is opposite to the magnetic field of the antenna 2 by electromagnetic induction. In order to generate a magnetic field in the direction and cause communication failure, it is necessary to provide an opening on the side surface as shown in FIG. In addition, since the opening part of this side surface should just be open, it may be an opening narrower than the space | interval shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the information card 10 is formed by winding a conductive wire and functions as an antenna. The capacitor 14 is connected in parallel with the coil 14 and forms a resonance circuit with the coil 14. And an IC chip 17 for controlling information transmitted and received. The coil 14 and the capacitor 16 are connected at connection portions 18a and 18b. The coil 14 and the capacitor 16 resonate to generate an induced current when receiving an electromagnetic wave having substantially the same frequency as the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit formed by the coil 14 and the capacitor 16, and generate an electromotive force on the IC chip 17. Supply. The IC chip 17 transmits a carrier wave corresponding to the transmission information to the coil 14, receives an electromagnetic wave, and responds to information received from the antenna 2 and a transmission / reception unit 17 a that converts the received electromagnetic wave into corresponding information. A control unit 17b that controls information to be transmitted and information stored in the memory 17c and a memory 17c that stores various types of information such as identification information are provided.

  In the coil 14, a cut portion 15 is formed by cutting at least a part of the conducting wire forming the coil 14. The cutting part 15 is formed by cutting a length of, for example, 10 mm from the conductive wire of the coil 14 wound a predetermined number of times (5 times in the example shown in FIG. 3). Therefore, in the information card 10, the inductance value of the coil 14 is smaller than in the case where the conducting wire is not cut.

  The resonance frequency of the resonance circuit formed by the coil 14 and the capacitor 16 is determined by the inductance value of the coil 14 and the capacitance value of the capacitor 16. In the information card 10 alone, the inductance value of the coil 14 is small, and the frequency of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 2 is different from the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit.

  On the other hand, as the number of information cards 10 to be stacked increases, the self-inductance of the coil 14 of each information card 10 is apparent due to mutual interference with the coils 14 of other overlapping information cards 10. To increase. When a predetermined number or more of information cards 10 are stacked, the self-inductance of the coil 14 of each information card 10 is the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit formed by the coil 14 and the capacitor 16 of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 2. Increasing to an inductance that makes it equal to the frequency. In other words, the coil 14 of the information card 10 has a self-inductance that enables communication at the frequency of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 2 when a plurality of information cards 10 are stacked.

  As a result, when the information cards 10 are stacked in a predetermined number or more, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit in each information card 10 matches the frequency by the antenna 2, and communication between the information card 10 and the antenna 2 becomes possible. For example, when the information card 10 has a thickness of 3 mm, communication with the antenna 2 is possible when 15 or more information cards 10 are stacked, and even when 100 or more information cards 10 are stacked. It is possible to communicate accurately without hindrance (for details, see Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-285884 filed by the present applicant).

  As shown in FIG. 1, a mounting table 11 is provided in the accommodation cassette 9 so as to correspond to the opening 9 b on the lower surface. The mounting table 11 is made of resin, for example, and a plurality of stacked information cards 10 are mounted on the upper surface of the mounting table 11.

  The drive unit 13 has a function of moving the mounting table 11 up and down, and by moving the mounting table 11 up and down, the uppermost information card 10 among the information cards 10 stored in the storage cassette 9 is It moves to the upper opening 9a. The mounting table 11 and the drive unit 13 function as a moving mechanism that moves the information card 10 to be taken out to the take-out opening 9 a of the storage cassette 9.

  The drive unit 13 is, for example, a motor that raises and lowers the mounting table 11 under the control of the control unit 5. A sensor for detecting the position of the uppermost information card 10 is provided in the vicinity of the take-out opening 9a of the storage cassette 9, and the control unit 5 controls the motor based on the detection result of the sensor. Instead of the drive unit 13, for example, a spring member that urges the mounting table 11 upward can be used. The spring member varies the height of the mounting table 11 according to the weight of the mounting object on the mounting table 11. The biasing force of the spring member is such that the information card 10 is lifted to a height at which at least the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 2 can reach when the single information card 10 is mounted on the mounting table 11. It is the power that can hold.

  In order to enable communication between the information card 10 and the antenna 2 even when the number of information cards 10 on the mounting table 11 is less than a predetermined number, an auxiliary card 12 is attached inside the mounting table 11. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary card 12 includes a coil 14a formed by being wound a predetermined number of times, and a capacitor 16a that forms a resonance circuit with the coil 14a. In addition, the coil 14a and the capacitor | condenser 16a are connected in the connection parts 18a and 18b. Even when the auxiliary card 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the coil 14 of the information card 10, self-inductance increases due to mutual interference with the coil 14 a of the auxiliary card 12. That is, it can be said that the coil 14 of the information card 10 has a self-inductance that enables communication at the frequency of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 2 even when the auxiliary card 12 is disposed in proximity. In other words, when the auxiliary card 12 is close to the information card 10, the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit of the information card 10 is equal to the frequency of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 2 even when the information card 10 is laminated less than a predetermined number. It has the function of increasing the self-inductance of the coil 14 of the information card 10 so as to match. For example, when the inductance of the coil 14 when the information card 10 is arranged alone is set to 2 μH, the inductance of the coil 14 a of the auxiliary card 12 is set to about 5 μH.

  In order to start management of the information card 10 in the information card management apparatus 1, first, as shown in FIG. 5A, the information card 10 to be managed is placed in the storage cassette 9 taken out from the information card management apparatus 1. Laminate. Then, the storage cassette 9 is set inside the information card management apparatus 1 as indicated by an arrow Y2. In this case, the housing cassette 9 is set in the information card management apparatus 1 after the antenna 2 is lifted as shown by the arrow Y <b> 1 so as not to hit the housing cassette 9. Then, as indicated by an arrow Y3 in FIG. 5 (2), after the antenna 2 returns to the original position, the control unit 5 causes the reader / writer unit 4 to perform communication processing for all the information cards 10 in the storage cassette 9. Instruct. As a result, electromagnetic waves are emitted from the antenna 2, and communication processing for all the information cards 10 in the accommodation cassette 9 is performed.

  Thereafter, as shown by arrows Y4 and Y6 in FIGS. 5 (3) and 5 (4), the cards are sequentially taken out from the uppermost information card 10 through the take-out opening 9a of the storage cassette 9. Accordingly, the drive unit 13 raises the mounting table 11 to the height corresponding to the number of information cards 10 taken out as indicated by arrows Y5 and Y7, and the uppermost information card 10 enters the extraction opening 9a. The information card 10 is moved so as to approach each other. During this time, an electromagnetic wave is emitted from the antenna 2 according to an instruction from the reader / writer unit 4, and communication processing for all the information cards 10 is performed. The information card 10 may be taken out manually or automatically by providing a take-out device.

  As described above, in the information card management apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, by using the information card 10 that enables communication by stacking a predetermined number or more, even if the number of stacks is 100 or more, the information card management apparatus 1 can perform batch processing. And accurate communication processing is possible.

  Furthermore, in the information card management apparatus 1, an auxiliary card 12 is provided on the mounting table 11 on which the information card 10 is mounted. As a result, in the information card management apparatus 1, even when the number of stacked information cards 10 is equal to or less than the predetermined number, the self-inductance of the coil 14 of the information card 10 is increased by the auxiliary card 12 that is always close to the information card 10. Since the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit of the information card 10 matches the frequency of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 2, communication can be performed accurately.

  Further, the antenna 2 is provided in the vicinity of the extraction opening 9a where the information card 10 is moved by the mounting table 11 and the drive unit 13, and the uppermost information card 10 and the antenna 2 are connected each time the information card 10 is taken out. Since it is set as the structure which adjoins, it is not necessary to provide the movement space and movement mechanism for moving the antenna 2 separately, and can simplify an apparatus structure.

  Moreover, in the information card management apparatus 1, the communication accuracy can be further improved by selecting the material of the storage cassette 9. Actually, the number of communicable sheets was compared for each storage cassette 9 formed of various materials.

  When the storage cassette 9 was formed using a resin material that is a nonmagnetic material or ferrite that was a high magnetic permeability material, 115 pieces of information could be read out of the 125 information cards 10 that were stored. Furthermore, when the storage cassette 9 was formed using a metal material, the information of all the 125 information cards 10 stored could be read. When the storage cassette 9 is made of metal, the electromagnetic wave that hits the inner side of the electromagnetic wave emitted inside the storage cassette 9 returns to the storage cassette 9 as it is without passing through the metal storage cassette 9. It is considered that the intensity loss of electromagnetic waves reaching each information card 10 can be reduced.

  Therefore, in this Embodiment 1, the communication accuracy can be further improved by making the accommodation cassette 9 metal. In addition, iron, aluminum, corrosion-resistant steel, brass, etc. can be used as the metal forming the storage cassette 9.

  The extraction opening may be provided on the lower surface instead of the upper surface of the storage cassette 9. In this case, the auxiliary card 12 may be in a position close to the uppermost information card 10. Further, in the case where an opening for taking out is provided on the lower surface of the storage cassette 9 and the loading table is automatically lowered by the weight of the information card 10 itself when the information card 10 is ejected, It is also possible to delete 13.

  Moreover, since the distance between the information card 10 and the antenna 2 can be appropriately maintained by the movement process of the mounting table 11 and the drive unit 13, only one information card 10 is provided depending on the number of turns and the shape of the coil 14 of the information card 10. Even if it is placed, communication may be possible without the auxiliary card 12. In such a case, the auxiliary card 12 is not necessarily provided.

  Further, in the information card management apparatus 1, the case where the auxiliary card 12 is provided in the mounting table 11 has been described as an example. However, since the auxiliary card only needs to be close to the information card 10, as shown in FIG. The auxiliary card 12a may be provided on the side surface of the storage cassette 19 instead of the table 11a. In this case, the number of turns and the shape of the coil of the auxiliary card 12a may be set as appropriate so that the self-inductance of the information card 10 accommodated in the accommodation cassette 9 can be increased. When the storage cassette 19 is made of metal, the auxiliary card 12a and the information card 10 on the side surface of the storage cassette 19 are located between the auxiliary card 12a and the information card 10 so that the auxiliary card 12a and the information card 10 in the storage cassette 19 can approach each other. An opening 9d may be provided on the side surface.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, a case where an antenna is arranged on the side surface of the housing cassette will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the information card management apparatus according to the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the information card management device 21 according to the second embodiment accommodates a plurality of information cards 10 stacked inside the accommodation cassette 29, and an antenna 22 is provided on the side surface of the accommodation cassette 29.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in addition to the internal storage space 29c, the upper opening opening 29a and the lower opening 29b, the storage cassette 29 is opened on the side surface along the stacking direction of the information cards. An exposure opening 29d that exposes at least a part of the side surface of all the information cards 10 housed in the card.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the information card management device 21, an antenna 22 is provided in the vicinity of the exposure opening 29 d on the side surface of the storage cassette 29. The antenna 22 is configured such that electromagnetic waves reach all information cards 10 inside the accommodation cassette 29. The accommodation cassette 29 is desirably made of metal like the accommodation cassette 9 in order to improve communication accuracy.

  In order to start management of the information card 10 in the information card management device 21, first, as shown in FIG. Are stacked. Then, as shown by the arrow Y22 in FIG. 9 (1) and FIG. 9 (2), the storage cassette 29 is set inside the information card management device 21. An electromagnetic wave is emitted from the antenna 22 through the opening 29d for exposure, and communication processing for all the information cards 10 in the accommodation cassette 29 is performed.

  Thereafter, as shown by arrows Y24 and Y26 in FIGS. 9 (3) and 9 (4), the cards are sequentially taken out from the uppermost information card 10 through the takeout opening 29a of the storage cassette 29. Along with this, the drive unit 13 raises the mounting table 11 as shown by arrows Y25 and Y27 to a height corresponding to the number of information cards 10 taken out, and the uppermost information card 10 enters the extraction opening 29a. The information card 10 is moved so as to approach each other. During this time, electromagnetic waves are emitted from the antenna 22 and communication processing for all information cards 10 is performed.

  When the antenna 22 is provided on the side surface of the housing cassette 29 as in the second embodiment, an exposure opening 29d is provided on the side surface of the housing cassette 29 corresponding to the installation position of the antenna 22, What is necessary is just to make it ensure that electromagnetic waves reach all the information cards 10. In the information card management device 21 according to the second embodiment, each information card 10 and the antenna 22 are always in close proximity to each other via the exposure opening 29d, so that further improvement in communication accuracy can be realized.

  The take-out opening may be provided on the lower surface instead of the upper surface of the storage cassette 29, and the auxiliary card 12 may be provided on the mounting table 11 or at a position close to the uppermost information card 10. Good. Further, in the case where an opening for taking out is provided on the lower surface of the storage cassette 29 and when the information card 10 is ejected, the loading table is automatically lowered by the weight of the information card 10 itself, the drive unit It is also possible to delete 13.

  Further, in the second embodiment, the antenna 22 can stably come close to all the information cards 10, so that only one information card 10 is placed depending on the number of turns and the shape of the coil 14 of the information card 10. In some cases, communication is possible without the auxiliary card 12. In such a case, the auxiliary card 12 is not necessarily provided.

  In the first and second embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, an information card 10 a in which a switch 14 b is provided in the cutting part 15 of the coil 14 may be used. When accommodating a predetermined number or more of information cards 10a in the information card management devices 1 and 21, the switch 14b of each information card 10a may be turned off before being accommodated in the accommodating cassettes 9 and 29. When reading this information card 10a one by one, the switch 14b is turned on to increase the self-inductance of the coil 14. As the switch 14b, an optical switch, a magnetic switch, a mechanical switch, a temperature sensitive switch, or a capacitance type switch that is turned on when a predetermined capacitance is close can be used. (For details, see Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-299320 filed by the present applicant).

(Embodiment 3)
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. In the third embodiment, an information card management apparatus that manages information cards having other configurations that can communicate in a stacked state will be described. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the information card management apparatus according to the third embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the information card management apparatus 31 according to the third embodiment accommodates an information card 10b that can communicate in a stacked state. And the information card management apparatus 31 is provided with the mounting base 11a which deleted the auxiliary card 12 from the mounting base 11, compared with the information card management apparatus 21 shown in FIG.

  Next, the information card 10b will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information card 10b shown in FIG. An information card 10b shown in FIG. 12 has a coil 30 in which a main wiring pattern 32 and a plurality of winding patterns 34 are formed by the same conductor instead of the coil 14 in the information card 10. The main wiring pattern 32 is formed in a pattern in which a conductive wire is wound, and is arranged in a loop with a desired size, and is electrically connected to a capacitor 36 that forms a resonance circuit at the connection portions 18a and 18b at both ends. To do.

  The winding pattern 34 is, for example, formed in a spiral shape by being dispersed at six locations on the inner peripheral side of the main wiring pattern 32 on the same plane where the main wiring pattern 32 is routed. Here, the winding shape formed of the spiral shape of the winding pattern 34 is formed to be sufficiently smaller than the size of the main wiring pattern 32.

  The inductance of the coil 30 is the sum of the self-inductance of the main wiring pattern 32 and the self-inductance of each winding pattern 34. However, in the coil 30, the value of the self-inductance that the main wiring pattern 32 should have can be reduced by the amount of self-inductance that each of the winding patterns 34 has. Mutual inductance can be reduced. For this reason, in the information card 10b, the value of the mutual inductance generated when the information cards 10b are stacked as compared with a general coil antenna configured with the same main wiring pattern and having the same self-inductance. Can be made sufficiently small (for details, see Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-32267 filed by the present applicant).

  Therefore, in the information card 10b, since the influence of the interaction is drastically reduced, it is possible to communicate even in a state where a plurality of layers are stacked. Communication processing is possible.

  In the third embodiment, each information card 10b and the antenna 22 that emits an electromagnetic wave having a frequency communicable with the information card 10b are always in close proximity to each other via the exposure opening 29d. It is not necessary to provide a moving space and a moving mechanism for moving the antenna separately, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified.

  Similarly, in the third embodiment, when the housing cassette 29 is made of metal, it is possible to suppress the intensity loss of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna 22, thereby realizing high communication accuracy.

  In addition, in the information card management apparatus 31 concerning Embodiment 3, it can accommodate the information card of each structure shown not only in the information card 10b shown in FIG. 12, but the Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-32267 filed by this applicant. It is. In other words, the conductive wire is formed by a conductive wire arranged in a loop shape, distributed over a part or the whole of the main wiring pattern forming the loop shape, and the conductive wire so that the winding shape is smaller than the main wiring pattern. An information card having a coil having a winding pattern formed by the above and a capacitor forming a resonance circuit in the coil can be accommodated.

  The information card management device 31 can also accommodate the information card 10c of FIG. 13 or the information card 10d of FIG. The information card 10c shown in FIG. 13 includes a coil 44 formed by winding a conductive wire, and a chip coil 40, which is a discrete circuit component connected in series to the coil 44, in addition to the capacitor 46 and the IC chip 17. 14 has a small coil 40a instead of the chip coil 40. The information card 10d shown in FIG. The chip coil 40 and the small coil 40a are lumped constant type inductors that have locally concentrated inductance and cause resonance at a resonance frequency at which the antenna 22 can communicate with the resonance circuit. The chip coil 40 and the small coil 40a mainly form the inductance of the resonance circuit.

  In the information cards 10c and 10d, the chip coil 40 or the small coil 40a, which is a lumped constant inductor that hardly generates mutual interference between the coils, is used. Therefore, the main inductance of the resonance circuit is given to the chip coil 40 or the small coil 40a. You can have it. As a result, in the information cards 10c and 10d, the number of windings of the coil 44 that is more susceptible to mutual interference than the chip coil 40 or the small coil 40a can be reduced as compared with a single multi-turn coil. Compared with the case of using a wound coil, mutual interference between the coils is less likely to occur. Accordingly, in the information cards 10c and 10d, even when a plurality of information cards 10c and 10d are stacked, there is almost no mutual interference between the information cards 10c and 10d. Therefore, even when a large number of information cards 10c and 10d are stacked, the information card 10b is used. In the same manner as above, accurate communication processing is possible (see Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-250545 filed by the present applicant for details).

  Also in the third embodiment, similarly to the first and second embodiments, the information cards 10b to 10d are used by using the mounting table 11 provided with the auxiliary card 12 as in the information card management device 31a shown in FIG. The self-inductance of the coil may be increased to further facilitate communication with the antenna 22.

1,21,31 Information card management device 2,22 Antenna 3 Antenna switching unit 4 Reader / writer unit 5 Control unit 6 Input unit 7 Output unit 8 Storage unit 9, 19, 29 Storage cassette 10, 10a to 10d Information card 11, 11a Mounting table 12, 12a Auxiliary card 13 Driving unit 14, 14a, 30, 44 Coil 14b Switch 15 Cutting unit 16, 16b, 36, 46 Capacitor 17 IC chip 32 Main wiring pattern 34 Winding pattern 40 Chip coil 40a Small coil

Claims (10)

An information card management device that manages an information card having a first coil in which at least a part of a conducting wire is cut and a first capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the first coil,
A plurality of the information cards are stacked and stored, and a storage container having an opening for taking out the information card,
An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves of a frequency that is provided close to the opening for taking out of the storage container and that can communicate with the information card when the information card is stacked;
A moving mechanism for moving an information card to be taken out of the information cards contained in the containing container to the opening for taking out;
An information card management device comprising: An information card management device that manages an information card having a first coil in which at least a part of a conducting wire is cut and a first capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the first coil,
A plurality of the information cards are stacked and accommodated, and an opening for taking out the information card and an opening for exposing at least a part of the side surface of the information card by opening along the information card stacking direction A containment container,
An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves of a frequency that is provided close to the opening for exposure of the storage container and that can communicate with the information card when the information card is stacked;
A moving mechanism for moving an information card to be taken out of the information cards contained in the containing container to the opening for taking out;
An information card management device comprising:   3. The information card management device according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary card having a second coil and a second capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the second coil.   The first coil has a self-inductance that enables communication at a frequency of an electromagnetic wave emitted from the antenna when a plurality of the information cards are stacked. The information card management device described in 1. The moving mechanism is
A mounting table for mounting the plurality of stacked information cards;
Moving means for moving the mounting table;
With
5. The information card management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary card is attached to the mounting table. Formed by conducting wires arranged in a loop shape, distributed over a part or the whole of the main wiring pattern forming the loop shape, and the winding shape is reduced as compared with the main wiring pattern An information card management device for managing an information card having a coil having a winding pattern formed by a conductive wire and a capacitor forming a resonance circuit with the coil,
A plurality of the information cards are stacked and accommodated, and an opening for taking out the information card and an opening for exposing at least a part of the side surface of the information card by opening along the information card stacking direction A containment container,
An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves of a frequency that is provided close to the opening for exposure of the container and is communicable with the information card;
A moving mechanism for moving an information card to be taken out of the information cards contained in the containing container to the opening for taking out;
An information card management device comprising: A coil formed by winding a conductive wire, a capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the coil, and an inductance that is connected in series to the coil and has a locally concentrated inductance, mainly forms the inductance of the resonance circuit. An information card management device for managing an information card having a lumped constant inductor,
A plurality of the information cards are stacked and accommodated, and an opening for taking out the information card and an opening for exposing at least a part of the side surface of the information card by opening along the information card stacking direction A containment container,
An antenna that emits electromagnetic waves of a frequency that is provided close to the opening for exposure of the container and is communicable with the information card;
A moving mechanism for moving an information card to be taken out of the information cards contained in the containing container to the opening for taking out;
An information card management device comprising:   8. The information card management device according to claim 6, further comprising an auxiliary card having a second coil and a second capacitor that forms a resonance circuit with the second coil.   The information card management device according to claim 1, wherein the container is made of metal.   The information card management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reading device that reads information on the information card based on communication between the antenna and the information card.

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